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I am currently from a small new england town and love it but it is too expensive and Im sick of the cold weather, Im married and have a 5 year old. We have family that has currently mooved to Southport, North Carolina. I love it there but it is hard to tell if it is for me. I would love to live in a coastal town with a beutiful atmosphere no big skyscrapers and about a 15-30K in pop. I dont mind the new developments but I need a clue to where to live, if Southport is not good where else is perfect that is close to it. Thanks fore the help
I am currently from a small new england town and love it but it is too expensive and Im sick of the cold weather, Im married and have a 5 year old. We have family that has currently mooved to Southport, North Carolina. I love it there but it is hard to tell if it is for me. I would love to live in a coastal town with a beutiful atmosphere no big skyscrapers and about a 15-30K in pop. I dont mind the new developments but I need a clue to where to live, if Southport is not good where else is perfect that is close to it. Thanks fore the help
You may also wish to check out the Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach area, there are quite a few smaller towns along the coast, each has their own shoals and fishing grounds, sound side villages exist and can be quite comfortable, coastal property is a bit expensive.
I am currently from a small new england town and love it but it is too expensive and Im sick of the cold weather, Im married and have a 5 year old. We have family that has currently mooved to Southport, North Carolina. I love it there but it is hard to tell if it is for me. I would love to live in a coastal town with a beutiful atmosphere no big skyscrapers and about a 15-30K in pop. I dont mind the new developments but I need a clue to where to live, if Southport is not good where else is perfect that is close to it. Thanks fore the help
We also looked at Southport, and what we saw didn't get us to move there.
We did go to western Carteret County. You might be interested in the post that I did about why I felt Carteret was the right spot.
The whole county only has about 66K residents in the winter, but the population is much larger in the summer, but still no 30K towns.
Search for "Coastal NC Paradise" using Google and you'll find something from my "Coastal NC" site about the area.
If you have specific questions about Carteret County, send me a private message or leave something here. I usually check once every other day.
Beckjeep: With a five year old, you will want to really check out school systems, especially along the coast. I live in Wilmington, which is too big for your requirements, but so many people move here from the Midwest and Northeast and are very disappointed with the schools. Many say that there kids are one or two years ahead of the schools here. Check GreatSchools.net or ReDir for school info. Hampstead or Topsail Beach area may be a good fit for you (I don't know population though), but the schools are good and the area is growing, so many new services and stores are moving in. Also, it is close to Wilmington for shopping and things to do, and not far from Southport to see family. Hope this helps and good luck!
You can take the ferry from Southport over to Pleasure Island and see if this place suits your interest. I live in Carolina Beach and absolutely love it. We moved to Wilmington from Northern Virginia a little over six years ago and then shifted down to Carolina Beach last year. It is a great small town with a wonderful elementary school. My guess is that you won't find many other schools with parental involvement like Carolina Beach ES. The faculty is fantastic as well and the school is one of the best in the county.
As for the town, there is so much to do other than just taking in the ocean. On weekends, everyone is out and about on either bike or foot and one can quickly see why this is close knit community as folks stop and talk. It is a very safe town and neighbors look after each other. The town has historically been a blue collar town and many homes are still affordable. But as the area becomes more popular, older cottages are being renovated or torn down to make room for larger single family residences. With this change, property values are increasing. Last year, Parade magazine rated CB as one of the best value beach communities. Can You Afford a Second Home? | PARADE Magazine
And the Washington Post had a nice article as well: IF YOU LIKE KITTY HAWK, TRY . . . - washingtonpost.com
The town is undergoing a revitalization effort and the next few years should be exciting as some of the plans come to life. The plan for the downtown (central business district) area is really impressive and some of the improvements are already underway. And when Pleasure Island begins to feel a bit too small for you, just hop on River Rd north for 15 minutes and you'll be in downtown Wilmington.
FYI, here are some area links that may be of interest. Best of luck with your search!!
here are some of my observations, having lived here for 22 years.
- wilmington is one of the most expensive cities in NC.
- despite the possibility of having art, music, and "culture", there is only a small wave every four years or so, but is ALWAYS stumped by the military flux in between conflicts. this ALWAYS happens. the marines from lejune take over and it becomes violent.
- if you like sprawl, lack of genuine care for ecology and education, wilmington is for you. the cape fear river is the most poluted river in the state.
- wilmington has no belt-loop like raleigh and charlotte, which makes traffic terrible.
- if you like multimillionares running your beaches, then wilmington is for you.
- if you like strip malls (mayfare, lumina, etc) that produce ecological waste, touristy hegemony, and general superficiality, then wilmington is for you.
- essentially, more and more tourists come every summer and fewer and fewer of them leave come fall.
so if you like all this, please come. you can be one more person annoying the locals.
also, if you're new to wilmington and take offense, leave. for the love of god, leave. we don't want you. i don't want you.
i never migrated. and to answer your question about belt-loops on the coast: charleston has a great one. just look at the city's infrastructure. charleston is the better wilmington. and it's beautiful. you should look it that area. and it's economy isn't based on tourism.
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Finding a town that size is a challenge
Coastal Town
