Wilmington, NC

[DrewM]

Originally Posted by jeepsurf

and awesome downtown nightlife

By awesome I assume you mean sports bars, beer n wingZ, tHuGlYfE clubZ and the risk of getting robbed/mugged/stabbed/shot after dark then yes the nightlife IS awesome.

There are a lot of good things about ILM but I wouldn't classify the downtown "nightlife" as one of them. I will also say that dining options have been on a decline here as of late - unless you like bar food/hot wings (which I don't care for).

[writteninwax]

I would say the previous post , while being partially true, isnt really that accurate or at least doenst paint the whole picture. I work downtown and live nearby. There is a lot going on in Wilmington and surrouding areas and if nightlife is soemthing that interests you, downtown gets pretty wild. But you can go have dinner and walk around the waterfront and shops well into the night and not feel unsafe. There are really good restaurants downtown...no chains to speak of, but several really great fine dining places and a pretty wide variety. If you do go out late aand want to party, then just be careful, travel in groups, park safely and leave before 2am so you dont get caught in the drunken bar crowds spilling into the streets.

[gwar11d2]

Wilmington is great. Riverfront is really nice and a lot of the bars/hangouts are not that bad. When my wife and I go to Wilmington we like to go to the beach, but stay downtown for the bars and random activities at night.

[mlp2147]

Love it. It's a great little town with big city culture.

[WinTheMindWinTheDay]

Let's see, where to start about my getaway town known as Wilmywood? When not deployed, I am stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, aka "Fayettenam," North Carolina. Fayetteville is not my kind of scene, what with crime that makes Wilmington's issues look like a joke. Although, crime is no small potatoes thing in Wilmington either. I open-carry 24/7 in North Carolina anyway, so I don't even worry about that stuff.

Anyway, I really enjoy kayaking in the Wilmington, Winnabow, and Leland areas. I like shopping around at the pawn shops to get deals on guns, silver, tools, the works. I love eating at Flaming Amy's, and I like the old school feel of eating at K&W Cafeteria. Orton's Pool Hall, the oldest billiard hall in the area, is great, and quite haunted from what I hear.

Wilmington's history is pretty violent, colorful, and interesting too, nonetheless. There is just so much to like about Wilmington, and I love taking the short 1.5 hour drive down 87 and 76 to get away from Bragg for the weekend. It's my home away from home.

[cbordea]

WinTheMindWinTheDay, you wouldn't be kayaking in Town Creek would you?

[WinTheMindWinTheDay]

I am not too sure to be honest. My friends from Wilmington take me along.

[cbordea]

Ok, you would know it if you have been there. Black water and lots of cypress trees.

I know there is this guide that puts in at the wildlife landing at town creek a lot.
He usually isn't a problem but one time I had to wait what seemed like forever to launch my boat while he gave kayaking lessons on the boat ramp.