About Wilmington NC

About Wilmington NC

Wilmington is a port city in the state of North Carolina, and it currently serves as the county seat for the New Hanover County. It is situated on the southeastern region of the state on a coastal strip. This city was initially settled by Americans of European descent on the Cape Fear River. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton, whose title of nobility was the Earl of Wilmington. Wilmington is famous for its 1 mile long Riverwalk, which is located in the historic downtown area. It is also within close proximity to several adjacent Wilmington beaches. In 2011, Riverwalk was voted as the best American riverfront by USA Today.
 
The population of this North Carolinian city resides between the Cape Fear River and the sea. There are 4 beach communities as well that are Fort Fisher, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightville Beach. All of these communities are less than 40 minutes away from the city’s downtown area.
 
In 2003, Wilmington was picked by the United States Congress as a Coast Guard City. At the moment, it is home to the USCGC Diligence along with the WWII battleship USS North Carolina. The last of which has been converted into a memorial, and is now moored in the downtown port area. Wilmington is home to the EUE Screen Gem Studios too, which is the biggest domestic TV and movie production center outside the confines of the state of California. After its inception in 1984, the city evolved into a key hub for the US movie and TV production industry.



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Economy

The economical might of Wilmington lies in its highly diversified industries. This includes electrical, electronic, healthcare, telecoms equipment sectors. It is also a major hub for food processing. Tourism plays a significant role in this city’s economy as well. This is thanks to its been situated close to the sea and its acclaimed vibrant nightlife. Wilmington has a big seaport, which is made up of the state’s ports authority’s Port of Wilmington together with private marine terminals. The city is home to the greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce too. This is the oldest of its kind in the entire state of North Carolina. Lastly, it is part of the research coast that is adjacent to the fabled Research Triangle Park, specifically the City of Durham. The top 5 employers here are the New Hanover Health Network, New Hanover County School, General Electric, University of North Carolina Wilmington and the New Hanover County authority respectively.




Attractions

Wilmington boasts of a variety of attractions, which draw large crowds of tourists. It is also a noted North Carolinian cultural center that offers numerous attractions of this sort. This includes world class museums, performing arts center, historic buildings, outdoor recreational parks to name just but a few. It is essential to state that the Wilmington historic district stretches over almost 300 blocks.


Riverwalk

​Riverwalk, like it was earlier mentioned, is a trendy boardwalk in the downtown Wilmington area and stretches across the Cape Fear River waterfront. It is pedestrian friendly and comes complete with diverse stores and restaurants, both of which offer splendid shopping and dining opportunities. The Riverwalk cuts on the path of the city’s port marina as well.


​USS North Carolina

​The USS North Carolina is a refurbished battleship that has been converted into a memorial in honor of the more than 10,000 North Carolinians soldiers who forfeited their lives during the course of the 2nd Great War. It is a very popular attraction in Wilmington, and was even named the #2 Best North Carolinian Attraction by USA Today. The memorial offer self guided tours, which let visitors explore 9 different levels of the battleship at their leisure. This includes its living spaces, gun turrets, mess decks, sick bay, powder storage and plenty more. The USS North Carolina regularly hosts a series of fascinating public events also. Some of the prominent of these are the ‘Battleship Firepower Tour,’ ‘Annual British Car Show,’ ‘Battleship North Carolina Memorial Day,’ ‘The Caine Mutiny Court Marshal to mention but a few.


​Bellamy Mansion Museum of History

​This house museum is one of North Carolina most striking instances of the Antebellum architectural design. Essentially, it is an exquisitely restored mansion that spans an impressive 10,000 square feet in size. Some of the highlights of a visit here are the re-created grounds, which include one of the very rare preserved urban slave quarters in the United States. Bellamy Mansion Museum of History was first built in 1861 as a family abode of a prominent North Carolinian clan at that particular epoch. It now offers rotating historic exhibits all through the year. At the same time, it hosts a number of interesting events such as the Jazz of the Mansion Concert that held on a monthly basis. There is the Wilmington Wine & Food Festival too, which is held here on an annual basis.


​Airlie Gardens

​Airlie Garden sprawls over 67 acres, and comes complete with formal gardens, 10 acres of lakes, the Airlie oak tree that is 472 years old, over 75,000 azaleas and a butterfly house. It holds exciting monthly events including bird hikes, the Oyster Roast, summer concerts series and winter Enchanted Airlie shows.


​Cameron Art Museum

​This arts museum showcases at least 6 rotating exhibitions over the course of the year. It also features outdoor works of art, including its park, which by the way is a historic Civil War site. Yet another attraction here is its full service restaurant that offers locally sourced hand crafted lunches and Sunday brunch. This eatery also has live music shows that are held on a regular basis.


​Fort Fisher State Historic Site

​Fort Fisher was the site of the biggest amphibious battle during the American Civil War. It now showcases the relics of that battle like the Fort Fisher earthworks, the restored palisade fencing and even the seacoast guns. There is a scenic trail too, which is dotted by gnarled live oaks. Not forgetting the Condor, a diving enthusiasts’ paradise that is the very 1st stop along the North Carolina heritage dive trail. Another attraction is Battle Acre Monument in honor of the Civil War soldiers that includes a walking trail and 2 oceanfront gazebos. Lastly, The Fort Fisher State Historic Site has a visitor center, which offers curious video exhibits along with artifacts retrieved from capsized sea vessels.


​North Carolina Aquarium

​This a popular Wilmington attraction that showcases fascinating exhibits of sea life together with a few wildlife species. In the first regard, visitors get to examine marine life that has been sourced from salt marshes and tidal pools. North Carolina Aquarium comes complete with a 2 story exhibit that showcases sharks, sting rays, eels to name but a few. As for wildlife, the top attractions here are an albino alligator named Luna and a rescued bald eagle. This aquarium also hosts daily dive shows and curious wildlife encounters. It also has an outdoor garden.


​Wilmington art galleries

​Wilmington, like it was earlier stated, is a key hub for the fine arts in the entire State of North Carolina. As such, it makes it a point to exhibit a wide range of artworks sourced from gifted local artists as well as regional ones. Some of the works of art which are showcased in its many art galleries include original paintings, blown glass, sculptures and even pottery. While some of the most trendy art galleries situated here are Aces Gallery, Art in Bloom Gallery, ACME Art Studios, Aluna Work, Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson and Bottega Art & Wine.

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