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Thanks for your input! Let me know if you all head that way. It's still in our plans, but have to take a brief detour to Ft. Worth for the hubby to get his master's in healthcare admin. Should open up job opportunities for us.
I'm all too familiar with the detours life throws at us, GypsyGirl! I've been wanting to get out of Arizona for years now. At first, it looked like we'd be able to move in the spring, now we've been thrown a curve ball and it doesn't look like we'll get out until early fall, late summer at the soonest.
I don't mean to threadjack, but I've read (and posted) a few threads like this one, and there always seems to be a fair amount of negativity toward the idea of moving to coastal NC. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me second guess my desire to move there, but at the same time, I don't want to miss out on something I'd really like just because of a few vocal malcontents. I also haven't seen a lot of specific reasons as to why these naysayers want to talk people out of moving to the area. Aside from the school system, can anyone who thinks moving to coastal NC is a bad idea give me some specific reasons why?
Or is it maybe because living there is so wonderful, you want to keep it for yourselves? You can tell me, it'll be our little secret.
The ones complaining about the coast tends to be ones that don't like small towns/cities in general. They compare the amenities to places in the Triangle or larger and bemoan the slower pace of life out here on the coast.
I also haven't seen a lot of specific reasons as to why these naysayers want to talk people out of moving to the area. Aside from the school system, can anyone who thinks moving to coastal NC is a bad idea give me some specific reasons why?
Or is it maybe because living there is so wonderful, you want to keep it for yourselves? .........
I try to be negative only if people have very unrealistic ideas about living on the coast. I basically agree with MacJr82 that the the coast is composed of very small towns and cities.
If someone expects the sophisticated amenities of the Raleigh suburbs they are being un-realistic.
If they expect a progressive place like Portland or Seattle (except with better weather), then they are being un-realistic.
If they expect to land a $60K job right out of college, they are being un-realistic.
Since I like the un-crowded area I live in, yes, I am trying to keep it from turning into another Raleigh suburb.
We currently reside in Austin,TX and are wanting to return to the east coast. Husband is an OR RN. Both of us want to be on/near the water. We are looking to move in a bit over a year. That said, as I read through the posts, I'm getting concerned about an apparent drug/crime issue going on there?
Can anyone makes suggestions for us? Think artist/art teacher & musician/nurse in their early 40's who like good, fresh food, safety, and exceptional medical care (hey, he has to work there!).... we also ride motorcycles for fun, so good riding and some cool watering holes are a plus.
Should we be reconsidering and go lakeside? Mountains? We are quite open to suggestions from those in the "know"... taxes, good schools (they usually mean good neighbors) are also a consideration. There are lots of great things about Austin, but no beach and it's HOT (90+ days in a row over 100) and far from our families.
All thoughts are welcome and appreciated!
Crime rate is generally low except for Rocky Mount. Rocky Mount is apparently the crime capital of N. Carolina. Also, I know there are some dodgy areas around Greenville and Wilson. Besides that, there is a high unemployment in those areas of the state. I really would consider looking through this thoughtfully.
Based off your school system comment, the best ones in ENC are Craven, Carteret, Dare, Pender, and New Hanover. Which pretty much corresponds to the most popular locations (New Bern, Morehead City, OBX (Kitty Hawk), Hampstead, and Wilmington.
Wow! This forum is so full of useful information! And, I can't believe you all are still reading and responding
As I said earlier, we are now on the 2+ year plan, which is good. It gives us more time to check out the state. We spent 2 weeks in December in the Hendersonville area and really enjoyed it. Lovely people, beautiful scenery and I was super impressed with the restaurants. I think I need to do more digging in terms of grocery stores. We are spoiled here in Austin with Whole Foods and many like-minded grocers, fresh, local, inexpensive food is everywhere you turn. There wasn't as much as we'd like in terms of large lakes, which keeps our search central and east in NC.
I reconnected with a former student who is now in Wilmington and loving it. We will not make a move without a lot of thought and plenty of visiting. Research, research, research.... My parents are there now having about their 15th look around
Thanks for keeping the thread alive! I know I, for one, appreciate the updates and additions.
I'm all too familiar with the detours life throws at us, GypsyGirl! I've been wanting to get out of Arizona for years now. At first, it looked like we'd be able to move in the spring, now we've been thrown a curve ball and it doesn't look like we'll get out until early fall, late summer at the soonest.
I don't mean to threadjack, but I've read (and posted) a few threads like this one, and there always seems to be a fair amount of negativity toward the idea of moving to coastal NC. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me second guess my desire to move there, but at the same time, I don't want to miss out on something I'd really like just because of a few vocal malcontents. I also haven't seen a lot of specific reasons as to why these naysayers want to talk people out of moving to the area. Aside from the school system, can anyone who thinks moving to coastal NC is a bad idea give me some specific reasons why?
Or is it maybe because living there is so wonderful, you want to keep it for yourselves? You can tell me, it'll be our little secret.
Thanks!
the NC coast is not a "secret." you can see OBX stickers in just about every state. as someone who has lived in coastal NC, both in the late 90's and in the late 2010's, I can tell you why it CAN be a bad idea. the biggest reason is the lack of good jobs. I got somewhat lucky, and got a decent paying job when I first moved down there. when the economy started to tank, it really tanked. there are too many candidates looking for work down there, and when you finally do get an offer, it will be a low ball offer. another reason is the reality of living in a tourist town. the population of the coastal towns can triple during the year. it can make living there quite annoying, as there is only enough infrastructure there to accommodate the local residents. there is also an inflated cost of living due to the large number of transplants, especially retirees. there are benefits and drawbacks to every area, but you asked for some drawbacks.
Wow! This forum is so full of useful information! And, I can't believe you all are still reading and responding
As I said earlier, we are now on the 2+ year plan, which is good. It gives us more time to check out the state. We spent 2 weeks in December in the Hendersonville area and really enjoyed it. Lovely people, beautiful scenery and I was super impressed with the restaurants. I think I need to do more digging in terms of grocery stores. We are spoiled here in Austin with Whole Foods and many like-minded grocers, fresh, local, inexpensive food is everywhere you turn. There wasn't as much as we'd like in terms of large lakes, which keeps our search central and east in NC.
I reconnected with a former student who is now in Wilmington and loving it. We will not make a move without a lot of thought and plenty of visiting. Research, research, research.... My parents are there now having about their 15th look around
Thanks for keeping the thread alive! I know I, for one, appreciate the updates and additions.
in regards to grocery stores Wilmington has Whole foods, Trader Joe's , the fab Harris Teeter , Food Lion,
Lowe's Foods , Wall mart and Target. Many food stands and a small farmer's market downtown on Saturdays.
the NC coast is not a "secret." you can see OBX stickers in just about every state. as someone who has lived in coastal NC, both in the late 90's and in the late 2010's, I can tell you why it CAN be a bad idea. the biggest reason is the lack of good jobs. I got somewhat lucky, and got a decent paying job when I first moved down there. when the economy started to tank, it really tanked. there are too many candidates looking for work down there, and when you finally do get an offer, it will be a low ball offer. another reason is the reality of living in a tourist town. the population of the coastal towns can triple during the year. it can make living there quite annoying, as there is only enough infrastructure there to accommodate the local residents. there is also an inflated cost of living due to the large number of transplants, especially retirees. there are benefits and drawbacks to every area, but you asked for some drawbacks.
Thank you for the insight, lionsgators! Our plan for relocating is to move to wherever Hubs gets a job, so finding one once we got there wouldn't be an issue. I spent the first 18 years of my life in a community that easily quadrupled its population every summer, so I'm used to annoying tourists. So far, I haven't heard anything about coastal NC that would make me not want to move there. I just wanted some clarification, because I get a lot of "negative vibes" about the place from people here, but it's rarely anything specific.
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for the hubby to get his master's in healthcare admin. Should open up job opportunities for us.
I'm impressed!
