Here are the pros for Corolla:

- wide, uncrowded beaches

- enough restaurants and shopping to keep everyone busy and happy

- great lighthouse to climb (Currituck Lighthouse)

- nice wildlife center and history (Whalehead Club)

- huge variety of homes to choose from in a wide variety of budgets (try Brindley Beach, Twiddy, Elan, Outer Banks Blue to name a few)

- other entertainment - movie theater, go carts, mini golf, surfing lessons, wild hourse tours, kayaking, nature trail, crabbing on the sound

- can still get to Jockeys Ridge, The Lost Colony, Wright Brothers Memorial, Elizabethan Gardens, the Aquarium and Manteo without a problem

Here are the cons:

- traffic, if you are traveling up Route 12 through Duck at peak times in the summer season (that would be Saturday and Sunday from about 11am - 4pm)

I know others can fill in with info on KDH and Nags Head.

HI, I wrote about kill devil hills on your other post! Have fun! It is wonderful in the OBX no matter where you stay.

Kill Devil Hills is right in the heart of the Outer Banks. It is great for access to the most restaurants, entertainment, shopping. That will make it a very busy area in the summer. Northern Nags Head (starts around MP 10?) is a the continuation of the island south from Kill Devil Hills, but starting to get out of being right in the middle of things. South Nags Head starts at MP16. It has its own road and has no commercial business. Closer than the rest to Hatteras, Manteo, and Oregon Inlet. Much quieter. You will have much better access to the assortment of activities and food if you stay in any of these areas than you will in Corolla. If you just want to hang out at the house and beach, then Corolla would be a good choice.

I like the northern OBX better because they aren't as crowded or as touristy. The houses in KDH and NH are getting bigger and bigger and the area has a lot of traffic. I think that part of getting away to the beach is leaving the rat race behind and Corolla is perfect.

I have a vacation home in Currituck Club - most of the rental houses there have 4 or 5 master bedrooms plus a kids room(two bunks). They are on the golf course and soundfront across from the beach. My teen daughter and her friends find that they get up here and get so busy they rarely make it down to KDH and NH though every year they swear they are going to go down there more. I like having them here because traffic is lighter. Definitely get the private pool - it gets used ALOT - especially in the evenings - the hot tub also is a great amenity. Look for homes with pool tables, foosball, etc.

Another great realty firm is Village Realty. They have homes in both NH and Corolla and have been around a long time. Have fun!!!

I have to agree that the northern OBX is better. I went there for the first time last year (Whalehead Beach in Corolla) and fell in love with it! After exploring other parts of the OBX I was very glad that I picked Corolla. I'm used to Cape Cod where the protected areas are not over-developed and this fit the bill.Duck and KDH are just too congested for my taste. In Corolla the beaches are wide, beautiful and relatively uncrowded. I recommend Beach Realty (kittyhawk rentals) they seemed to have some of the most reasonably priced rentals. A couple of tips, prices start to go way down starting the third week of August and book early to get the best house for the money.

I already booked for next summer and I can’t wait!

One other thing I forgot. If you can find a Sunday-Sunday rental, you'll cut down on the traffic quite a bit. Last year there was very little.

Obviously any place in OBX is gonna be an amazing time...but if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle and really want to enjoy time spent with your group than Corolla is the way to go. Everything from shopping, dining and entertainment is all located in the Timbucks, Corolla Plaza or Monteray plaza. The beach is very private compared to KH, KDH, and NH. depending on where your house is in Corolla you can probably ride your bike to the lighthouse and the attractions located next to it. In addition, the 4WD beach is right next to Corolla and that is always a blast plus you might even see the wild horses! All in all, Corolla is the best beach to really experience OBX and enjoy time with friends and family! Hope that helps a little

All great advice. My # 1 reason for Corolla being the best is the beach itself. It has the widest beach, the softest sand, the best shells, and the slope into the water is much gentler and kid-friendly than the Duck or KDH beaches by far.

We've stayed in South Nags Head, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Ocean Sands and this year we'll be on Pine Island - we prefer the northern beaches for the reasons already given.

And The Currituck Club is a great golf course, but it's getting pricey - but what isn't. I've also played golf at The Pointe in Grandy before you get to the Wright Bros. Memorial Bridge. I enjoy that as well.

We've never gotten a private pool since we usually stay close to the Ocean, but they are very nice to have - especially at night.

We just got back from Corolla and had a wonderful time. We rented from Beach Realty and they were great. We had access to the Corolla Light amenenties and were able to use the trolley. We had a private pool (though pretty small) and a hot tub. The ocean was beautiful, clean & clear. The sand on the beach was great. We took the wild horse tour, which was a lot of fun. We had plans to go to Manteo for a day, but didn't make it. It was very relaxing. We stayed on the sound side, but were only about 500 yards from the ocean. We were about 100 feet from the sound. The sunsets were awesome. We did a pirate treasure hunt for the kids and it was really fun. Also, we went ghost crab hunting one night about 10 P.M. That was fun, but it's dark up there, as there are no big city lights. We can't wait to return to Corolla.