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heeha
I read your story and feel for you. can't help
but think that perhaps you somewhat negative attitude might
be what holds you back from getting a job.
Wilmington might not be the easiest place to get a job but it stands to reason that
a city cannot just be for the ultra rich and the welfare recipients. a lot of stuff/jobs
in between. have you thought of some retraining?
we have a friend that recieved a grant for reeducation , perhaps that could work for you?
take control of your life and things will turn around.
Oh, my, it really corks me when people complain about where they live. If they don't like it, get out, move, vamoose out of there. No jobs....the economy is bad all over most of the U.S., so if you're looking for a job, you've got lots of company. Employers pay only $10 an hour. Hey, to a lot of people, including me, that's a lot of money. Rainfall....it ain't nothing compared to places like coastal Oregon. Which, IMHO, is one of the most beautiful states in the good old U.S. of A. Life is what you make it. If you're going to wallow in self pity and contempt for where you live......do something about it.
Oh, my, it really corks me when people complain about where they live. If they don't like it, get out, move, vamoose out of there. No jobs....the economy is bad all over most of the U.S., so if you're looking for a job, you've got lots of company. Employers pay only $10 an hour. Hey, to a lot of people, including me, that's a lot of money. Rainfall....it ain't nothing compared to places like coastal Oregon. Which, IMHO, is one of the most beautiful states in the good old U.S. of A. Life is what you make it. If you're going to wallow in self pity and contempt for where you live......do something about it.
...so Hawaii would instantly become the most populous state if it was that easy. A bunch of members painting a rosy picture of Wilmington does not help people who come to this forum. The OP's opinion may come off as overly negative, but aside from the rain it's not like he's lying...he's actually helping a good portion of delusionals who just pick up and leave a bad situation thinking they'll land by the beach, gain employment, and have a blast. This place is great for what it is, there's no doubt about it...but there just isn't enough to it for me personally.
I have read two entire threads on wilmington, nc which span over 110 posts. Most all of the posts seem to be opinions on issues. It is all relative and subjective from what I see.
I have done many things to educate myself and my wife on this city to see if it is somewhere we would like to move. There are features on moving.com (it takes a little bit to find) such as compare city stats. You can put in your current zip code and compare against 28401, 28409 etc. and see how you stack up. Of course if your not from around there or just don't know how to determine a zip code area I found going to hipcodes.com can provide you with a map showing the acutal lines of a zip code territory. So, you can have 3 windows open. One with the moving.com to look at stats compared to where you live, another with hipcodes open so you can see where your at on the map and a third with google maps or another home buying or renting feature site that you can then view different places and know if they are statistically in a safe and well off place or not.
You can also get a lot of info from the wilmington chamber of commerce. Tax stats, list of companies by industry etc.
Someone in one of these threads mentioned the local news website for info, also a good idea.
Finally, many folks have been bashing the city (I know I just stated it is all subjective to a degree above) but from what I have reviewed Wlimington, NC has been on the top 10 or 25 best places to start a business or live or retire for several years now. There has to be stats and criteria that would validate these accolades, right?
Finally, my wife is probably going to visit the city next week to do a "in person" assessment of the areas and feel of the city and outskirts. We wanted to look into wilmington because it is warmer, and cheaper than NJ beach towns AND seems to have more industry than a lot of NJ and DE ports/beaches. Where else can you find a real city within 15-20 minutes of a beach on the southern half of the US that's as affordable as Wilmington appears to be. I haven't found anywhere yet.
I bought a book, (an insider's guide to southern costal North Carolina, Wilmington) which I am hoping will be a great help. There are also services and materials you can get from real estate companies on schools, crime, shopping, jobs etc. Do some research and think of what questions you have and who may know the answer...then google them (or that field/industry) and see what you can find. But sifting through most of this stuff (this thread and others) is mostly useless. It's all perspective and subjective.
I don't know if a move to wilmington is in my future for sure...but I'll be as best prepared with knowledge as possible and my wife will get the low down on the area. My real challenge is what do I do with our current house if we want to move. I can't afford rent in wilmington AND a mortgage (where I currently live). But, I don't want to move BEFORE locking up a job first. That's the real challenge I don't have a clear answer for yet.
Good luck and research till your blue in the face.
how would u like me to present my proof to you? There is a police department report and I'm sure I can resurrect my hospital report but how do I show that here? just curious. I also have a scar to prove it but how do I convince you?
What are you talking about? I hope your not referring to my post (uneeklyme1961). All I was saying is that there are a lot of people stating this or that, whether factual or not hardly anyone posts links or stats on it. So, it is subjective. You may have been mugged at gunpoint or slashed by a knife or whatever it is you are talking about...but that happens everywhere. Tiger woods has a police report too. What does that mean? That the rich area he lives in is no good??
Inner cities are usually not the safest places on the earth statistically, so what? I am just providing info on some tricks that I found in verifying stats and zip codes so an outsider (like me) can see what are safe and not so safe areas by the numbers.
I also see the Stats on growth of the state of NC and the city of wilmington. Also the positive accolades the city has received the last decade or so. Again, there HAS to be some sort of valid reasons for these accolades. Like they are true to some degree.
Go here: Compare Two Cities, City Profile Report, City Comparison Tool and put in your home zip and one of the ones from wilmington. You can get a "statistical" compare. It may not be favorable but that is what I have been saying. It gives you some meat to the bones, something to work with. I found that 28409 was MUCH safer and better average household income than 28401 was compared to where I live. However, what matters is what someones OWN personal preference for safety and income is.
I am sorry you had a horrible experience but does this mean that we should disclude an area entirely? I guess I won't visit philly anytime soon again (live 10 minutes away) because there's murders in some parts. I don't live in those parts and try not to hang out and drive through them. But, there are PLENTY of nice areas both IN the city of philly AND in the suburbs around the city. I would imagine wilmington is the same as most cities are. Nice parts and not so nice parts. That's the challenge for an outsider. Gathering enough pertinent data to determine what their definition of nice and safe is and finding a place like that. Which is why I posted my first post. Because, you really don't get what your hoping to find reading stuff like this. a few beacons of quality input here or there but mostly not. Hopefully, folks can use some of the things I recommended and find even more great ways to check a new area effectively and HELP us see if new location is for us or not.
My wife IS actually going down to Wilmington next week (just bought ticket today). So, she'll get a firsthand experience on what the feel and look is of the city and outlying areas. If we don't like it we won't continue to pursue this. But, we're hopeful that it will be a positive experience and we can look to the ogden or windemere area as a starting point...IF we decide we want to move there.
bottom line is we want to be near the beach, and if it is safe enough (comprable to where I currently live) cheap enough (so far it is) and we feel the jobs are available and I can get one then we're gonna move there. So, I won't live in the ghetto and I won't live in the rich rich exclusive neigborhoods....but like most americans I want to find somewhere safe and nice and affordable. I think wilmington may have it all. We shall see...
wilmington needs more brew pubs and/or breweries...that I can say.
"wilmington needs more brew pubs and/or breweries...that I can say.[/quote]
IMHO - the last thing Wilmington needs is anything else that sells alcohol! The downtown bars seem to be the scene of so much trouble! Even though I know brew pubs and breweries are not the same as the bars down there, I just don't think that is what is needed!
Wilmington is a nice place - hope you can find a spot here that you will love - and that your wife has a successful fact-finding mission!
The great thing about America is that you can vote with your feet. Anyone that isn't happy with where they live can always pack up and move. I love this city. Downtown is great, the beach is close by, the weather is great and I make good money here. It's not for everyone I suppose but I'm happy with it.
Well thats true as long as they have the huge amount of finances necessary to pack up and move. I think many people just don't have that luxury, and it is a luxury to just pack up and move.
Wilmington seemed nice when I visited but then I don't live there. Visiting and living in a place can be two very different experiences.
I lived in Wilmington 3 yrs (4 yrs ago) and never really encountered any crime. I was out all hrs of the night in not so good areas also. It was also some of the best yrs of my life.
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