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am considering relocating to nc from nj/pa and looking into outer banks. heard it was quiet and peaceful but i don't want to live somewhere very touristy. am also considering ashville. don't want to be in a city. any advice? thanks.
Can't think of too many places in the Outer Banks that aren't touristy during the "season" - basically March through October. Nags Head and Corolla absolutely swarm with tourists. Even Hatteras does, but it's more laid back since tourists mainly rent homes for the week, rather than using motel chains. We get down to Hatteras every summer, and love it. Ocrakoke also teams with tourists, but because you have to use a ferry to get there, it's even slower paced. Very limited amount of real estate in the town of Ocrakoke though.
You should definitely visit there during the summer and try the Corolla crawl. It's so busy around dinner time that it can take 30 minutes to get out of Corolla and into Nags Head for dinner. Just the price you pay to be in such a popular place.
I knew a guy that made the move to the Outer Banks on a full-time basis with his family about 20 years ago. He was an auto mechanic, with a wife and 2 kids. The nicest way to put it is that he wishes he had not made the move.
While the Outer Banks is an absolutely beautiful area (I vacation down there often), what it is like on a year-round basis is night and day difference from what it's like to go down for a week or two in the Summer. Pay is unbelievably low, since the majority of the work down there are service-industry jobs. My understanding is that it is not an easy place to try and raise kids. I do not know the quality of the schools (although they are doing an enormous addition to the high school in Hatteras), but in terms of what there is to do on a social level down there for kids is non-existent in the winter months. Drugs, alcohol, and teenage pregnancy is common - all three happened to this mechanic's kids.
Add to that the volatile weather (BAD storms in the off-season are common - this poor guy actually watched his house wash away) and it's a recipe for regret. I respect the heck out of anyone that can do it, but this guy wishes he hadn't.
I'm sure other people have different stories (it might be different for people who may be semi-retired or retired with some extra money laying around), but it's not a worker's paradise down there from what I have heard.
It is one of my favorite places to visit. I stay in the Pine Island section of Corolla,and it is beautiful. As far as living there all year, I'm not sure, but would like to live there a few months out of the year. I am considering part of my retirement to be in the Outer Banks somewhere. I don't believe it will be in the summer months though. The traffic is a crawl for sure.
My brother in law lives there. He is in the Coast Guard. Been there for 4 or 5 years. He absolutely hates it. He is younger though, 31 years old now. But he says there is nothing to do, no place for him to meet a future wife, etc. He is dying to get out of there.
am considering relocating to nc from nj/pa and looking into outer banks. heard it was quiet and peaceful but i don't want to live somewhere very touristy. am also considering ashville. don't want to be in a city. any advice? thanks.
Asheville and Outer Banks are on the opposite ends of NC and also in lifestyles - Asheville is a city but small Outer Banks is a beach/tourist area. Are you tied to either one of those area because of job/family? Have you thought about Charlotte?
I love Hatteras Island but just to visit. Like many tourist areas, it is pretty desolate in the winter. Many people you meet in teh summer are seasonal workers. The local shave ahard time making a good living- at least most of them do.
If you are from the suburbs, what would you do, culturally, during off season? Also, many families have been there for generations- where would you fit in?
I have a fantasy of running a used bookstore there, in my dotage, but, realistically speaking, I don't think it would be a satisfying life.
I would say, you should visit now before the season, to get a taste of everyday life for natives.
I love it there and lived there year around for 2 years after I graduated college. I had a very difficult time making ends meet and moved inland to take a job. I'd move back tomorrow if I had the means. It is very busy during the summer but the best time to be there is late fall. There is plenty to do...in Va. Beach/Norfolk which is about 1.5 hours away. It's actually only 30 miles, but you can't drive on the beach up to Sandbridge, Va. anymore (wildlife refuge now). Back in '72 it was like being on another planet.
If you want to retire to a place without many tourists, but still in the outer banks, go to avon or rodanthe. I have been going there for 20 years many times more than once a year. Avon and rodanthe are absolutely gorgeous and you will not regret retiring there. I know a lot of locals, because i basically am one myself, just not officially yet. They say life on the island is an experience you will never regret or forget. Ive talked to poolmen, workers for the realty places, owners of jetski rental and lesson places. surfers. and i myself cannot think of a better place to live than the outer banks. The winter months are slower but VERY peaceful. And the locals take you in as one of their own in a snap of a finger. There are bars in nags head and local little cantinas and small hangouts(bar-type) in avon and rodanthe to visit in the off months. You will meet real friends down there, Its an amazing place.
I Live In Currituck Main Land Just Across The Bridge To The Outer Banks, In My Opinion This Is The Best Location To Be If You Like The Beach And Don't Want The Weather Beating Up Your House. Salt Etc.... And The Schools Are Great In Currituck County Taxes Are The Lowest I Think In Nc We Only Pay 1,404 Dollers A Year On Our Home Which Is 3,550 Sq Ft Brick Custom Ranch On 1.06 Acres An Located In A Cul-de-sac With A 2700 Sq Ft Detached Garage!!!!! Coming From Long Island Taxes Its Great!!!!! And We Have The Best Of Both Worlds 15 Min To The Beach And 35 Min To Va. I Love It Here But We Have To Move Inland For Hubby Business And Son Will Be Going To Schools Out West In Nc. But I Love This Place And We Searched All Up And Down This East Coast And Picked Grandy Nc For Our Home. Years Ago The Outer Banks Was Only A Tourist Area But As Of 10 Years Ago It Has Much More Year Round Home Owners. Well Thats Just My 2 Cents Ps If Your Looking For A Great Place Check Out My House Lol Hubby Will Love The Garage!!!!!
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