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After the beach,there's really not that much to do and what there is,can be done in a short time. Parking at the beach is a HUGE problem. The pubs downtown aren't safe to be in after dark. Sometimes they aren't safe to be in before dark. There are a lot of restaurants,but they all aren't good and several of them have closed recently. The dining and shopping is much better in Myrtle Beach or Raleigh. Another huge negative for retirees is the crazy drivers in Wilmington.......you want believe it until you experience it for yourself. And YES,taxes are a big factor here as well. North Carolina taxes you to death and there are no significant retiree breaks unless you're practically homeless and penniless. I know this to be a fact because my parents who live in Winston-Salem have been retired for years and having worked in health care for the elderly here in Wilmington,I have seen and heard from many seniors. We hope to be in a more retiree friendly place by the time we get there. You can do your own research and exploring and make up your own mind,but I'd think hard and long before choosing Wilmington.
I have lived in Wilmington NC since i was 2and a half. I love this place and theres so much to do like fishing, going to the mall and expecialy Mayfair. If your thinking about moveing to Wilmington, make sure to stay out of the downtown area. Not the best place to be but there are some awsome communites there. And dont be sayin Wilmington is filthy. Its been arounded since the early 1700s
I like Wilmington for shopping, but I wouldn't live there. I like the smaller towns outside of Wilmington. We live in the Burgaw area. I do like living in Burgaw but even that is getting to big and is expected to grow up to three times bigger in the next five years. We're thinking of moving to Atkinson. Its only 6 miles from Hwy 421 and 25 min from Wilmington. We are just waiting for the right house to come on the market. I guess we just like the small town atmosphere and can get a three bedroom two bath house with half an acre for under $200,000. People know one another and the Pender schools are pretty good.
Don't be put off by Wilmington just do some research into areas around it. And stay away from the Leland area !
...I can not blame you from moving from Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgaw ....Jerry Springer is going to be opening up his new state of the art studio in October....I will be moving soon too...Oh!!!What is wrong with Leland?..Just because Leland do not allow single wides does not mean it is a bad place....
Downtown is not bad.. I don't think it should have a bad rep. ghetto downtown is bad, but downtown downtown is not bad. don't be stumbling around drunk, don't walk around alone after dark, use all your standard common sense rules.. just like ANYWHERE, and you will be fine. most people bring crime upon themselves, not all but most.
I live in Pender and work quite a bit in Wilmington. It's like any other town in that you have to know where to look. Living downtown can be a great experience, but it's not cheap. The same is true about the Mayfaire/Landfall side of town (near Wrightsville Beach). Lots of development communities around. Next time you are in town, take a drive thru a few. Plenty of Real Estate Mags you can pick up for free in any grocery store.
As for the schools, same deal. You have to know where to look.
Pretty good arts scene. The movie studio helps that out quite a bit and Thalian Hall is one of the oldest theaters in the state if not the oldest with a continuous acting company.
Wilmington loves its festivals. Seems to be thinking up more festivals all the time.
Traffic is hell, but once you learn the city, you can avoid quite a bit of it.
Don't rule out the surrounding counties. Living in Pender or Brunswick can save you quite a bit a change.
the best thing is to come see for yourself. what you will find as i have found in alot of southern cities is alot of natives that are upset with progress, and want things to be as they were yesteryear. so you have to see how it feels for you and go from there.
the best thing is to come see for yourself. what you will find as i have found in alot of southern cities is alot of natives that are upset with progress, and want things to be as they were yesteryear.
What a VERY patronizing and simplistic way to put it. If wanting it to be like it was before swarms of transplants clogged the roads, destroyed natural areas to build cookie cutter neighborhoods like every other one, drove up real estate prices, and eroded the gentility that used to exist among neighbors is "upset with progress", then so be it. Not to mention the crime explosion in the past decade or so.
Wilmington is GREAT! Though I will tell you it is the polar opposite of Charlotte. You will not find the Mega-shopping, but you will find lots of great places to shop that are locally owned and quaint. You won't find all the big fine dining chain restaurants, though some are trying to take over the market, but you will find really good locally owned restaurants. Places that kick the crap out of the big chains. i.e. Freddies in Kure Beach, Circa downtown Wilmington, Elizabeth's Pizza, PT's Grill, Bocca Bay, Slice of Life. It really is a great foodie place to live and explore. Schools in New Hanover County are a little dicey, I would suggest, like many others looking at Pender County and Brunswick County. Both are very short commutes, something I did for 14 years before moving to Raleigh for another job. You can't beat the beaches, the water-way if you have a boat, the "laid back attitude" of everyone in the area. You have a big wave of retiree traffic in the summer, but not so much in the fall and winter. Housing is not going to be that tough. Saddly they have over built the area. I made good money with houses during the boom but still have one home that I can't move because so much inventory in the price range. It is actually a good time to buy in the area if you are going to make the move.
You just have to way out what you love about Charlotte and whether you can get that in Wilmington.
Well I just want to give yall my opinion of wilmington.... I moved to the Burgaw from Long Island NY about 3 years ago, my family had relocated to Hampstead 5 years prior and did nothing but talk about how beautiful, peaceful, sincere and serene there new hometown was. Burgaw was just a little too far from Wilmington (where I work and attend school) so I sold the house and moved to hampstead near the folks, yet that was still not convenient enough so I moved to Wilmington (5 miles north of Monkey Junction) and thought I would be content and happy as a pig in sh*t. However..... the crime and drug rate was absolutely horrible. As the single, mid-twenties, affluent female I am I felt extremely uncomfortable jogging early in the mornings or at dusk. The amount of alcohol and drugs prevelant in the surrounding areas was disgraceful. I guess every place town has there flaws, however unless you are in the upper-middle class socioeconomically and can afford a gated community, or to live in a "neighborhood" raising a family near the heart of "the port city" I highly suggest a surrounding town such as hampstead, castle hayne, burgaw, etc. not to mention the taxes in Pender are a bit cheaper.... I hope I didn't discourage anyone and I am not by any means speaking negatively on Wilmington, I do love it, however will never reside there in the heart of town while beginning to raise a family.
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Wilmington
