Best cycling town/area on Atlantic coast?

[tonythomson]

Hi Guys I presently have a house in Central Florida but want to move further north so that I can cycle more comfortably in the summer. 
Looking for:-
1, No too far from International Airport (I live in UK)
2, Preferably some longish off road trails suitable for easy riding (my wife won't do rough off road)
3, Equatable climate
4, Cycle friendly area
5, No too isolated so that shopping isn't a day long trek
6, Good restaurants

Basically the need to ride & walk will determine where we relocate to.
Thanks for your help

[yumadons]

Hilton Head Island, SC?
1. Savannah International Airport
2. Nice & flat with paved bike trails everywhere. Don't know about off road.
3. Beach, temperate, & HHI never gets hit by hurricanes.
    Hottest month is July (avg high 89-90, avg low 73-74)
4. GOLF & retirement mecca, cyclists OK Del Webb has a Sun City just off the island in Bluffton if you   
    like those.
5 & 6. Plenty of shopping /restaurants but reasonably tasteful & "environmental" (can't cut down trees, can't have bright 
          lights - some of those shops & restaurants can be hard to find!)

 We own an RV lot there for retirement, haven't gotten to use it yet.

Suzanne

[litespeed]

New Jersey and SE Pennsylvania have surprisingly good cycling. The roads are generally good with fine shoulders. There are lots of historical places to visit and it's easy to get good, simple food - diners everywhere. SE PA is loaded with ice cream and fudge shops. NW NJ and along the Delaware River is lovely country although often hilly. You'll get a good workout. Like most anywhere, if you avoid the urban areas you can do fine. The Jersey shore is tacky and touristy in spots but not unpleasant. Cape May is not to be missed. There are plenty of campgrounds and parks for camping. You can get tons of cycling maps and information with a little poking around the internet.

[indyfabz]

NW NJ and along the Delaware River is lovely country although often hilly. You'll get a good workout.

+1. I cycle in Hunterdon and Warren Counties in NJ fairly often. Some really beautiful areas up there. (Some really expensive real estate as well.)  Lambertville, NJ was recently voted one of the nicest historic towns in America.  You are not that far from NWK or PHL airports. There are shopping centers not that far away. (In fact, there is one across the river in New Hope, PA that you could reach via bike). And you have the canal path system that runs for dozens of miles along the Delaware River and Raritan canal. Of course, you will get winter weather. And, as noted, it can be very hilly if you climb out of the river valley.

Heading further north along the Delaware is also nice. Places like Carpentersville, Foul Rift and Belvidere. We recently did an organized century that went through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which is further north on AC Atlantic Coast Route. But you will get even more snow up there. 

I would be wary of living right on the river, at least in places, as there has been some major league flooding over the years.