A little about myself and Wilmington

 

I have been living in Wilmington, Carolina since October of 1989, just before the big snow (15-17 inches, unheard of in these parts). I grew up in Clemmons NC, just west of Winston-Salem. I received my North Carolina Real Estate sales license in Greensboro NC in 1989 and I’ve worked in property management, construction and sales.

After my freshman year on college I got to spend half a year in Europe. Along with a little touring I worked on a friend’s pig farm in Denmark and carried grapes for the wine harvest in Germany. There I discovered the pleasures and practicalities of living in compact village communities. Having most of my daily needs within walking distance meant not relying on a car and all its related expenses. What were the odds of finding a viable old town back home in North Carolina? Movement to the suburbs and competition from suburban malls and strip shopping centers had rendered most of our old city centers boarded up ghost towns.

But I came to Wilmington to visit a friend for the weekend and there it was. Not exactly booming but an old city center where the lights were still on. Where creative folks were starting new businesses and breathing new life into a historic old port city on the banks of the Cape Fear River. I went all in. I packed up my belonging in Greensboro and rented a house in Wilmington’s historic district. And I haven’t regretted it for a day.

Wilmington is a friendly, casual and diverse community. The weather is agreeable year round. It’s large enough to have the infrastructure of a city but small enough to be easily navigable. Taken as a whole I believe Wilmington is the most livable coastal city in the southeast. Come visit and see if you don’t agree.

Steve Fox