11 Reasons You Should Be Obsessed with New Bern

1. The Downtown District It doesn’t get better than our downtown. It’s engulfed with so much rich history, gorgeous architecture and that southern vibe. You just feel happy while you’re in downtown. Trees line the streets, storefronts are decorated, and everyone is so welcoming. 2. The Community, People & Faces People in New Bern smile constantly. It’s because we’re always so happy. No really, we’re almost obnoxiously happy. We say good morning to strangers and befriend everyone we cross paths with.

3. The Views We have two rivers, not just one. And they meet right next to downtown. We’re a little obsessed with our sunrises and sunsets too. Every day they seem to beat the previous showstopping colors. We have a downtown that illuminates in the mornings and evenings for that pick-me-up after a long day.

4. The Restaurants & Bars Nineteen restaurants located in downtown alone. With that many options, you can find anything you want! Seafood, pasta, steak, salads, sandwiches, we have it all ya’ll.

5. The Events Winterfeast. Home & Garden’s Tour. Bernaroo. Oktoberfest. Candlelight. Beary Merry Christmas. This doesn’t even touch the surface of what New Bern brings with its events. Not only do we on average have 3-4 bigger events each month, we sprinkle the other days with smaller (and just as fun) ones too.

6. We Aren’t Afraid of Change A lot of cities are so scared of change, but we embrace it. In the last five years we have transformed tremendously. Our downtown has become the vibrant and beautiful area that everyone flocks to. 7. The Walkability

Seventeen+ blocks of history, shopping, eateries, and beauty…all walkable! You’re not going to get burnt out in your shoes walking around downtown. 8. The Convenient Location New Bern is nestled between two rivers, the Neuse and Trent Rivers. This not only gives us those wonderful views, but it makes us an ideal location for vacation, retirement or a day trip. 9. The Art We highlight our art community every month during ArtWalk and ARTcrawl (second Friday of every month), as well as keep our galleries fresh and innovative. The History Center keeps exhibits for about six weeks, and they’re free.

10. People Write Books About Us (Nicholas Sparks & Diana Gabaldon) Nick writes from the heart, and he not only talks about this city, he lives here too. Oh, and what about the Outlander Series written by Diana Gabaldon? It’s such a big deal that Tryon Palace is hosting an Outlander weekend in November.

11. The Growth New Bern is growing, there is no doubt about it. Our population is rising, our storefronts are filled, new buildings are arising, and it’s exciting. The most exciting part of it is how we are keeping our small town charm. Nothing will ever take that away from us as we get bigger. For the complete blog logon to: www.visitnewbern.com/11-reasons-you-should-be-obsessed-with-new-bern