Good Places for a Family (Wilmington, Beaufort: home, neighborhoods, schools)

[Musingtree]

My family and I would like to relocate to a coastal area in another state. We currently live in South Carolina near Charleston, which is lovely, but I have lived here my entire life and am ready for a change. We both work from home, so jobs are not an issue. We do have a three year old son, so the schools would need to be somewhat decent. Any recommendations?

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Musingtree

Any recommendations?

What are you looking for? What's wrong with Charleston that you want escape? More excitement? More modern? More hip culture?

[Musingtree]

I've lived here a very long time. I'm 34 and my husband is 37. We are looking for a small town or a small town feel close to the beach. We have to drive about an hour to get to the beach right now. It would be nice to be closer.

We aren't into nightlife or anything like that. We like to go hiking. He rides his bike a lot. We're really easy going. It would be nice if the town had a nice coffee shop and maybe a good restaurant and grocery store. You know... basic stuff. Good people. Maybe a bit of an artsy feel?

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Musingtree

We are looking for a small town or a small town feel close to the beach.

Try looking at Beaufort, Swansboro and Southport.

[HP91]

I agree on Beaufort...not sure about Southport schools.

Although I would say that Beaufort can be a bit secluded from larger places. If you are used to Charleston, you may expect some bigger city amenities. You may want to look at Wilmington or even Hampstead and check out neighborhoods in your price range.

[poppydog]

Yeah, Beaufort sprang to mind for me, too. I don't think NC is going to be radically different than SC, though. You might explore some other options in your home state, too.