Possibly retiring and moving from New York to N.C. (Charlotte: townhome, buy)

[Bgbg1111]

Hi everyone,

Your advice would be appreciated...

Considering retiring in 1-3 years...50s...youngest going to college in S.C. thinking about moving to N.C. ...Wilmington, Charlotte suburb, or Raleigh. Possibly even North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

I have had a few medical issues so being near a good hospital is important. Have lived 20min from beach all my life...so I am not sure I will like being away from coast (Charlotte or Raleigh). Saw prior 2016 post but it was for a family with elementary age kids.

Here are the ‘needs’ and ‘wants’:

-need to be near a good hospital (I know Raleigh has the best for hospitals and medical care...not sure if I will like being so far from Coast and not sure if it is too hot/humid in Summer bc it is far from coast)

-not super active, but definitely like water types of things like kayaking and stand up paddle boarding

-like convenience of stores nearby

-will buy a home or townhome

-want a forever place that my kids will want to visit when they are young adults

Thank you, in advance, for your thoughts and guidance!

[SGMI]

Sounds to me like you could be fine with some of the cities on the sounds (the estuaries interior to the ocean-facing islands.) These are calmer waters and you'd find more friendly locations for paddling. These tend to be less expensive towns too, than the ones facing the Atlantic.

Medical care locally might be a issue for you to research. But if you were satisfied with the accommodations in a town like Washington or New Bern, you would then decide if occasional trips to Greenville for specialized care are OK.

[BrighterDays]

Originally Posted by Bgbg1111

Here are the ‘needs’ and ‘wants’:

-need to be near a good hospital (I know Raleigh has the best for hospitals and medical care...not sure if I will like being so far from Coast and not sure if it is too hot/humid in Summer bc it is far from coast)

-not super active, but definitely like water types of things like kayaking and stand up paddle boarding

-like convenience of stores nearby

-will buy a home or townhome

-want a forever place that my kids will want to visit when they are young adults

Thank you, in advance, for your thoughts and guidance!

New Bern would be a good fit for most of these requirements.

The Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern receives consistently high rankings:
https://newbernpost.com/website-rank...d-6th-in-state

Kayaking and paddle boarding are both popular in the area.
https://www.newbern.com/new-bern-kayaking-guide.html

Shopping --depends on your needs and wants. New Bern has all the basics. Larger shopping options available in Morehead City, Jacksonville, or Greenville (all within 30-45 minute drive)

"Forever place" -- New Bern is a popular tourist location, popular with retirees, and offers easy access to Crystal Coast Beaches. Raleigh is a 2 hour drive west.

Best of luck in your search.

[jerseyj]

Might want to poke around Charleston SC.

MUSC is a well respected teaching facility, lots of shopping in the area and on the water.

[Dumberthanasmartphone]

We just bought in the Sunset Beach Area..... absolutely beautiful... wish, we hadn't waited so long...

[Buxton Bagpipes]

The Wilmington area meets your criteria. You will find summer heat and humidity oppressive. Definitely need to visit in July or August and see if you can handle it. Several other places mentioned definitely don't meet your criteria.

[ljd1010]

Originally Posted by Dumberthanasmartphone

We just bought in the Sunset Beach Area..... absolutely beautiful... wish, we hadn't waited so long...

Lack of high quality hospital would be an issue for the OP.

[ljd1010]

We moved to the Raleigh area from RI in 2008. Loved living there but we found being 2 hours from the closest beach intolerable. As we closed in our retirement, we decided to move to the coast. We ended up in Southport and love it. I agree with the previous poster who stated that Wilmington checks all of your boxes. NHRMC is now part of the Novant system and is a really good facility with an excellent choice of top notch physicians. FWIW, I’m an NP and retired from Duke. Lovely beaches, plenty of shopping, restaurants etc.

[Speaker33]

Originally Posted by Dumberthanasmartphone

We just bought in the Sunset Beach Area..... absolutely beautiful... wish, we hadn't waited so long...

Close friends are there and very happy.