A golf course community lifestyle in active 55+ communities offers a vibrant, leisurely, and socially engaging environment. Residents enjoy access to meticulously maintained golf courses, perfect for both casual and competitive play. These communities often feature clubhouses, fitness centers, swimming pools, and walking trails, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. Organized activities, social clubs, and events foster a strong sense of community, allowing residents to form lasting friendships. The serene, landscaped surroundings provide a peaceful retreat, while the convenient proximity to urban amenities ensures easy access to dining, shopping, and healthcare. Security and maintenance services enhance the worry-free living experience, making these communities ideal for retirees seeking a blend of recreation, relaxation, and social interaction. Overall, the golf course community lifestyle in 55+ communities is designed to offer an enriching, fulfilling, and active retirement.

North Carolina's coast remains largely undeveloped in comparison with the rest of the Atlantic coastline. The 300 miles of barrier islands and broad sounds are home to only one city of considerable size (Wilmington). Most of the coast is overseen by the state's Division of Parks and Recreation, which has prevented commercial and residential overdevelopment, and kept the beaches accessible to the public. Still, the area is extremely popular, and teems with tourists during much of the year. It is also beginning to fill up, as more and more affluent home buyers push up housing prices.

The area has a long chapter in the history of America. This is the part of the United States that saw the earliest European settlement, and it is here that the "Lost Colony of Roanoke" was founded in 1585. The coastline was of immense economic and strategic importance throughout the Colonial era, and was fought over in the Revolution and the Civil War. Later, it became the site of the world's first powered airplane flight, at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk.

Wilmington is the urban heart of the area; but even here the pace is noticeably more laid-back than other coastal cities. Other towns of note include Elizabeth City, New Bern, and Jacksonville, home of the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune.