Sandwiched between Kitty Hawk and Duck, Southern Shores represents a bit of a break from the busy beach towns to the south. Southern Shores was the first planned town on the Outer Banks, and its name came right from the mind of the developer, Frank Stick. We think he did a great job naming this woodsy residential town.

Take a look at Southern Shores and you’ll notice something right away: there are fewer of the beachfront mini-mansions here; instead, you’ll find what folks around here call the Southern Shores Flat Tops. These low, blocky houses have flat roofs and in many ways are reminiscent of the midcentury architecture you think of in a place like Palm Springs. Built with concrete blocks made of gravel mined nearby and with locally-harvested lumber supporting interior walls and decorative elements, they’re Outer Banks homes in terms of style and substance.