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| Swansboro is off the beaten path,
but the infrastructure is solid. Roads are
in good condition, and most necessities can be
found in town or in a neighboring town.
The historic downtown is cute and has kept the
flavor of an earlier, seafaring
way-of-life. The main street, Front
Street, is lined with various shops and
boutiques, including giant Russell's Old Tyme
Shoppe, a wonderful gift and home-furnishings
store. Seventy-four of Swansboro's buildings are
on the National Register of Historic Places;
architectural styles include Federal,
Craftsman and Greek Revival.
On town outskirts or within a short drive are
some chain stores such as Lowe's Home
Improvement and a new Walgreen's; a Wal-Mart is
scheduled to open in nearby Cedar
Point.
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For a small town, Swansboro has a surprising selection of
very good seafood restaurants. One in particular that
receives rave reviews is Captain Charlie's Seafood Paradise,
serving possibly the world's finest fried seafood (not
recommended for those watching their cholesterol
levels). For lunch, Yana's Ye Olde Drug Store, with a
1950s-style lunch counter, is fun and serves a great
milkshake.
Generations of Swansboro residents have made their living
from the sea; water is everywhere, and fishing (both salt
water and fresh water) is still a way of life. Boating
traditions run deep, and with three marinas, Swansboro sees
plenty of boat traffic, some local and some transient.
Casper's, in the center of the waterfront, is the primary
marina. Flying Bridge Marina is mostly composed of
"boataminiums" (boat condos). Bogue Inlet
offers quick ocean access for deep sea fishing and off-shore
scuba diving.
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There are dozens of public beach access points in
and around Swansboro, and for the most part, the beaches are
uncrowded and clean. Nearby Hammocks Beach State Park is a
nearly 900-acre recreation area that is also a nationally
recognized coastal wildlife nature preserve and nesting area for
logger head sea turtles. Two islands make up the Park;
access to Bear Island is by ferry only but is worth the fifteen
minute trip. This is an excellent spot for kayaking.
Swansboro has a good number of annual festivals,
including Arts by the Sea, the Swansboro Trout Tournament, the
Christmas Flotilla and the Mullet Festival, which celebrates fish,
not the haircut, and the Swansboro Oyster Roast, Pig Out, and,
yes, Cotillion. Numerous clubs, such as the American Legion,
Rotary Club and Shriners, are active in town. Churches hold
seafood potlucks and lobster festivals, and the Onslow Volunteer
Center, located in Jacksonville 20 miles south, places volunteers
in various jobs around Onslow county. There are also three
nearby military bases; Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville is the
largest. Crime statistics vary; some report that the crime
rate is below the national average while others say it is
above. Saying that crime rates meet the national average is
probably a safe bet.
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The climate is tolerable, considering
Swansboro's location. August temperatures
average 80 degrees (and generally do not climb above 95
degrees); January temperatures average 46 degrees
(below-freezing temperatures are uncommon). It is
humid, though, in this region; the average annual rainfall
is 53 inches, with July being the wettest month and April
the driest, and the relative humidity averages
75%. The area is also prone to
hurricanes. In 1996, Hurricane Fran, a Category 3
storm, caused severe damage to Swansboro's waterfront. |
The primary health care facility is the Swansboro
Medical Center, but it offers a limited number of
services. For serious medical care, three
complete-care hospitals are within 20 to 25 miles. Brynn
Marr Hospital and Onslow Memorial Hospital are both in
Jacksonville; Carteret General Hospital is in Morehead City. Swansboro
does not have a senior center, but the Onslow Senior Center
(910-455-2747), a certified Senior Center of Excellence, is
located in nearby Jacksonville and provides a number of services,
including exercise programs, Meals on Wheels and transportation to
seniors throughout Onslow County. While Swansboro
is a wonderful town for retirement, it has some drawbacks.
It is a fairly rural spot; big city amenities are nowhere
close. Life moves at a leisurely pace, which is what some
retirees desire; for others seeking sophistication and an active
nightlife boredom may set in. The cost of flood insurance
and the possibility of hurricanes may be a drawback for some, and
that no large hospital is within 20 miles is also something
to consider. Return
to Page 1
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