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Originally Posted by CoastalDreaming
I grew up in New England on the Eastern Connecticut coast (very small town). I miss the beautiful waterfront fishing villages. I have lived "out west" in an Arizona mountain town (I hate the snow) for the last 18 years. I am Coastal Dreaming again and want to relocate to a small coastal town (warmer than New England) - but with the same small town feel. I have been searching employment ads - I am a Paralegal with Accounting and Office Management skills. From what I have learned on-line, I like the coast from Oriental to Swansboro and inland to New Bern. I love being outdoors and like walking to the waterfront shops and restaurants. I hope to be walking distance or very close driving distance to a quiet beach. I am a single woman (late 40's) and want to be in a safe place. Any information (employment & rental housing, area amenities etc...) or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks.
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Small coastal towns are all we really have on the Crystal Coast which includes Swansboro, Cape Carteret, Cedar Point, Emerald Isle, Morehead City and Beaufort.
One of our friends recently just the kind of job you are hoping to find. It was never advertised and came through personal contacts. Before the economy got worse in the fall, there were jobs like that advertised. The pay rate here might be a shock to you, it depends on what you are accustomed to being paid.
There are plenty of rental homes, and it is a good idea to rent before you buy. Most of the shopping for the coastal area is in Morehead City. New Bern is matter of personal taste. I live being closer to the beaches myself.
Sailors like the big of the Neuse River, but I prefer the waters in the sounds and along the beaches.
This map of the area will give you some idea of the amenities in the western side of the county. We picked the western area because we liked the terrain, beach access, hiking trails, and
the White Oak River which is where our home is located.
This is
an index of
a blog where I write about the area.
This is a great area if you love the out of doors, small town events, and friendly people. Night life is mostly a walk on the beach.
We also are somewhat protected by the 158,000 acres of the Croatan National Forest.
We have more boat dealerships than car dealerships, few chain restaurants outside of Morehead City, Jacksonville, or New Bern. We do have lots of small family owned restaurants that are a real treat.
Recently Morehead City has gotten a Best Buy, Panera, and a TJ Maxx. It has the usual restaurants like OutBack, Ruby Tuesday's, Applebee's, and Texas Steakhouse, but it also has a number unique local restaurants as does Beaufort, Swansboro, and even smaller places like Cape Carteret.
There are three hospitals in the area, Jacksonville, Morehead City, and New Bern. We also have two airports, though for a major airport you need to head to Raleigh-Durham's airport which is slightly under three hours for us.
As long as you aren't expecting a picture perfect New England coastal village, I think you could find something that you would like. We have real fishermen here.
Beach access is under ten minutes for us either by boat or car. We are closest to
Emerald Isle. It takes us seventeen minutes to get to the shopping in Morehead City. That's about the same time it takes to get out the Inlet into the ocean with our skiff.
It is a gorgeous area with a great climate. I have even gotten so I do not mind the six to eight weeks of hot weather in July and August. I just stay on the water as much as possible. We usually sleep with the windows open from April through June and late September until early November, but of course it depends on the year.
Last year the strawberries were ripe here around March 20. We got our first tomato on June 1. Our rose bushes had their last roses on December 19.
By the way, there is a very nice mix of people here on the coast. There are people from all over. No one group is over represented. It is a pretty self selecting group with almost everyone making the decision to live here because they love the out of doors and the beach. That means you end up with a bunch of kindred souls.
Good luck finding a job. It might be a challenge doing it from a distance. Let me know if I missed anything that might help you.
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