Room for Northerners? (Raleigh, Wilmington, Greenville: rent, home, job market)

[SnackPack]

Hey Everyone!

My girlfriend and I are looking to move to North Carolina from New Hampshire. We are looking at the Shallotte area. We are just trying to get first person information about the area. Everyone has different opinions, but we are encouraging everyone to help us out.

We are just trying to get away from the 6 feet of snow and negative temperatures. Maybe find a great place to start a family, but not right off.

We are just looking for information on the area and what it is like. Please share any experiences that you have that might help us choose North Carolina over South Carolina. Thank you in advance for your help!

We hope to be your neighbors soon!

-M

[Ellise]

I came down here 2 1/2 years ago to get away from the cold. It took some getting used to but now I can say that I'm glad I moved to NC. I missed the New England landscape at first, the rocky hills, for instance. There are neither hills nor rocks around here. I miss good Chinese food, which is nowhere to be found down here. But the climate is a big improvement over New England's, and the beaches are fantastic.

However, I am retired and did not have to worry about finding a job; I think that the job market here is not nearly as good as it is in NH and MA.

Good luck.

[kelsie]

We moved down here 5 yrs. ago from So. NJ. Shallott is a nice little town. Since you are young, have you checked out the Greenville area? We moved just outside the Greenville area. We are 5 miles away from all the stores and entertainment. The job market is tough, so it would be best if you get your jobs first before moving. The only thing we miss about So. Jersey is the pizza and Italian bread. Cost of living is about the same as So. Jersey, food prices are high. Rent and housing costs are inexpensive. Good luck in your search. kelsie

[SnackPack]

So the pizza sucks huh!? So housing is less than NH, but the food prices are higher? We are trying to find work before we come down. How far is Greenville from Shallotte? We wanted to live not far from the coast...we are currently an hour and 15 minutes from the coast here in NH, so anything within 45 minutes is do-able. Thanks for the info so far!

[surv1234]

Shallotte does not have alot of attractions for younger folks. I would look closer to a small city.

[SnackPack]

We are not really party people. We are quite town kinda folks. We like it pretty quiet, 10/15 drives to things are good with us. But thank you, what is Shallotte like?

[jmarquise]

snackpack, do not move to shallotte. there isn't really any character to the town. it is a strip of commercial buildings. it would be a culture shock to move from new hampshire to shallotte. you don't really have to be a party person to live in a place like wilmington, it just gives you more options. for example, getting a cup of coffee at a place other than a gas station. being able to go see a movie and have a nice dinner. I would say avoid shallotte if you are young as it will be hard to meet people your age.

[kelsie]

I agree, we are not party people either, but to have Sam's club 2.8 mi. from our home and everything else 5 mi. away, plus 2 movie theaters, it is all about convenience. Greenville is 1 1/2 hrs. from Atlantic Beach. Wilmington would be a good choice but again, check out the cost of living. We are 1 and 15 from Raleigh, 3 hrs. from Myrtle Beach, and yes the pizza s---s, its the water. On a bright side when we go up to visit family we bring back pizza and bread. We are a college town ECU, one of the best teaching hospitals. Check out our area Winterville, also New Bern and Oriental.kelsie

[jmarquise]

snackpack, where in new hampshire are you? I have family in hanover. I know it's expensive there! there are some really good places for pizza in wilmington. also, what do you and your wife do for a living? you might be hard pressed to find work in anything other than hospitality in a small coastal town.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by SnackPack

Hey Everyone!

My girlfriend and I are looking to move to North Carolina from New Hampshire. We are looking at the Shallotte area. We are just trying to get first person information about the area. Everyone has different opinions, but we are encouraging everyone to help us out.

We are just trying to get away from the 6 feet of snow and negative temperatures. Maybe find a great place to start a family, but not right off.

We are just looking for information on the area and what it is like. Please share any experiences that you have that might help us choose North Carolina over South Carolina. Thank you in advance for your help!

We hope to be your neighbors soon!

-M

We live on the Crystal Coast which is between Swansboro and Beaufort, NC.

It is an area of small towns, beaches, National Forest, and lots of outdoor activities.

Our water and pizza are very good In fact we have a new local pizza place and Italian Restaurant, Trattoria, in Swansboro. It is wonderful, but you might have to fight crowds even in the off season.

None of the towns are very big but collectively they provide an area with all the services you need and a diverse population. The area has three hospitals and a couple of small airports.

Morehead City has basic shopping, Walmart, Belks, Best Buy and across the street they're building Petsmart, TJ Maxx, and apparently a Panera Bread along with other things. You have the full choice of chain restaurants from Outback, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's on down.

There are plenty of great locally owned restaurants in the area.

Finding jobs takes some time and can be frustrating, but housing costs are reasonable and most places are minutes to a beach.

The trade off is beautiful scenery, great climate, friendly people, and lots to do in the out of doors including walking on the beach whenever you feel like it.

Also Carteret County has very good schools should that idea of starting a family happen.

January 2007 we had 19 hours below freezing the whole month. It might have been even less this year. We have had some days since the first of the year when I have worn shorts and gone barefooted while working on my boat.

I have a friend who lives in Beaufort, SC (http://www.beaufortsc.org/cwo/Home - broken link) and a former neighbor who lived in Murrells Inlet, SC just below Myrtle Beach.

The easiest thing to say is that SC stays a few degrees warmer in the winter and gets somewhat hotter in the summer. Talking to each other, we found that most of the time the temperature difference is somewhere between four and six degrees, and often not that much.

If you compare Beaufort, SC with Beaufort, NC on City Data, you'll get a good idea of climate difference. Both of those are historical spots and probably not what you are looking for, but they provide a good climate comparison.

We live near Cape Carteret which is very representative of the small Crystal Coast towns.

Our friend who lived in Murrells Inlet has since moved on to Va. Beach because of a better job opportunity. He found the traffic around Myrtle Beach a pain in the summer.

I think NC has a little more of the four seasons. We also have great mountains that are five to six hours from us.

Either NC or SC can be a great spot. You could easily do a three or four day trip of the areas and come away with a broad idea of where you might like to settle.

Have a look on the Crystal Coast, the area north of Wilmington along Route 17, look south of Wilmington and then hit the area south of Myrtle Beach and you should have a good idea of the possibilities.

Each state has some good points. Of course being born in NC and living in NC, I think NC is the better choice, but even so it took me a long time to figure it out.

A Google Search for "NC Coastal Paradise" will turn up lots of information that I have written and posted on my "Coastal NC" website. I also have travel guides to Swansboro, and Emerald Isle (http://coastalnc.org/emeraldislenctravelguidecd - broken link).