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Hi, New to this forum, Very glad I found it. My husband and I are planning on moving to NC, we are planning to settle within 1 hour from the obx. I need help deciding which town to choose. We like to garden, would love to have some chickens for eggs, but dosnt have to be a priority. However, we definitely have to have somewhat a safe neighborhood, friendly people. I know that work is slim, right now I travel 1 1/2 hours to work every day, so a shorter communte would be nice. I am a CNA and work with disabled adults and children. Are there any nursing homes, medical centers, or disabled adult centers, home care? My husband works for Phone company, but willing to do just about anything. He may even take a early retirement before we move. We would like a country setting. Shopping is not a big thing on my list, so it wouldn't matter if our chosen town would be 1/2 hour or so away from town, or shopping. I would love to have some information from locals or folks who've lived there. Thanks I seem to be fond of the Grandy area, but not sure of any other towns close to Grandy. Also need to know about flooding in those areas... thanks so much and have a blessed day !
Grandy is real close to the Outer Banks...seems to fit your criteria, except the OBX hospital is in Nags Head, so that is a bit of a haul. You may have to work in Elizabeth City, which may actually be closer.
For that reason, you may consider Camden County, which has some nice neighborhoods, some waterfront and doesnt really have flooding issues. Hwy 158 is currently being widened to 4 lanes in Camden, which will make travel easier to Currituck County.
Besides that, you may consider heading west of Manteo toward Creswell or Roper, lots of farmland and is possible to work in Plymouth at their Hospital. Edenton is also a possibility, although it may be a little over an hour to the Outer Banks from there. Edenton has a traditional downtown with a good community spirit and is one of the most Historic towns in the State. It has a Hospital through Vidant, which is the main group in eastern NC...
I have friends retired in Harbinger, Currituck County and they like it. The previous poster has given good advice. I will only add that the flood risk varies with the distance from water. You should obviously look at housing away from creeks and flood plains, and a realtor should help you. The OBX does get mandatory evacuation orders with some hurricanes.
Since you want to be close to OBX, I'd recommend Elizabeth City, less than an hour away, and also close to the Hampton Roads area of Va. Close enough for a commute. Any other places I'd reccomend would be actually in Dare County, like Manteo. The counties bordering VA have some of the lowest unemployment in the state (Gates -6.8, Camden - 7.1, Currituck - 5.8) due to their proximity to that area of VA which also has low unemployment due to all of the Federal jobs in that area. Elizabeth City is partially in Camden County. From the things you say are important to you, I can't see any negatives to the area you're looking at.
OP may want to list where she is coming from (so comparisons can be made) and also "what" she might be looking for by moving to ENC. Some people love ENC, others don't. It's not known for having a plethora of job opportunities or a sophisticated or educated populace. It isn't like a novel as another poster seemed to expect.
ENC is decent for gardening certain things, but other things like apples don't do all that well. Peaches will do well some years and not others, a late cold snap is enough to nip em in the bud..
Hello again,
Thanks for all the wonderful responses. We will be coming from Cumberland Md area. We just mainly use the raised beds gardens, for tomatoes, peppers, squash. I do a lot of canning but usually have to buy my fruits and veggies from local farmers. We are mainly looking for laidback living. My husband has a small boat. We love to fish . How is the winters around that area, Our winters can be pretty rough where we live now. Thanks again
How is the winters around that area, Our winters can be pretty rough where we live now.
ENC will get light snow every couple of years. If you get wind off the water, it will be raw and cold. However, winter will be much easier than Cumberland.
I like the sounds of that. lol. We have been coming down to obx for about 15 years now for vacation, and I Know that vacation is a lot different from living there, but we fell in love with some of the smaller towns before obx. The local people really were helpful and friendly for the most part. We stayed at powells point, but we really don't want to be that close to the water due to the hurricanes , but not to far away cause my husband wants to get into fishing more.
I like the sounds of that. lol. We have been coming down to obx for about 15 years now for vacation, and I Know that vacation is a lot different from living there, but we fell in love with some of the smaller towns before obx. The local people really were helpful and friendly for the most part. We stayed at powells point, but we really don't want to be that close to the water due to the hurricanes , but not to far away cause my husband wants to get into fishing more.
Damage from hurricanes can extend well beyond the area you're indicating, well West of Greenville. I lived in Baltimore for about 2.5 years. The winters in NC were somewhat warmer, but not be a large margin. OTOH, MD summers were less humid and in my opinion more pleasant than NC.
You might want to look at the job situation first, as most people find this to be the most challenging. Good luck!
....... OTOH, MD summers were less humid and in my opinion more pleasant than NC.
You might want to look at the job situation first, as most people find this to be the most challenging. Good luck!
and if your husband has a great job with the phone company and can't transfer or retire, I don't know that his quitting to move here would be a good idea....
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I seem to be fond of the Grandy area, but not sure of any other towns close to Grandy. Also need to know about flooding in those areas... thanks so much and have a blessed day !
