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Hello! My husband and I visited Wilmington about 10 years ago. It seemed like the city had the foundation needed to become a great small / mid-size city (riverfront, proximity to beaches, nice neighborhoods, walkable downtown, decent shopping including newer shopping centers, decent health care, access to university, etc.), but we didn't have the confidence that the city was truly heading in the right direction. What we'd ultimately like to see is a thriving downtown, a variety of quality cultural activities, a variety of great restaurants and entertainment, a well-developed plan to attract businesses and jobs, etc. We could tolerate the negatives we saw - areas of crime, traffic, kind of messy / unkempt areas in some areas down by the river, empty storefronts, not a lot to do - as long as the city was on a stable track to improve, grow and become more vibrant. Because we didn't have that confidence, we crossed Wilmington off our list. I'm now wondering if things have changed in Wilmington since then and what direction it's heading in. Would appreciate responses, thanks!
Downtown is exactly what you describe, and its growing rapidly. There are virtually no vacant storefronts, and lots of restaurants and retailers. The old parking deck on Water Street has been demolished and 7 story mixed use development is under construction. Several new hotels and apartment/condo buildings have been built or are being built in the northern park of downtown. A new amphitheater is under construction in that area too.
Cultural activities? Thalian Hall, Cameron Museum of Art, Brooklyn Arts Center, Cucalorus Film Festival, Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, The Wilson Center, UNC-W, etc.
You have missed a great renaissance in the past 10 years and it will continue in the future.
Hello! My husband and I visited Wilmington about 10 years ago. It seemed like the city had the foundation needed to become a great small / mid-size city (riverfront, proximity to beaches, nice neighborhoods, walkable downtown, decent shopping including newer shopping centers, decent health care, access to university, etc.), but we didn't have the confidence that the city was truly heading in the right direction. What we'd ultimately like to see is a thriving downtown, a variety of quality cultural activities, a variety of great restaurants and entertainment, a well-developed plan to attract businesses and jobs, etc. We could tolerate the negatives we saw - areas of crime, traffic, kind of messy / unkempt areas in some areas down by the river, empty storefronts, not a lot to do - as long as the city was on a stable track to improve, grow and become more vibrant. Because we didn't have that confidence, we crossed Wilmington off our list. I'm now wondering if things have changed in Wilmington since then and what direction it's heading in. Would appreciate responses, thanks!
It is already a great small mid-size city. It has all of those things you listed. In terms of where its headed:
1) Retrofitting. While most cities will just keep building, Wilmington is in the midst of a redevelopment. Many locals didnt see the negatives, but they were there. This is what is driving things. There are street redevelopments, business redevelopments, neighborhood revitalizations and downtown redevelopments. The previous poster mentioned the redeveloped parking deck...thats actually TWO 13 story buildings and parking deck....where there was once a 1 story parking deck. Up river is massive amount of construction, one estimate put it at $750 million in the area where the Almont Shipping Terminal once stood less than 20 years ago.
2) Public Housing/Criminal activity. This has been a sore spot in Wilmington for its history. The continued build out of the area has marginalized this to a few distinct locales, some of which are fairly visible on the antiquated road infrastructure within its urban core. The weed out will continue as more and more infill projects occur and the transportation infrastructure is updated.
3)Sprawl. The Ogden area. The Monkey Junction area. Hampstead. These are great examples of areas that are not in Wilmington that are riddled with sprawl. They are low tax areas that are not built cheaply. Inadequate issues. Cheaply built housing. No road infrastructure. While Wilmington deals with its long term public housing issues, the unincorporated areas have just built cheaply and added traffic. While there are some nice neighborhoods, the best ones tend to be inside the City Limits.
It sounds to me like you have good instincts. Wilmington has less than 10% developable land left and they are constantly building. I feel like they are so overly focused on bringing people in without having anything to keep them here. Downtown is quaint, yet small. It's a growing city expanding in all directions, but its just not suitable for the amount of people already here. They just halted a bridge project that would have allowed for better traffic flow over the Cape Fear River into Leland, where a lot of residents choose to reside and commute from. That should give you an idea of future planning. They are focused on widening roads here and there, but at who's expense? If you're considering a coastal city that meets your criteria listed above, look into Charleston, SC. No matter where you go there will be traffic, but a city such as Charleston can better support and entertain a growing population. I've been here for over 3 years, own a successful business, and I'm perplexed at what attracts people. Don't take my word for it, check both out yourself. You can stay on 17S from Wilmington all the way down and be there in about 3-3.5 hours.
Currently a big issue is the potential sale of NHRMC, the large hospital in Wilmington. It’s county-owned, non-profit and the largest employer in the area. Meetings have been held and it seems that most of the public would rather it stay in county hands, not sold to a private corporation. Asheville’s hospital went from public to private for $1.5 billion not long ago and New Hanover County thinks Wilmington’s hospital could sell for close to $1 billion.
People are uneasy about potential changes if it goes private. With the high number of older people in the area (frequent users of the hospital network), it’s a controversial topic.
Wilmington has only two things going for it - It is close to the ocean and the weather. It is not close to anything else and is 140 miles from RDU and traffic in the Triangle is a bear depending on your timing. Good to absolutely excellent health care in the Triangle as well as a lot, lot more. Weather is a little cooler in the Winter and you are not a 10+ minute drive from Wrightsville Beach. Many people have retired to that area. I for one would pick the Triangle and live near Southpoint where you are a quick drive to Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and the Airport.
The city has a lot in terms of having plenty of good dining, a decent downtown, etc...
My complaint as a non-resident is that it seems to be popular for its own sake; there doesn't seem to be much in the way of economic development. A lot of people retire there, and that means the town can sit on its haunches and not worry about huge amounts of job development since the hospital, tourism, PPD, GE and the University will do enough.
Wilmington has only two things going for it - It is close to the ocean and the weather. It is not close to anything else and is 140 miles from RDU and traffic in the Triangle is a bear depending on your timing. Good to absolutely excellent health care in the Triangle as well as a lot, lot more. Weather is a little cooler in the Winter and you are not a 10+ minute drive from Wrightsville Beach. Many people have retired to that area. I for one would pick the Triangle and live near Southpoint where you are a quick drive to Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and the Airport.
Thats so not true, and frankly, I'm not even sure the weather is a huge plus. Summers are hot as hell, and hurricanes in the fall. The almost complete lack of snow and ice is a plus, though, especially for the retirees form the northeast whoa are flocking to the area.
Anyway, the beautiful neighborhoods, a thriving downtown, great food scene, lots of arts and culture, etc. are also "things" Wilmington has going for it.
I like living here. Like anywhere, you learn to avoid the traffic.
I think it's headed straight into the atlantic ocean, however. Not going to be here 100 years from now.
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