Carolina Beach
Carolina Beach is just 20 minutes down the road from downtown Wilmington North Carolina on a narrow slip of land pressed between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean and dubbed Pleasure Island. Established in 1857
when Joseph Winner planned the streets and lots for the 50 acres of beach property he had purchased.
In the heart of Carolina Beach is Jubilee Park
one of two amusement parks on the southern coast. Nearby
you'll find water slides
miniature golf courses and other things that appeal to the kids. The town also has a movie theater
grocery stores and bait shops. The beachfront motels
including several vintage motor courts
offer a welcome blast from the past. If you were a kid during the '50s and your parents took you on vacation to the beach
this was the kind of place where you probably stayed.
Carolina Beach also offers one of the state parks in the region
where you can enjoy the wonders of nature. Venus's flytrap
a carnivorous plant
is abundant in the park. This plant
a relic from pre-human existence on the planet
grows naturally within a 60 mile radius of Wilmington North Carolina.
The community is growing in appeal to locals from Wilmington North Carolina for one big reason: It isn't crowded yet. Many a Wilmingtonian has given Wrightsville Beach over to visitors for the summer in the past few years and turned to Carolina Beach for a quiet spot on the sand.
Downtown Wilmington
North Carolina Today
Aside from being the center of government for the city and New Hanover County
downtown Wilmington is also the center of the cultural arts scene. Downtown Wilmington also hosts many art galleries
music shops and the Cape Fear Museum. The popularity and charm of this area has attracted many retail stores
financial institutions
entertainment
filmmaking and dining facilities.
During the day
downtown Wilmington is quaint and charming
but at night it comes alive in a whole new way. Dance clubs
jazz bars
live soaps
local and touring musicals
venues for rock "n" roll
rhythm and blues and more can be found in the 55 block area of the downtown commercial district. Perhaps the nicest thing about downtown Wilmington
and something that separates it from the rest of the city and nearby communities
is its pleasant and fascinating walkability. The Riverwalk
with its view of the Battleship North Carolina moored on the western shore
is a great place to stroll
grab a hot dog from a street vendor
listen to free music and gaze at the river.
Because Wilmington is a prominent international port of call
it's likely that you'll see an occasional ship being escorted by tugs up the river. The Star-News publishes an announcement when the ships are in town as a courtesy
the ships offer free tours of their oceangoing quarters.
The residential area of downtown Wilmington
lush with live oaks draped in Spanish moss
beautiful azaleas and native oleander
is a plant enthusiast's delight. Most of the homes downtown have private gardens that are occasionally opened to the public during special events such as the Azalea Festival in the spring and Riverfest in the fall. A walk through these areas is not only aesthetically pleasant
but it can be educationally fun too.
The film industry lends an exciting opportunity for spotting the occasional celebrity or just watching the process of making movies. Filmmaking now accounts for 11 percent of the local economy and has the potential for growth as a result of Wilmington's well established film industry infrastructure
including EUE/Screen Gems Studios
a seasoned crew base
and active film commission and a large talent pool. Today only Los Angeles and New York City surpass Wilmington in film production. Since the first movie filmed here in 1983 (Dino DeLaurentiis' Firestarter) Wilmington has been home to more than 300 movies and six television series
with Dawson's Creek as the area's latest hit. Stars spotted in recent years include Bruce Willis
Richard Gere
Katherine Hepburn
Alec Baldwin
Kim Basinger
Mathew Modine
Sharon Stone
Patrick Swayze
Julie Harris and Anthony Hopkins. Linda Lavin
Broadway star and a woman known affectionately as "Alice" from the '40s TV series
lives downtown and works closely with the Community Arts Center.