Two years ago, when Jennifer and Keith Tolarchyk's triplets left for college, the Chesapeake couple decided to downsize. Ideally, they wanted a home with four bedrooms for when the kids were home during holidays and summers. Still, no longer concerned about living in a particular school district, they were open to living anywhere in the region they found appealing.

"We looked at homes in some neighborhoods we had targeted and, given what we had budgeted, were not overly impressed by our options there," Jennifer recalls. They walked away from looking at homes in other areas of Hampton Roads feeling the same way.

When Jennifer expressed their frustration to some friends, one of them suggested that she and Keith consider looking at homes in his neck of the woods-Moyock.

"My first reaction was, 'No way,'" Jennifer laughs. "I was not going to move all the way to North Carolina. But finally, Keith and I drove there and looked at some homes. The drive wasn't bad at all, and when we saw the houses and the size of the yards available in Moyock for what we had budgeted-well, there was no comparison. And property taxes were so much lower there."

The couple bought a spacious five-bedroom home sitting on almost an acre on a cul-de-sac street and quickly settled into the more relaxed rhythms of life in Moyock. "If we need to go to the Greenbrier area or Elizabeth City to shop, it's a quick, easy drive," Jennifer says. "But there are plenty of great local businesses and restaurants here and things like the charming Moyock Farm Market. It's so easy to get out in nature and explore the areas off the main road. And there's such a close sense of community here."

Sitting snuggly along the border of Virginia, Moyock is an unincorporated community in North Carolina's Currituck County with a current population of more than 4,200.

When settlers first arrived in the area during the late 1600s, they made quick use of its natural resources. The region's abundant and fertile land facilitated farming and agriculture, and easy access to the local waterways helped secure Moyock's reputation as a busy port for commerce. Early fortunes were made by exporting shingles made from cypress trees in the nearby Great Dismal Swamp. For decades, the production and shipping of cedar shingles were so robust that the area was widely known as Shingle Landing. But when a post office was opened there in 1857, the locality adopted the Algonquin word "Moyock," meaning "place of the oak on the trail"-as its official name.


From the late 1600s through the first decades of the twentieth century, life in Moyock remained idyllically peaceful, with the Canadian Goose population far outnumbering humans. Then in the 1930s, Moyock went to the dogs-literally.

For years, Norfolk, Virginia-the region's urban center and home to the world's largest naval base-had been a hotbed of greyhound racing. The Norfolk race track operated under the benign-sounding name The Cavalier Kennel Club until the Commonwealth outlawed gambling. When that happened, the entire operation moved a few miles south, over the border of North Carolina to Moyock.  There the dogs raced, and the crowds gambled throughout the 1940s until North Carolina officials passed anti-gambling laws in 1954 that shut the operation down for good.

But the local "need for speed" persisted, morphing from the four-legged variety to the "hot wheels" variety. NASCAR stepped in to put the quarter-mile oval dog-racing track to good use. The newly dubbed Dog Track Speedway was used as a dirt track until 1962, when it was paved and lengthened to a half-mile.  Between 1962 and 1966, Moyock's Dog Track Speedway hosted seven NASCAR races, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, including Ned Jarrett and Richard Petty. Dwindling crowds and the lure of more modern racetracks led to the end of the Moyock racing era in 1966. Until recent years when the property was developed for residential housing, the faint outline of the former race track was still visible on Google maps.

Over the next few decades, life in Moyock remained quiet, the only exception being heavy traffic along highway 168 on specific summer days as vacationers traveled to and from the Outer Banks.

In recent years, that stretch of 168 has been dubbed "The Gateway to the Outer Banks." Businesses have opened there to serve vacationers passing through as well as a growing number of newcomers who, like Jennifer and Keith, are making Moyock their home. Numerous national food and retail chains have opened along the corridor, joined by smaller, locally-owned businesses.

In July, Moyock's Single Landing Park opened. Paying tribute to the name the original settlers gave the area, the waterside park features walkways and trails, picnic areas, pickleball courts, a traditonal playground for children, and beautiful sculptures of area wildlife.

Some life-long residents have expressed concern that the growth could change Moyock's unique rural community feel, but Currituck County Economic Development, acknowledging that fast growth isn't always best for a community, is committed to "Smart Growth."

"Smart Growth" means holding on to the things that make Moyock unique.  Instead of letting sprawl spread for miles, it means setting guidelines to preserve Moyock's distinctive character and charm.

The Moyock Farm Market is an excellent example of a booming Moyock business that incorporates the area's rural charm. Owned by Jonathan and Jamie Pittman, the market's rustic red buildings harken back to a simpler time when red barns, wooden wagons, and now-classic farm trucks dotted the rural American landscape. Not only do travelers along the Carratoke Highway stop when they catch sight of the market, but residents of Moyock's newer neighborhoods have become loyal customers.

"We picked this lot because there are a lot of communities being built behind us," Jamie says with a warm smile. "There's a lot of growth coming to our area, and it's making it easier for people to ride their bikes or walk to us. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined our market to be as big and popular and as blessed as we are."

Considering NASCAR's role in Moyock's history, it seems only fitting that Strang Enterprises, launched in 2017 by Chris Strang, would find a home there. With in-house capabilities for auto repairs, diagnostics, and scheduled maintenance, Chris also excels in automobile restoration work. One recent job of which he's particularly proud is the restoration of a classic 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback. Brought to Chris as a literal shell of its former self, it left his expert hands a bright red beauty, complete with white racing stripes from its front to back. "I just like to be around cars," Chris says with a friendly smile that belies the fact he is one of the region's most accomplished mechanical tradesmen. Strang Enterprises' Moyock location ensures that Chris's expertise is readily available to anyone in Hampton Roads down through the Outer Banks.

With Moyock's rural beauty offering a restful escape from the region's busy urban centers, it seems natural that Licensed Professional Counselor Kaylee B. Bynum would choose the area as the home of Peaceful Waters Counseling and Wellness Center. "I have always loved Currituck and the Outer Banks and thought it was a perfect fit," Kaylee says.

Located on Caratoke Highway, Peaceful Waters' light blue, pavilion-shaped center evokes the Outer Banks' relaxed beachy feel. Inside, Kaylee and a team of dedicated psychotherapists offer empirically-evidenced counseling services designed to ​promote emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. Peaceful Waters' Moyock location allows it to fulfill its mission of offering kind, compassionate care to residents across northeastern North Carolina and Hampton Roads.

Moyock Farm Market, Strang Enterprises, and Peaceful Waters Counseling and Wellness Center are examples of the diverse businesses making Moyock their home. In addition, Moyock's growing economic base, reasonable real estate prices, and distinctive charm are responsible for the influx of new residents from the greater Hampton Roads area. The most recent statistics from North Carolina show that over 40 percent of all Moyock residents work across the state line in Virginia.

Jennifer is one such person. She makes a daily 25-minute commute to her job in Chesapeake's Great Bridge area, where she also belongs to a gym. "My drive to and from work each day has become enjoyable," she says. "I take the back roads, so traffic isn't bad. I enjoy the rural scenery, and the drive gives me a chance to decompress between work and home. I have time now to take off my office hat and clear my head before getting home. Some of my friends at the gym who have also moved to Moyock say the same thing."

Clearing one's head. Life at a more relaxed pace. The nearness of nature. A closer sense of community. These are just a few things causing a growing number of people and businesses from across the region to make Moyock their home.