Pros and Cons of Carolina Beach (Wilmington, Shelby: amusement park, hotels, buying a house)

[pacificcoastjim]

What are the pros and cons of Carolina Beach?

[BC1960]

I'm not sure if you are talking about vacationing or living there?

Pros:

Britt's Doughnuts
Less expensive than many beaches such as Wrightsville
Lots of commercial activity, such as grocery stores, restaurants, charter boats, etc. (some might consider this a con)
Has a nice, albeit short, boardwalk
Good access to Fort Fisher, Fort Fisher Sate Park and the aquarium
Has a good number of year around residents, so it has more a community feel, as opposed to just a vacation place that empties out in the winter
Has a small, old fashioned arcade and small amusement park
Close to Wilmington for shopping and entertainment trips
Britt's Doughnuts

Cons:

Britt's Doughnuts closes in the winter
Still has a bit of a biker, blue collar, rough around the edges feel (some might consider this a pro)
Lots of hotels/motels, as opposed to all single family houses like some other beaches
Traffic is very heavy in the summer

[hsw55]

Pro - water, sun and sand. What more do you want ?

Another con of Britts donuts - when they sell out they close. No more donuts are made. So get there early and wait in line.

[SunnyKayak]

I love Carolina Beach, but I go in the off season so I can not comment on traffic but I would love to retire there or own a beach home there.
There is actually plenty of well kept cute beach homes mainly on the second row of Carolina Beach Ave from Dolphin Lane and up and Canal Drive.

I didnt feel that there was actually many hotels at least near the boardwalk but maybe the last time I book there wasnt vacancy and we chose Beach House Inn & Suites and glad I did.
The rooms are up to date and has a classic beach theme to it. Plus, since it was last motel near the boardwalk but within walking distance, it was spaced far enough from bar noise.
Im very open mind person that gets along with anyone so I get along with whatever type of crowd as all class of people have good and bad.

Pros of Carolina Beach is the white sandy beach with huge natural dunes, serenity, and friendly locals.
One of my favorite state parks with North Carolina state tree (Longleaf Pine) and plant (Venus Flytrap) and other natural species.
Fat Pelican bar has a 'beach garage look' indoor and outdoor,18 wheeler pick yourself beer cooler and name NC #1 Dive bar
and #25 in the nation.
Good food at Shelby Jeans on the boardwalk.
Short drive to Wilmington downtown.

Cons but true with any beach towns try to be wary where you park if heavy rain is in the forecast.

[pacificcoastjim]

Thanks for the responses. They are very helpful. Does the town shut-down during the winter months?

[BC1960]

Originally Posted by pacificcoastjim

Thanks for the responses. They are very helpful. Does the town shut-down during the winter months?

Not really. It has a fairly substantial year around population. Obviously, its much quieter in the winter than summer, but lots of places are open year around. Plus, Wilmington is not far away.

[Dockside]

We were just there for a week and had a very pleasant time. The hotels are expensive so we used Airbnb and booked right on the beach at half the price. BC1960 in post #2 is right, it has a bit of a blue collar, I'd say solidly middle class feel about it, yet we felt perfectly comfortable letting our teens roam around the boardwalk in the evening. I never did get to Britt's Donuts, every time I walked by the line was at least 50 people long.

Pros -
Beautiful beaches and the people were very nice.
Very dog-friendly.
Wilmington is nearby.
Take the kids to Cape Fear Serpentarium Wilmington Attractions
The wonderful Fort Fisher: NC Aquariums | Kure Beach, NC 28449 is nearby...buy your tickets online and skip the lines.
Take the ferry to visit Southport NC and have lunch. If you have young kids bring a bag of old bread and feed the laughing seagulls off the back of the ferry.

Cons -
Keep an eye on young kids at the beach, there was one hell of an undertow last week.
I'll bet public parking at Carolina Beach is impossible on a summer weekend.
Don't wait till your starving to go out to eat and use Yelp or Trip Advisor. There are a surprising number of very mediocre restaurants on Carolina Beach

[HP91]

Depending on your opinion of alcohol...

Carolina Beach was named the drunkest town in North Carolina.

[mrscasct]

Nice beach, but it's reputation as being "honky tonk" is spot on. We stayed there for months before buying a house on the mainland and teenage girls did not feel overly safe. They were harassed on more than one occasion. Also had some terrible neighbors that fit the stereotype, that was not fun.

[LLN]

A very working class beach and vibe. Nothing wrong with the working class, but you won't see "the beautiful people" there. I guess that is a plus!