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Old 05-02-2007, 08:00 AM
 
Location: London, England
5 posts, read 17,010 times
Reputation: 10

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I know they are both very different places, but we have the opportunity to move to Baltimore through a sponsorship prog with my Fiance (We are from London, UK). However we really really love Wilmington NC and hope to move there....

We are in our mid 20's and really just want to blend in to the American way of life and settle down and have kids and enjoy life. My Fiance earns good money over here and with the equity in our property it should set us up something decent property wise over there. However do you think we would fit in in Wilmington (do they accept outsiders ok) or would we stick out like a sore thumb?

Pro's and cons of living in each area would be great and any opinions you have are welcome.

Many Thanks
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Old 05-02-2007, 05:01 PM
 
70 posts, read 320,064 times
Reputation: 72
I think you have one of the easiest choices of anyone on this board... Wilmington hands down.

If you already like Wilmington, you will absolutely, positively think it is 100 times better than Baltimore. Wilmington is very accepting of outsiders, but I don't think that's something you have to worry about. Most Americans have somewhat of a loving curiosity of the British and you will not encounter any hostility at all. If anything, Baltimore will be a more provincial, closed-to-outsiders place as a ton of people from all over move to Wilmington and I've never heard of anyone move to Baltimore.

As someone who has spent time all over the East Coast and lived everywhere from MA to NY to FL and NC, I can tell you that Wilmington is one of the best places on the East Coast and Baltimore is one of the worst places.

Wilmington

Pros:
* Family-friendly, manageable size
* Lots of activities for children (beaches, aquariums, outdoor recreation)
* Way better weather (probably the best on the East Coast, very mild all year)
* Has a bright future and a growing economy
* Southerners will be extremely nice and welcoming to you. Probably the only exception to this would be if you were from New York or France.
* Gorgeous, new housing
* For you and your wife, lots of nice, quaint restaurants, river walk, the gorgeous cities of Charleston and Savannah are a quick drive away.

Cons:
* Hurricanes (but, unlike Florida, evacuating is pretty easy, and they are much more rare)
* Maybe too small for some people's career aspirations, but it seems like you want a nice place for your family rather than a global finance mecca or something like that (but Baltimore isn't any better). Hard to think of any more cons (and I'm not particularly pro-Wilmington).


Baltimore

Pros

* Seriously, I can't think of any. In the whole 3000 mile stretch from Miami to Maine, its probably the last place I would move. Proximity to DC, NY, and Philly maybe?

Cons
*Crime, ghettos, dangerous. Have you ever seen the HBO series "The Wire"? It's a whole series about the third-world like conditions in Baltimore. And, being a mostly blue-collar city, there aren't too many places to escape to (unlike DC, for example). Definitely one of the most dangerous cities in America and will be a huge shock for a few Brits used to non-violent day-to-day life
* Provincial: There's a good chance that most people in Baltimore are there because they grew up there. They may be more hostile to outsiders. Definitely will be harder to meet new friends.
* Weather: cold, icy winters, but not cold enough to get any good snow... hot, humid summers that are just as bad as Wilmington with no (good) beach to run to.
* Not as family friendly



You've made a wonderful choice in selecting Wilmington and you will have a very happy, family-friendly life there. Please don't move to Baltimore. I am unattached to either city, but I wouldn't wish Baltimore on anyone-- including a nice British family.

This post may be followed by some "Baltimore isn't that bad" responses. I do apologize for being rough on your city, but it is what it is.

Hope this helps!
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Old 05-02-2007, 05:03 PM
 
70 posts, read 320,064 times
Reputation: 72
By the way, after re-reading your post I do apologize for referring to "your wife." I realize you may be the soon-to-be wife who was referring to your soon-to-be-husband. Slip of the keyboard.
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Old 05-03-2007, 01:06 AM
 
Location: London, England
5 posts, read 17,010 times
Reputation: 10
lol! Thats ok. Thank you. You make some very valid points from a neutral source. Ill take your points on board!

I do think my heart lies in Wilmington, so hopefully fingers crossed we will get there some day.
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Old 05-03-2007, 01:13 PM
 
Location: NJ
12,283 posts, read 35,599,249 times
Reputation: 5331
Quote:
Originally Posted by wilmylover View Post
lol! Thats ok. Thank you. You make some very valid points from a neutral source. Ill take your points on board!

I do think my heart lies in Wilmington, so hopefully fingers crossed we will get there some day.

just a datapoint. my sister in law goes to wilmington for business regularly, and can't imagine why anyone would live there. she said the lifestyle is so unhealthy, food is fried-everything, supermarkets have junk food everywhere, and most people are overweight and smoke. i find it amazing, since the climate is wonderful (albeit a little humid in summer), and you're so close to the beach. i've never been, so i'm just relaying 2nd hand info (in other words - no flames! )....good luck!
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Old 05-03-2007, 01:31 PM
 
2,356 posts, read 3,452,654 times
Reputation: 864
I disagree with silviodante. I think he/she is making Wilmington sound much more appealing than it really is. I live in Wilmington, and I've been to Baltimore a few times. It is comparing apples and oranges, IMO. Baltimore is a large, metropolitan city. Wilmington is basically a super-crowded small town with a beach nearby.

I see Wilmington as a small city, pushed out on an isolated cape on the NC coast. It has a small, charming downtown, surrounded by a huge uncontrolled suburban sprawl, and flanked by a few crowded and overdeveloped beaches. It has no real economy to speak of: you have a medical care industry for all the retirees, a healthy construction business, a state port, and a few military installations. But out of the major, well-paying industries and careers, you won't find many of them here.

Wilmington is not a quick drive to Savannah or Charleston. It is a solid 3 hour drive to Charleston, and about 5 hours to Savannah. Traffic, suburban sprawl, crime, education, taxes, tourists, high cost of living, poor infrastructure, weak economy, mediocre newspaper and media - all of these are "Cons" that were left out. It is a small city, with inadequate solutions to big-city problems. The people that love Wilmington typically don't live here, or haven't lived here in a while.

Having said that, I'd take it over Baltimore any day. Just don't move here with the idea that it will be paradise, or you will be disappointed.
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Old 05-03-2007, 03:26 PM
 
Location: God's Country
23,000 posts, read 34,285,343 times
Reputation: 31628
Well of course I'm going to pick any place in North Carolina I love it there. You have the best of both, mountains and beach.
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Old 05-04-2007, 02:45 AM
 
Location: London, England
5 posts, read 17,010 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks everyone... well it sounds like Wilmington has its bad points and I guess these need considering.. however with all of its bad points its still seems a better alternative to Baltimore... hmmmm
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Old 05-04-2007, 09:41 AM
 
67 posts, read 537,056 times
Reputation: 42
Just a side note. Not everywhere in the UK is nice. Glasgow has worse crime statistics than Baltimore. I lived there and everything was fine. Everyone has this vision of Britain being all quiet because its what we see on tv. In many cases, nothing can be further from the truth. With that said, I still wouldn't willfully move to Baltimore unless someone "showed me the money". I bet there are some pretty nice parts to Baltimore, but I am sure that there are some very dumpy parts to.
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Old 06-14-2007, 04:02 PM
 
8 posts, read 32,365 times
Reputation: 15
Exclamation Don

Oh please do yourself a huge favour and do not move to Baltimore
The people are the rudest I have ever had to deal with and I have lived in many states after moving from the UK.
There is no customer service whatsoever and if you dare to voice concerns they yell at you and somehow blame you for the situation.
They also refuse to use air conditioners and actually put heaters on when it is only .............70 degrees!!!!!!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by wilmylover View Post
I know they are both very different places, but we have the opportunity to move to Baltimore through a sponsorship prog with my Fiance (We are from London, UK). However we really really love Wilmington NC and hope to move there....

We are in our mid 20's and really just want to blend in to the American way of life and settle down and have kids and enjoy life. My Fiance earns good money over here and with the equity in our property it should set us up something decent property wise over there. However do you think we would fit in in Wilmington (do they accept outsiders ok) or would we stick out like a sore thumb?

Pro's and cons of living in each area would be great and any opinions you have are welcome.

Many Thanks
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
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