Looking for a good town within an hour of the beach and good for a tree service business (Wilmington: school district)

[Mindi617]

Hello - We are looking to move to N. Carolina from Ohio and am looking for a town with a small town feel yet close to shopping (malls, walmart, etc.). We need a good school district since we have 3 small kids. We would also like to be within an hour of the beach (preferably a beach that a lot people go to). We are thinking of putting a concession stand out at the beach. Thank you in advance for any considerations.

[NCnut]

Wilmington would probably be your best choice. It is our biggest coastal town but still much smaller than Hampton Roads, VA or even Charleston, SC so it should offer you and your family everything you need.
There are many other towns on or near the coast but most are small and quiant.

[Mindi617]

Thank you - we like small and quaint too. So any other ideas out there let me know!

[LLN]

New Bern has a lot of big trees. My kids make it to beach in 45 minutes.

[MTNesters]

Are you a certified arborist? If you are, you could do well living in Hampstead and servicing Wilmington and other areas around here. We have been waiting over a month for one arborist to "crown thin" our live oaks here! You can run a search on this forum and find out more about the area, schools, etc. Good luck to you in your quest for a new spot to call home!