Looking for great small town (Jacksonville, New Bern: travel, hospitals, house)

[emily1]

Hi I am looking into moving to coastal N.C. My sisiter currently lives in Willmington and when I visted I thought it was nice but rough around the edges. Another sister lived in Shalotte(?) wich I hated. I am looking for a small town under 12,000 pop. close to the coast w/great schools and a hospital nearby. Any suggestions?

[LittleDolphin]

Beaufort NC might be nice for you.

Below is a link to an article about Beaufort. There's a hospital right across the bridge in neighboring Morehead City. Don't know much about the schools as we haven't children in school, but the teachers I know are wonderful.

Best of luck in your search!

Discover Charming Beaufort

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by emily1

Hi I am looking into moving to coastal N.C. My sisiter currently lives in Willmington and when I visted I thought it was nice but rough around the edges. Another sister lived in Shalotte(?) wich I hated. I am looking for a small town under 12,000 pop. close to the coast w/great schools and a hospital nearby. Any suggestions?

This is a map of the area with services.

We moved to western Carteret County because of the small towns. You can check out my posts on why we are here and what I like about the small towns.

We looked closely at Beaufort and decided we like the west side of the county better for our permanent home though we often visit Beaufort.

Beach access is easier down where we are and there are lots more trails for hiking. We live on the White Oak River.

We can be walking on the Emerald Isle beaches in 10 minutes or out Bogue Inlet in 20 minutes by boat.

All our services are open year round, and we can be to the shopping mall in Morehead City in seventeen minutes.

We have four modern grocery stores to choose from within ten minutes, a new Lowes Home Improvement store 7 minutes from the house, and all the shops and restaurants of Swansboro less than ten minutes away.

We buy fresh fish and shrimp almost off the boat and live in area that really enjoys its town festivals.

There are a number of events coming up in Beaufort so it is a good time to check it out and then drive down to Cape Carteret area and see what you think of it. The towns are very different and cater to different people.

Have a look at the storm surge maps before you decide where in the county to live.

You might find the Emerald Isle and Beaufort travel guides helpful.

This is boat trip down the White Oak to Swansboro, over to Hammocks beach, and out Bogue Inlet.

Schools are also very good. There are hospitals in Morehead City, Jacksonville, and New Bern.

[XNYgirl]

I suggest you research Carteret County and look up the schools on greatschools.com this will help you alot in your decision.

Please PM me if you want. Also, I agree with dsobotta.