Your Community Guide · Calabash, Brunswick County, North Carolina
Ocean Side Place
An established neighborhood of traditional, mostly one-level homes just off Calabash Road —
brick fronts, vaulted ceilings, a community pool and clubhouse, and some of the lowest dues on this
stretch of the coast. Five minutes from the shrimp boats on the Calabash waterfront, a short drive
from the sand at Sunset Beach — and now with a brand-new Publix and Walmart
Supercenter going in right at the end of Calabash Road. Here’s how it came together, who built it,
and why people who move here tend to stay.
Ocean Side Place has had thirty years to settle in. The trees are tall, the
shrubs are rounded off just so, and the lawns look like someone has cared about them every Saturday
for a very long time — because someone has. This is what a neighborhood looks like when it’s
finished growing up.
1994earliest build year in recent listing records
200+homesites, by the lot numbers in public records
~$43a month in POA dues, per recent listings
~5 minto the Calabash waterfront
Countytaxes only — outside town limits
Build years, lot numbering, dues and tax status drawn from public listing records. Dues change with the association budget, and drive times vary with season and traffic. Verify current figures before relying on them.
“I wanted to create these Community Guides because every neighborhood along our
coast has its own personality, history, and little details that you simply can't see in a
listing search. Over the past 20 years, I've worked with many of the builders who helped
bring these communities to life, and I've watched them grow from the ground up. Along the
way, I've had the privilege of welcoming so many people home here. These guides are my way
of sharing what makes each community different, what makes them special, and why so many
people are proud to call them home.”
A morning on the street. Brick fronts, a flag by the garage, shrubs rounded into perfect domes and the pines standing guard behind it all.
Some neighborhoods sell you on what they’re going to be. Ocean Side Place doesn’t have to. It
already is.
Drive in off Calabash Road and the first thing you notice is how quiet it feels — tall pines
behind the rooftops, palms planted by owners who’ve had twenty-some years to watch them grow,
lawns edged as if the whole street got together and agreed on a standard. Nobody’s waiting for
the landscaping to fill in. Nobody’s living next to a dirt lot. The construction trucks left a
long time ago.
What’s left is the part that takes decades to build: neighbors who wave, a pool where people
know each other’s names, and homes that have been loved, updated and handed down from one
owner who adored it to the next.
How the neighborhood got here
Built one house at a time
Ocean Side Place came along in the mid-1990s, when this corner of Brunswick County was still
mostly pine woods and the Calabash waterfront was already famous for its fried shrimp. It was laid
out just off Calabash Road, a short hop from US 17 and the South Carolina line — close to
everything that was drawing people to the south end of the county, without being on top of it.
The entrance on Seneca. Rope-wrapped pilings, a stone base and a white picket fence — a little nautical, a little front-porch, and kept up like someone’s front yard.
Mid-’90s
The first homes go up
The earliest homes in today’s listing records date to 1994 through 1996 — one-story,
three-bedroom, split-bedroom plans with vaulted living rooms and attached garages. The
first section was laid out along Seneca and Wampee, with the pool and clubhouse planned
as the neighborhood’s gathering place.
Late ’90s – 2000s
Phase II and a steady build-out
Lot legal descriptions reference a second phase, and lot numbers in the public record run
past 220. Homes kept going up one or two at a time through the early 2000s — Hampton,
Kershaw and Aiken Court filled in — with some of the larger plans, up to roughly 1,900
square feet, arriving around 2003–2005.
2006 – today
Settled, nearly built-out, and holding its own
New construction slowed to the occasional infill home — one listing calls a 2019 house
“one of the newest homes in the subdivision.” Today nearly everything you’ll find for sale is resale.
Ocean Side Place was never a production-builder community where one company
stamped out the same four plans. Homes went up lot by lot over a dozen years, many of them custom
or semi-custom for the people who first lived in them. That’s why listings here keep using the
word “custom,” and why no two houses on a street look quite alike.
Red brick, arched windows, black shutters and a lamppost by the walk — with a magnolia that’s been growing in that front yard for a long time.
The vision: a traditional neighborhood that would age well
The homes here were built in a classic Southern style that never really goes out of fashion —
brick and vinyl fronts, gabled rooflines, arched and palladian windows, covered entries and
two-car garages. Inside, the plans were designed for real life on one level: vaulted
great rooms, formal dining, split bedrooms for privacy, and a bright Carolina room off the back.
It was a vision built for people who wanted the coast close by without giving up a real
neighborhood — a place with a pool down the street, a clubhouse for get-togethers, and dues low
enough that nobody ever had to think twice about them.
Thirty years later, that vision has held. The styles still feel welcoming, the one-level plans
are exactly what so many buyers are looking for today, and the neighborhood has kept its pride
of ownership through every chapter.
About those builders
Because Ocean Side Place was built one home at a time by a number of local builders, the
best way to know what you’re looking at is house by house. Listing records occasionally name a
plan — the Asbury Park shows up on a 2005 home on Wampee — and some owners mention that a home
was built for a contractor or a family who chose every detail themselves.
That’s where my years on the builder side of this business come in handy. Before you make an
offer, I’ll tell you what I can find about who built the house, what came standard in that era,
and what’s been replaced since — the roof, the HVAC, the water heater, the windows. On a
thirty-year-old neighborhood, those are the details that decide what a house is really worth.
What you’ll see in the listings
The homes, and what they actually give you
Because homes here were built by more than one builder over more than a decade, there’s no single
plan sheet. These are the home types that keep showing up in public listing records, with sizes as
listed. Treat them as a starting point — many homes have been added onto or reworked since.
The better question is how you plan to live. A two-bedroom, two-bath ranch with two primary
suites can be perfect for a couple who want easy upkeep and a room for visiting friends. A
three-bedroom with a Carolina room may serve you longer than a bigger house with more steps.
Pindo palms, rounded shrubs and lawns that run right down to the street, with the pines standing tall behind the rooftops. Thirty years of growing in, and it shows.Red shutters, an arched front window, a screened garage for breezy afternoons and a pindo palm out front — with a wall of tall pines standing behind the backyard.
Bedroom counts, heated square footage and build years as they appear in public listing records for Ocean Side Place. Individual homes vary and many have been modified. Pricing changes often enough that I don’t publish it here — ask me for today’s numbers on a specific home.
Home type
Beds
Baths
Heated sq ft
What to know
Cottage-size ranch
2
2
~1,170
Mid-’90s; some have two primary suites — great for a couple who host friends
Classic split-bedroom
3
2
~1,400 – 1,560
The neighborhood’s signature home: vaulted great room, privacy between bedrooms
Split plan with Carolina room
3
2
~1,550 – 1,710
Bright sunroom off the back; often a formal dining area and bay-window breakfast nook
Larger later-built plans
3 – 4
2
~1,700 – 1,950
Mostly 2003 – 2006; the Asbury Park plan is one named example
Not a complete list. Ask me what a
specific address was built as and what’s been changed since.
The pool, the clubhouse, and the people you’ll meet there
The amenity here is sized for a neighborhood, not a resort — and honestly, that’s the charm. It’s
close enough to walk to, small enough that you’ll recognize faces by your second week, and
maintained the way people maintain something they’re proud of.
The clubhouse, with the flags flying out front — the Stars and Stripes, North Carolina, and a service flag. A good sign of the kind of neighbors you’ll have.
The clubhouse is where the neighborhood comes together — potlucks, movie nights, holiday
get-togethers and the kind of casual gatherings that turn the people next door into friends.
Listings here describe frequent events and a fun, active community, and that matches what you
feel when you visit.
Notice the flags on that pole. You’ll see them on porches and garages all through the
neighborhood, too. Ocean Side Place has the kind of quiet pride that doesn’t need to announce
itself.
The pool on a blue-sky afternoon — red, teal and purple umbrellas, chairs lined up along the fence, and tall pines for shade.
A summer afternoon, a few steps from home
Picture a July afternoon here. You’ve been to the beach in the morning, or maybe you skipped it
entirely. Now the sun’s high, the pool is sparkling, and a neighbor is pulling a chair into the
shade to finish a chapter. Somebody brought a cooler. Somebody else brought the news from down the
street.
No drive, no parking, no crowds. Just a towel over your shoulder and a short walk home when
you’re done.
Patio tables, teal loungers and a curved shallow end with a handrail — easy in, easy out, and room for everybody on the deck.
Community pool
Fenced pool with a wide deck, umbrellas, tables and loungers — the neighborhood’s summer living room.
Clubhouse
Gathering space for potlucks, movie nights, holiday parties and association meetings.
Established landscaping
Mature pines, palms, magnolias and shrubs — the kind of yard newer neighborhoods spend years waiting for.
Quiet, low-traffic streets
A tucked-away layout off Calabash Road, with sidewalks along parts of the neighborhood.
Low POA dues
Recent listings show roughly $509 a year — among the lowest you’ll find with a pool and clubhouse.
County taxes only
Listing records place the neighborhood outside town limits, so there’s no municipal tax bill on top.
Where the street names come from
Drive through and the street signs read like a map of the state next door: Seneca, Wampee,
Hampton, Kershaw, Aiken. Every one of them is a South Carolina place name — a nod to how close the
neighborhood sits to the state line, a few minutes down US 17.
It’s a small thing. But once you know it, you’ll spot an Ocean Side Place address on any listing
site instantly — and you’ll have a story to tell the first time a visitor asks why you live on
Wampee Street in North Carolina.
The question everyone asks second
What the dues cover — and what I check for you
Recent listings show Ocean Side Place POA dues of about $509 a year — roughly $42 to $44 a month.
For a neighborhood with a pool and a clubhouse, that’s remarkably low, and it’s one of the reasons
homes here are so popular with retirees, second-home owners and first-time coastal buyers alike.
The trade-off is simple: the association takes care of the shared spaces, and you take care of
your own home and yard. For a lot of owners, that’s exactly the balance they want.
Covered by the association
Community pool
Clubhouse
Entrance and common areas
Streets and lights (per a recent listing — confirm)
What owners handle
Lawn and landscaping
Home exterior, roof and paint
Windows, doors, decks and porches
Homeowners and flood insurance on the dwelling
Pest and termite contracts
What I pull before you sign
Current dues and any special assessments
Recorded covenants and any amendments
Rules on rentals, fences, sheds and parking
Architectural approval requirements
Flood zone and insurance quote for the address
Dues and rules change with the association’s budget and votes. I’ll put the current
documents in front of you rather than quote a number that may be out of date by the time you read this.
Location, location, Calabash
Five minutes to the seafood capital of the world
Ocean Side Place sits just off Calabash Road, about eight-tenths of a mile from US 17 — the
corner where Food Lion and CVS have been for years, and where a new Publix and Walmart Supercenter
are now opening. Turn one way and you’re at the Calabash waterfront in minutes.
Turn the other and you’re over the South Carolina line, headed for Little River and North Myrtle
Beach. It’s the kind of location that makes everyday errands easy and good evenings easier.
And then there’s the waterfront itself.
The Calabash waterfront at golden hour — shrimp boats tied up at the dock, the marsh grass perfectly still, and the whole river turning gold.
The waterfront in the evening
There’s a moment just before sunset on the Calabash River that’s hard to describe until you’ve
stood in it. The shrimp boats are in. The nets are hung. The water goes glassy and the marsh
grass turns from green to gold. Somebody on a boat deck is coiling a line, and down the dock the
restaurants are filling up with people who came for the seafood and stayed for the view.
This little town has been serving “Calabash-style” seafood — lightly breaded and fried — for
generations, and the working boats you see here are a big part of why it still feels real. Living
five minutes away means you can come down for the sunset on a Tuesday, not just on vacation.
Supper on the deck above the marsh, string lights overhead — and right across the water, the little dockside stand selling fresh ocean shrimp and fish straight off the boats.The Oyster Rock on the Calabash waterfront, its barn lights just coming on — one of the newer spots on a waterfront that’s been feeding people for generations.
Dinner outside on the waterfront — navy umbrellas, palmettos, a lawn running down to the marsh and every table full.
Calabash dining isn’t fancy, and it isn’t supposed to be. It’s hushpuppies and sweet tea,
fried shrimp and flounder, and a table on the patio watching the boats come in. Some of the
restaurants have been family-run for decades; others, like The Oyster Rock, are newer additions
that brought patios, lawns and a little more polish to the river.
For Ocean Side Place owners, it all becomes the easy answer to “what should we do tonight?” —
or the place you take every single guest the first night they visit.
Callahan’s of Calabash at sunset — apparel, jewelry, candy, home décor and a Christmas shop, all under one long roof. A local landmark for generations of beach visitors.
Then there are the shoppes. Callahan’s has been a Calabash landmark for generations of beach
visitors — a sprawling nautical gift shop with apparel, jewelry, candy, home décor and a Christmas
shop that never really closes. Around it, the little shopping strip on Beach Drive is the kind of
place where an afternoon errand turns into an hour of browsing.
My office is on Beach Drive too, a few minutes from Ocean Side Place. I drive past this every
day, and it still makes me smile.
Christmas on the porch, whatever the month. Wreaths in every window, icicle lights along the rail, an antique carriage in the gazebo and a red phone box out front — Calabash charm at its most cheerful.
A good Saturday from Ocean Side Place doesn’t take much planning: coffee on the
back porch, a round of golf before it gets hot, a browse through the shops, the pool in the afternoon,
and a seafood dinner on the river as the sun goes down. Nobody spends the day in the car.
Everyday errands, right at the end of the road
For years, a big grocery run from this end of the county meant driving to Shallotte or over the
line to North Myrtle Beach. Not anymore. The corner of Calabash Road and US 17 — the same corner you
turn at to come home to Ocean Side Place — has become the new shopping hub for southern Brunswick
County.
The new Publix at the Commons at Carolina Shores, a 46,791-square-foot store at 9770 Ocean Highway
West, is set to open October 28, 2026. Right next door at 9700 Ocean Highway West, a new Walmart
Supercenter has been built; its original October 7 grand opening was postponed, and as of this
writing a new date hasn’t been announced. The Commons already has a CVS, with Firehouse Subs,
McDonald’s, Eggs Up Grill and Dunkin’ planned, and a Wawa and Freddy’s Frozen Custard &
Steakburgers have been approved nearby.
Add the Food Lion that’s long anchored the corner, and the everyday list — groceries,
prescriptions, a quick breakfast, a gallon of milk at 9 p.m. — is about two minutes from your
driveway. You get the quiet of a tucked-away neighborhood and the convenience of a brand-new
shopping district without living on top of it.
Golf in every direction
The south end of Brunswick
County is golf country, and Ocean Side Place sits right in the middle of it. Within roughly ten to
twenty minutes you’ll find courses like Sandpiper Bay, Brunswick Plantation, Crow Creek, Ocean
Harbour, The Meadowlands, Thistle, the three courses at Sea Trail and the two at The Pearl — and
just over the line, the long list of courses along the North Myrtle Beach end of the Grand Strand.
Many local courses offer resident memberships and twilight rates, so it’s worth asking.
Course
ownership and status change over time — check with any course directly before planning around it.
New Publix — Commons at Carolina Shores
~2 min
New Walmart Supercenter
~2–3 min
Food Lion & CVS at US 17
~2 min
Calabash waterfront & restaurants
~5–10 min
Callahan’s & the Beach Drive shoppes
~5–10 min
Nearest golf courses
~5–10 min
Little River, SC
~10 min
Sunset Beach Town Park
~15 min
Sunset Beach — the sand
~15–20 min
North Myrtle Beach
~15–20 min
Shallotte
~20 min
Ocean Isle Beach
~25 min
Myrtle Beach International Airport
~45 min
Wilmington
~1 hr
Drive times are approximate and vary with season and traffic. Store opening dates and planned tenants are from local news reports as of October 2026 and can change.
Close enough to make it a habit
Sunset Beach, the park, and a mailbox in the dunes
The name says Ocean Side, and while you won’t see the Atlantic from your back porch, you won’t be
far from it either. Sunset Beach is the closest island — quiet, low-key and family-friendly — and
it’s about fifteen to twenty minutes away.
Sunset Beach Town Park on the waterway — a boardwalk along the water, live oaks over the lawn, and a crowd out for one of the town’s community events.
Before you even cross to the island, there’s Sunset Beach Town Park on the mainland side of the
waterway. It’s where the town gathers — summer concerts, festivals and family days under the live
oaks, with a boardwalk along the water for an easy evening stroll.
Pack a chair and a picnic, catch the music, and drive home in fifteen minutes. That’s a very
different summer evening than most people are used to.
Sunrise through the pilings at Sunset Beach — low tide, long shadows and only a few sets of footprints. Worth setting the alarm for.
When the beach becomes part of everyday life
For a lot of people, moving to this coast starts with a dream of spending more time near the
ocean. From Ocean Side Place, that dream fits into an ordinary Tuesday. Head over early to watch the
sun come up through the pier. Take a walk at low tide when the sand is wide and firm. Stay till the
sky goes pink, then drive home to your own porch.
You get the beach whenever you want it — and a quiet, established neighborhood to come home to
when you’ve had enough sun for one day.
The Kindred Spirit mailbox at dusk, out in the dunes on Bird Island past the west end of Sunset Beach — a mailbox, a bench, and notebooks inside that anyone can write in.
The Kindred Spirit
Walk far enough west on Sunset Beach, toward Bird Island, and you’ll find a lone mailbox
standing in the dunes with a bench beside it. It’s the Kindred Spirit mailbox, and for decades
strangers have left letters and notebooks inside: love notes, prayers, thank-yous, and words for
people they’ve lost. Anyone can stop, sit, read and write.
It’s so heartfelt that it inspired Nicholas Sparks’ novel Every Breath. And from Ocean
Side Place it’s a short drive and a long, beautiful walk on the sand — close enough to make the trip
at sunset whenever your heart needs it.
Want to know which Ocean Side Place homes I’d actually shortlist today?
Not the full inventory list — the two or three I’d put in front of you if you were my buyer,
and the reasons the rest didn’t make it.
What the national sites get wrong about Ocean Side Place
I check these portals because my buyers read them first. Here’s where the record needs
correcting.
“Ocean Side Place, Calabash, South Carolina.”
It’s North Carolina. Several Myrtle Beach–area sites list it under South
Carolina because it feeds into their MLS and sits a few minutes from the line. The homes are in
Brunswick County, North Carolina, with a Calabash 28467 mailing address.
“Located in Shallotte.”
No. At least one brokerage page tags the neighborhood with a Shallotte
address in its search data. Ocean Side Place is on the Calabash side of the county, off Calabash
Road near US 17 — about twenty minutes from Shallotte.
“Inside the Town of Calabash.”
Not according to the listing records. Listings here consistently mark
homes as outside city limits, with county property taxes only. The mailing address says Calabash;
the tax bill doesn’t include a town line. I’ll confirm it for any specific address.
“Nestled along the coastline” with ocean views.
Close, not on it. Some generic portal copy makes it sound oceanfront. It’s a
mainland neighborhood about fifteen to twenty minutes from the sand at Sunset Beach — which is
a big part of why the price and insurance picture is so different from the island.
Old prices still floating around the internet.
Outdated. Neighborhood pages still show sales from years ago, when homes
here sold well under $200,000. Today’s market is different. Ask me for current numbers and I’ll
send you the most recent sales.
Questions I get about Ocean Side Place
Where exactly is Ocean Side Place?
In Calabash, North Carolina, in Brunswick County, just off Calabash Road NW — about eight-tenths
of a mile from US 17 at the Food Lion and CVS corner. The entrance is at Seneca Street. It’s a few
minutes from the South Carolina line and five to ten minutes from the Calabash waterfront.
Who tends to love Ocean Side Place most?
Buyers who want an established, traditional neighborhood with one-level living, a pool and
clubhouse, low dues and county-only taxes — and who want Calabash, the beaches and golf close by.
It lands especially well with retirees, second-home owners and anyone who’d rather enjoy a
neighborhood than wait for one to be finished.
Who built Ocean Side Place?
It was built lot by lot from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s by a number of local builders,
with many homes custom or semi-custom for their first owners. There’s no single builder today and
no active builder sales office — almost everything for sale is resale. I can usually tell you more
about a specific house’s history before you make an offer.
How much are the POA dues?
Recent listings show about $509 a year, or roughly $42 to $44 a month, covering the pool,
clubhouse and common areas. Dues change with the association’s budget, so I always pull the
current figure and check for any special assessments before you go under contract.
Is lawn care included?
Not based on what recent listings describe. The dues cover the shared amenities and common
areas; owners take care of their own yards — which, judging by the photos on this page, they do
with real pride.
Where do Ocean Side Place residents shop for groceries?
Right at the end of Calabash Road. Food Lion and CVS sit at the US 17 corner, a new Publix at the
Commons at Carolina Shores is set to open October 28, 2026, and a new Walmart Supercenter has been
built next door, with its grand opening rescheduled from October 7. More restaurants and a Wawa are
planned nearby. All of it is about two minutes from the neighborhood entrance.
How far is it from the beach?
About fifteen to twenty minutes to Sunset Beach, roughly the same to North Myrtle Beach, and
about twenty-five minutes to Ocean Isle Beach. Sunset Beach Town Park is about fifteen minutes away.
Are there any new homes or lots left?
Very few, if any. The neighborhood is essentially built out, and a new home here is a rare
infill build. If a lot ever comes available, I’ll walk you through what it would take to build on it.
Can I rent my home out?
That depends on the recorded covenants and any amendments, which I put in front of you before you
sign. If short-term rental income is part of your plan, tell me up front — I’ll confirm the rules
here and point you to communities where it works if this isn’t one of them.
Which schools serve Ocean Side Place?
Listing records place the neighborhood in the West Brunswick High School area. Elementary and
middle school assignments are set by Brunswick County Schools and can change, so confirm for a
specific address.
How’s the resale market here?
I publish a branded market snapshot covering absorption rate, days on market and closed price
trends. Ask me for the current edition for Ocean Side Place — it’s free and there’s no obligation
attached.
Arched windows, a white garage door, pampas grass at the corners and a lawn you could putt on. The next chapter usually starts in a driveway like this one.
Finding your place at Ocean Side Place
Every buyer arrives at the coast with a different picture of what home should feel like.
For some, it’s a comfortable one-level home where the yard is already beautiful and the
neighbors are already friendly. For others, it’s being close enough to Calabash to have shrimp
on the river whenever the mood strikes, close enough to the beach to see the sunrise without
planning a trip, and close enough to the golf course to sneak in nine before lunch.
What I love about Ocean Side Place is that it reminds us a home is so much more than bedrooms,
bathrooms and square footage. It’s where ordinary days turn into good ones — a wave from the
neighbor, a swim before supper, a sunset on the way home.
This is my backyard. I live in Calabash, my office is a few minutes down Beach Drive, and I’ve
spent more than 20 years helping people find their place on this coast. My goal is to help you
understand both the house and the neighborhood — so when you turn the key, you know you’ve found a
place that truly fits the life you came here to live.
I sold new construction for the builders. Now I work for you.
With almost 30 years in the real estate industry — and a long stretch of it working on
the sales teams for home builders such as Bill Clark Homes, Stevens Fine Homes,
D.R. Horton, Wade Jurney Homes, Centex Homes, Beazer Homes and Portrait Homes — I know how
homes are put together, what came standard in different eras, and which upgrades hold
their value at resale and which never come back.
I moved to the Brunswick County coast 20 years ago to help build these communities because
I wanted the same life many of my clients want now — a chance to buy my dream home just
minutes from the beach. After years on the builder side of the business, I’ve learned that
the best home isn’t always the newest home, the biggest home or even the house with the
longest upgrade list. It’s the one that fits the life you’re actually moving here to
have.
In an established neighborhood like Ocean Side Place, that experience matters even more. On a
home that’s twenty or thirty years old, it’s knowing what’s original and what’s been replaced,
which updates add value and which just add cost — because that’s what the price should be
based on.
Buying here isn’t only about choosing a house. It’s choosing which street, which backyard,
and which version of coastal life fits your next chapter. My job is to help you slow those
decisions down and make sure the home still feels like the right call long after move-in
day.
If you’ve found an address you’re considering — even one on Zillow, Realtor.com or another
agent’s site — send it to me before you make an offer. I’ll tell you what I can find about who
built it, what’s been updated and what hasn’t, what’s behind it and across the street, and what the
recent sales say it’s worth. No obligation.
