Where should we move? (Asheville, Jacksonville: for sale, rentals, townhouses)

[MissintheEast]

My husband and I are currently living in San Diego and will be moving back east to work at Camp Lejeune.
A lot of people have told us that it' s not too exciting around there. We are open to living 40 or so minutes away if anyone has suggestions. We are originally from VA beach so the slower pace is somewhat okay. We have no kids and are in our late 20's and are hoping for some Asheville type community that is fun and unique. Any ideas?
We also have two dogs....vets? dog parks?

Thanks!

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by MissintheEast

My husband and I are currently living in San Diego and will be moving back east to work at Camp Lejeune.
A lot of people have told us that it' s not too exciting around there. We are open to living 40 or so minutes away if anyone has suggestions. We are originally from VA beach so the slower pace is somewhat okay. We have no kids and are in our late 20's and are hoping for some Asheville type community that is fun and unique. Any ideas?
We also have two dogs....vets? dog parks?

Thanks!

There are about four choices for living near Camp Lejeune.

One you can live in Jacksonville which has lots of traffic and is the youngest city in the US. Townhouses sell very quickly in Jacksonville.

Two you can live a few minutes away in Richlands which is very rural and has a lot of tract housing recently built on farmland. We know a young Marine couple living there with their new baby and dog. I think they got their three bedroom two bath home for around $139K.

Three you can live south on Route 17. I do not know that area so you will have to ask some others on the forum about it. Holly Ridge, Topsail, and Hampstead are all down that way, but again other than driving through them, I do not know them.

Four you can head east on Highway 24 and live somewhere in the Swansboro, Cedar Point, Cape Carteret, and Emerald Isle areas.

They are all small towns but collectively they form a really neat laid back area where people really love the water and getting together in community festivals.

The area has some great trails, the Croatan National Forest with 158,000 acres, Bogue Sound, and the beaches of Emerald Isle.

Festivals in the area include the Emerald Isle Saint Patrick's Day Festival, Swansboro Oyster Roast, Swansboro Arts Festival, the Mullet Festival, and my favorite the fall Lobster Festivals held by the local Episcopal Churches. Of course we also have 4th of July Fireworks on the beach and lots of other events.

There are some other nice dog walking trails at Patsy Pond and dogs are permitted on the beaches on leash as long as you clean up after them.

Of course there are times and places when they manage to get off leash since the beaches have tourists only a few weeks and the rest of the time they belong to us for beach walks. There are some perfect beach days down here.

If you love the water, this is one of the great places on earth for fishing, boating, kayaking, and just relaxing by the water (http://coastalnc.org/thesetting - broken link).

We often take our skiff out and find our own beach in the inlet.

There are good vets in the area. We have friends who have some Marine friends who walk in area of the Bogue Sound Auxiliary landing field which is adjacent to Cape Carteret. I understand they are able to let their dogs run there.

Most homes in the area have at least 1/3 acre and 1/2 acre is not unusual. Of course places with more land are available.

There is a wide range of homes both rental and for sale. 1300 sq. ft with 3 bedrooms and two baths will cost you about $165K eight or nine miles from the beach. Of course there is plenty to choose from as you move up the pricing scale.

There are rentals $700 up but having dogs limits your choice some.

We have lots of small family run restaurants. I need to update my restaurant guide but it will give you a sense of what is out there.

There is a fair amount to do in the area, a nice sports bar- Ballyhoos, bike trails, and museums and the NC Aquarium. We could use some new movie theaters, but that is my only gripe. There is a big theater in Jacksonville.

However with boat rides like this one which I call Mackerel Morning, it is very hard to complain.

This map will give you an idea of the area and this calendar some of the events.

This is an aerial photo of the area with some pictures placed on it.

Let me know if you have ofter questions.