Possibly moving from Asheville to Wilmington for work... (Raleigh, Washington: homes, college)

[dwt77]

Raised in the mountains of Western NC and possibly relocating to Wilmington- I'm just curious if anyone could give me a quick run down of what to expect. I'm a big hiker and I know Wilmington is flat- But are there any good spots out there to walk? Any towns or cities near by with trees and nature or maybe even woods to get out in? I'm not a water person at ALL! Just wondering if I'll be able to find anything at all that reminds me of home in Wilmington. (Or in surrounding counties within a 20 mile radius.)

And I hear traffic is horrible out there. Is this true?

Any other info that you'd be interested in sharing would be greatly appreciated!

[HP91]

Originally Posted by dwt77

Raised in the mountains of Western NC and possibly relocating to Wilmington- I'm just curious if anyone could give me a quick run down of what to expect. I'm a big hiker and I know Wilmington is flat- But are there any good spots out there to walk? Any towns or cities near by with trees and nature or maybe even woods to get out in? I'm not a water person at ALL! Just wondering if I'll be able to find anything at all that reminds me of home in Wilmington. (Or in surrounding counties within a 20 mile radius.)

And I hear traffic is horrible out there. Is this true?

Any other info that you'd be interested in sharing would be greatly appreciated!

Starting with the traffic...it's not that bad, what it is is in town traffic. The State is only now getting around to building limited access roads in Wilmington. Imagine if Asheville didn't have the interstate type roads and you were just driving on the other 4 lane roads.

In terms of hiking, it certainly will be a different type of hiking. In the non summer months, walking on the beach is an ideal activity. Also check out Carolina Beach State Park which has nice trails that include venus flytraps. Fort Fisher is a good walking spot. In town, Halyburton Park and Hugh McRae Park both have walking trails. Airlie Gardens is a great place to walk around, although you do have to pay.

If you want to get more natural, head up to the Moore's Creek Battlefield site, Lake Waccamaw or the White Lake area where there are numerous State Parks.

[dwt77]

Thanks much HP91 -

I'll definitely check out all those spots you mentioned.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by dwt77

Just wondering if I'll be able to find anything at all that reminds me of home in Wilmington. (Or in surrounding counties within a 20 mile radius.)

And I hear traffic is horrible out there. Is this true?

Traffic is not that bad, compared to Raleigh or Washington, DC.

The beauty of Wilmington is very different from the mountains. We have some magnificent old live oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Look at a few of the picture from Poplar Grove to get a flavor of what you can explore: Historical Site Wilmington North Carolina | Poplar Grove Plantation

The downtown Riverwalk is more of a stroll and window-shop walk, but here's some info: Stroll Along the Wilmington, North Carolina Riverwalk District - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com

[macjr82]

Not as many nature trails around Wilmington, but you are not too far from the Croatan National Forest which has several, including the 21-mile long Neusiok. Also the flatter trail are reall good for biking, if you want to take that up. You're about 3 hrs from the Uhwarrie Mountains, which are the closest range I can think of.

[Dad6Kiddos]

Regarding traffic. I moved here from DC metro so I'm very happy with traffic conditions here. Like wealth traffic is very relative. One tip I have though is that there is a great plus living on the south side 28409 and 28412 and 28403. You have much less traffic driving into the heart of Wilmington at College and market Street and the surrounding. Entering in from the north 28411 side is very frustrating for many residents. Stop and go stuff and being stuck in long turn lanes at traffic lights. When you live on the south side you are able to head up to the middle of town on College or Independence much faster than you can head south from 28411 with much less likelihood of a big snag in traffic. Independence (Covil) ave flies and is preferred to College Rd. Point is that if you have choice where to live be open minded to the southern side of town. If kids are not in the picture there is great value for homes in 28412 for what it's worth.