East Coast Coastal Towns?

-alex- · Feb 28, 2012

Hey all,

Those who live on the East coast, I’m looking for a small town to base my WIP.

I’m looking to research a small costal fishing town, with warm enough waters to swim in (the sea is an important part of my story). Something that’s quiet, pretty, with a small community. Big enough for a small down town area, schools (perhaps only three, one each which covers all grades). Hospital, Police station, you know, that kind of thing.

I’m not really sure what state to look in. I’ve Google’d Georgia, but I can’t seem to find many costal towns there which aren’t full of tourists or developments. Do I need to go up further? Virginia? Rhode Island? New Hampshire? Maine?

Thanks for any help you can give.

FabricatedParadise · Feb 28, 2012

I know there are a couple here in Florida, but more likely on the gulf coast than the atlantic. I know Virginia is out. That's pretty suburban along the coast.

Does it have to be on the atlantic? Because I know there are quite a few stretching from Florida's panhandle through to louisiana. But the area on the gulfcoast of Florida, just under the panhandle is actually referred to as the "forgotten coast" because it's not very urban at all.

FabricatedParadise · Feb 28, 2012

What about this: http://www.ozello.net/ It might be a little smaller than what you are looking for and according to the website is not a town so much as an "unincorporated community" They seem to only have a couple of restaurants and one convenience store? Florida is full of these little gems.

BillPatt · Feb 28, 2012

Most coastal towns that front on the ocean aren't that friendly a spot for fishermen. It doesn't take much for those big rollers to smash your boat. Look along the Intercoastal Waterway - the body of water that runs just behind the barrier islands. You'll find all kinds of little podunk towns in there. Another good bet is up estuaries - where the rivers hit the ocean. Fishing boats go up these to get away from the breakers and harbor.

Personally, I'd check out the tidewater area of VA, the sound side of NC, and south of Charleston Harbor.

rachelmachelsmachel · Feb 28, 2012

what about the one in The Last Song? (the movie)

I forgot the name of it but it sounds a lot like what you're describing.

backslashbaby · Feb 28, 2012

Most of the ones I can think of sound less developed than you are looking for. Does there have to be a downtown and a hospital in the actual town?

Although, if you don't mind there being no shore, Beaufort, NC may be great. Granted it's right across a bridge from a ton of development (and shores), but it fits! Except for the hospital, I think.

There is a really, really slow-living town out there, too, where all anyone does is fish. The Bushes fish there, btw. But it has like one restaurant, period. The people drive into the bigger towns for anything but fishing, which is what you see so much of in any of our undeveloped beaches.

blacbird · Feb 29, 2012

Invent one. You're writing fiction.

Faulkner invented a whole county. Sinclair Lewis invented a whole state. Anthony Hope invented an entire nation. Orson Scott Card, Stanislaw Lem and others invented planets. J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula LeGuin and others invented universes.

caw

Snick · Feb 29, 2012

-alex- said:
I’m looking to research a small costal fishing town, with warm enough waters to swim in (the sea is an important part of my story). Something that’s quiet, pretty, with a small community. Big enough for a small down town area, schools (perhaps only three, one each which covers all grades). Hospital, Police station, you know, that kind of thing.

I’m not really sure what state to look in. I’ve Google’d Georgia, but I can’t seem to find many costal towns there which aren’t full of tourists or developments. Do I need to go up further? Virginia? Rhode Island? New Hampshire? Maine?

Thanks for any help you can give.

I think that you are asking for too much, at least for the East Coast. If the water is swimmable, then there has been plenty of development. There are quite a few small towns in Maine, but the water is only warm enough for swimming far a few hours in late July. There is plenty of boating in those places. One thing that quite a few People along the coast do is make a living off the tourists in the Sumer and try to live frually the rest of the year. The crowds become progressively worse as one heads South, but there are some places in New Jersey that aren't completely overrun. Look for places with poor road access, marshes, and similarly unpleasant areas.

Elaine Margarett · Feb 29, 2012

Delaware. Development along the coast is curtailed due to the majority of seashore being state park land. Big touristy areas are Rehobeth, Dewey, Berlin and Fenwick. The rest is rather rural.

Of course it would only be warm enough to swim June to mid-September.

-alex- · Feb 29, 2012

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll look into all those you suggested.

rachelmachelsmachel said:
what about the one in The Last Song? (the movie)

I forgot the name of it but it sounds a lot like what you're describing.

I checked, it's Tybee Island, GA. I'll look into it.

blacbird said:
Invent one. You're writing fiction.

Faulkner invented a whole county. Sinclair Lewis invented a whole state. Anthony Hope invented an entire nation. Orson Scott Card, Stanislaw Lem and others invented planets. J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula LeGuin and others invented universes.

caw

I intend to invent one. At the moment I want to look at real towns to get some ideas. As I don't know much about east coast towns.

Yes, as I would like swimable waters more than a few months of the year, perhaps I'll need to look at NC and SC? Any ideas?

Florida is really too far south.

backslashbaby · Feb 29, 2012

Yeah, our beaches are nice and warm for many months of the year, although sadly not in time for Spring Break in March

Virginia should be good, too. More northern than that and I start having no clue

mirandashell · Feb 29, 2012

I love the way America is the default geography on this board......

:tongue

backslashbaby · Feb 29, 2012

I bet my East Coast is bigger than your East Coast! :tongue

mirandashell · Feb 29, 2012

Yep! Much bigger. But ours is flatter!

dirtsider · Feb 29, 2012

mirandashell said:
I love the way America is the default geography on this board......

LOL - no kidding. I was going to ask which "East Coast" at first glance of the title.

KatieJ · Feb 29, 2012

You don't want New England or even much higher than Virginia if you want swimming in the ocean. Other than the occasional nut, we don't 'swim' in the ocean as much as dare each other to stand in the water up to our waists.

That said, if you are making up a village, I can give you some examples of New England villages that fit the criteria except for the swimming.

Fenika · Feb 29, 2012

Parts of Delaware are small and coastal, but usually super small towns. South of Rehoboth there are a few tucked away areas around the bay, still close to something like Georgetown that bas a community college and such.

Otherwise, try parts of the chesapeake that have less road access.

For non-US, the east coast of New Zealand is nice. The smaller towns which draw less tourists are quiet. Or maybe something like Picton or Nelson in the sounds.

-alex- · Feb 29, 2012

mirandashell said:
I love the way America is the default geography on this board......

Haha. Yeah. Oops, I should have put USA in the title.

I'm from England, and even I just assumed... I think I'm just too american-ized :0)

-alex- · Feb 29, 2012

KatieJ said:
That said, if you are making up a village, I can give you some examples of New England villages that fit the criteria except for the swimming.

That would be great, thanks.

Priene · Mar 1, 2012

mirandashell said:
I love the way America is the default geography on this board......

I was going to suggest Robin Hood's Bay. Then I saw the bit about the waters being warm enough to swim.

debirlfan · Mar 1, 2012

Take a look at Stonington, CT - if you're local and reasonably hearty, you can swim in the ocean from June into October (roughly, depending on weather), and it's a big fishing town.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 1, 2012

KatieJ said:
You don't want New England or even much higher than Virginia if you want swimming in the ocean. Other than the occasional nut, we don't 'swim' in the ocean as much as dare each other to stand in the water up to our waists.

That said, if you are making up a village, I can give you some examples of New England villages that fit the criteria except for the swimming.

Huh? We swam in the ocean off Ipswich, Massachusetts, way north of Boston, all summer. It wasn't that cold, you ... you Southrons, you. And it was small and sleepy, even in the summer, and there were plenty of lobstermen, if not fishermen.

Mind you, this was thirty years ago. But Cape Anne was never as touristy as Cape Cod.

blacbird · Mar 2, 2012

Living in Alaska and all, I have trouble identifying. The idea of swimming in the ocean is akin to surfing on a glacier.

caw

Snick · Mar 2, 2012

blacbird said:
Living in Alaska and all, I have trouble identifying. The idea of swimming in the ocean is akin to surfing on a glacier.

caw

What! You mean that you don't 'surf' down glaciers! You're missing a lot of fun.

randi.lee · Mar 2, 2012

Not New England. The waters are warm enough to swim in in the summer but that's about it... and pretty much every line of the New England coast is over developed and congested.

East Coast Coastal Towns?

-alex-

FabricatedParadise

Can be bribed with circus peanuts

FabricatedParadise

Can be bribed with circus peanuts

BillPatt

rachelmachelsmachel

rachelsmachel

backslashbaby

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blacbird

Snick

Elaine Margarett

High and Dry

-alex-

backslashbaby

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mirandashell

backslashbaby

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mirandashell

dirtsider

Not so new, really

KatieJ

I think I'm back....

Fenika

-alex-

-alex-

Priene

Out to lunch

debirlfan

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

blacbird

Snick

randi.lee

Certified Non-Genius

East Coast Coastal Towns?

Can be bribed with circus peanuts

Can be bribed with circus peanuts

rachelsmachel

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High and Dry

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Not so new, really

I think I'm back....

Out to lunch

Sophipygian

Certified Non-Genius

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