My wife and I are considering relocating to Wilmington NC. I know it can get some surf, but beyond that, how is it as far as living, raising a family, and all that good stuff. Any feedback would be helpful.
Been down here 8 years myself. Awesome place to live and raise a family. Traffic can get a bit congested in the summer, but which coastal community doesn't. Super bonuses for you...June-Oct. you don't need a wet suit...and hurricane swells...but only 22 footers...if you want 23, you'll have to move to Jersey.
Thanks for the feedback beezheels, much appreciated. Is there an area that you would suggest that is good for families with a good school system? I think we are planning a family trip out there around early September. It would be nice living next to the coast again.
Great thread...I have been applying to some jobs down that way as well. I would appreciate any/all tips, from surfing to family stuff! Good luck with the move Browny, maybe I'll see you in the water someday. I'll be the pastey white boy from up north.
Look at topsail. Less crowded, great school system. WB gets freakin nuts in the summer. CB is nice as well, kinda wish we moved closer to one or the other. I'm about 5 miles from WB and it takes me 20 minutes from house to water if that's any indication of traffic. And that's if I can find a parking spot right away. Man I am not looking forward to another summer of finding parking.
Not trying to rain on everything's parade but NC sucks brahh. If you want a town with very little night life, no waves, and low education levels I suggest you think twice and not move there...
Don't do it. Life here sucks, waves suck, school sucks, we don't need any more people here with surfboards. For real though, I have lived all over the place, and now live in Wilmington. Just do your research on the school and neighborhood and you'll love it.
Born and raised. Only time Wilmington hasn't been my home was in college at NCSU. Browny, can you give me some more details? ie: Grade your kids are in, are you AND your wife looking for jobs, what kind/level of positions you're looking for and things like that. You can pm me if you don't want to put that much info up for everyone to see. Generally the economy is pretty good and definitely getting better, there are tons of great options as far as where to live and schools. For the size, there's a pretty decent amount of culture and a wide variety of people in the area. I'm pretty sure you will think it's conservative by Portland standards.
Wilmington is definitely a great city to be in. Wrightsville and Carolina/Kure are right down the street and Topsail, Southport area beaches are a short drive away. You should have no problem finding a fun break to surf, but summer parking is not so fun. The school system is great as long as your students don’t ditch school for the beach every day. The weather is awesome and the seafood is even better. Wilmington’s airport has direct flights to some big cities and Charlotte (international airport) is a 15 minute flight or a 3.5 hour drive away. The city is truly on-the-move and we’re finally getting some recognition as a prime location for big time movies, like Iron Man 3 and Captain America 2. I live in CB and I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon. Good local vibe and everything is pretty much within walking distance. If I didn’t work in Wilmington, I would never leave CB. It’s definitely worth checking out. You won’t regret the move. I’ll see you in the water.
There are no waves...look up the education levels and compare that with the states up north. It seems that you're pretty serious about this so don't make a decision based off someone that uses something ripped off a beer commercial as there avatar...
Yeah, move to Jersey where your kids can become little guidos. Personally, I would look at real stats: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100016697 NC is a pretty good place to live.
Ahhh, why this little nugget made me chuckle so much, I don't know. But I guess I'm like The Koki Barrels because it was just fantastic. His initial few words showed empathy and considerstion creating a situation for the reader to let his/her guard down just a bit, before the subsequent blast of a harsh, to-the-point statement. I'm starting to like this guy more and more. And the use of "Everything's parade," was just spot-on. Man, The New Jersey is strong with this one.
