There is a favorite place along the Carolina coastline for easterners to retreat at the water’s edge. Across Bogue Sound from Emerald Isle is a remarkable stretch of waterfront belonging to Cannonsgate, one of the state’s preeminent gated coastal communities. At the heart of the community is a magnificent 10,000 square foot clubhouse, tastefully designed in the luxurious Greek revival style of Southern antebellum architecture, featuring stacked wrap-around porches and great rounded porticos with commanding views over the water and the beautifully landscaped 287-acre grounds. The grand dual staircases in the foyer of this impressive building greet you like a warm Southern embrace into a society of privilege and decorum. Of course, when they get restless on land, residents of Cannonsgate can heed the call of the sea by simply walking down to the community’s private marina to explore the Crystal Coastline by boat. It is this marriage of the best of land and sea that makes Cannonsgate extraordinary among its peers.