You can enter the island from the north by car via N.C. 12 by crossing the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge or south by ferry via Ocracoke Island. Island Living Economy and Tourism Overall, Hatteras's residents live and work supported mostly by tourism, fishing, real estate, teaching, and government employment. Because of the seasonal economy, weather-related economic setbacks and lack of corporations and industries that hire mass amounts of people, it's not unusual for residents to have more than one job. Cleaning cottages on the side provides extra money, and you may find that your waiter during the summer months is a professional from another trade altogether. Necessity also provokes creativity, and many locals sell their carvings or paintings in local shops and galleries.
Families thrive despite typical small-town inconveniences.
They pattern their living styles accordingly. You won't find a Kmart on the island, but mail-order companies get their share of business. The Cape Hatteras team, appropriately called the Hurricanes, made it to the state playoffs in 1997 and 1998. Part of their success has been attributed to the fact that the players grew up playing basketball together and have a strong rapport with their hometown coach. Word has it that the away games have their share of Hatteras fans in the stands, which says a lot coming from islanders whose ancestors had to be pried from their homes during hurricane evacuations.