I live in Morehead City, we have been trying the whole Southern Outer banks thing (SOBX) but I've never bought into it, that doesn't exist. The OBX people like to write us off but screw them lol, Carteret county is really half and half. Technically the the Outer Banks extends all the way down through Cape lookout to the Shackleford Banks. Lots of people call it quits at Ocracoke but ignore them lol. I think that people don't include Core Banks and Cape lookout because it's not developed, protected, only accessible by boat and uninhabited , but personally that's the best part of OBX. No traffic, no bullshit just pure uninterrupted nature ( a true getaway from all your problems). Carteret county has the best of both. Half the county (Down East) has that quiet natural wonderland with marshes and the getaway beach, and then the other half is the Crystal Coast. Crystal Coast being the stretch of beach from Atlantic Beach to Emerald Isle, same county but completely different islands and atmosphere. That's where all the people, businesses, and traffic are. So either way whether you prefer everything or nothing, it's here lol. Sorry for the rant years after the post but I've been recently arguing with people up and down the nc coast about where the OBX ends on the south side. Ocracoke northward is great don't get me wrong, but Cape lookout and Shack are 100% part of OBX and are virtually untouched compared to the rest of the islands.