New Bern has been featured by Time Magazine, Where to Retire and other publications as an "outstanding place to live" for many reasons. With a mild four-season climate, renowned medical facilities, a nationally recognized public school system and more, New Bern and Craven provide residents with unlimited social and cultural opportunities.

Located at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent Rivers, and only minutes from the beaches of the Crystal Coast, residents enjoy fishing, boating, golfing, and many other activities, in the atmosphere and climate of a year-round resort. Those who decide to make the New Bern area their permanent or vacation home enjoy the lifestyle of one of the finest cities in the state.

For complete information on life in the New Bern and Craven County area, visit our Area Information section or Contact New Bern Life.

Communities

Craven County is includes eight incorporated towns and over a dozen other small towns and communities, with New Bern and Havelock being the most prominent. New Bern, with a population approaching 30,000, is a growing and vibrant city - - - a perfect place to live or work. Small-business owners find that the growing population and cost of doing business in the New Bern area create a favorable climate for growth and expansion. Large business and industry find the area attractive because of the reasonable cost of operations and readily available well-prepared labor force.

Havelock, located about twenty minutes east of New Bern, boasts a population of over 20,000, and is the home of the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. Here you can visit an exciting aviation exhibit highlighting Marine Corps aviation in Eastern North Carolina or stroll along the waterfront nature boardwalk along Slocum Creek.

For complete information on New Bern, Havelock and Craven County communities and what they offer, visit our Area Information section or Contact New Bern Life.

Education

The Craven County School System serves more than 15,000 students in fourteen elementary, five middle and three high schools. Educational programs include foreign languages, computer classes, art, music dance, theater, athletics, and advanced placement courses, in addition to traditional courses. High schools are on block scheduling, allowing students to take four complete courses each semester for a total of eight per year. Craven County also provides support personnel and services, including social workers, school nurses, psychologists, and special programs for exceptional and challenged children.

Craven Community College was founded in 1965, and is a comprehensive community college with campuses in New Bern and Havelock-Cherry Point.

Serving more than 4,500 curriculum students and 10,000 continuing education students each year. CCC's curriculum includes career and occupational offerings, specialized workforce training options, developmental studies, basic skills classes plus college transfer courses and partnerships with four-year universities such as East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. The Havelock-Cherry Point Campus is home to the Institute of Aeronautical Technology, which provides training in aircraft maintenance to support the Fleet Readiness Center East at nearby MCAS Cherry Point.

Mount Olive College, established in 1993 is a four-year liberal arts college located in New Bern. MOC's focus is on providing advanced educational opportunities for adult students, and offers Bachelor's Degrees in fields such as management, education, criminal justice in addition to others.

East Carolina University, a part of the University of North Carolina system, offers over one hundred Bachelor's, seventy Master's and seventeen Doctoral Degree programs. In addition, the Brody School of Medicine has been recognized as one of the finest medical schools in the country. A new dental school is scheduled to open in 2010.

For more information on all Craven County area schools & colleges, visit our Area Information section or Contact New Bern Life.

Health

Carolina East Medical Center, located in New Bern, is a 350 bed, a full service facility housing a full compliment of inpatient and outpatient services. This medical center has dedicated units for heart care, critical care, intensive care, women's care, pediatric care, orthopedic care, surgical care and cancer care. Surgery and diagnostic imaging centers provide the region's outpatient services, and over 200 physicians provide primary and specialty care.

The Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune provides services to active navy and marine personnel and their families in addition to retirees from these services. The facility recently marked the completion of a $10 million renovation project for two preventivemedicine facilities.

For more information on healthcare in the New Bern area, visit our visit our Area Information section or Contact New Bern Life.

Arts & Culture

The Craven Community Arts Council, founded in 1974, sponsors exhibitions and concerts in partnership with other organizations, including Tryon Palace, Craven County Schools, Havelock Cultural Arts Committee, Twin Rivers Artists' Association and other arts groups are major components of programming. The Council offers a variety of artistic expressions to the community and the schools in the form of classes, exhibitions and concerts or regional and national artists.

The New Bern Civic Theatre, originally opened as the Athens Theatre in 1911. was a gala theatre for silent movies, Vaudeville, traveling theatre troupes and locally produced live productions. Today, it presents a variety of dramas, comedies, musicals and even performances in sign language.

The New Bern Academy Museum features four permanent exhibits. The first is an orientation illustrating the origins of the city and its development up to the Civil War. The second focuses on the historic architecture and construction techniques of the region as well as the lives of builders and architects in the 18th and 19th centuries. The third exhibit examines Battle of New Bern and the role the original Academy, a school for boys and girls, played during the Civil War. The forth presents the history of education in the area, and includes a model 18th century classroom.

In addition, there are many museums and historical sites throughout the area, including the Croatan National Forest, once a Civil War battle site, and now an outdoor recreation area.

For more information, visit our Area Information section or Contact New Bern Life.

New Bern & Craven County Real Estate

New Bern and Craven County offer homebuyers all types and styles of homes, including centuries-old properties in historical districts and homes and condos overlooking the water or golf courses. Whatever your desire may be there is a home for you in this special area.

As in much of the country, home sales in Craven County, both in number and in average sales price, have declined over the past year. Trulia reports that the median sales price in mid-October 2009 was just under $154,000 while the average asking price of available homes was approximately $274,000.

Contact New Bern Life to learn more about real estate and properties available in New Bern, Havelock and surrounding communities of Craven County. You may also visit our Property Search section to view all of the properties currently available through our multiple list service.