In the late 1960s, word began to 

 spread of the quiet beauty and great 

 sailing that Oriental offered. Slowly, 

 sailboats began to appear, new houses 

 and developments were constructed, 

 and shops and stores that cater to 

 sailors were opened. 



Gwaltney's father was among the 

 first to realize that real estate was the 

 new opportunity in Oriental. Those 

 who left to find work years ago began 

 moving back to retire. 

 Retirees from the North 

 and West and even a few 

 young families come 

 now, most drawn by the 

 lifestyle and the water. 



Today, at least 

 seven real estate 

 agencies lease or sell 

 property in Oriental and 

 surrounding subdivi- 

 sions. Prices range from 

 an old fixer-upper for 

 $19,000 to a choice 

 creekside lot for 

 $450,000. 



You might think 

 that those who had lived 

 in Oriental for decades 

 would resent the influx 

 of wealthy sailors, 

 marinas and homes. But 

 to Oriental, this is a 

 chance for life. A new 

 subdivision needs 

 construction workers, 

 maintenance, develop- 

 ers. A new marina needs 

 a caretaker. 



"I don't think 

 anybody minds the level 

 (of sailors) that we have 

 now," says Margaret Madgwick, one 

 of Oriental's three town commission- 

 ers. "It's part of the lifeblood of the 

 town." 



"Some (sailors) treat some of the 

 local people like they're ignorant," 

 Bolin says. "But that's not true of 

 all sailors. Most people are really 

 looking forward to growth because 

 it gives their children an opportunity 

 for work." 



Not only locals get work. Many 

 people move to Oriental to try their 

 hand as entrepreneurs. 



At the Island Waterway Treasure 

 Co., you can rent a bicycle for the day 

 or buy a raincoat or wind chime. "I like 

 it here," says the owner, who has sailed 

 the area for more than 1 8 years and 

 lived and worked there for about eight. 

 "It's a neat place to live." 



Not every dream is lucrative. "It's 



can take sailing lessons or a cruise. 

 Hungry sailors have places to eat, such 

 as the Trawl Door, winner of eight 

 consecutive Silver Spoons and a Golden 

 Fork. 



There are two new bed-and- 

 breakfast inns. And people tired of 

 sailing can look in gift shops, such as 

 The Holly and the Ivy, Croakertown or 

 Dragonfly. 



Although these kinds of develop- 



Billy and Lucille Truitt at the OV Store 



very difficult for a store to make a go 

 of it," says Madgwick. "In the summer, 

 they think, T can really do something 

 with this,' but in January and February, 

 it's dead. 



"Some made it with great suc- 

 cess," she adds. "Some don't make it 

 at all." 



Now businesses sell boats, 

 supplies and sails. Shops paint and 

 repair vessels and motors. First-timers 



ment are an economic lifeline to 

 Oriental, they also add responsibilities 

 for managing and protecting the town. 

 Its town commissioners must prepare 

 Oriental for the future. They don't want 

 to lose their quiet way of life to an 

 overflow of tourists or have the Neuse 

 polluted. 



One item on the Oriental agenda is 

 keeping the right-of-way to the water in 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 7 



