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Wilmington Area Information – City of Wilmington – www.Wilmingtonnc.gov
Wilmington – also known as the "Port City" has 100,192 (according to the Wilmington Star News) although the population swells with tourists in summer months. Since its incorporation in 1739, Wilmington has become the center of education, commerce and culture in Southeastern North Carolina. The city was a center of Revolutionary activity in the 1760s and the 1770s; it was also the site of an early protest against British taxation. During the Civil War, Confederate blockage runners operated out of Wilmington. During the 20th century, Wilmington became an industrial center. With annexations in the 1990s, the city has grown to cover an area of New Hanover County from the Cape Fear River to the Intracoastal Waterway and from Smith Creek to the intersection of South College and Carolina Beach roads.
Government
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Council-manager form of Government.
- 6 member of city council
- Council appoints a city manager
- Currently Sterling Cheatham serves in that post.
City Services
- Sewer and water provided by the Cape Fear Public Utility
- Garbage – 341-7875
- Fire and police protection
- Street maintenance and traffic control
- Parks and recreation
- On the web - www.Wilmingtonnc.gov
- Community TV channel.
- Current Mayor – Bill Saffo
City Attractions
New Hanover County sandwiched between Pender and Brunswick counties, The Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, Covers 199 square miles. The county was formed in 1729 from Craven County and was named for the House of Hanover, the ruling family of Britain at that time. Wilmington is the county seat. In the 1990’s New Hanover County was the fastest-growing counties in the US as it population grew 33.3%. One of the state’s smallest counties in land size, it is one of the densest in population and is 95% urban.
Government
- 5 seat Board of Commissioners, elected to staggered 4 year terms. Chairman – Ted Davis
- Commissioners choose a chairman.
- Board approves a county manager who serves as governments chief executive
Services provided by the county
- Fire protection
- Water and sewer systems through the newly formed Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, which handles customers in the unincorporated areas and Wilmington
- Libraries and parks
- Sheriffs office, county jail and courthouse project
- Commissioners appoint boards to manage the county owned New Hanover Regional Hospital and Wilmington International Airport
- Public School system is provided with tax dollars and managed by an elected Board of Education.
Population
- Estimated -200,000 – total households – 81,514. (2009)
Town Hall 1121 N. Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach NC 28428
History: The history of the town of Carolina Beach began in 1857 when Joseph L. Winner bought 50 acres in southern New Hanover county and planned streets and lots. The town was named St. Joseph but the area did not flourish until a dock and railroad were built. In the early 1900s, Capt. John W. Harper ran a ferry on the Cape Fear River between the beach and Wilmington and was active in the beach’s development. The town was renamed Carolina Beach and incorporated in 1925. The town has nearly 5,388 year – round residents. The City comprises the northern most tip of "Pleasure Island" and has the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Carolina Beach Canal on the West. The northern tip of the island is spot where people can drive sport utility vehicles out on the beach for a daily fee or obtain a seasonal pass. You can then drive your truck to park ocean front. It is very popular with surfers, fishermen and swimmers. City has a business district and is now being developed after the initial opening 3 years ago of an oceanfront Marriot Hotel. A new hotel is in construction phase for downtown with many new restaurants recently opened. One, the Harbourmaster, is to have canal front access for boats.
Recently the Boardwalk has been renovated with a nice gazebo and updated store fronts. An amusement park sets up in the busy summer months for kids of all ages. Also during the summer there are free movies, free band concerts and fireworks every week.
The city has recently bought property and is planning a park, pier and an aquarium to be built in this area.
Government
- 5 member elected town council with a mayor currently Joel Macon.
- Council hires a town manager to serve as the town’s chief executive
- Tim Owens has that job as of 2006.
Services
- Water and sewer provided by the town
- Garbage collection
- Fire and police protection
- Street maintenance
- Parks and recreation
History
After Hans Anderson Kure came from Denmark in the early 1970s, he bought land near the southern end of New Hanover County, including property that would later be named for his family. Kure died in 1916, but his children developed the area and called it Fort Fisher Sea Beach, after the nearby Civil War stronghold. His son, Lawrence Kure, built a pier in 1920, and people who came to see the land around it called it Kure’s Beach. The town was incorporated in 1947 and is home to about 2000 year round residents. There is a multitude of new and old beach style houses for sale here. You can find oceanfront duplexes from $ 1 million to houses for over $ 2 million. There is also more affordable beach housing 1- 5 blocks off the beach – many within walking range of the gorgeous Kure Beaches and their beach accesses. Available for sale in this area are beach cottages and newer duplexes - some brand new. It is a very laid back, beachy community.
One very important tourist attraction is the North Carolina Aquarium. It offers a wide range of educational and volunteer opportunities. There are many programs with changing exhibits and a huge tank where divers go to feed fish daily. It is an amazing nature exhibit for kids and adults alike. www.ncaquariums.com
Government
An elected mayor and four member Town Council govern the town. The mayor is elected every two years and council members are elected every 4 years with overlapping terms.
Services
Town services include water and sewer systems, garbage collection, fire and police protection, street maintenance and traffic control.
Wrightsville Beach has transformed from a summer retreat accessible only by train and boat to a year round seaside town that averages about 2400 full time permanent residents. The town, chartered in 1899, is a collection of small barrier islands between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. It was named for a family that owned land in the area. The beaches are similar to Caribbean beaches; white sandy beaches with turquoise water . 
Many different styles of homes are available from small beach cottages to sprawling huge oceanfront homes with 5-6 bedrooms. You can even buy a one room condo that can be rented nightly when you are not there – Shell Island resort. www.shellisland.com. Available for sale are condos with an Intracoastal Waterway view – many of which come with boatslips. They are within walking distance to the beach and restaurants. There is a Holiday Inn Sunspree and the Blockade Runner - large oceanfront hotels. There are smaller hotels and private homes and condos available for rent on the beach. You can also buy property here with boatslips and docks for boating. Wrightsville beach also has a museum with beach memorabilia and artifacts. www.wbmuseum.com
There is a boat tour that departs from the Blockade Runner Beach Resort and tours the area beaches and islands. www.capefeanaturalist.com
The area has a walking trail called the LOOP that circles Harbor Island and Wrightsville Beach which is about 2.8 miles long with sidewalks and is very popular with walkers, runners and dog walkers too.
One of the islands in this group of islands is called Harbor Island and is a family community with picturesque live oaks and lots of waterfront properties.
The area has many fine restaurants including the Bridgetender, Oceanic, Dockside, Tidewater, Bluewater and Boca Bay. You can buy fresh fish also. There are large boat facilities with sales, storage and slips. Redix, a local store has everything from fishing gear to designer clothing. A US post office and some specialty shops are also on the island.
Government
An elected 5 member Board of Aldermen, which includes a mayor, governs the town. The board appoints a town manager, who runs the town's day-to-day operations. Robert Simpson has filled that position since 2005. The mayor is elected every 2 years and council members are elected every four years, with overlapping terms.
Services
Town services include water and sewer systems, garbage collection, fire and police protection, street maintenance, traffic control and parks and recreation.
Unincorporated Areas
Castle Hayne
The Castle Hayne area, around US 117 and NC 133 in northern New Hanover County, was established in 1861 as Spring Garden. By 1882, the area had become known as Castle Haynes, for a house built before the Revolutionary War by Roger Haynes. The railroad and post office shortened the name to Castle Hayne. Public institutions include Castle Hayne Volunteer Fire Dept and Castle Hayne post office. To gain more control over its future, residents have considered incorporating the community but nothing has come of those discussions thus far.
In the area is the northern most campus of Cape Fear Community College which is in its 50th year, adding programs, and buildings to support its growing student population.
Masonboro
Masonboro dates from pre-Revolutionary War days, when it was a resort area. The area, on Masonboro sound, was named for a group of Masons who built houses there in the late 18th Century. It is located in southern east coastal New Hanover County. The oldest houses still standing, however, date from the 1870’s. Earlier houses were destroyed by fire. There is also an island called Masonboro Island – www.nccoastalreserve.com conservation area which is used for recreation by area residents. They dock boats on the island and surf and swim on this unhabitated 8 mile island. There are new townhouses in this area of town with a small shopping area and a large development of upscale brick homes starting in the $600K range and on up. Some of these subdivisions include: Windward Oaks, www.windwardoaks.org, Masonboro Forest, Treybrooke, the Reserve at Masonboro, Andrews Reach, Beasley at Masonboro.
Myrtle Grove
Located in southern New Hanover County, Myrtle Grove, more commonly known as Monkey Junction, was once a quiet rural community. More recently, though, major commercial development – primarily strip malls and large box retailers – Walmart and Lowes, has sprung up. Development, which began where Carolina Beach and South College roads meet, has spread north and south of the intersection. There are also 2 public golf courses in this general area that have resale houses on and around the course. One is Beau Rivage and the other is the Cape. The whole Cape course has been revamped and will be a great feature to this development. It is incorporating not only a new golf course Masonboro Golf Club but a new clubhouse and spa facility- www.Masonborocountryclub.com . On the river side of this general area many new subdivisons are planned including one across from the river with an 18 hole golf course and 2600 new upscale homes planned. A volunteer fire department and schools are among the public institutions in Myrtle Grove.
Ogden
Middle Sound – Ogden is a waterfront community seeing major housing development in the formerly rural land along Middle Sound Loop Road and commercial development along Market Street. A large waterfront with docks community - Mason Landing is being planned on this loop. www.Masonlanding.com It will have custom homes and boatslips available for sale.
Other recent subdivisions in this area include Demarest Village and Demarest Landing.
Thousands of new homes also are either being built or planned for rapidly growing neighborhoods just north of US 17. Public institutions include Ogden Elementary School ( popular year round school) www.nhcs.k12.nc.us/Ogden.
Porters Neck
Longtime residents of this quiet, rural community in northern New Hanover County have watched droves of new people move there in the past few years. Developers initiated and helped pay for a major sewer line that allowed them to build and connect to the county’s sewer system. Because of the increase in residential growth, Ogden Volunteer Fire Department built a satellite fire station along Porters Neck Road to serve that community and Figure Eight Island, an exclusive development that restricts access to residents via a swing bridge and 24 hour security. Marsh Oaks, Porters Neck Plantation along with other projects along Porters Neck Road are some of the new housing areas here. There is also a private golf course and tennis club at Porters Neck Plantation. www.portersneckcountryclub.com It is open to members and the general public can buy memberships through REALTORS. Ogden's main fire station, a public park with soccer fields and a playground and public schools are among the public facilities in the community.
One of the top private golf courses in the country according to Golf Magazine - # 97 - Eagles Point Golf Course is in this area. www.Eaglepointgc.com
Seagate
Seagate, a residential community in eastern New Hanover County on the south side of Bradley Creek, was established in 1890. The area took its name from its location on an inlet of Wrightsville Sound.Public institutions include Seagate Volunteer Fire Department and the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Service and Arboretum on the former site of Bradley Creek School. Some new housing is in the works for this area which is very close to Wrightsville Beach. Many new small businesses and new commercial buildings have sprung up in this community. The Shops of Seagate, an antique shop, is one example of a new small business in this area.
Wrightsboro
Wrightsboro is a closely knit community along US 133, tucked between Wrightsboro Elementary School and the Wrightsboro Volunteer Fire Department.The community also has a shopping center called Wrightsboro Plaza, which is anchored by a Food Lion supermarket.
Figure 8 Island
The residents of affluent Figure 8 Island, a private community, are separated from the rest of the area by more than a strip of water. A guard at the swing bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway restricts traffic to residents and guests. Others must take a boat to reach the beach, which is considered public property. Developer Bruce Cameron put lots up for sale in the mid 1960’s. There are more than 400 homes on the island, but only about 100 year round resident. You may only visit this island to view property with a REALTOR or by invitation only. Properties are very high end and currently start at $1.9 million ranging to $5.5 million. Intracoastal Realty has many fine homes for sale on the island which is home to movie stars, senators and CEOs.
Seabreeze
Seabreeze, an unincorporated community in southern New Hanover County, was developed as a resort for blacks during the early 1920s. The town was founded by members and friends of the Freeman family on land the patriarch, R.B. Freeman, had acquired in bits and pieces since antebellum days. This area is currently being developed with oceanfront property and lots for sale and a small sub-division of new houses planned.