First Impressions of Wilmington, North Carolina

Last Updated on February 13, 2025 by Candice Landau

Though I’ve only been in Wilmington, North Carolina for three months (moved here in October), I can tell you that as with all cities, I’ve already got a “sense of things.” This is partly because I’m trying to get better at rapidly understanding a place in broad strokes, but also because I make myself get out there and do things.

Strangely, Wilmington reminds me a little bit of Eugene, Oregon. It’s similarly sized, out in the middle of nowhere—at least a couple of hours from the nearest “big” city (Raleigh)—and has a similar up-and-coming feel about it. There’s plenty of building taking place and businesses seem to be cropping up left, right and center.

It’s a place I’d be curious about checking out again, definitely in the summer months though.

So far, these are my initial impressions.

1. Sidewalks basically don’t exist

This is one of the more perplexing observations. Initially, I thought my quiet residential neighborhood was an exception but the truth is, I’ve walked and driven all over the city and I’ve encountered this problem in many neighborhoods. In Ogden, where I am (just 15 mins from downtown), everybody walks in the road. It isn’t a huge issue as the streets are very quiet, but it’s still odd.

2. The brewery scene is pretty good

Okay, Wilmington isn’t Asheville but then few places are. That said, there are a surprising number of breweries here, quite a few of which are good too. The breweries are also often really great spaces to work in—large, great outdoor seating areas, and plenty of variety in terms of what’s on tap.

My favorite breweries so far include Flying Machine, Panacea, Wrightsville Beach Brewery, and Ponysauraus. There are still a few I haven’t tried. Heck, I’ve still got to hit the Wilmington Ale trail. There are 19 spots on it…not bad for a city with a population of 122,698 (that’s not the metro figure, mind). The one I really want to check out though: Leland Brewing. It gets amazing ratings. Also, one of the BEST beers I’ve had here so far is from Bill’s. Haven’t been there yet either.

3. It doesn’t really feel like a beach city, until you’re on the beach

I don’t know why I expected to smell the salt air, hear the seagulls and just feel the aura of maritime culture, but well, I don’t. Even when I was living more in-land in Bristol in the UK, I still felt how close the sea was. You could taste it in the air and you could for sure hear those seagulls. Even the buildings looked beachy in Clifton Village.

In the Wilmington area, until you hit Wrightsville Beach or Kure Beach, or one of the other nearby beaches, it just doesn’t feel like a beach town.

Yes, there’s a battleship you can tour (okay, that ones pretty cool), and yes half the restaurants and breweries have ocean-themed names, but from what I can tell, it feels much more like a river city, which is no surprise given it’s built on the Cape Fear River. What a glorious name!

I think if I were to elect to live here, I might try get closer to the water, probably somewhere nearer to Wrightsville Beach.

4. They don’t do much scuba in the winter

I won’t lie, this shocked me. When I asked a local dive shop why not, he said the water was cold. I was perplexed. The temperature in winter is no different than Oregon or Washington State and we dived all year round and had a very active winter diving community.

Don a drysuit on and problem solved. Well, not so true in Wilmington. So far I haven’t found a place to repair my drysuit neck seal in Wilmington. Perhaps I’m going to need to get really DIY, or just suck it up and ship it. So weird.

I asked the dive shop owner if anyone went out in winter and he mentioned a dive shop in Carolina Beach. So yes, it does happen but the options are few and far between and are likely going to stick to a couple of closer sites too. As you likely know, living somewhere with a good diving culture is very important to me. In an ideal world there would also be easy shore diving.

To do some good old cold water diving, I had to drive to Raleigh. The good news is, the local dive site is a great place to train and practice: Fantasy Lake Adventure Park.

You do need to pay to reserve your spot but when I went, it was almost empty, only two rebreather divers getting comfortable on their units. There are a few entry points, all of which are easy, and there’s a ton of stuff intentionally sunk in this old quarry, including a pretty impressive rock crusher that felt more like a wreck. The only bad thing? Visibility was akin to a Pacific Northwest dive. The nearest dive shop is Carolina Dive Center.

5. There is a vegan scene

Okay, so I wouldn’t have chosen to try Wilmington out if this didn’t exist. The truth is, my list of requirements always takes “vegan friendliness” into account. This, access to diving, breweries, and good outdoors. Being near water in general is pretty darn important to me. Asheville was an exception to the water rule mind. Everyone had raved so much about it and its beauty that I felt I ought to check it out. Thankfully I got a month before the hurricane hit.

>> Related Reading: Escaping Asheville: A Rough Start to the Nomad Journey

6. There aren’t that many touristy sights

There are a couple of museums, the most impressive being the battleship—that took hours to tour and was mind-bogglingly large—but there really doesn’t feel like there’s all that much going on. That said, visit the battleship if you’re here. it’s a neat dive into history.

It’s pretty quiet. Again, it might just be that I’m seeing it in winter. That said, comedians do swing into town, there’s a lively trivia scene, and I imagine the dive boat scene in summer is pretty active. So take what I say with a pinch of salt. I’m seeing it all in winter.

If you’re willing to venture a little further than downtown Wilmington, there are some good places to sightsee, including the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (cutest otter exhibit I’ve ever seen), as well as the Fort Fisher State Historic Site.

7. The vineyard scene is lacking

You can’t blame a South African who lived near California and Oregon wine country for wanting a good vineyard scene. I like my wine as much as I like sitting in the great outdoors, which in my opinion, is really what vineyards are about. And guess what? That pretty much doesn’t exist out here. I think there are one, maybe two wineries on the outskirts but otherwise nothing close by after that.

Again, a little perplexed as so many of the restaurants and breweries have really good outdoors. If you’re a wine drinker, you may want to train to be a beer drinker.

8. Water-access is blocked in too many places

Some states are worse than others for this due to lack of protected land, but there is so much beautiful waterfront that has been totally privatized and has houses backing right onto it. Not just ocean but also inland waterways. When I walk, I get glimpses of rivers, of the marshes, of the sea, but half the time I can’t get near them as there aren’t even public access routes, not until you get to Wrightsville Beach. This is a real shame and a huge detractor to daily living in my opinion. Oregon was much better about this. Washington State not great, though there were areas.

9. Pub quizzes and trivia nights are extremely popular

I’ve actually found it hard to go out to a brewery or bar and not accidentally come upon a pub quiz, or see one advertised. In fact, almost every spot I have drunk at seems to have one on. Very interesting indeed. Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be the preferred options. If you’re not into trivia, be sure to check out the brewery’s website or social media pages before heading out. A few times I’ve actually wanted to work on my laptop late (given coffee shops close early) and been caught mid trivia quiz.

10. There are a lot of dive shops and dive boats

Okay, so I already mentioned scuba diving doesn’t much happen in the winter. That said, it does seem to happen an awful lot in the summer. There are multiple dive shops and multiple dive boats to choose from, especially if you include nearby Carolina Beach which also has dive shops. And given Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach are all just one big city (they connect), you’re spoiled for choice. That said, the dive sites do take a long time to get out to—45 mins to 1.5 hours but I assume they’re worth it. This is after all the famous place to find Megalodon shark teeth.

11. Houses are still more affordable than many places in the U.S.

If I were a gambling gal (spoiler alert, I’m not), I’d buy a house here. Unlike the Eugene, Oregon market, which is where I’ve spent the most time stateside, there does seem to be room to grow outward, not just upward. Plus, the beaches are beautiful and the weather more tolerable than further south and north at the extremes.

I think this area in time will become pretty expensive. I’m not really surprised either. Carolina Beach felt like a Florida beach town without the crazy tourism. Though not technically Wilmington, Carolina Beach is just 20-25 mins south of the city and is barely distinguishable as a separate city.

12. It doesn’t feel like a college town

I’m not sure how a place “feels” like a college town, but much like my observations about not feeling like a beach town, it also doesn’t feel like a college town. That might be because the college doesn’t impact industry that much here where it did in Eugene, Oregon and certainly in Corvallis, Oregon, but it also might be that I’m not close enough to the college to get that feeling or haven’t lived here long enough.

If you do live closer to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, or frequent cafes, breweries or restaurants there, you might feel it a little more.

13. Wolf spiders are the cockroaches of Wilmington

I can’t believe I almost forgot this. The wolf spiders were the things that most surprised (and admittedly, horrified me). Granted, I liked Florida’s enormous cockroaches even less but the wolfies out here are furry and they come right inside the house at night. No leaving doors open in the warmer months at night!

Sorry for sharing the picture, I know it might creep a good few of you out, but I wanted you to know what they looked like! I’ve kept it small.

14. The food scene is pretty good

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the variety of eateries, including vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

So far, some of my favorites include Cafe Chinois (best cocktails and French fusion food an impeccable vibes), Sealevel City Vegan Diner (it’s in the name though portions can be a little small), Banh Sai (think wraps, subs, etc), Savorez, and the Green House Restaurant.

I think even non vegans would be impressed by the variety of restaurants, bars and breweries.

15. The beaches are great

Think long, unperturbed beaches with loads of shells and birds and interesting things to look for. Honestly, I love parking in one of the many (free in winter) parking spots in downtown Wrightsville and then going for a 2 hour beach walk. The beaches stretch for miles and there’s always the chance you’ll find a shark tooth in the surf.

Though there isn’t much tidepooling to be had, the many pelicans, seagulls and other water-friendly birds make it a bit of a birder’s paradise. If you have a telephoto lens, go for a beach walk. The other thing that might be fun to do in summer is to surf, or to get a drink on the dock at Oceanic (Wrightsville Beach) or Carolina Beach Pier (Carolina Beach). There are definitely a few other tiki bars I’ve got to try while I’m here!

Other hobbies I’d pick up if I lived here and lived closer to the beach: beach running, beachcombing, and shark tooth hunting.

16. The night skies are good!

It’s not everywhere you live that the stars are actually visible. Even 15 minutes outside downtown Wilmington, I can clearly see the stars. Add to that some incredibly beautiful sunsets and, well, you’ve sold me.

A closing note

While I live here, I’ll keep updating this list. So keep an eye out if you’re considering moving. And, if you have opinions, or think I should add anything to the list, give me a shout. This is of course a list based on my own opinions and perceptions and is thus naturally biased!