Help!!! Where to move??? (Charlotte, Raleigh: rental car, rental, eyeglasses)

[ampetry]

Mikey- Thank you for reposting the link, I will definately explore that website.

lovesMountains- Your advice is truly appreciated, and your right! We should go where the jobs are. We'll just have to wait and see which city produces better employment opportunities for us.

[NCgirl]

Visit Charlotte

I definitely agree that you should fully explore both cities (and their job opportunities) before you make a decision.

[J_Lurk]

Have you looked at Wilmington?

[ampetry]

J_Lurk- I have looked at Wilmington and it looks like a really great place but I don't know much about it. Maybe you could give me some info on Wilmington in general, as well as things like local attractions. Is it a huge tourist area? Does it become a ghost town in the winter? What about Wilmington's employment oppotunities? Is living there expensive? Sorry for all the questions, it's just that I tried to look up info on the area and I've read several posts about the area on this website and I keep getting conflicting information and opinions. I would appreciate any info you're able to give!

[J_Lurk]

I don't personally live in Wilmington, so I don't know the answers to all your questions. However, it is not a tourist town per se and no, it isn't a ghost town in winter. It is very close to a number of beaches (Wrightsville, Carolina, Kure, and more), but Wilmington is a good-sized city on its own (75,000+ in the city limits). There is a major state university there: UNC-Wilmington. The North Carolina film industry is based there (the TV show Dawson's Creek was filmed in the area). Wikipedia has a good write-up here: Wilmington, North Carolina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .

There is a significant tourist industry and a lot of B&Bs, but that could be good for your work as the surrounding beaches are used for destination weddings. I actually went down to a nearby town, Southport, specifically for the wedding of a friend from Raleigh last year.

[ampetry]

We're hoping to make a trip down sometime in either January or February. The more I look into Wilmington the more interested I become. I can't wait to visit the area. If anyone has some advice on things to see and do there or has info or opinions on the area that you can't get from the internet, I would really appreciate your help! Thank you!

[RuralCoastalGuy]

Originally Posted by ampetry

We're hoping to make a trip down sometime in either January or February. The more I look into Wilmington the more interested I become. I can't wait to visit the area. If anyone has some advice on things to see and do there or has info or opinions on the area that you can't get from the internet, I would really appreciate your help! Thank you!

Try to take a short 1/2 hour drive from Wilmington into Southport. It is a small fishing town and looks like it was transplanted down here from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Directional signs are abundant when you get to Wilmington. If you are a member of AAA send for their tourbook of The Carolinas, a map of NC, and a TripTik. If not contact the NCDOT for maps using this link:
NCDOT, Communications Office

[ampetry]

Mikey- I'll have to look into Southport. Are there any specific area attractions? What about tourist season, does it get bad?

I did look into AAA memberships but I'm not sure that it's worth it to spend the money (about $80) on it right now. Maybe once we get closer to making the trip it will be more worthwhile, but for now I can't see spending money on something that we won't need for another couple of months. However, if my thinking is wrong, please correct me!

[RuralCoastalGuy]

Originally Posted by ampetry

Mikey- I'll have to look into Southport. Are there any specific area attractions? What about tourist season, does it get bad?

I did look into AAA memberships but I'm not sure that it's worth it to spend the money (about $80) on it right now. Maybe once we get closer to making the trip it will be more worthwhile, but for now I can't see spending money on something that we won't need for another couple of months. However, if my thinking is wrong, please correct me!

Your AAA membership should only be $42. You don't need to pay to have your Wife enrolled as well as the AAA garages will accept her using your membership card. Don't enroll until about 2 weeks before you leave so you will get the most out of a one year membership..that is if you decide the $42 is worth it.

Southport is a laid back place right on the ocean and is away from the mainstream. There are several beaches and shopping areas down the road but its beauty is being able to walk a small town right on the water. There is one great seafood restaurant right in town at the end of the main drag as you drive in and several quaint gift shops where you can find some unusual and beautiful things.

Tourist season here in NC is during the summer but it';s not jammed like other places that are ONLY tourist attractions. We have visited Southport during the winter and summer and never had a problem with overcrowding or parking. It's not like going to Virginia Beach, Ocean City or Myrtle Beach which exist for tourists.

[ampetry]

Mikey- The AAA website said that it's an additional $25 for a spouse (or other adult) plus a one time fee of $10 for new memberships. This would be $35 on top of the $47 they want for the basic membership. My fiance and I will have to discuss it. HE (yes, I'm the girl! Sorry I just thought it was funny that you thought I was a guy! Do I write like a guy? LOL!!!) likes the idea of getting AAA, but also doesn't want to feel as though we're wasting money.

Southport sounds great but I think we both want to live closer to a city, that way we can easily be involved with the many things that city life offers. But keep in mind that right now we live in a very small town with very little to do, so we want to be very close to the "action"!!!