Pinehurst /Southern Pines

[havin fun]

Lou,
I live in a developement called Pinesage. Hwy 211 divides Pinesage from Pinehurst. There are homes for less than 150K, but they are disappearing quickly as this area continues to grow.
PS: I just paid $20 to buy a card that allows me to play 20 rounds of golf for $20 each at the Longleaf Country Club. I pay the $20 for 18 holes (cart fee) and can play any day (after 2pm). Gotta love this place!

[kparker313]

We live in Pinehurst and we really like it. We just moved here in March. My husband is stationed at Ft Bragg and we decided we wanted something less congested than Fayetteville. The elementary school here seems REALLY good (my son starts Kindergarten this fall) and the town parks & rec department has a LOT going on, at very reasonable prices.

The only downside for us, is my husband's commute. We are renting right now and when it's time for us to buy, we are considering moving up to Whispering Pines b/c it could shave 10-15mins off his drive. It's a hard decision b/c we really like being so close to the Southern Pines/Aberdeen conveniences....

[NCDad]

I have to say Whispering Pines is more family friendly. I looked at Pinehurst and Southern Pines and liked them, but fell in love with Whispering Pines, NC. I don't want to repeat what I have written on the other posts, so I will elaborate a bit more on the surrounding towns.

Aberdeen is more commercialized. They cater to businesses and are more business friendly. It is also located on the main highway, so traffic gets backed up a bit, but not like major cities. They have about anything you need. They have their own PD, FD, Schools, and public parks.

Southern Pines has a small quaint downtown area. Parking is premium, but if your patient, one generally opens up. These have the mom and pop stores--great to spend an afternoon at. They also have a small theater and nearby a nature park. They have a range of low income housing areas to upscale houses. They seem to be business and residential friendly. They have their own PD, FD, Schools, and public parks.

Pinehurst is a resort town and has strict rules from what you can or can not do to and at your home. This can be either a plus or a negative...it all depends on what your needs are. If children or pets make too much noise, then it is obvious this wouldn't be the place for you, yet great if someone loves no noise to disrupt their day. They have volunteers who make sure the neighborhoods are in compliance with all the regulations...again this is a positive if your want your house and neighbors to continue to have that prestine look. Downtown Pinehurst has a block of unique shoppes. Great to spend an hour looking at everything. Have lunch there or have breakfast at the Pinehurst Hotel. Great service. Pinehurst also has the best firework displays for their residents. Pinehurst homes are upscale and pricey because of the name, but they do have low income areas and towns they were forced to annex. These areas are now considered part of Pinehurst. This has become an unfair tax burden for the residence to pay for the annexed towns sewers, streets, etc. Another upscale community are battling not to be annexed by Pinehurst. They claim the only reason Pinehurst is trying to Annex them is to increase their tax base to help pay for the towns they were forced to annexed. Please don't get me wrong, original Pinehurst is a nice area to live in.

Whispering Pines is the best kept secret. It is a residential community with a few businesses. There are no bad areas, so no matter where you buy your fine. The home sites go from 1/3 to over an acre. They have their own elementary school, fire dept., police dept. and town hall. They have private lakes and parks for the residents use only. Whispering Pines does not have HOA fees;WP has a semi-private golf courses, club house with tennis, swimming pool, and restaurant for a membership fee; also they have a public golf course with a restaurant. The locals love to go to on their themed nights for dinner. Trash is picked up at your door step or in front of your garage, school buses pick up your child in front of your home and will not let them off unless your there (unless you made other arrangements). Their main concern is your child and if they don't feel it is safe, will take your child back to the school for you to pick up. This can be inconvenient, but your child's safety comes first. Farmlife Elementary School (K-5th grade) not only has great qualified teachers, but the student teacher ratio is low. Kindergarten has two B.A. or higher teachers per class, 1st-4th has a Teacher and teacher's assistant. (This seems to be the norm in Moore County).

Whispering Pines is NOT in or near Carthage, nor is it part of Carthage. Carthage Post Office is larger and is contracted to handle the mail for Whispering Pines; thus the zip code reflects that post office. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with Carthage...I just want to point that out due to location only.

Overall, the beauty, large lots, and friendly atmosphere is why I fell in Love with Whispering Pines. Everything is only 10 minutes away. Harris Teeter and upscale shoppes are being built nearby and at the opposite end of WP an upscale grocery store is being built. It has been said by many who moved here that Whispering Pines, North Carolina is the best kept secret.

[marc515]

Threre is some great info in these posts, as we are looking to possibly retire in the Southern Pines/Pinehurst/Whispering Pines area. We were initially drawn to the New Bern area, but the coastal home owners insurance is high, and we really don't care for the threat of hurricanes.

We have visited the New Bern area several times, but have only been to the Southern Pines/Pinehurst/Whispering Pines area once, so it's about time we took another look.

Are there many bicycle paths in the area?

Thanks again,......arc

[NCDad]

In Moore County, NC there are a lot of bike and pedestrian trails. I tried to find an on-line map to show you; however, I did find one of Southern Pines. At the chamber they should have a pamphlet that shows you all the trails throughout the county.

One of them goes through Reservoir Park. It has a lake, facilities, benches, picnic tables, ducks, and geese. Some people ride their bikes around this lake where most like to walk and enjoy the surroundings. It takes us about an hour to walk around, but we are slow walkers.

The walking/bike paths are called the "Greenway Trail System." They meander all throughout Moore County to North Carolina on. Below are a few sites I found that may offer you more information.

NCDOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

This was the only online map I found for Southern Pines Area. P.S. Sandhills Community College is great and students can transfer to UNC with credits earned there.

Sandhills Guide

The lakes and parks in Whispering Pines are for residents use only.
http://www.whisperingpinesnc.net/

[k2k2]

Can someone recommend a really good hairdresser in southern pines? I have only been here a short time and need to find someone who really does good haircuts - I hate to just take my chance. Any help appreciated.

[Maabus1999]

Originally Posted by k2k2

Can someone recommend a really good hairdresser in southern pines? I have only been here a short time and need to find someone who really does good haircuts - I hate to just take my chance. Any help appreciated.

While I just care about a regular cut for the most part, Jessica H. @ the Famous Hair is pretty popular, and usually is booked up pretty heavily, or at least enough I have to make an appointment with her whenever I call. She has had a dentist from South Carolina come to visit her once to get her hair done, so can't be that bad

[junie]

Dear NCDAD,

According to you, Whispering pines looks great, but I have been told that WP has been plagued with mosquito problem. Is it true? If so, how serious? Thanks.