[Rail Paul]

Dee and I visited Wilmington NC a few months ago. It's a pleasant city now, located on the Cape Fear River, a few miles up from the ocean. The area has become very popular with retirees from the north, and sprawling single family condominiums are tucked among extensive golf courses on gated properties.

Wilmington, and its across the bay neighbor, Wrightsville Beach are usually the first point of arrival for incoming hurricanes. The intersection of the channel bridge, US 74 and US 76 has a marker to indicate where the TV crews often photo the storm surge, blowing traffic lights, etc.

Here's the NY Times's September 2004 description

Shrimp and grits at the Pilot House (2 Ann Street, 910-343-0200; entrance on Water Street), an 1870 house on the Cape Fear River. Among the low-country-influenced specialties of the chef Matt Karas is sweet potato grouper ($21.95) with organic greens and mushroom ravioli.

Breakfast of standards like biscuits, grits and gravy and bacon and eggs at the Dixie Grill (116 Market Street, 910-762-7280), a genuine Southern greasy spoon that was renovated and updated by the proprietor, Brian Mayberry, two years ago.

Meet Bob Jenkins, your guide, at Riverfront Park at the foot of Market Street for the Wilmington Adventure Walking Tour (910-763-1785, $10). Under his straw hat, Mr. Jenkins's mind probably holds as much living knowledge of the city as anyone's. And with a milewide drawl, he'll tell you about it as he bounds through town, rolling off facts like an auctioneer and stopping all traffic with a lift of his arm and cane. The original settlers were ''Southern second sons,'' you will be told, who made a fortune denuding the longleaf pine forests for wood, rosin and turpentine. Downtown, where he led the charge to preserve historical buildings in the 1970's and 80's, Mr. Jenkins can provide the history of almost every building -- and colorful details about the gentry who built them, like the Wright family, who owned a good deal of land along the coast.

Some people will have problems with Mr Jenkins. I did. Mr Jenkins is an old Southern gentleman, and his attitudes toward racial issues date from the 1950s. We had words, so Dee and I took an early exit from his tour.

George on the RiverWalk (128 South Water Street, 910-763-2052), a new place getting rave reviews from the locals for its crab cake ($12) and pork loin pressed Cuban sandwich ($9).

Deluxe (114 Market Street, 910-251-0333) has a lowcountry-Asian-Italian-influenced menu, a Wine Spectator award of excellence and terrific eclectic décor. Try creations of the chefs, Keith Rhodes and Steve Harrington, like the pan-seared day-boat red grouper, which comes with crab potato hash, asparagus in a fennel-leek-smoked-bacon vinaigrette and béarnaise ($26).


Wilmington NC

[Rail Paul]

Coastal Living magazine has an article about Wilmington NC and its beaches. Nice pictures.

Dining: The George; 910/763-2052 or thegeorgeontheriverwalk.com. YoSake Sushi; 910/763-3172 or yosake.com. Water Street Restaurant; 910/343-0042 or 5southwaterstreet.com. Circa 1922; 910/762-1922 or circa1922.com.

Activities: Kayak tours from Salt Marsh Kayak Company start at $45 per person; 866/655-2925 or saltmarshkayak.com. Tours of the battleship North Carolina are $12; 910/251-5797 or battleshipnc.com.

Coastal Living

Hit the beach!

On a spring evening, downtown Wilmington presents a mix of candlelit bistros, oyster houses, and bookshops where tar sheds, ice shacks, and warehouses once stood. The Barbary Coast is the town’s most colorful watering hole, complete with crusty bartender. Monday is movie night, when locals bring in homemade films to show on the big-screen TV. The bar attracts plenty of salty dogs, both citizens and their Labradors. Travelers are welcome, if they don’t mind the pets. Another stop to consider: the Water Street Restaurant, which offers entertainment by local musicians as well as nighttime views across the river to the battleship North Carolina.

A stroll up Castle Street leads to a grocery-turned-art-showcase, the Era Gallery. A lively crowd fills the old building, celebrating an exhibition by James Coleman, an up-and-coming painter from Washington, D.C. “These are all locals,” owner Chet Fisher says, pointing to the black-and-white portraits lining the white walls. “Most came here to work in the movies and never left.”

[SRD]

I use to live in Wilmington, near Dartford, in Kent (UK) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington,_Kent.
The younger brother of the family I lodged with had been a schoolfriend of Mick Jagger, who had been banned from the house after the parents came home to find him (MJ) screwing his girlfriend on the kitchen table.

[Squeat Mungry]

I was born in Wilmington.

[SRD]

I was born in Wilmington.

NC or UK?

[Squeat Mungry]

I was born in Wilmington.

NC or UK?

NC. Both sides of my family have been in North Carolina for many, many generations.

[splinky]

I was born in Wilmington.

NC or UK?

NC. Both sides of my family have been in North Carolina for many, many generations.

my daddy's people are from around there

[Squeat Mungry]

I was born in Wilmington.

NC or UK?

NC. Both sides of my family have been in North Carolina for many, many generations.

my daddy's people are from around there

Almost no one in my family is left there. Maybe a cousin or two. For whatever reasons, my generation scattered to the four corners.

[splinky]

I was born in Wilmington.

NC or UK?

NC. Both sides of my family have been in North Carolina for many, many generations.

my daddy's people are from around there

Almost no one in my family is left there. Maybe a cousin or two. For whatever reasons, my generation scattered to the four corners.

are you my daddy?

[Squeat Mungry]

I was born in Wilmington.

NC or UK?

NC. Both sides of my family have been in North Carolina for many, many generations.

my daddy's people are from around there

Almost no one in my family is left there. Maybe a cousin or two. For whatever reasons, my generation scattered to the four corners.

are you my daddy?

Unlikely. But I hear you can find out for $29.95!