Gotta agree with billy to some extent. It's certainly not the worst place to live, but it definitely has major drawbacks:
Every bar in town is full of jarheads looking to fight or fornicate. If they can't fornicate with your girl, then they'll fight you because of it.
No professional sports, and the college scene is weak at best. (Sorry, but if you're counting ECU games, you're hurtin' for some college sports.)
Jacksonville, Kinston, New Bern, Atlantic Beach, all tired, drab and depressing. As far as the yachts are concerned, I've just never been that fired up about going to look at something I'm never going to have. If that's what floats your boat (pun intended), then have at it. To say that people who complain about there being nothing to do haven't been paying attention, though, is a bit condescending. The things that you mentioned, while they may be fun to you, aren't necessarily what others consider a rip-roaring good time. Plus, besides the coastal area where folks with money, education, and superior attitudes tend to congregate, the rest of the area is farmland, and includes some prime examples of backwoods livin' at its finest. Places where reliable running water, phone and electrical service, and having sex outside the family are considered luxuries.
Being able to drive to Raleigh-Durham is a huge plus, though. Great music and art scene, great restaurants, lots of big-city amenities, and the ability to further your education at some really fine colleges. Driving to the Outer Banks is a push. Yes, they have beautiful beaches, but three out of the four seasons, you'll be fighting hordes of doofus tourists and dealing with disgruntled locals who can't wait for all the doofus tourists to leave so they can enjoy a little downtime. The Outer Banks are more overrated than possibly any other vacation spot on the East Coast (besides Myrtle Beach).
Fishing, hunting, scuba and surfing are all within minutes, but if you really want to move to Coastal Carolina, drive a little further and go to Wilmington. Still no sports scene, but a little more culture, some decent restaurants, a wee bit o' nightlife, and a little less of the (stereo) typical NC redneck atmosphere, with all the beach fun and hurricanes!
Winters are indeed mild, with occasional snowfall (unless you stray too far from the coast), and, as XTalker mentioned, while you'll get a couple of sub-freezing cold snaps (and the occasional bitter-as-hell nor'easter), you'll generally only have to deal with lows in the 40s through most of the winter. It gets very hot and humid in the summertime, but it does that pretty much everywhere in the continental U.S., so that's not a huge issue. Hurricane season is definitely scary if you're not used to it and get up close and personal with storms, which happens nearly every year in this neck of the woods. They might not hit us directly, but several of them will skirt the coast and trigger heightened watches and possible visits by The Weather Channel (The horror...the horror!).
Sorry to all the New Berners I've insulted, it wasn't my intent. I just think the Wilmington area has a lot more to offer, and I find it a more relaxing, fun place to live than the Pamlico Sound area. Good luck finding a home/career in the Tarheel State!
