The close communities of Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle, North Carolina are beautiful places to raise a family or simply hang out for a few years. Each community has its own unique features, but they both strive to keep the small town feel in the midst of a culture that is largely supported by tourism. Both communities are close to the beach, offering residents and visitors alike great exposure to the ocean and the beauties of the natural dunes.

Sunset Beach is one of the quietest communities in the South Brunswick Islands, despite the fact that it sees lots of tourists every summer. Its houses are built in the traditional beach style, with some resting on poles several feet of the ground to protect against hurricane flooding. The town has a laid-back, beach feel, and it offers lots of activities for the whole family

Ocean Isle Beach is eight miles long and isn’t much more crowded than Sunset Beach, although it does offer just as many activities for tourists. This community, too, seeks to be small and family-oriented despite having a largely tourist-based economy. Only a bit of Ocean Isle Beach is commercialized, but there are still lots of shops and conveniences for both residents and visitors.

One of the special points about the Ocean Isle community is the Ocean Isle Community Center. The Community Center is a beach-style building on East First Street in town. It has lots of space inside and hosts many community activities throughout the year.

In the summertime, the Community Center hosts children’s activities in the morning. You don’t have to sign up for them before hand. They do fill up quickly, though, so it’s a good idea to get your little ones there early so you can secure a place in the activities. These kid-oriented times are open for people from the community as well as visitors and tourists.