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Anyone have any iinfo on Wilson, NC? we have been to Raleigh, parts of Greenville, Winterville, and spend a few hours in Washington within the past 3 months. we are considering a move to a coastal town and we realize the risk for storms, but we really want to venture out that direction, instead of Raleigh, which is so congested with crazy traffic. what are your recommendations for us? we are both in our early 50's and will have to find new jobs (me, administrative work, my husband works in auto repair. thank you in advance. PS. we are also looking to downsize - looking for a home under the 150,000 range and prefer NOT to live right on the water........but just living in a coastal area would suit us fine. also, hoping to make the move at the end of 2017, beginning of 2018 thank you
Anyone have any iinfo on Wilson, NC? .... looking for a home under the 150,000 range and prefer NOT to live right on the water........but just living in a coastal area would suit us fine.
A friend lives in Wilson, but she has family there. I would be bored to tears in Wilson, but you may be happy with a small town. At least it has a decent public library with a genealogy collection. There is also a college that may bring in speakers. There would be plenty of houses in that price range, and you may find jobs.
I would have recommended Greenville or Winterville, instead, because of access to more amenities in the city. I'd also suggest looking at Goldsboro, and being open to locate where-ever one of you finds the best job.
BTW, I would check with a Realtor or insurance agent whether you would be required to have hurricane insurance on a mortgaged home in Wilson. I had read that anywhere east of I-95 requires it. There was some damage from uprooted trees inland in Eastern North Carolina during Hurricane Irene. The winds extended far inland, and we saw roofs blow off in Kinston when we drove through.
Last edited by goldenage1; 05-19-2016 at 07:56 AM..
Reason: Added info about hurricane insurance.
I don't really consider Wilson to be a "coastal town" as its a good 2 hours from any actual beach. Also there isn't much water around Wilson to be on to begin with other than a few larger lakes here and there. Hurricane insurance is not required in Wilson on a mortgaged property that I know of (my parents owned a house near Wilson, but that was years ago).
There are some very nice areas in and around Wilson though at reasonable prices. Raleigh is only 40 minutes away, which would have anything that Wilson lacks as far as shopping or entertainment. Wilson has changed a lot over the years, the old mall which was once full of life is now closed down and rotting away while most of the shopping options have moved out to the western end of the city near I-95. As with any city there are some bad areas to avoid, and some areas that have old buildings that have been sitting dormant for years. A lot of the older areas of Wilson were thriving at one time due to the tobacco industry, which Wilson was at one time one of the largest tobacco markets in the state.
are the roads/highways in that area the same as in greenvile? because I would have no problem driving on those roads. its those congested highways that would get on my last nerve.
where is Goldsboro in conjunction with Greenville and is there lots to do there? we are looking for a place with a nice park/walking trails......know of any?
are the roads/highways in that area the same as in greenvile? because I would have no problem driving on those roads. its those congested highways that would get on my last nerve.
where is Goldsboro in conjunction with Greenville and is there lots to do there? we are looking for a place with a nice park/walking trails......know of any?
US264 bypasses Wilson going from Greenville to Raleigh, but also makes it easy to get from one side of Wilson to the other quickly without much heavy traffic. Traffic directly in Wilson is not bad at all in relation to traffic in Greenville, which is horribly congested during the busy times of the day.
There are some walking & biking trails out near Lake Wilson, and some parks near Barton College.
Goldsboro is south of Wilson around 30 mins away, and around an hour to Greenville.
I would say both Goldsboro & Wilson are pretty similar in size and things to do.
are the roads/highways in that area the same as in greenvile? because I would have no problem driving on those roads. its those congested highways that would get on my last nerve.
where is Goldsboro in conjunction with Greenville and is there lots to do there? we are looking for a place with a nice park/walking trails......know of any?
Wilson and Goldsboro's roads are generally less congested than Greenville. US-264 from Raleigh to Greenville (passing by Wilson) is a 70mph freeway. I-795 connects Wilson to Goldsboro, which is about 25 miles directly south of Wilson. Goldsboro is southwest of Greenville and US-13 connects Goldsboro and Greenville, which is about a 40-mile drive, give or take a few. US-13 between Goldsboro and Greenville is mostly a 2-lane road and is not a fun drive. I've driven it a few times and if I ever have to drive that route again in the future, it'll be too soon. Goldsboro is a little smaller than Wilson and is a military town (Seymour Johnson Air Force Base). Goldsboro has gained some businesses in recent years, but still has a ways to go. There's Busco Beach ATV park on the southwest edge of Goldsboro and the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park near Seven Springs and a close drive from Goldsboro, which is in the southeastern part of Wayne County. If you decide to move to Goldsboro, I would suggest living in the outskirts or in either of the two small towns to the north, Pikeville and Fremont, both of which are an easy drive to Wilson and Goldsboro. The downtown residential areas of Goldsboro, mainly in the center of the city, has seen a lot of crime. Also, I would avoid living in the Dudley area south of Goldsboro. Other than the city limits, that's the worst area of Wayne County.
the old mall which was once full of life is now closed down and rotting away while most of the shopping options have moved out to the western end of the city near I-95.
It's a shame what happened to the Parkwood Mall. I was in Wilson last September and I went to the mall for the first time since 2009 to see what became of it since I heard that it closed down in January 2013 and I couldn't believe what I saw. Glass was broken where it had been vandalized, there was visible water damage on the sides of the building and the parking lot is in terrible shape. The parking lines were practically invisible. The mall owners claimed that they were going to redevelop it, but it's blatantly obvious they haven't touched it since locking the doors in 2013. I looked through the glass doors at the main entrance and I could see "Zales Jewelers" still hanging above one of the spaces. It's terrible. Nothing there now except Roses, K&W Cafeteria and Carmike Theater and I'll be surprised if they're still there by the end of next year. That was my favorite mall. Sorry for derailing the thread, OP.
It's terrible. Nothing there now except Roses, K&W Cafeteria and Carmike Theater and I'll be surprised if they're still there by the end of next year. That was my favorite mall. Sorry for derailing the thread, OP.
OP is asking for info on Wilson, it seems pretty relevant to me.
Parkwood Mall used to be my old stomping grounds from my high school years into the late 90s. I also worked at Andy's Cheesesteaks (now HWY 55) in the mall from 1993 to around 1997. I have fond memories of hanging out at Tony's Pizza and the old arcade, or just walking the mall with friends. No matter what day it was, you would see someone you knew at the mall and find something to do for the day.
Its really sad that the younger generation doesn't get to experience times like that. Malls all around in smaller cities have closed up due to various reasons, but mainly it has to do with attracting the wrong crowd who are not there to shop and only to cause trouble. 20 years ago you just didn't worry about getting shot or robbed while hanging out at the mall.
Other cities in Eastern NC are the same way in regards to malls. Kinston mall is still open, but there are very few stores open in it. Rocky Mount's mall has lost its bigger tenants, and walking through there at night is like walking through a gang warzone. Greenville's mall is still full of tenants, but I rarely shopped there during the years I lived in Greenville. I'm not sure about Goldsboro mall, as I haven't been there in years, but I assume its fate will be similar to the others over time.
On the flip side, the shopping & dining options in Wilson have moved out to the Heritage Crossing area which you can hit Walmart, Belks, Ross, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, PetSmart, Target, Hobby Lobby along with Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's, Olive Garden, Texas Steakhouse and many other establishments within a few blocks of each other.
Eastern NC and Wilson in particular just follow the national trend when it comes to malls.
Large big box retailers take away business...in Wilson think Heritage Crossing on the west side of town.
Super Malls take away business from the smaller malls...in Wilson they always had Crabtree to deal with, but there was also Triangle Town Center and a bit further and bigger, Streets at Southpoint. National retailers are going to make you drive, saving their costs.
Speaking of driving...its the malls with bad access to Interstates that are the first to struggle. And in Wilson, they built a bypass...before that, you HAD to drive by the mall to get through Wilson.
Back to the OP...if you don't have ties to Wilson, not sure why you would select it. I would go more east where you can find work. You wouldn't be on the water for 150K anyway. Maybe Winterville or if you like the town, Farmville.
OP is asking for info on Wilson, it seems pretty relevant to me. I know, but I wasn't sure if the OP was interested in the history of the mall.
Parkwood Mall used to be my old stomping grounds from my high school years into the late 90s. I also worked at Andy's Cheesesteaks (now HWY 55) in the mall from 1993 to around 1997. I have fond memories of hanging out at Tony's Pizza and the old arcade, or just walking the mall with friends. No matter what day it was, you would see someone you knew at the mall and find something to do for the day. I used to go there from 1995 (I was 6 then) until I left NC in 2009. I loved Tony's Pizza and the arcade! Wasn't the arcade called "Take-Ten" or something similar?
Its really sad that the younger generation doesn't get to experience times like that. Malls all around in smaller cities have closed up due to various reasons, but mainly it has to do with attracting the wrong crowd who are not there to shop and only to cause trouble. 20 years ago you just didn't worry about getting shot or robbed while hanging out at the mall. Agreed. Times were a lot different back then.
Other cities in Eastern NC are the same way in regards to malls. Kinston mall is still open, but there are very few stores open in it. Rocky Mount's mall has lost its bigger tenants, and walking through there at night is like walking through a gang warzone. Greenville's mall is still full of tenants, but I rarely shopped there during the years I lived in Greenville. I'm not sure about Goldsboro mall, as I haven't been there in years, but I assume its fate will be similar to the others over time. I went to Vernon Park Mall in Kinston a couple of times about 14 years ago. I didn't really care for it. I thought they would close before Wilson Mall would. I've been to the mall in Rocky Mount quite a bit in the mid-2000's. It was alright then, but like you said, it's gotten dangerous now. Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro doesn't have a lot, but they seem to be holding steady for now.
On the flip side, the shopping & dining options in Wilson have moved out to the Heritage Crossing area which you can hit Walmart, Belks, Ross, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, PetSmart, Target, Hobby Lobby along with Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's, Olive Garden, Texas Steakhouse and many other establishments within a few blocks of each other. Yeah, Heritage Crossing is awesome!
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