A small town with a notable golf course community
Chocowinity is, by many measures, a typical small town in eastern North Carolina. Located 20 miles from Greenville, the town’s few stores include a Dollar General and Food Lion, and swaths of farmland cover most of the town’s flat terrain. “Chocowinity is a tiny blip on the map,” says Caroyln Lyne, a local Realtor at East Carolina Real Estate Group. “There are homes that have masses of acreage around them – hamlets, farms.” U.S. Highway 17 runs north-south through the middle of town, linking residents to Washington and New Bern, and North Carolina Highway 30 bisects the town east-west, serving as the primary thoroughfare to Greenville. In addition to the convenient highway access, residents here appreciate the small-town feel and comparative affordability that living in downtown Chocowinity provides. In that respect, Chocowinity looks a lot like many towns in the state. But there is another part of the community that stands out from the rest: Cypress Landing. Cypress Landing is a golf course community on Chocowinity Bay, branching off the Pamlico River. Most of Chocowinity’s home sales are in this neighborhood, which has its own marina and many recreational facilities. “The location of it is drop-dead gorgeous. We have a number of homes that are waterfront, and the views are stunning,” Lyne says. “There’s nothing else like Cypress Landing. It’s one of a kind.” So while it might be a tiny blip on the map that could be hard to distinguish from countless other blips, Chocowinity offers residents the option of rural farmland or lakefront living in a golf course community.
Most home sales are in Cypress Landing
A few clusters of homes branch off Chocowinity’s town area. These cottages and ranch-style houses usually sell for between $225,000 and $325,000. River Run Apartments also serves renters. Farther out of town, Cypress Landing’s winding subdivisions have two-story traditional homes primarily built in the early 2000s. Properties here typically sell for between $400,000 and $650,000. The golf course weaves between homes and beyond backyards, and some properties have water views. That said, thanks to its slight elevation, Cypress Landing is not in a flood zone. “You don’t need to have flood zone insurance there, even if you’ve got a boat,” Lyne says. Chocowinity has a CAP Index crime score of 2, below the national average of 4.
Fun at Chocowinity Recreation Complex and Cypress Landing Golf Course
Off N.C. Highway 33, the Chocowinity Recreation Complex hosts youth and adult softball and baseball games on its four fields. The complex also has a playground and picnic shelters. Just next to the park, the Chocowinity Fire Department helps organize fundraising events like the annual Christmas parade and expo. Dozens of vendors set up in the station, and the parade travels along U.S. Highway 17 and N.C. Highway 33, with participants throwing candy to eager spectators.
In addition to the neighborhood’s public 18-hole golf course, Cypress Landing residents can use the development’s other recreational amenities, including the pickleball and tennis courts, pools, fitness center and marina. “If you’re a golfer, then Cypress Landing is where you want to be. If you’re a golfer with a boat, it’s a done deal,” Lyne says. Homeowners in Cypress Landing pay for these amenities through their HOA fees, which are currently just under $150 per month. Residents with boats pay an additional slip fee, which varies depending on boat size; the current rate is approximately $40 per foot.
Basics in Chocowinity and more in Little Washington
Chocowinity has a Food Lion and Dollar General, as well as some fast-food joints like Burger King and Bojangles. Many churches also serve the town, including Chocowinity United Methodist and Ignite Church Chocowinity. For more shopping and dining, a quick drive across the Pamlico River takes locals to Little Washington, where they’ll find Walmart and Lowe’s. Popular restaurants like Down on Mainstreet, with a menu featuring American-style comfort food, and The Mulberry House, where diners can enjoy upscale global cuisine, sit just steps from the river. The downtown area also has boutique shopping, art galleries, a waterfront park and more.
Beaufort County schools serving Chocowinity
Students typically begin their education at Chocowinity Primary, which has an A-minus rating from Niche. Older students can attend B-rated Chocowinity Middle School and B-rated Southside High School. Southside High School’s student clubs include Battle of the Books, Distinguished Men of Purpose and Future Farmers of America. Nearby private options include the C-minus rated Unity Christian Academy, serving pre-K through 12th grades.
Driving to Greenville on N.C. Highway 33
Residents primarily rely on cars to get around, and both U.S. Highway 17 and North Carolina Highway 33 run through town. East Carolina University and ECU Health Medical Center are both about 20 miles northwest of Chocowinity in Greenville. Drivers can get to Greenville in about 30 minutes on Highway 33. “The majority of surgeons and doctors are too far away for the callout time [in Chocowinity], but there are a lot of faculty members in Cypress Landing,” Lyne says. The Pitt-Greenville Airport, 20 miles away, has flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Written By
Faith Wakefield
