New Bern
The second oldest city in North Carolina, New Bern is one of the best revitalized downtown's decorated by 50 hand painted fiberglass bears. 'Bern' has been loosely translated to mean 'bear', thus the city of New Bern branded itself with life-size painted bears. Visitors to the area are encouraged to follow the' Bear Tracks Hunt' searching for all 50 painted bears and ride the New Bern Trolly to learn more about the city's history. Recently celebrating its 300th birthday, New Bern offers an educational plethora of historical Civil War experiences. New Bern has also been named one of America's Best Small Towns by Time Magazine and is a great place to find North Carolina waterfront property.
The downtown streets of New Bern NC have decorative lighting, general stores, interesting boutiques and tasty restaurants making it a best small town in North Carolina. Located on the Neuse River, sailboats are docked along the waterfront. The Trent River meets the Neuse River at Union Park Point and is one of New Bern's most photographed parks across from the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. Historic churches line the attractive downtown streets with their steeples reaching up into the clouds. New Bern is the Birthplace of Pepsi. Historic Bed & Breakfast's dating back to the early 1800's provide comfortable accommodations and southern charm. Tryon Palace and gardens is New Bern’s most well known historic landmark, the former home of 19th century Governors and is within walking distance of the heart of downtown. Still an active patriotic city, the MCAS Cherry Point Marine’s Air Station is located in New Bern.
The Outer Banks can be reached by riding the ferries or finding limited bridges which cross over to the island. New Bern NC is quickly accessible from the north/state I-95 corridor. One of the best ways to comprehend the nautical city of New Bern, would be to pull up a Google Map and see the Pamlico Sound real estate, the second largest Sound on the east coast of the United States. Boater's traveling north and south on the Intracoastal Waterway, often find themselves retiring back to the protected Pamilco Sound real estate developments like River Dunes.
If you're searching for where to retire in North Carolina, here are reasons to the historic city of New Bern:
ARTS AND CULTURE
The Craven Arts Council in the Bank of the Arts building hosts rotating exhibits of paintings, sculpture, photography and pottery. The Heritage Walking Tours is a great way to get to know the city, the trail passing Georgian architecture and colorful gardens. The New Bern Civic Theater is home to the Saax Bradbury Playhouse, a theater hosting dramas, comedies and musicals. The theater also offers shows in sign language. The Rivertowne Repertory Players performs shows at the Sudan Shrine Auditorium. The North Carolina Symphony performs four times a year at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center along the North Carolina waterfront.
CLIMATE
At an elevation of 30 feet, the New Bern NC average winter temperature is in the 40’s December through February. The average snowfall is 3 inches. May through September, the average temperature is in the 70’s. New Bern has four mild seasons and the summers are hot and humid.
LIFELONG LEARNING CENTERS
Craven Community College offers programs specifically designed for mature adults at the Lifetime Learning Center. Explorations into film, theater, history and art appreciation. Classes include photography, computers, gardening, dance and culinary arts. Field trips include trips to see the North Carolina Ballet, historic landmarks and international travel excursions. Pamlico Community College offers classes in art, health and wellness, humanities, history, music and technology. There are dozens of hobby groups and social clubs in New Bern NC to meet new friends and share common interests.
MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE
CarolinaEast Medical Center is New Bern’s 350 bed hospital. The hospital's specialties include heart care, cancer, women’s and orthopedic care. The surgery unit is home to a DaVinci Robotic Assisted Surgery System. Lenior Memorial Hospital, Pitt County Memorial Hospital and Beaufort County Hospital are also in the area. The VA Midway Park Clinic in Jacksonville is the closest Veteran’s medical facility.
RECREATIONAL SPORTS
Nicknamed the sailing capital of North America, boating on the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound is the most popular sport in New Bern. The Leukemia Cup Regatta is one of many sailing competitions that take place in another best small town in North Carolina. Land lubbers have the Croatan National Forest to explore. This 160,000 acre forest has hiking and biking trails, hunting areas and swamp areas to bird watch and fish. There are seven golf courses in the area, some private, semi-private and public. This is a great place to find an affordable New Bern golf community. Carolina Pines and Quarter Neck are the public courses. The New Bern Aquatic Center has a public swimming pool and children’s water playground.
SHOPPING AND DINING
New Bern Mall is where you’ll find Belk, JC Penney, Sears and brand name stores. Town Rivers Mall and Riverstown Mall are two more shopping centers. In downtown New Bern, there are antique stores, art galleries, apparel and home decor stores to explore. There are more than 80 restaurants to choose from in downtown New Bern. Persimmon’s Waterfront, 247 Craven and The Chelsea are the best rated restaurants on Yelp. The New Bern Farmer’s Market is open year round with more than 50 vendors offering home grown and home made products.
HOME AFFORDABILITY AND TAXES
New Bern home prices average $145,000 and are located in Craven County. The estimated property tax millage rate is .41 per $100. If you live within the city limits, there is an additional estimated city tax of .41 per $100. Visit our library to find help and to learn how to calculate property taxes in New Bern. If you're searching for Pamlico Sound real estate or North Carolina waterfront property, there are a number of friendly neighborhoods to consider.
