Review of Emerald Isle (Morehead City, Carolina Beach: fit in, for sale, real estate)

[ringrass]

Hello all,

First off thanks for all the comments regarding EI. All of your tips and comments came in handy. With that said. I just got back from EI - I was there from Sat 8/25 to Sat 9/1. I stayed at the Ocean Reef condo's.

Okay here are my thoughts. First the good:
I loved the island. Love the beaches and the feel of a small beach town. Loved the shopping as well as the local restaurants.

Okay now the somewhat bad. The condo was clean and great. However we had what they called "waterbugs" these huge black/brown bugs. We first spotted them inside the condo. One was on the floor in the kitchen and the other one was in the master bedroom on the ceiling. Now when you have a pregnant (3 months) woman and an 11 year old child. Having the bugs made things a little bad. Then next evening we came home around 10pm and the bugs were all over the deck, walls, and ground. Luck would have it that none were in the condo. (thank god) I called the maintenance dept and they were suppose to send over traps as well as some spray. Well it never came. So that was my bug story.

Other things in the condo was that the dryer was not working properly and the bathroom sink was leaking. Okay thats it for the condo.

The area did not have a good Italian restaurant. We ate at Mazella's and it was not good at all. Other then that we loved Flippers and Rucker John's.

I love, love the sweet tea y'all have down there. I need to know how to make it. Miss it already!!

One other thing we drove from EI to Beaufort. We took 24 to 70. In that spand there was not one restaurant for 20 miles. *light bulb* if I knew how to cook. Great idea for a restaurant.

Also what happend to Playland? it seem to be closed down.

So all in all I loved EI and plan to go back next year. I will attach some pic's once they are downloaded.

[macdebbie]

OK, now I am totally freaked out. We are going to the NC coast in October and I am petrified of bugs.

Can some natives please explain what to expect?

[surfingatwork]

I visited EI/MHC/Beaufort in March and stayed at the Atlantis Lodge and did not encounter one single bug. I absolutely recommend Atlantis (actually think it's in Altantic Beach). The place is right smack on the water. While the rooms don't have the best decor (think 70s flashback) it was spotless including the bathroom.

I do know exactly what you are referring to because when I visited Tybee Island, GA last May I found 3 in my room. Needless to say I was up the ENTIRE night (thankfully it was our last night on Tybee) because of them.

Having said that. When my dh and I visited EI, most nights we had dinner in Beaufort and loved the restaurants there. We loved stillwater cafe for dinner. had lunch at dock house (good ummm adult beverages) and clawson's. Had an amazing breakfast at 4 corners (i think that's the name of the place right at the main interesection at the bridge). Since my dh is 100% italian we don't eat at italian restaurants because he's never been to one he likes so I can't offer anything on italian restaurants.

[Ceezer]

Originally Posted by macdebbie

Can some natives please explain what to expect?

Bugs.

No matter where you go in the Carolinas you're going to have bugs and the closer you get to water the more likely you'll see them (especially things like silverfish and waterbugs). And more frequently.

[Coastalminded]

Hello all,


I can add to this post being its my first post and I can speak from very recent experience visiting E.I. on a trip to find "coastal paradise"....to find a dream home and start a new life etc., like many here.

I went on 8/27-9/1 and stayed at the Waterway Inn in Swansboro on Hwy. 24 . There were big black bugs in my room, right next to me when I went to bed like sticking to the wall, but I am not afraid of no bugs at all. Snakes, Gators etc, yes but bugs no. My room was the closest on to the water also. The owners were truly welcoming, Kay and Dave, and the rooms are clean and located in a great location. Great place to stay if you are there to look around for a few days, plain room as I wanted.

On the experience of E.I.? First time ever for me in the state. I was very excited and after reading, researching, talking to a realtor who posts on here often about the area over the phone, I drove straight down from N.E. PA.

I expected something different than what I found when I arrived, the biggest negative was to me, there was not a solid sense of permanence EXCEPT in and along Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach on hwy.58. That 25 mile stretch of beach and land was absolutely as beautiful as any beach areas I ever seen but unless you will live in a trailer or something similar, you better have real deep pockets to buy even the smallest home on the "island" of Bogue Banks. But if you do have the money to buy on the "island", let me tell you , you are in luck because every 3rd home it seems is For Sale! There are more homes for sale than there are not it seems!! and that made me wonder, but.....

I really wonder why. I read different reasons-taxes, etc.

I pointed out the negative of not feeling permanent (to me at least) first because I felt disapointed within the first hour of my "drive around".

Honestly, if the powers that be on the mainland of the counties of Carteret-Onslow would step up and clean up some of the old, dilapidated shacks, whether homes or little shops, that area would be extremely improved.
After -AFTER! I booked my hotel, the realtor told me that the area is known as the Redneck Riviera, and that is the feeling it conveyed to me in some, but ceratinly not all the areas.

Put it in other words: I can say that if you were to go west out of any area and away from the coast just 1-2 miles, I felt like I was here in rural PA. and that is what I want to get out of. Farming is huge in that area of N.C. and I am not used to seeing rows of corn etc, then Ocean:within about a mile of each other.


Now the best part I learned about the area, actually several. The most wonderful, friendliest and calm people I have ever met in my life, warm and unhurried. That in itself is reason enough for me to move into the area, but not enough for my wife unfortunately.

Prices for homes are not much different at all from where I live, but I was led to believe they were much cheaper by a certain realtor and that turned out to be not very true. That had me ticked.....I was misled. I do not want to live 45 miles from the beach but part of this was his selfishness to not show me MLS listings, only his own listings, to reap the full commisions, I know this now and fired him the second day.

I may get negative feedback for stating these things but you have to be honest on here I think. There are many people considering moving south from PA. and the best advice I could give to anyone who is thinking about driving down to check it out, my best advice is simple: It is certainly not the Jersey Shore and you will not see a boardwalk in that area, fishing piers yes and plenty of boat docks, but if you want a lit up, faster paced nightlife you will simply not find it around E.I. You will find a GREAT area though, no doubt about it. Especially if you own a boat, or are really into water activities besides lounging on a beach all day. It has plenty of that too though so there is truly something for everyone. I loved it and will return to try again, looking further north, and west.

And for me, that was somewhat of a let down as I knew it was no Jersey shore, but I did not expect it to be quite as "sleepy" as it is either so I am looking at other areas.

IT IS a beautiful, natural area in some parts but also there is a sense of poor planning in some areas-and now there is a huge boom going on to build it up and I think I visited at a bad time because of these facts.

Do not get me wrong, I am in no way putting the area down-in any way whatsoever, no. It just would not be for me and my wife-she would be bored out of her mind even though there is plenty of shopping, it is not a small community, it is more spread out. Travelling on highways is not for her.

I went to Myrtle Beach and was amazed at the difference!

And as far as it being the Redneck Riviera, I did not find that at all and the area would do well to dump that image I think because no matter how much the natives will look to keep that image etc, it will most likely fall into heavy development in the coming years and it will no longer be sleepy. And I went through that whole transition here where I live with a huge influx of people from N.J. and N.Y. as they escaped insane tax bills, and I did not like it at all, but it happened anyways, and it is just like I knew it would be. MY taxes went way up, and MY roads are clogged up, and MY neighborhoods are now "gone".....ah, it happens. And I felt it was MINE......but thats just foolish as the money always wins in the end and I fear that will be the fate of that beautiful area known as the Crystal Coast. And I sense the tension (rightfully so) of the Natives of the area.

[Bill Hitchcock]

Coastalminded,
I own a real estate agency in the Crystal Coast-Where you just visited. Your experience with the Realtor has me fuming and unfortunately-Is an all too common occurrence.
The average price of a home here in the Crystal Coast can vay by $500K just by crossing one bridge.
Any Realtor or real estate broker (There is a diference) that just shows their listings is NOT doing their job or fulfilling their legal obligation of looking after their clients best interests.
The Crystal Coast is NOT a Myrtle Beach type of an environment, nor is it a Nags Head/Hitty Hawk/Hatteras environment.
We have over 80 miles of ocean side beaches most of which are uninhabitted.
Again-The Realtor evidently did not do their job. It is paramount to find out first what someone likes and requires.
I empathize and agree with your feelings and assesment of your experience.
Bill

[flipster]

Gosh, I've been going to EI for 25 yrs and have never heard it refered to as the "redneck riviera".

I, too, am sorry you had such a rotten experience with that realtor. The bad ones make it tougher for the good ones that are true real estate professionals.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by macdebbie

OK, now I am totally freaked out. We are going to the NC coast in October and I am petrified of bugs.

Can some natives please explain what to expect?

We had one of those bugs in our condo that we rented at Atlantic Beach, luckily it was in my sons room and not mine I didn't see any when we rented a condo at Carolina Beach but they had a notice on the fridge saying we might and it's just part of caostal living. I don't like them either.

[Raine Carraway]

They closed Playland a while back, then Jungleland, then the amusement "circle" just a few years ago. Real estate values and taxes have both gone up so much in the area that it paid more to sell them and build condos & beach houses than to keep them running and only turning a profit in the summer months.

It's still a little sad though. I grew up in Morehead City, and the whole area has changed so much I hardly recognize it when I go home.

[Bill Hitchcock]

"redneck riviera" There is one very large beach access on the western end of Emerald Isle that tends to draw all of the folks that have the potential of being part of that crowd.
But with the average price of a home in Emerald Isle at $711K (Past 3 month average sold price)-I think EI is more "Riviera" than redneck.
Bill