Welcome to Our World

We are pleased to share our love for Wilmington and the Cape Fear coast, since few cities have the unique and desirable characteristics Wilmington offers visitors, tourists, natives and new residents alike. Our 31 miles of uncrowded, wide sandy beaches overlooking the rolling surf of the magnificent Atlantic Ocean warmed by the Gulf Stream attract many thousands of tourists year after year.

Hollywood’s discovery of Wilmington undoubtedly helped to showcase this special area. Firestarter, a major motion picture, was produced here in 1983 and international filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis built a $1.5 million studio complex in Wilmington that served as the linchpin for more than 300 films produced here since then.

In fact, so many movies and television shows have been filmed here that one of Wilmington’s tours, the Hollywood Location Walk, garnered enough fame to be featured on MTV, the WB (now CW), and TLC. Dawson’s Creek was produced in Wilmington during its long run and One Tree Hill, now entering its eighth season, is filmed here today.

Two of the recent movies shot here are Nights at Rodanthe starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, and The Secret Life of Bees, featuring a talented cast headed by Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Dakota Fanning.

Wilmington: Retirees’ Heaven

At the same time, retirees were beginning to discover what a wonderful place Wilmington was for spending the rest of their lives. The climate was mild and attractive, taxes were low, land was relatively cheap and housing was certainly reasonable. The construction and population booms were really getting underway. The variety and number of neighborhoods then were only a fraction of what’s available now and what’s being built.

Young Families Arrive

The city not only has become a mecca for retirees seeking relaxed, affordable living on a warm, sunny coast, but younger families and singles are also coming to escape the problems and stress of big-city living, to take advantage of the many entrepreneurial opportunities and to enjoy a better quality of life here. They also are coming to fill the jobs offered by PPD, Verizon and GE Hitachi Nuclear, among others, all companies that have built major facilities here.