Yes to The Carolinas But No to Myrtle
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1/4/2019
We were looking for a new city, and Myrtle Beach had had enough press that we were curious to check it out. A 30something and 40something couple, both of us have travelled extensively, both nationally and internationally. Our goal was to find warmer weather, a lovely historic home, an artsy and creative city where prices were still affordable.
Myrtle absolutely delivered on the warmer weather and being near to the beach is an added bonus. There are extensive golfing opportunities and lots of outlet malls and chain restaurants. If you are considering retirement, this may well be a city that you would want to consider. The newer communities offer some great layouts and nice amenities. Although it is true that traffic increases seasonally, that’s still infinitely preferable to the year round gridlock of DC, NYC and LA- all places that we have lived.
As a younger culturally minded couple who is considering starting a family, however, Myrtle just wan’t for us. We were searching for an historic neighborhood with walking distance to downtown- Wilmington NC (Where we landed! Yay!) has more than 300 blocks of historic homes. Downtown proper is fun and funky, the restaurants are locally owned and operated- cafes and coffee shops, vintage clothing stores... lots of dog parks, micro breweries. There is an undeniably artsy flair here, that we just didn’t find in Myrtle. There are plenty of golf courses, new developments, shopping amenities and big box stores, but the design of Wilmington is such that you have a choice- it isn’t entirely one way or the other. We love it.
Bottom line- If you’re looking for affordable housing, great weather, inexpensive golfing and sprawling suburbia does not bother you, Myrtle offers that in spades. There is an abundance of chain restaurants and several beaches. If your preference is for a port city with incredible history, unique eats and a dog friendly town where porch parties are common, Wilmington is possibly the best kept secret on the East Coast. With direct flights to NYC and other areas, major cities are easily accessible. ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘One Tree Hill’ were both filmed here, and with neighborhoods this beautiful it’s easy to understand why.
Samira | Wilmington, NC