Thinking about relocating to NC or SC...adivce needed! (Raleigh: house, schools)

[sieren]

Hello everybody!
Me and my fiancee are originally from Wisconsin (fox valley area), and are planning on relocating sometime the next couple years. I've been doing a TON of research on different states, and from what I've read both North Carolina and South Carolina sound like our best bets.
Here's the list of "wants" that I've narrowed it down to, after some research:

*Warm weather (hot summers, mild (30's or higher) winters
*Near water/beaches--ocean or lakes, that have pretty scenery, and not too crowded
*Either a small/medium sized town or maybe rural area, but progressive, friendly, and open-minded
*Within (at most) 30-35 min of a larger city with good shopping, restaurants, fun stuff to do
*Farmers markets, health food stores nearby
*Lots of parks/green areas
*A dog park/beach would be nice!
*Affordable cost-of-living
(not sure if all these things co-exist in any one area, but all suggestions are welcome, even if they don't have my whole list of "wants")

So far, I've looked into Greenville, SC and some parts of coastal NC and it all sounds so nice! I'd like to get some opinions from you guys on where you think we'd like it best. Once we've got it narrowed down, we'll be visiting!!
Thanks in advance!!

[Ann in Oriental]

Probably Oriental or Beaufort or Morehead City NC. Lots of towns have most of the things you want but fall short when you say progressive/open minded these are the only 3 I can think of. I'm very liberal/new-age and I have been able to co-exist alright in Oriental. Maybe because it's 75% people from the North East and they tend to be more liberal as well.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by sieren

Hello everybody!
Me and my fiancee are originally from Wisconsin (fox valley area), and are planning on relocating sometime the next couple years. I've been doing a TON of research on different states, and from what I've read both North Carolina and South Carolina sound like our best bets.
Here's the list of "wants" that I've narrowed it down to, after some research:

*Warm weather (hot summers, mild (30's or higher) winters
*Near water/beaches--ocean or lakes, that have pretty scenery, and not too crowded
*Either a small/medium sized town or maybe rural area, but progressive, friendly, and open-minded
*Within (at most) 30-35 min of a larger city with good shopping, restaurants, fun stuff to do
*Farmers markets, health food stores nearby
*Lots of parks/green areas
*A dog park/beach would be nice!
*Affordable cost-of-living
(not sure if all these things co-exist in any one area, but all suggestions are welcome, even if they don't have my whole list of "wants")

So far, I've looked into Greenville, SC and some parts of coastal NC and it all sounds so nice! I'd like to get some opinions from you guys on where you think we'd like it best. Once we've got it narrowed down, we'll be visiting!!
Thanks in advance!!

You are going to find a whole range of people throughout both North Carolina and South Carolina.

There are open minded people and some not so open minded. However, we have found that most people are respectful of your privacy and as long as you do not bother them, they will live and let live.

The exception to that is if you get in a subdivision with a hyper-active home owners association.

You might try reading my "Ten ways Carteret County met our needs."

I actually think the Crystal Coast has a number of great small towns.

I think we are very blessed, we have accessible, gorgeous beaches and the 158,000 acres of the Croatan National Forest. Within five minutes of my home there are some great trails for dogs. Dogs are allowed on the beach on leash and I often see them off leash during the winter months when no one is around.

I have a whole list of posts which might help you figure out the area, but be sure to read the one about Doing the math for a move. It has some cost of living information.

We are not crowded and you cannot beat the scenery. When you cross the border from NC to SC, you can see the difference in development policies and beach access policy.

This map will give an idea of the services in the area. Just zoom down to street level, and click on one of the icons to the right and you will see where it is.

We do have a nice health food store in Beaufort, Coastal Community Market. Morehead City has most of your shopping needs. Depending on where you live in the county, it is twenty minutes to thirty minutes away unless you live Downeast, but that's is another story.

There are a lot of links to slide shows that I have done of area scenery and events at this site.

[sieren]

Wow, thank you both so much! That was a wonderfully informative post, dsbotta!

[Ann in Oriental]

What dsobotta said about people being okay with you if you don't bother them with your progressive ideas is fairly accurate, however it also means that you have no friends with which to discuss those kind of things. That's why I specifically said Oriental, Beaufort or Morehead City because in those towns you will find others of similar beliefs (not lots but enough so that you can have friends!)

[dsobotta]

We have lived all up and down the east coast, in cities, in small towns, in the wilderness and in isolated places on the coast. Since I graduated from one of the big liberal schools in Cambridge, MA, I might be classed as open minded.

Yet, I have found no shortage of friends outside of Oriental, Beaufort, and Morehead City. I also have some friends in Beaufort who are very conservative. I do not think where you live has much to do with whether or not you are open minded.

We have some great friends living in Carteret County outside of any of the small towns.

Having lived in a lot of places, I think you can find good people almost everywhere, and I am not talking about just along the North Carolina coast.

Carteret County has a lot of people who have moved here from outside the county. I also know some great people who were born in the county and have lived here all their lives, I consider them open minded and people that I count as friends. One of my best friends lives in Cedar Point.

I suggest visiting the area and making your own judgment based on the people you meet.

[sieren]

Well, it is sounding great so far! Would someone mind describing the typical weather and landscape to me? Are there problems with hurricaines?
I think that we will be vising this area!

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by sieren

Well, it is sounding great so far! Would someone mind describing the typical weather and landscape to me? Are there problems with hurricaines?
I think that we will be vising this area!

Weather varies a lot by location. Being on the water and being less than a mile from the water can make a big difference and it can also make a difference as to what kind of water is near you. Living over on the beach is different than living on the sound which is different than living on river.

I did a post about the area weather a few days ago so it should shed some light .

In general we have a mild climate tempered by the proximity of the ocean. You can go inland six or seven miles and you lose much of the ocean influence.

Last summer, I can remember leaving here (Cape Carteret) with the temperature in the low eighties, but the time we got to Jacksonville which is under 25 miles from our house, the temperature had soared to the nineties.

When we drove through Raleigh a couple of hours later, the temperature was over 100. That can be a typical early summer scenario.

As the water warms there is less residual cooling from the water. We live on the water so we get a breeze most of the year. Based on my time here, I have seen six weeks of really hot weather spread over two to two and one half months in late summer.

Most evenings it cools off, but sometimes in late July, August, or early September it does not. It can be humid at the same time so those are good times to be in or on the water.

The flip side is that fall can be magnificent. We have seen very warm days in December and even January. This year has been the coolest of the three winters that we have been here. Still I hardly wore a coat this winter.

It is a nice three season climate, the landscape is flat with a few rolling hills in the beach areas and some other spots in the county. We have a lot of pine forests, and the county is more than one half water.

We have south facing beaches and strong dunes along much of the beach. Hurricanes have paid visits but we are not as exposed as the Northern Outer Banks. Anyone who tells you that there is no risk of flooding or a storm surge is wrong. However, those of us who live find the beauty of the area worth the limited risk.

It is not hard to find a property that has no measurable flood risk. We live on the water in a flood zone classified as AE. All of our home except the garage floor is above that flood level. Most of the homes I can see from my house are not on the water and not in a flood zone.

Hope this helps

[thefinalsay]

to the OP, I highly suggest you spend some time in greenville, SC.

[dsobotta]

You can find lots of info in the City Data profiles.

Here is the one for Cape Carteret which is one of the small towns in the area.

This is for Beaufort, NC and for Greenville, SC.