Where to live on the Emerald Coast? (Raleigh, Wilmington: insurance, townhouse)

[yellowbug]

We are considering a major move from the cold harsh winters of NE Ohio to the Carolina coast. We are in our early 40's and have a 4 year old. We LOVE the beach!!!!!! I love the feel of a small town, but also need to have some shopping i.e. Walmart, Target, grocery and CVS type stores nearby. Also, I'm looking for a town that does have neighborhoods with small children. Any suggestions??

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by yellowbug

We are considering a major move from the cold harsh winters of NE Ohio to the Carolina coast. We are in our early 40's and have a 4 year old. We LOVE the beach!!!!!! I love the feel of a small town, but also need to have some shopping i.e. Walmart, Target, grocery and CVS type stores nearby. Also, I'm looking for a town that does have neighborhoods with small children. Any suggestions??

We moved to western Carteret County two years ago. It has a small town feel but all the services you mention are available. We are very near the beaches of Emerald Isle, plenty of nice restaurants, and there is always something interesting happening.

Target is the only store you mentioned that requires a drive of more than 20 minutes. We can make it in 25-30 minutes going a back way. Morehead City will eventually get one.

You can check this map out for area services.

I haven't had time to add the new Walgreen's that just opened in Cape Carteret. There is a CVS in Emerald Isle. It takes us under 20 minutes to be at Walmart, Belk's etc. We're driving down to Morehead City this evening to see if the new Panera Bread is open.

There were plans to have a Walmart just beside Cape Carteret in Cedar Point, and I expect it will eventually happen, but they delayed the Walmart due to the economy. It takes 18 mintues to get to the one in Morehead City.

There are neighborhoods with small children. We even have an old fashioned ice cream truck that prowls the neighborhoods. Even our neighborhood on the White Oak will soon have 14 kids among the 42 houses, and there are others with many more.

It's a great area, very friendly with lots to do out of doors, including trails of the 158,000 acre Croatan National Forest that surround the area, boating, walking the beaches, and fishing. The schools are also very good.

Here are some recent beach shots and pictures of a trip to Morehead City and Beaufort (pardon the shots of my tomato plants and my fiddler crab patrol- our cat Malarky.)

My best statistic on cold and the one I often quote is that I tracked the number of hours below freezing in January 07. The total for the MONTH was 19 hours of below freezing temperatures.

Property taxes are also very reasonable, and should I mention that we have been sleeping with the windows open and hardly any air conditioning for the last month.

If you have questions, I will try to respond to them here. Sometimes I miss a few days, but I try to check once a day.

[yellowbug]

WOW!!! thank you so much for all the great information. I have read some of you posts in my initial search. Since you seem so familiar with this area, can you tell me if there are any great churches in the area, Christ centered and Bible based? Also, a list of hospitals in the area. I also see that you are a realtor, our family is taking a trip to check out the area in August, perhaps we can connect and you can show us the area? Thank you again!

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by yellowbug

WOW!!! thank you so much for all the great information. I have read some of you posts in my initial search. Since you seem so familiar with this area, can you tell me if there are any great churches in the area, Christ centered and Bible based? Also, a list of hospitals in the area. I also see that you are a realtor, our family is taking a trip to check out the area in August, perhaps we can connect and you can show us the area? Thank you again!

We go to the Cape Carteret Presbyterian Church but there are lots of area churches. We have a friend who has moved into the area who is a minister and I can ask him, but it might take a few days to catch up with him since I think he is off on a mission.

In the meantime the first 20 churches on this list are in the area. That will give you some idea of what is available.

There are three hospitals in the area.

The closest is Carteret General which is 25 minutes away.

Next would be Onslow Memorial

Finally the largest would be Craven Regional Medical Center which is 45 minutes away.

There is also a large regional health center at East Carolina University about an hour and forty five minutes away.

Of course Duke Medical Center is about 2.5 hours away and some Raleigh hospitals are little closer than that.

I am always happy to show City-Data visitors our area and answer questions.

Just let me know a few weeks ahead of time so I can be sure to be in town.

[yellowbug]

Are you also familiar with the Wilmington area?

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by yellowbug

Are you also familiar with the Wilmington area?

No I took a few months of classes in Wilmington, which was just enough to remind me of what I was trying to escape.

It is a pretty good size place and has its share of traffic and typical city challenges.

I am sure there are some nice neighborhoods, but I expect they are pricey.

I takes us about an hour and one half to get there even though it is only 65 miles away.

We only get down there once or twice a year.

There should be some folks on the forum who can answer any Wilmington questions.

[nancysparkle]

My husband and I are looking to leave New England and head to NC. (He grew up in Bertie County.)
The Beaufort area looks nice, but I am concerned about the usual things: jobs, hurricanes, insurance, taxes, etc..

We are older (56 and 60), and want jobs, not careers. Just something for income, and not too much stress, ya know? My goal is to live on less, yet feel comfortable.

I expect New Bern would work for us, but I'd rather a small coastal town if we can manage it...

Any feedback would be appreciated, or a suggestion for another forum that might cover these issues.

[Steven McCurdy]

Beaufort has many types of jobs that may suit you, so does Morehead City and Swansboro...you really just have to visit and see which area meets your needs and lifestyle...Morehead City has the most jobs I think....I am partial to Carteret County....Its gorgoeus......

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by nancysparkle

My husband and I are looking to leave New England and head to NC. (He grew up in Bertie County.)
The Beaufort area looks nice, but I am concerned about the usual things: jobs, hurricanes, insurance, taxes, etc..

We are older (56 and 60), and want jobs, not careers. Just something for income, and not too much stress, ya know? My goal is to live on less, yet feel comfortable.

I expect New Bern would work for us, but I'd rather a small coastal town if we can manage it...

Any feedback would be appreciated, or a suggestion for another forum that might cover these issues.

You might want to check out my posts on Carteret County and Small Towns.

I have a number of posts on the forum about taxes and insurance. Or would be glad to answer specific questions. I try to check the forum once a day.

We live in western Carteret County on the White Oak River.

This map will give you an idea of the geography of the area and the services available. Just zoom in to where you can see the streets.

These are some slides of the beach area.

The people are friendly, the climate great, the taxes low, but you have to work at finding a job unless you skills are in certain areas.

Do come visit and check out the area, here are links to my Emerald Isle, Swansboro, and Beaufort travel guides.

[VickiR]

I'd also like to find a place near the beach (any NC beach will do). Maybe a townhouse that is about 5 to 10 minutes of the ocean. Not a house or cottage...too much maintenance but more of a summer hideaway! Near the sound would be good too. The neighborhood would need to have a pool in the community for my daughter. I'd prefer brand new and under $200,000. Got suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

Vicki