Moving to Wilmington, NC 2014:Advice needed for surrounding areas and schools-learning disabilities, hospitals (Raleigh: for sale)
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I will be relocating to the Wilmington, NC surrounding area in June 2014 with my retired parents (mother has Alzheimer's) and my 2 boys.
I work from home so we can move anywhere. We would love to live in a safe town, house with at least 1 acre ($180,000 and under). I am looking for suggestions on the best counties to live in, good schools, hospitals, activities for the boys: laser tag, parkour, gymnastics, hip hop dance, water parks, museums, art, beaches, etc.
Hospitals in general with excellent facilities: whole family- hospitals which work with developmental issues in teens/young adults, as well as senior issues- known for their work with Alzheimer’s patients, cancer patients, arthritics, etc.
My then 7th grade son (has an IEP) is special needs with learning disabilities (dyslexic, audio processing, , memory loss due to what doctors thought were seizures for a year, now saying they have no idea) He is a very talented artist. No behavioral issues.
My then 9th grade son (has an IEP) is also dyslexic and audio processing issues. No behavioral issues. He excels at track, 1st and 2nd place every time in all his meets in each divisions.
I would like to hear if there are any public schools that are known for their teaching abilities with learning disabilities, affordable private or magnet schools.
~Thanks for everyone’s help and suggestions a head of time~
We would love to live in a safe town where we could afford 1 to 2 areas with the house ($180,000 and under).
Do you mean "acres" with the house? If so, your price range would put you way out on the rural areas. In that case, I think you would have a hard time finding good schools and hospitals for your kids out in the rural areas.
I suggest instead that you reduce your need for acreage, and live in or near Wilmington. I suggest you contact some of the parent advocacy groups for for special needs kids. (Google is your friend there.)
I also think you will find much better facilities for people with Alzheimer's in the city of Wilmington.
New Hanover County (which contains the city of Wilmington) will be your best bet.
No, there is nothing dangerous out there. It is just that the rural schools don't have large budgets, and I doubt they could do a great job with special needs kids. I live in Onslow County and know a few parents with kids with Asperger's. I don't think the kids are getting especially good services. EG, if the kids need special coaching, the parents pay for it themselves.
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"48 years in MD, 18 in NC"
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Location: Greenville, NC
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I know it's a little north of Wilmington but Greenville has the best medical facilities east of Raleigh. Vidant Medical Center has the only Level 1 trauma center in Eastern Carolina. They are building so many new building at the Medical Center, I can't keep track of them all.
"A program housed in the hospital is Center for Children with Complex and Chronic Conditions (C5). C5 is a joint venture with the hospital and East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine. The program promote optimal health, growth, development, safety, comfort and overall well-being for children with special health care needs. The hospital houses the inpatient, while an outside BSOM facility houses the outpatient functions. The program combines multiple fields of study including physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, a respiratory therapist, a social worker and a child life specialist. The teams works with medically weak and machine-dependent children. The program is funded through The Duke Endowment."
Crime in the Eastern Pines area of Greenville and Pitt County is extremely low.
Greenville is within an easy drive to all of the beaches along the Crystal Coast. It is also an easy drive to Raleigh for any advanced health care that Vidant may not have.
Children's athletics are many in Greenville.
Greenville is currently lacking in any real cultural arts. They are working on improving a large portion of downtown Greenville and while there is a museum, I understand it's on the small side. East Carolina University is located in Greenville and it has active arts programs.
Greenville does have bad sections that should be avoided at night. Like I wrote above, the Eastern Pines area is fine to live in.
You will have trouble finding a nice house with acreage anywhere that is near anything for under $180,000.
I would suggest looking at the Castle Hayne area. Wilmington is incredibly expensive. Castle Hayne has nicer houses with bigger backyards and you may be able to strike up a deal.
I would avoid the purchasing of a home right off the bat in general. I suggest that you rent for at least a year and scope out the area for yourself. Also avoid the Northern end of downtown as well. I have lived all over downtown in the past seven years and once you go past Red Cross St, it gets pretty ghetto. (ghetto as in people hanging out on their front lawns with the car doors open, blasting rap music and looking to intimidate) We keep having to move because of loud/disrespectful neighbors.
Leland, I've heard, doesn't have the best schools, but it is growing very rapidly with many houses for sale out in the boonies.
Your boys will definitely have LOTS to do in Wilmington. Jellybeans skating, Jungle Rapids, the skate park in Greenfield lake.. there is plenty to do if you have the money to do it. There is a lot of music in the summer time- free concerts downtown, and there is the amphitheater at Greenfield lake with cool shows/concerts.
BUT! Wilmington is really spread out. You really need a car to live here and drive it pretty much everywhere. I would suggest teaching your boys how to ride the bus. It's safe as long as they don't get off somewhere random and wander.
From a working class perspective ( I do retail and my fiance cooks ) the crime rate here is pretty bad. Not to scare you, but I live on Castle street on the "Antique District" end- and I hear gun shots at night weekly. Avoid downtown late at night. Muggings happen often during the summer. But if you keep your eyes open and remind your kids not to listen to music when walking out late, then everyone should be safe.
Wilmington is really quite a pretty city. There really is lots to do either with the whole family or just on your own. There are jobs too- the economy really isn't that bad here. But remember in the summer time, the population here practically doubles. Tourists flood the city every year for festivals and vacationing so be prepared for traffic to get worse.
If you're planning to visit the beach then I'd hang out in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. Fort Fisher is lovely and parking is free. Wrightsville beach is more geared toward tourists, yuppies, and students. Plus Myrtle beach is only an hour away, and their boardwalk has a lot to take in. The Ripley Believe It or Not stuff is a hoot. The aquarium was very fun and lovely.
As I said before, I suggest renting for at least a year before you settle completely. Wilmington has a huge HUGE sprawl and there are a lot of nook and cranny communities. You might have to settle in the outskirts only because your family is so large, I assume you will need a bigger house. In town, there really aren't a lot of bigger houses, unless you find a fixer upper historic home.
I will be relocating to wilmington area. I need the best county that assists with special needs. I have a 23 yr old with aspergers. I would like for her to continue her education. She is currently enrolled in guilford county college.
I will need good support re: easter seals, vocational rehab. Therapy cardiologist
Im lookng for a 3 bed 2 bath poss in kings grant. 100, 000.00 estimate
I will be relocating to wilmington area. I need the best county that assists with special needs. I have a 23 yr old with aspergers. I would like for her to continue her education. She is currently enrolled in guilford county college.
I will need good support re: easter seals, vocational rehab. Therapy cardiologist
Im lookng for a 3 bed 2 bath poss in kings grant. 100, 000.00 estimate
Thank you! Thank you so much for this post. I have visited NC four times this year and I am planning to relocate there hopefully within the next six to eight months. My boyfriend lives in a very rural area where there is not much offered, like jobs, shopping, restaurants and healthcare. I am burnt from the city life but can't go without some of the conveniences, necessities and luxuries bigger cities offer. During my visits I have been through Onslow County, New Bern, Sneads Ferry, Hampstead, Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Raleigh, and Burgaw to name a few, but honestly I liked Wilmington the best. I only considered the rural areas because the home prices are very low compared to CA. I think renting will be a better choice for now as suggested above. Again, thank you for all the insight, it has been very useful in helping me make a good choice on relocating to the area. I'm scheduled to go back at least two more times before I actually pack up and move across the country. I'll check out Greenville as well, someone mentioned the large healthcare industry. My career is currently healthcare management; no children at home, 43 yrs old.
Last edited by Cherished231; 06-22-2014 at 11:53 AM..
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