Great place to live 1 hour from Raleigh and the beach? (Greensboro: vacation, job)

[jv5186]

Hi Everyone,
We are currently living in Greensboro in a lovely area, but my husband's commute is to the Raleigh/Durham area. He does have the advantage of working 3 or more days from home if he chooses. We are currently planning to move from Greensboro in the future to be closer to his job, but the problem is that he really wants to be closer to the beach (Jersey boy). I'm trying to find an area that is 45 minutes from Raleigh and therefore closer to the beaches? Anyone have a suggestion? Thanks!!

[jmarquise]

there is not a whole lot out there. wilson perhaps? there is not too much there! wilson or rocky mount look like the only decent sized cities.

[Beffrey2]

Originally Posted by jv5186

Hi Everyone,
We are currently living in Greensboro in a lovely area, but my husband's commute is to the Raleigh/Durham area. He does have the advantage of working 3 or more days from home if he chooses. We are currently planning to move from Greensboro in the future to be closer to his job, but the problem is that he really wants to be closer to the beach (Jersey boy). I'm trying to find an area that is 45 minutes from Raleigh and therefore closer to the beaches? Anyone have a suggestion? Thanks!!

Hmm, thats a tough one. Wilson would be your only choice. But Wilson really is not a great place to live. I like it here...but that does not mean you will.

Wilson is 45 minutes from Raleigh...depends on where in Raleigh your husband works. You can actually be in Raleigh in just 35 minutes from Wilson. But RTP would be much longer of a drive. Close to 1 hour because of traffic.

Wilson is 2 hours from Atlantic beach and Wilmington.

The only other town that would work is Goldsboro. They are slightly closer to the beach and about the same distance from Raleigh...especially since the Clayton by-pass has opened.

So Wilson and Goldsboro are your two towns. But neither are better than Greensboro. I would honestly say Wilson and Goldsboro are ok places to live.

[Oyster07]

I would suggest the Clayton area. It's about 1.5 hour from Wilmington and it's a straigh shot down I-40. Only about 15-30 min from Raleigh/Durham area. Anything more East (along I-40) is going to be a really small town with not a lot to offer (unfortunately).

[Richard Martin]

You might want to give Greenville a look. It's about a hour and a half drive to the OBX, Jacksonville and Moorehead City. The trip back to Raleigh is about a hour and fifteen.

There are plenty of new homes in virtually every price range available with more becoming available every day.

BTW, I moved here from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and chose this area specifically since Greenville is very much like a lot of similar sized cities in the Northeast and it's close to salt water. It's also the second largest city east of I-95 with a Winterville/Greenville metro population in excess of 100,000.

[teebird1012]

My aunt lives in Wilson and I think it's a nice small town. As mentioned, it's like 40 minutes outside of Raleigh and my aunt said it's a 3 hour drive or so to the Outer Banks where we all vacation every summer.

[stillma]

I'm partial to Tarboro. We moved here about 3 years ago and couldn't be happier. We're located a little over an hour from Raleigh and about 2 - 3 hours from the beaches. What is terrific about the town is that it is at the beginning of an obvious upswing. Tarboro has been through some hard times in the past, but the positive energy now is so strong you can feel it. The people here know how to be a community and together we are all making good things happen. New stores are opening downtown, cool antique shops and places for funky finds. We have On the Square a world class restaurant. Our Main Street Cafe' is a popular gathering spot where the food is good and the people are hip and friendly. Tarboro was just recognized as the #3 FIT community in North Carolina. We have bike trails and canoe trails, fitness centers, yoga, tai chi, pilates.
We have a very active arts council and once EVERY month on Tarboro's 2nd Saturday we have an all day street fair downtown with live music, arts & crafts, food & more. The town is clean and safe. We have a 45-block historic district with gorgeous old homes that are affordably priced. If you are thinking of moving, you need to at least come and see Tarboro before deciding. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. This is a get in on the ground floor opportunity. I think Tarboro has been a secret for too long and more and more people seeking the place to call home will soon see Tarboro as the best place to live in North Carolina.