Newcomers Are Shaping Wilmington into a Wonderful Place

If you’re on Facebook, you may be part of a local Wilmington group. Nearly every day a new family posts something to the tune of “we are planning to move to Wilmington next month, how do you like the community? What are the best places to live? To work? Best schools?”

What happens next is very predictable. Responses are mostly a chorus of “welcome, you will love it here!” But peppered in among the genuine responses are short and cynical ones. You’ll find a number of “we’re full here” or “you’ll hate here, so probably just stay where you are.” 

Commenters warn about traffic, schools, rising home prices, hurricanes, and really anything to try and scare people away.

My take on this is pretty simple: People are going to continue to move here and we all just need to get on board. Newcomers are moving in from out west, up north, and even south. People have found out about our little gem, folks. We have to take a deep breath and know this is OK — good, even. 

While we are growing and expanding, know that we are not on the way to becoming the next Raleigh, Durham, or Winston-Salem. We are lucky in that we don’t have the land size for it — thank you Atlantic Ocean!

Developments will continue into the surrounding areas like Pender and Brunswick counties, but these developments were a long-time coming, in my opinion. They will also bring jobs, opportunities, and an even larger workforce that will attract industry to our ports and industrial centers. 

Throwing Our Arms Wide

I’m excited to see the Wilmington that is taking shape, although I know it is changing. We have the choice to be bitter or welcoming. 

As for me, I am choosing to welcome and I believe most others are too. So try as you may to scare away people on Facebook and warn them about the horrible traffic and tourists, know that it won’t really do much other than make you look grumpy. 

If you are new to Wilmington, be sure to check out my neighborhood guide here. This will help you learn about the different places to settle down all around our amazing area. 

(And in case you were curious, the worst of the traffic is at the Oleander and College intersection, around the shopping centers during holidays, and the beaches on July 4th!)