Move to Wilmington? (Raleigh, Morehead City, Carolina Beach: appointed, house, cinema)
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I am a young, mid twenties college graduate with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management, with a focus in Restaurant Management. I currently live in a small town in Vermont and have been doing research for a while now on moving down south. I have looked at Knoxville, Nashville, and Raleigh. I have since decided that I would be happier closer to the ocean, and have since been focusing more on Wilmington and Charleston, SC. I am looking for restaurant/hospitality work, somewhere that has a good turn out of tourism, but can also generate income during the 'off' months. My lifestyle is simple, I love to be outdoors and enjoying the sun (hence why I want to be near the ocean). I would like an area that has live music frequently, a nice downtown bar/restaurant scene, and somewhere that would entail having people my age to meet up with and make new friends.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me regarding Wilmington/Charleston, or any other great coastal town that I may be excluding?
It's a very conservative area, politically. Coming from liberal Vermont, you might experience culture shock.
The beaches are nice, but there's not much else available around here, as far as getting outside to enjoy nature goes. Very little in the way of public lands, hiking trails, etc. Kayaking is an option if you can find a place to launch.
It's a very conservative area, politically. Coming from liberal Vermont, you might experience culture shock.
The beaches are nice, but there's not much else available around here, as far as getting outside to enjoy nature goes. Very little in the way of public lands, hiking trails, etc. Kayaking is an option if you can find a place to launch.
I am a young, mid twenties college graduate with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management, with a focus in Restaurant Management. I currently live in a small town in Vermont and have been doing research for a while now on moving down south. I have looked at Knoxville, Nashville, and Raleigh. I have since decided that I would be happier closer to the ocean, and have since been focusing more on Wilmington and Charleston, SC. I am looking for restaurant/hospitality work, somewhere that has a good turn out of tourism, but can also generate income during the 'off' months. My lifestyle is simple, I love to be outdoors and enjoying the sun (hence why I want to be near the ocean). I would like an area that has live music frequently, a nice downtown bar/restaurant scene, and somewhere that would entail having people my age to meet up with and make new friends.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me regarding Wilmington/Charleston, or any other great coastal town that I may be excluding?
Wilmington is less expensive than Charleston, especially in regards to housing. Charleston is booming economically, although both cities have a robust hospitality sector. If you're interested in smaller towns, Southport and Beaufort/Morehead City would be worth looking at.
Wilmington also has a ton of parks some of which offer playgrounds, frisbee golf, mountain biking and like said previously walking trails. And other hobbies like fishing, diving, boating and surfing.
I love the NC coastal areas and there is alot to offer. But, have you considered Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach? Those are very active tourist areas in the on and off seasons. There are alot of opportunities in the hospitality industry in both areas.
This handful of trails (Carolina Beach S.P. being the best of the bunch IMO) pales in comparison to what New England has to offer.
And I'm sure there's somewhere else that has more trails than "New England". None of that is relevant. The OP didn't ask if Wilmington has more miles of trails than "New England".
The City of Wilmington has 38 miles of trails, not including CB State Park, or any other parks outside the city limits. I'd say thats pretty good for a city of not much over 100,000 population. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound. YMMV
I am a young, mid twenties college graduate with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management, with a focus in Restaurant Management. I currently live in a small town in Vermont and have been doing research for a while now on moving down south. I have looked at Knoxville, Nashville, and Raleigh. I have since decided that I would be happier closer to the ocean, and have since been focusing more on Wilmington and Charleston, SC. I am looking for restaurant/hospitality work, somewhere that has a good turn out of tourism, but can also generate income during the 'off' months. My lifestyle is simple, I love to be outdoors and enjoying the sun (hence why I want to be near the ocean). I would like an area that has live music frequently, a nice downtown bar/restaurant scene, and somewhere that would entail having people my age to meet up with and make new friends.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me regarding Wilmington/Charleston, or any other great coastal town that I may be excluding?
I am you, but male, 22 years ago. I moved to Wilmington from Lawrence, KS to pursue the movie business. I left Wilmington 8 years later with a finance degree from UNCW. Today, I live in DC and quite comfortable, while my wife and two kids are literally 90 minutes north of Wilmington this week vacationing with my inlaws at their beach house (first week of summer for the kids).
I moved around a lot during my youth. Moved to Wilmington at 22 years of age. While not born there (but my wife was), I strongly consider it to be my "home". Moving to Wilmington, while not the easiest of times, was the best decision I ever made in my life, and owe a lot of my happiness and sense of overall comfort today to my many years there. My sense of how I view the world, my solid & loving relationship with my wife of 11 years, my two great kids (both under 10), my financial comfort, and ultimately, my direction in my life that points me back to Wilmington one day when I'm done working.
I would not hesitate to recommend someone of your age to take a chance on Wilmington. It gets in your soul, and doesn't leave. It is a true hidden gem of the east coast.
That all being said though, it's not all roses and sunshine. You're not going to make a lot of money there. You will meet a lot of young folks like yourself there, some you will like, some more that you won't. On the surface of Wilmington, after the glow of "wow, I get to live here?" wears off, it can get boring. It can feel confining due to lack of topography. It can feel restrictive to your sense of personal growth in a career field. It can feel "tiring" at times.
I've met "you" many times before. In my days, it was Ohio that seemed to attract the most folks to Wilmington. Can't remember how many people I met from Ohio there, who came to Wilmington hoping to find "something" and never could, and ended up going back. I've known many young women who came to Wilmington, only to leave heart broken for one reason or another. And, I've met young married couples who moved to Wilmington, only to have it end in divorce due to someone getting a wandering eye, or one too many boat drinks down at Docksides and the like. I've met many who saw the TV show "Dawson's Creek" and thought life was going to be like that, and it wasn't. There are many there today who are "me" now, who haven't moved on from those drinks down at Docksides. Not saying that's a bad thing, but the allure is strong to pull up a stool and keep the glass half full all the time, while ignoring the consequences of it always being half empty too.
But, the best memories I have are those when I was alone. I rode my bike up and down Wrightsville Beach thousands of times, just thinking and enjoying the environment. I sat on those beaches alone and feeling things for the first time in my life, like heartache from a relationship, or loss from a death in my family, or fear of not knowing how I will ever become a man good enough to support a family like I wanted to be able to do. Wilmington will give you that sense of privacy to figure those things out. It is not hard to find a spot out there on those beaches where you can feel like you've got the elbow room you need to just breath, and just be. THAT, to me, is the greatest part of Wilmington, NC for someone who is just starting out in their adult life.
If my world goes sideways, falls apart, hits a wall I can't climb, I can assure you that Wilmington is where you'll find me, recovering, rebuilding, and recharging to go hit it all again.
I say, if you have the opportunity to take the chance, take it. I can assure you that so long as you keep an eye on "you", to keep yourself in check and don't lose your focus and bearings, then no matter what happens, you won't regret it. You may be disappointed by it. You may outgrow it. But, you won't regret it. You do this, and no matter if you leave it someday, I can promise that it won't leave you.
Also - the real treats of Wilmington are found with A BOAT! Took me 3 years to figure that out. Once I did, it unlocked a whole new world and life! Not a party boat (although they can be fun), but just a little ole' Boston Whaler of sorts. Get a boat or meet a friend with one, and enjoy! Wrightsville Beach is for the tourists, Mason is for the drinks, and all the others are for the locals.
Wow, thank you for your insight. Came across this forum as my husband and I are thinking of retiring south in a few years. But this post really hit home as my 23-year-old who has a degree in Cinema and Screen Studies is moving to Wilmington with his best friend later this summer. I'm going to show him your post!
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