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Hey,
We are looking to move to a low keyed area in NC. I see bath, NC and was wondering what was the story with the area. Crime rate, people, weather, boating. Any help would be great. Thanks
I would say Bath has low crime as it is a very rural, sparsely populated area. It is beautiful out there, with many nice creeks and of course the Pamlico River. There may be a small grocery store...but for a larger grocery store, you have to go to Washington or Belhaven. I would say the area is excellent for boating.
I was born in Belhaven about 15 minutes away from Bath. My father graduated from the old high school there. One of my uncles was the principal for most of my life, and at least half my family is from the immediate area. Now that I've established my credentials let me answer your questions.
Crime is pretty much nonexistent in the area. My grandparents and uncles never locked the doors to their house at night and the worst crimes I ever heard of in the area were related to highschool kids playing pranks, or getting the occasional citation for underage drinking. Even if someone were stupid enough to try to commit a crime in the area they would likely find themselves looking down the barrel of a gun in very short order as the local residents believe strongly in gun rights and are very aware of what looks out of place in their enviroment.
People in the area are very friendly. It is not uncommon to have people wave at you from their cars that you don't even know, or to see a couple of fellows stop on the road to talk about this or that when they meet. Everyone is welcomed to come by and sit a spell when they are out and about. It does tend to be a clannish place as many of the locals have lived there all their life on land that has been owned by 4 or 5 generations of their kinfolk, but they doesn't stop them from having a polite word and a friendly smile for newcomers.
Weather is hot and humid during the summer and cool and damp during the winter. When I say humid I mean humid BTW. Walking outside from the comfort of central air in the middle of July is very much like walking in to a wall, the air seems so thick. Don't forget your bug repellant either as the mosquitos are legendary in eastern NC. The winter weather would be considered mild by people from up north but it can be very dreary with lots of rain and just plain blah days. Enough snow might fall once every two years or so to cover the ground but that's about it. Ice and freezing rain can be a bit more common.
Bath is a boaters paradise at it sits on a spit of land between Bath creek and Back creek which empty in to the Pamilco river at the the south end of town. There are plenty of places to put your boat in, and fishing, water skying, and sailing are all quite popular. I can think of few places that are better for boating then Beaufort county(that's pronounced BOW FERT in this area BTW). Just be careful not to run over a crab pot when you are out there and listen to the locals when they give you advise that doesn't show up on your charts.
If you want to get away from it all Bath is a great place to be but understand that you really are getting away from it all. The nearest Wal Mart or decent grocery store is over in Washington about 25 minutes away. It's an hour to Greenville which is the closet place you will find a good selection of restaurants, shopping, a real hospital, or any kind of entertainment not related to the great outdoors. They do at least have good college football in Greenville and an active night life there thanks to the proximity of ECU, and the hospital is one of the best in the country and is surpassed only by the Duke's medical facilities in Durham within the state of NC.
If you need more info please ask, as what I have listed here barely scratches the surface.
People are real proud of their land and homes in Bath. If you want to live "in Bath" or on the water, be sure and bring your checkbook. Five miles from bath and you can probably use your charge card.
It's a nice little town right on the water. My wife and I travel through there often. We've stopped at the Blackbeard museum and eaten at that little restaurant at the edge of town. Be careful though, they're closed on Mondays I think it is. As others have said it's a drive to get to Washington or Greenville. Belhaven is closer but there really isn't anything there.
Hey,
Thanks for all the input. My wife is starting to balk at the move to Bath. She is spooked by the long distances to shopping and medical care. The mosquito's freaked her out also. We are now looking at the Oriental NC area. I guess it looks ok for my boating, and she will be closer to civilization. How is the living around there? anyone from this area?
Yeah it is a little bigger but it as skeeters, too.
You ought to check out Washington. Has water, great waterfront, and is about 25 minutes (four lane to Greenville).
My brother has recently moved to Pamlico County and is overwhelmed by the types of people that have moved into Oriental, a very worldly and eclectic lot for such a small village, but you need to realize it is 40 minutes to New Bern and or a bit more to Washington.
A couple of folks I know in Oriental are self described "drop outs." Now they are wealthy drop outs, by the way.
I would love to live there for the fishing, but can't afford to, but like Bath, you can probably live 10 minutes from town, inland, not near water, for a song.
Good Luck, and again, I think Washington is great!
I agree with LLN. Oriental is just as out there as Bath. It is obvious though that there is a lot of money there. Anytime you get a lot of sailboats together in one spot it's going to be expensive. I'd love to live there but there is no work and no shopping. A ferry ride is required to get to New Bern "the fast way".
Washington does have it's charms but much like any other county seat, it also has it's drawbacks in the way of crime and poverty. Washington can at times be very sophisticated while at the same time still remain country.
I agree on the Oriental and Bath both being small remote places on the water. My husband's family has had a cottage - in Old Pamlico Beach area (really really remote -20 minutes from Bath along the Pamlico River).
Washington has some access to shopping and such and easy access to Greenville (shopping, education, hospitals, etc.) and the boating is still good. From what you are saying I would tell you to look at Little Washington as the locals call it.
As for Bath being laid back - yes it is - but it is also becoming the "in" place for many of the professionals and doctors at the medical school & hospital in Greenville to build homes or second homes. In fact there is one house being built on "Bath Creek" that you see coming over the bridge into town and it is enormous it must be 10,000 square feet. It looks like a hotel, a beautiful hotel.
If you have a concern about being remote I would say switching to Oriental is the wrong direction.
Try Beaufort NC, they had the tall ship festival there just a couple of years back. It is a boaters haven and not quite as remote.
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