Question: How do you connect to Wilmington?
Whether you’re new here or old-timey — and besides the Grove Project itself! — How do you connect to the area? What makes you feel connected? What makes Wilmingon feel like it’s a somewhere instead of an anywhere?
I’m a cyclist of the type known to other cyclists as a “100% commuter.” That means that I do everything by bike; that includes riding to work, buying groceries, etc. So every time I leave the house I feel pretty closely connected to Wilmington. In fact, we’re about to head down to the farmer’s market downtown. And for me, downtown always was and always will be the heart of Wilmington.
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Great one, Bryan. I couldn’t agree more — about biking, the farmer’s market especially, and about downtown. Though I would call myself more of a 10% commuter.
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Seeing shows at Thalian Hall always makes me feel connected and happy. Especially theater. And we’ve seen some bad theater there! It’s still great. Cinematique too, of course. You always see someone there you know.
Took in the last showing of BFG yesterday and just loved it — actors in huge, dangly cubist monster masks lumbering up the dark aisles and putting kids right on the brink of too-scared. Characters in the balcony seats, puppets breaking, kids dancing sheepishly on stage.
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Bryan Reply:
April 13th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I haven’t done any lately, but I’ve done bits of theater work in Wilmington over the years. In fact, Thalian is the only theater here I haven’t worked the booth of. About five years ago the same company/director did a production of BFG at the Scottish Rite Temple on 17th, and I did the sound for that. Sounds like this current run might have been even better, I guess I should have gone to see it.
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6 years (!!!!!) in and I’m still working on feeling connected to this town. I’ve got to own much of the lack of intimacy with Wilmington due to my own BA. Bad Attitude. It’s just not like California, and to try and make that comparison is not only futile, but unfair…
BUT, the connections that have been made have been through the co-op, the farmer’s market, and, now that we have a child, child-oriented stuff…Children’s Museum and Wallace Park, mostly.
Oh yeah, how could I forget Captain Bills. That place is a blast and full of fun, active folks who were always welcoming when we played. A true Wilmington gem.
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editor Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 5:24 am
Krista – I’ll expect a full Grove Project report/review of Captain Bill’s on “my desk” on Monday morning. With pictures. But seriously.
editor@groveproject.org
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Krista Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 7:15 am
No need to wait until Monday! So, Captain Bill’s…there are leagues; Spring, Summer I and II, Fall, etc. There is even a hardcore Winter league, where crazies go out there and play with wetsuit-like booties on their tootsies. Ca-RAZY! Anyhow, sign ups themselves are an event. Before every season, there is a make shift camp out in the Capt. Bill’s parking lot. Yes, people camp out the night before sign ups to get a good spot in the league. Lots of cocktails and parking lot frisbee games. I’m sure 2 a.m. corn hole is a requisite.
Like most sports, there are divisions, from the hard core competitive players (A league?) to the hard core beer league-ers. We were beer league, (CC) and I’ve got to say, even those players are pretty good.
They pipe in music from an XM radio station on the courts, and usually it was pretty good. They’ve got good bar food, and it’s not all super-heavy. To top it all off, the bartenders come around to each team throughout the game and ask if you’re good on drinks. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Court-side service!
I really appreciated the variety of people that played, too. Young, old, fit, out-of-shape,,,everyone seemed to have a blast. Many folks brought their kids because other than the beach, it’s the biggest sandbox I’ve ever seen. I’m about 7 months pregnant at the moment, but I’ll be back in for the Spring ‘10 league, for sure. Here’s a link:
http://www.captnbills.com/
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Jenna Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 6:31 am
I know, I have been here since 2002 from Venice Beach, where I lived for 12 years.
I had my daughter in 2003 and my husband works out of town (film). It is hard to connect, be a mom, work and feel that same feeling as you felt before parenting.
I really find I have so little time and it is different here. It seems that I have to work a lot harder to find foods I enjoy, to go places where I was able to walk so much before and find it all 2 or 3 blocks from my home.
I feel the connective issue. I think i must have that BA too. I asked someone where they went for mexican food the other day and the said “On the Border” or whatever that chain is. it is hard to relate when the food references are chain restaurants, calabash seafood etc. I miss the integration of cultures, the diversity of food, the hari-krisna festival with free food, the yoga studios that were free classes on sat. the museums that were free. Surfing in the morning and snowboarding in the afternoon.
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Krista Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Isn’t it crazy how time flies? We thought we’d be here 2 years, max. It feels awfully easy to get stuck in this town, because it’s not a BAD town, really… It’s just lacking something for me personally. (This is ALL my very personal experience, and in no way do I mean to imply that Wilmington is not a wonderful, fantastic place for many other people.)
Yes, the chain restaurants here make me sick and sad. We’ve got a couple of friends that go to Red Robin with their kid for Friday night dinners. We made the mistake of giving the place a try, and it just made me depressed. They are pregnant with their 2nd child and the husband said something about how typical they were going to be as a “family of four.” I told him he might not feel so typical if he stopped eating at places like Red Robin and tried Flaming Amy’s. Dis-gusting. I so miss Bay Area food. Apparently that awesome chef Anthony Bourdain (sp?) recently visited our favorite taco truck stand (Taco Sinaloa) in East Oakland. So cool.
I could go on. I’m pretty good at missing the West Coast. How about green spaces? Public transportation? Pedestrian rights? Honoring multi-culturalism. Participation! I feel like it’s something that doesn’t happen here. You know what I mean? Like, it’s church, work, dinner at South of the Boarder, the end. Not a ton of interest in exploration, experimentation, curiosity in different things…I don’t know, it’s very hard for me to explain. I just feel boxed in here.
Do you think you might get back out West? Our hope is to do it before our son starts kindergarden. That gives us 3 yrs. (He was born in ‘06 as well.) My mantra is “keep the dream alive!”
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Jenna Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Not at this time are we looking at going back. I was intent on raising our daughter here she started school last year and due to the school system here I have her at St Mary’s because we live downtown and I cried when we went to check out public schools. God forbid if you are not a member of church.
Wilmington is good but it is very difficult, especially if you are use to diversity. I would love to go to the Cypress Fest. Something like that would be free in CA. I do not have the money to go take my child, feed her,drive, park etc. and then she wants to go because the music is loud or something
The green spaces, Trader Joe’s. Food— where is the chinese (not buffets) dim sum (more than the 5 types at Double Happiness) perhaps, japanese, noodle houses(flaming Amy’s and the mongolian bbq do not count), cuban and just plain taco stands, good diners and various other places. Yes there are many places I miss. Movies, real Public radio that plays some other music than classical and opera during the day when I am listening. Movies I would feel safe walking too and home.
Martha Graham Dance Co is coming tickets to us are $50 @ piece. It is at Kenan which is barely big enough, in fact it is not ,to hold a proper ballet or a broadway production for that matter,WTF. No fringe art festivals. Colin from Men@Work is to play a solo acoustic performances he did this for years in Topanga and low end bars for 5 & 10 $$, I am sure Kenan wants a pretty penny for that as well. Generic. Where are the outdoor performances, plays, bands (real bands, not copy artists) and no not at a mall.(Mayfaire? sorry that is not my idea of a family outing) I guess you have to like kayaking or be able to pay extraordinary amounts of money to take your child to Jengo’s for an art program, go to Hampstead or settle for the mundane with your child. The exposure factor here hard to digest and get. Fees for a family venture to the theater are expensive and the wow factor is limited it is very sad.
As for getting stuck in a town, NC as a state is hard to get out of I have found. It takes all you have and then some so good luck to you.
Keep the dream alive and do not become complacent!
Y’all are making me depressed. True, we do not have a Trader Joes, a Hare Krishna festival, or nice bike lanes. We also don’t have the Matterhorn, Greek ruins, and high speed rail. That would be Europe. This is Wilmington. We have darn pretty beaches.
Booker T. Washington said, “Cast down your bucket where you are”. There is actually more going on here than you describe. Have you been to the simple, beautiful, and free Arboretum? The walking trails behind Popular Grove Plantation? Check out the calendar on http://www.creativewilmington.com/calendar/ there is always something going on. (And btw if you want to get into Cameron or Cape fear Museums for free tomorrow, print out your pass at the Smithsonian website… http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/admission.html)
Don’t like corporate chain restaurants? Try Sweet and Savory, Genki, Tower 7, Pita Delite, try the South College Sandwich and Deli. There are more. Just walk along the riverwalk some cool evening, it’s fun.:)
You can plan to leave, move back to greener pastures, I get it, I really do, but don’t waste your time here feeling down… one day, you might be missing Wilmington.
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amy Reply:
September 26th, 2009 at 4:21 am
Hah! Just read this again… I meant “Poplar” Grove! Have a nice day.
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Jenna Reply:
September 27th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Sorry for making you depressed Amy. I think my point is that it is a lot harder to find things.
As for the food. I have eaten at all the places you mentioned and they are O.K. I also eat at Nickies downtown and just last month had a great meal at The Black Sea, I love the pomagranite mojitos at Yo Sake, I had lunch at Brixx pizza 2 weeks ago and it was pretty amazing. I would love to have a killer pastrami and a bowl of chicken noodle and matzo ball soup but alas no real deli and yes I have been to S & L on 17th.
I live 2 blocks from the Cape Fear Museum and go there often enough. I look at Creative Wilmington every week. We walk the river front all the time and go to the farmer’s market occasionaly. We go to the Arboretum and Airlie we have been to Poplar Grove a few times. I thank you for your suggestions.
I do like Wilmington and think it has a lot to offer. The mindset is different here and the diversity rare. I am not planning on moving anytime soon and truely not unhappy. My point again is there is a lot of work involved to find common things that I am accustomed too and also enable my young daughter exposure and experience as well.
Yes we do travel to other places as well. Wilmington is hard town.It definitely is a port town and cycles ecliptically. The art scene peaks, great galleries then none- downtown-etc. nothing really evolves just ends from my observation of the last 7 years.
Again I thank you for your options.
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amy Reply:
September 27th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Jenna,
Have a lovely day.
I appreciate your observations, too, I really do understand where you are coming from… I just don’t let my self “go there” or I’d forget to enjoy the little things here. One thing I can say about Wilmington, there are a ton of very nice people here, and that doesn’t change, and I’ve been here for 23 years. It is true, there were some more bohemian and “colorful” places that have closed… the Mad Monk was a wild live music venue in the spot of Carraba’s, the Carribean Cafe was near Flaming Amy’s and it was the best food I have ever tasted, ever, and Burrito Bob’s on Wrightsville Avenue… has never been replaced in my mind. I just mean, you are right, we take one step forward and two steps back. If I find that killer pastrami sandwich or matzo ball soup… you will be the first person I tell!
PS: The Black Sea? I will have to check it out!
Well said, Amy. People! I’ve been thinking about this exchange a lot — and of course I think about and try to understand my feelings for Wilmington constantly.
I wanted to say something about how Wilmington, exemplified in this discussion and discussions like it and a million other things, is unfinished. And so many people here are charged up, are working at neat things, are engaged. People we’ve met here who aren’t OK with Red Robin are trying to create alternatives for themselves, and they’re real, and earnest and hopeful. That’s a wonderful thing about this area.
And I have experienced — on the other hand — the complacency and smugness that comes in the midst of densest, urbane enclaves of gourmet Cambodian restaurants and rainbow grids of ashtanga yoga mats and CBA-free hydrating canisters or whatever. I love this area.
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I must say comparing the Bay Area or LA to Wilmington seems highly unfair. Until recently Wilmington was a sleepy port city with a mostly homogeneous population. But it’s changing, and mostly for the better (although natives might debate that point). As long as we’re making the comparison, though, let’s talk about traffic. I’ve lived in big cities most of my life, and do not miss the endless commutes in mind-numbing lines of cars. I can get virtually anywhere in Wilmington in 20 minutes or less, and I love that.
Forget the chain restaurants because they’re everywhere and don’t seem to be going away any time soon. Concentrate on the local efforts, places like The Tokyo Deli, A Taste of Italy, India Mahal, Nikki’s, Amy’s, Dixie Grill, Britts, etc.
Heads up, entrepreneurs! Maybe there’s a market in Wilmington for a Jewish deli and a taco stand. FYI: Matzo ball soup is easy to make, although I’ve not been able to duplicate the great version at Celebrity Deli outside of Washington, DC.
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It is a fantastic area.
I was feeling a little melancholic as it is my 7 year anniversary here.
I left LA for many reasons, the traffic, the vacuous people, the surreal reality of the bubble most live in and just plain old manners.
The best energy I have ever felt here was riding up the middle of the Cape Fear River towards the bridge at twilight on a boat and it all seemed possible…….
I would just love to see some of that come to fruition and maintain for a time. Most people I have met are very creative and motivated.
I am truely sad to see Una Luna has lost their lease and looking for 3000 sq. ft. as of Oct 6. Mark Evans will be demo-ing the building to put yet another hole in downtown Wilmington. Hopefully it will be filled with a wonderful project that will be affordable to the masses and it will be completed quickly so we do not have another mound of dirt to look at.
I guess we could start having dirt parties or something to make use of the land.
NEW RULE
Developers who do not build in a 3 month time period after tearing down or own vacant land beside a parking deck, Front St, Water Street—-should be required to put in sprinklers, grass, public art and allow usage as a park or community space until they build. To create a wholeness in the community.
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Krista Reply:
October 4th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Regarding the 3 month rule on developers. Genius. I didn’t know they were going to tear that building down. Does anyone know if it’s been ‘picked through’ on the inside? Meaning, the 100+ yr. old hardwoods, railings, hardware, etc.? I know the house next door to Taconis was BEAUTIFUL inside. Lots of original stuff still intact. And it was torn down w/o the goods getting culled. It would be awesome if we had something like an ‘Urban Ore’ (in Berkeley). Not unlike Habitat, but with lots more stuff to be had for re-use.
Also, in regards to a previous post you made, Jenna…very well put when you said that things here don’t evolve, just end. Oi vey.
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hi my name is Tammy, Iam writting from Michigan. I stumbled across this site by researching the wilmington area because I have been thinking of transfering my Michigan college credits over to cape fear college, due to the fact that cape fear has a fairly easy nursing program in comparison to Michigans steep and strict requirements in the nursing program. though now Iam not so sure after reading these threads…lol…is this town like a strict, old school southern town or something else? can anyone tell me how the employment is there? is the crime comparable to other u.s. cities or is crime in that area in the higher range? is there anything odd about this town or the people in it? someone mentioned that the school systems are less than expected, how are the schools? iam kinda worried about walking into the “unknown” or the strange for that matter lol..i have a humorous side to me..so there is a tad of humor in my questions..if anyone can give me heads up it would be fully appreciated…best reguards…Tammy from Michigan
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Ian Reply:
April 6th, 2010 at 5:33 am
Hi Tammy. Like many people here, I moved to the area several years ago from Somewhere Very Different. It’s really grown on me.
Wilmington has some of the same issues that all fast-growing areas have — that all “discovered” areas have, let’s say. It’s in transition, and that transition creates friction. And I think that’s For the Good. It also has the goods you’d expect from a coastal, medium-sized city — the beach, the climate, some of that laid-back feel. A beautiful downtown. Opportunities.
I’m afraid its challenges are more easily communicated than its virtues. The challenges read better, in other words. The things that are great about Wilmington are sometimes harder to articulate. But I flat-out *love* living here! You’ll have to take my word for it that the advantages FAR outweigh the disadvantages. See you down here.
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Meghan Reply:
April 6th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Hi Tammy,
I agree with much of what Ian said.
I moved down here 3 years ago from the Sault Ste. Marie area of MI. It was a big change going from such a rural area to a growing, properous area like Wilmington. I LOVE it here. Compared to MI, the employment is better, the crime comparable, people friendlier in general, and the weather isn’t as harsh. There are great schools and schools that could be improved, but that goes for other cities too. Also, Wilmington has a strong medical community. If you’re going into nursing, this is the place to be.
As someone who isn’t very religious, I was worried about moving to the South. However, I found Wilmington to be diversified and forward thinking, not just an old southern town. Everyday I’m thankful I moved. This is a place of opportunity.
Also, if you need a realtor to help you with the transition, I know a good one. meghanriley@seacoastrealty.com
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i grew up here, moved to nyc in 1985, and moved back in 2007. it’s a love hate thing. hate the racisim and lack of true diversity and inability to go out to eat with my dang gluten allergy going wildfire. but i agree with ian – it’s a town in progress, and i love where it’s heading, and love the influx of amazing people.
when i was growing up here, there weren’t many of us phreaky people – theater and holistic stuff and just plain different. now there’s a film festival! and the coop is growing into this superb food revolution community service hub! and at 44 years old, i can die my hair partially purple and folks don’t freak too awfully hard! and i can run my shamanic journeying groups and folks actually show up. and there is activism and culture and some decent eateries!
there’s something very Yes happening here on the Carolina coast . . . but it’s very unique here . . . you have to put a fair amount of effort to finding your groove, and like-minded folks . . . imo anyhoo
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