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So to continue... as we are living in St James we are in and do business in Southport every day, gasoline, groceries, Lowes and almost anything else we need is in Southport... the waterfront, restaurants, etc are all just minutes away just outside our gates... whether it's Oak Island or Southport we have the best of both worlds at our doorstep..... people in Ocean Ridge have similar convenience to the surrounding towns.
Alrighty then..... heading out to our lovely pool now... I have the water temp heated 85 degrees, just right for noodle lounging in the sun with some friends that are arriving soon.... let's see now... hot sun... nice pool.... 60" TV on the wall.... cold drinks... a good cigar.... hang out with some other rowdies and scream about politics..... doesn't get too much better than that !
Of course the wife beater tank tops are still banned.
Re: SJP, a couple of items to note (and I am a resident):
- In 2020 the legal structure of the community will change significantly, e.g. the developers, who still rule the roost, will pass much control to the actual SJP community (POA, Mayor, etc.). It isn't clear how the golf club ownership and thus memberships will transition. There are transition committees, but no telling what SJP will looking like in 4 years. Higher POA fees? Higher taxes? Fewer amenities? Very possibly.
- Given that deadline, the developers are pushing development really hard right now to cash in: Tons of building, tons of spec homes - looking more and more like St. Jersey every day.
- SJP, while not officially, is very much a retirement community. You can count the number of school children from the ~4000 SJP residents on your hands. Many of the residents were what we call "ex-VIPs" meaning they were big shots in their lives (at least according to them) before moving to St. James. Plenty of that VIP expectation is apparent down in SJP. E.g. some golf club members are complaining about 9am shotgun starts in the winter - they want 10am to lower the possible impact of frost delays. The could care less about people who want to play in the afternoon. Just one example.
- I believe the opt in clubs membership is now $20k (could be wrong, was $15k was I joined but think it has increased). All you get for $20k is the right to spend more $ at the clubs. You then have to opt into an annual membership, and the social memberships are lousy deals. The GUESTS of full golf members pay less to play golf at SJP than the social members, even though the social members bought land, built a house, and paid a big upfront fee. Troon, the firm the developers hired to run the clubs/restaurants, doesn't really care. They are 100% beholding to the developers (for now, at least until 2020).
- Realtors sell a bill of goods on the clubs and memberships. They (a) do not know the details and (b) are not official representatives of Troon or the Clubs. Ignore what realtors say and do your own research on this, talk to Troon reps directly and dig into the details with them, don't let up. Troon's lack of communication skills is somewhat notorious, as is their lack of concern for service levels.
- Driving is like the wild west. Inside the walls of SJP you have folks who shouldn't be driving any more, and folks who just bought their dream hot car to celebrate retirement, but still think they are competing on the Garden State Parkway. Since technically these are private roads, there is nominal enforcement by a 3rd party security service provider. You have those driving 15 in 30 MPH zones, and those tailing you on a winding road on a dark night when you are in a 30 MPH zone and maybe doing 35. They are up your ass with their new BMW or whatever. Of course, then you go OUTSIDE to 211 and it is even crazier, all kinds of accidents, the pickup truck set meets the richer transplants in hot cars with no reflexes. CRAZY! Actually, OKI driving is relatively peaceful compared to SJP and SJP/211/Southport.
All that said, which is pretty negative:
- Courses are generally in good condition, though you will want a full golf membership to get decent tee times. The back 9 at the Founders is really quite stunning, and the back 9 at the Players is really pretty too. The Reserve is overrated.
- Lots of social activities, particularly if you aren't working at all or at least not full time anymore.
- SJP food is okay. Unfortunately, the Southport, OKI, SJP area is not brimming with culinary excellence, but Wilmington has good choices. Oh, BTW, there are minimums you must spend on food at SJP if you are a member.
- They are building a new gym. The 2 current gyms are tiny and packed.
- The beach house is a nice amenity, though the entrance/exit area is constantly flooded. On key holidays and perfect beach days, occasionally it runs out of parking spaces.
- Good dog parks - very dog friendly, though don't let your pitbull off lead - off lead frowned upon outside the 2 fenced in parks - with good reason.
- Many, many really nice, friendly people. Despite the preponderance of folks from Jersey, PA, NY, who are known for lacking in southern manners, since many were pretty successful in life (very few silver spoon types here - lots worked hard for their SJP place in the sun) they are in a very good place, and show it. Willing to help one-another. Willing to volunteer in the surrounding communities.
I would imagine very different living experiences between SJP and OKI. OKI is a real town. SJP is a gated, upper middle class quasi-retirement community with most residents from the Mid-Atlantic, which is slowing trying to turn itself into a town - maybe.
Re: SJP, a couple of items to note (and I am a resident):
All that said, which is pretty negative:
- Courses are generally in good condition, though you will want a full golf membership to get decent tee times. The back 9 at the Founders is really quite stunning, and the back 9 at the Players is really pretty too. The Reserve is overrated.
- Lots of social activities, particularly if you aren't working at all or at least not full time anymore.
- SJP food is okay. Unfortunately, the Southport, OKI, SJP area is not brimming with culinary excellence, but Wilmington has good choices. Oh, BTW, there are minimums you must spend on food at SJP if you are a member.
For a town its size, Southport offers some great eating. Mr. P's and Ports of Call are very good for more upscale dining. Loco Jo's and Provision Company are great for more casual dining. Famous Subs has some of the best fried chicken around. Southport Smokehouse is real deal NC bbq. Moore Street Market has terrific sandwiches. Taylors and Baked with Love are great casual options too. I have heard Joseph's is very good, but haven't tried it.
Last edited by carolinadawg2; 01-08-2016 at 10:56 AM..
Wow... from what my good friend and fellow resident ebquinn had to say....
I can only think of two brief comments:
1) He / she seems to repeatedly and vehemenetly resent anyone that came here with a few bucks of hard earned money in their pockets and/or a silver spoon in their mouth.... ( however you choose to interpret that little gem).
2) Please do not move to this terrible, terrible place.... which is just bound to get more terrible as time goes on.
Re: SJP, a couple of items to note (and I am a resident):
- Many, many really nice, friendly people. Despite the preponderance of folks from Jersey, PA, NY, who are known for lacking in southern manners, since many were pretty successful in life (very few silver spoon types here - lots worked hard for their SJP place in the sun) they are in a very good place, and show it. Willing to help one-another. Willing to volunteer in the surrounding communities.
Good examples of that earlier in this very thread!
Wow. Not sure how to react to ebquinn. I am also a resident of SJP. It is a very nice place with very nice people. Everyone I have met does not talk about their old life in the Northeast or where ever they came from. That is in the past. So this rich, snobby persona that has been expressed is unfounded. Most people are happy, volunteer their time and frankly are enjoying life. Are they southerners - NO, are they nice - YES.
I think we should all quit the sterotypes and focus on the community. The ground are beautiful and most people are happy, period. Are there problems, absolutely. The Golf situation is a big unknown going into 2020, especially given SJP's loss in tax court and the additional tax liability they have to absorb. Am I concerned about that, absolutely. Am I concerned with paying members wanting tee times at 10am to avoid frost on the course, not in the least. If you are concerned about the golf situation, you can live in SJP and not join the clubs. That is what I decided to do, until the golf situation becomes clearer. But there is more to SJP then Golf. I love to go running, hang out in Waterfront Park and read, go to the beach or hang out by my house. If I want to go to Myrtle Beach or Wilmington for more action, I get into my Honda (Sorry not a BMW) and go for a 45 minute to 1 hour drive.
Oh yeah. I do have a complaint. There is no Dunkin Donuts. Hopefully there will be a coffee shop in the new shopping center, or maybe I will bring my northern charm with me and open a franchise.
While I was driving inside the gates a few minutes ago, winding my way through the wild west and taking my life in my hands, I was thinking that we find the food at the clubs here quite good and while on that subject we also find many restaurants in the area also have very good chow..... of course when you are just simply a very unhappy person I can see how one might not like the food at any restaurant or anything else around here for that matter. So, while still on the subject, as I peruse my good friend and fellow resident equinn's post.... can you even imagine, just for a moment, that you sign up for a membership at a very nice country club.... which is what these places are... and when you sign up they tell you in writing "beforehand", yep that's BEFOREHAND folks... that there are minimums to make ( which BTW are almost nothing... $600 per YEAR which is lunch or dinner ONCE per month, but I digress ) and then, and then.. after signing up in writing and having read the membership rules BEFORE signing up... can you even imagine that the dastardly clubs actually have the nerve to expect you to eat here once in a blue moon and make those minimums ?????... the ones you signed up for ?????
Re: SJP, a couple of items to note (and I am a resident):
- SJP food is okay. Unfortunately, the Southport, OKI, SJP area is not brimming with culinary excellence, but Wilmington has good choices. Oh, BTW, there are minimums you must spend on food at SJP if you are a member.
This is so true! We've never had so many bad, inedible, over priced evening meals, but with a water view.
Joseph's is indeed good. But that's about it.
Hopefully the transplants will bring better eating choices with them.
Alrighty then... so as not to be completely misundertood.... everyone has different levels of grub acceptance... some will eat anything and some have their culinary noses so far up in the air that they cannot go out in the rain for fear of drowning.... I like to think we and our "crowd" are somewhere in the middle and always find something good to eat wherever we travel.
Now, having said that, and not wanting my motives to be misunderstood..... if gourmet culinary experiences every night are what you are looking for then please do not even consider this dump or the area, it's full of greasy spoons that masquerade as eating establishments ! We have enough people down here already.... DO NOT COME HERE ! I'm sure there are places that will tickle those taste buds ELSEWHERE, please consider THOSE places wherever they may be.... you'll be happier in the end. To repeat, please save yourself the heartache and heartburn and go someplace else... we won't mind.
Now... having said THAT... our next door neighbors joined us last evening for dinner at the Reserve Club and we had a lovely dinner and a lovely time.... but I guess it must have been an off evening.
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