^NC Sea Grant 



North C^^^'. State LItJrtq* 



5 



Doc 



April, 1985 



MUST < WATOl 



Photo by Scott Taylor 



Beaufort's restoration draws boaters and tourists from all over the world 



Rediscovering the waterfront 



The waterfront. For many coastal North Carolina 

 towns and cities it has been a resource long neglected. 

 Once the hub of commerce and travel, many water- 

 fronts and their accompanying downtown areas fell 

 into disrepair because of the decline in commercial 

 water traffic, the lack of industry, the pull of suburbia 

 and other urban plights. 



But there has been a change of attitude. Local of- 

 ficials and residents have discovered a newfound 



respect for their watery borders. They've learned that 

 with some spit and polish, the waterfront can be a 

 lifeline that pulls people back into downtown. 



To date, Beaufort is North Carolina's most suc- 

 cessful waterfront resurrection (see stories, pages 3 

 and 5). But other coastal towns and cities also are 

 joining the revitalization bandwagon. In a survey of 

 these cities and towns, here's what Coastwatch 

 learned. 



