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Yesterday I had business in New Bern and had a little time to peruse downtown. Today I was investigating a couple of properties in Emerald Isle. New Bern & Emerald Isle are completely different. Both are great. There is no simple description of coastal NC.
Bill
Yes, there is....boring. After living here for five years I can't wait to get out. We live 3 miles from Emerald Isle. Tourists are a nightmare, night life is non existant, no shopping, restaurants are awful and people are not friendly. It was our dream to live here but has turned into a nightmare. Can't be on the beach 24/7 and there is nothing else to do here. If you like the very quiet life, this is your place.
I live just a little farther from Emerald Isle, and I would have to disagree with you on almost all accounts. We look forward to the tourists coming each year. They do not all come at once, and most love the area as much as we do.
If you came here looking for night clubs and lots of night life, you picked the wrong place. However, this is one of the most beautiful areas on the east coast, and there is plenty to do here.
We lived in Columbia, MD for a few years. Though it was only twenty or so miles to either Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD, we found it very hard to do things because of traffic. Just going to the Air and Space Museum required a lot of planning.
While we might not have an Air & Space Museum, we do have some wonderful places like the Maritime Museum in Beaufort, the Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores, and Fort Macon. There are some great places for hiking, and of course when the weather warms up there is fishing, kayaking, boating, and swimming. The access to all of that is better than you will find almost anywhere.
As to shopping, we find all we need in Morehead City from Belks and TJ Maxx to Best Buy. We do have to go to Jacksonville for Target, but that is not a big deal. I lived within ten minutes of Tyson Corner in Northern Virginia for years so I have seen all the shopping that is out there. I just don't need a Macy's or a Nordstrom's to survive. There are plenty of great small shops in the area, and it is not like Raleigh or Wilmington is on the other side of the world.
We have had visitors come to visit us both when we were living in Columbia, MD and here near Emerald Isle. I know for a fact that the ones who came to Emerald Isle had a better time. This is a wonderful place to live and visit.
Significant tourists are only here for six to eight weeks a year. The fact that we are a tourist destination allows us to have more services than we would have without them. They also keep our economy afloat.
This is a small town area, I think that is the way the area is advertised. No one tries to pretend that we are Myrtle Beach. Most of us living here would rather not be living in Myrtle Beach.
We chose this area for the quiet beaches, the beautiful scenery, great water access and for the friendly people. The longer I live here the more friendly people that I meet. We found a great church, and I have some terrific friends among the people where I work. It isn't too hard to find a fishing buddy around here.
When the tourists do come, the only adjustments that we make are to do our main grocery shopping from Monday through Wednesday, and we usually try to avoid a lot of the Island restaurants during the popular hours. Other than that life goes on as normal. I might limit my boating to the White Oak on the Fourth of July, but that is about it.
Yes, there is....boring. After living here for five years I can't wait to get out. We live 3 miles from Emerald Isle. Tourists are a nightmare, night life is non existant, no shopping, restaurants are awful and people are not friendly. It was our dream to live here but has turned into a nightmare. Can't be on the beach 24/7 and there is nothing else to do here. If you like the very quiet life, this is your place.
I totally agree with this. There is absolutely nothing to do from New Bern to Emerald Isle, etc. My inlaws live in Emerals Isle, are born and raised in New Bern and if they make comments that there is nothing else there besides the beach then that means there really is nothing else there.
Why are NC beaches not more like Florida beaches where there are attractions, fine dining, etc?
Why are NC beaches not more like Florida beaches where there are attractions, fine dining, etc?
The Florida beaches (and Myrtle Beach) are there for all those who want the attractions, etc. The NC beaches are there for the rest of us who want the simple beauty of nature, and a peaceful oasis. Something for everyone.
Why does someone come to the beach? Is it for the attractions or is it for the beach? Attractions can be found anywhere. Clean pristine beaches with great boating, fishing, swimming, etc. can not.
I'm sorry, I thought I was normal and after a full day of being at the beach I would like to have the option of having a fine dining meal. Also, I thought that if I took my children to the beach it would also be nice to have other options of going on ride go-carts, movies, etc.
coastal NC is a big strip of land, on the ocean, that stretches for miles and miles. It is not synonymous with 'eastern NC' or 'Emerald Isle'.
No, it wasn't challenging at all. The general population other than senior citizens whom live there described it as being boooooring!
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I beg to disagree
