a postcard from Wilmington, North Carolina

here's my weekend getaway guide to wilmy 💕

Wilmington (affectionately referred to as “Wilmy” or “ILM”) is a beach town energized by the young blood brought to it by the vibrant University of North Carolina Wilmington. It was my first time visiting, and I was pleasantly surprised at how the energy of the town was the perfect blend of “relaxing chill” and “hip trendy”, and how it created a really interesting atmosphere. Wilmington is a beach town that doesn’t have “all of their eggs in one basket”—the eggs being the town’s economy and the basket being the beach scene—where beach gear shops and boardwalk restaurants only make up 60% of their business (versus 95% for other beach towns like Murrells Inlet). Wilmy also has a decent downtown/riverfront scene, a beautiful academic campus, and many other things to do when you’re visiting!

Here’s what I got up to and would recommend if you find yourself there for a weekend 😎

table of contents

**if you’re new to Substack, there is also a built-in table of contents on the left!

destinations // things to do, places to see, experiences to be had

food food // repetitive word usage to emphasize legit-ness of its qualification as being meal material; defined as anything that contains nutritional value to fuel that hot bod of yours

schnackos // anything from a nibble to a dessert; anything edible that the responsible adult in you wouldn’t comfortably qualify as meal material but wish could be

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destinations

AIRLIE GARDENS

I have grown into an absolute sucker for gardens—the natural, the curated, there’s no bias! This garden estate was founded by Sarah and Pembroke Jones in 1901; it’s comprised of 67 acres, 75,000 azaleas, the state of North Carolina’s oldest Live Oak (dating back to the 1500s!), and many many picturesque places for photo ops. An absolute steal for $10/adult💥 pro tip: the Airlie Oak is the centerpiece of many weddings, so double check to make sure there’s not a private event before you visit.

wouldn’t this be cute for a picnic?

CARGO DISTRICT

A social district first constructed in 2017, it has since blossomed into its own community of retail shops, restaurants, bars, residential spaces, etc. The creative usage of cargo containers oozes modern vibes—where the culture aims to normalize environmental sustainability and thinking outside of the *box* (😏). Possibly one of the coolest areas in Wilmington if you enjoy architecture, aside from the historic buildings in Downtown!

CAROLINA BEACH

This is the most popular beach near Wilmington, known for Britt’s Donuts, its iconic boardwalk and Ferris wheel, a mini amusement park and fair food stands, and many many people laying on the beach. The distance between sand and the ocean is more narrow compared with Wrightsville Beach, and it can be quite crowded, so come here if you don’t mind being a little cozy with your neighbors! pro tip: parking is paid during peak season, but not too difficult to find. Here’s a resource I found helpful: Carolina Beach Town Parking Map.

DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON + RIVERFRONT

Downtown Wilmington is tucked between the Riverfront on the west and the Historic District on the east, and is chock full of cute boutiques (i.e., Edge of Urge had a great selection of girly goods), nice restaurants, and trendy coffee shops. You could totally spend a full afternoon putzing these streets if you don’t spend too long at the beach (me 🤪)! pro tip: if you don’t mind walking, you can get free street parking on the edge of Downtown on N. 5th Ave. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay for street parking or at a parking lot.

KURE BEACH

From what I can tell, the draw to this beach is its fishing pier; otherwise, it’s an extension of Carolina Beach (a 4-mile jaunt’s worth). The beach was relatively well kept but it didn’t have a very vibrant and exciting food and drink scene nearby (this area just felt like a “barebones beach town”). If you enjoy being able to walk from the sand to your afternoon pick-me-up, Carolina Beach is definitely the beach to go to. pro tip: if you’re looking for a refreshing and hydrating beverage at an affordable price, get the CostCo organic coconut water from the small corner food mart! It made me feel like I was sipping a fresh coconut in the tropics 😇

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON

We stayed in an Airbnb 10 minutes from campus and I also know a couple of alumni…so we figured it would be such a missed opportunity if we didn’t at least walk its perimeter! UNCW is everything my friends described: a beautiful campus that still exudes “we’re in a beach town” even though it’s fairly inland. I was in love with the elegant columns near Morton Hall and was intrigued by all of the patches of sand evenly sprinkled throughout campus even though the campus is a 30+ minute hike to the nearest beach? Regardless, totally see how UNCW would make for a great college experience! pro tip: parking is completely free during summer break!

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH

While a visit to Wrightsville Beach means you’re forgoing the ever popular Carolina Beach and its boardwalk and amusement park, Wrightsville Beach has a classier energy and its own highlights that you can’t miss! Wrightsville Beach has a calmer energy, a wider beach, and is more known for its water sports (paddleboarding, surfing, deep sea fishing, etc.). It has one of the oldest concrete piers in North Carolina, the Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier (entrance fee of $2-3), and has a great selection of local shops, boutiques, and restaurants with a view of the ocean. pro tip: parking is much more difficult to find here than at Carolina Beach during peak season, we had to circle for 45 min - 1 hr!

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food food

ANNE BONNY’S BAR AND GRILL

This is a boat that’s been transformed into a riverfront restaurant, open since 2017! Nothing makes me feel more like I’m on a beach trip than indulging in a classic Calabash-style seafood platter next to a waterfront. But Anne Bonny’s leveled that up for me: at Anne Bonny’s you get to be right next to the Cape Fear River—there’s no boardwalk, window glass, or greenery separating you and the deep water—just the wall of the boat & yourself. Eating fried grouper & shrimp with the Cape Fear River at my feet is a top beach trip experience for me ✨ pro tip: you have to put your name in and they’ll remove your name if you don’t come within 5 minutes of receiving your text…so don’t wander too far~

DRIFT COFFEE SHOP + KITCHEN

Co-founders Ben and Michael Powell founded their first location in Ocean Isle Beach, NC, and since then have expanded to 10+ storefronts scattered in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and Wilmington. They own all of their locations and don’t plan to franchise¹, so while they have multiple locations it will remain a regional chain. It’s a great place to get a refreshing and nourishing bite to eat, a pastry & coffee, or a smoothie that sustains like no other (summertime isn’t complete without a great smoothie anyhow!).

INDOCHINE RESTAURANT

Indochine was possibly the #1 most recommended restaurant to me. Between the jaw-dropping ambiance (the extensively decorated indoor and outdoor areas will easily teleport you to another world), the easy-to-love Vietnamese-Thai blended menu, and the darling souvenir shop on the edge of the building, it’s no wonder it’s known as “the most iconic Wilmington restaurant.” pro tip: they don’t take reservations, so put your name in early if you’re going on a weekend night! Our wait was 2 hours…so we had to find a plan B 💔 but not before taking a thorough tour of the compound!

SALITA PIZZA

I guarantee you that this pizza shop will catch your eye in the Cargo District! The chic lettering will draw you in, and then the ingredient list will hook you—full stop. Salita Pizza specializes in making naturally-leavened Neapolitan-style pizza, using 100% organic local stone-milled flour, reverse osmosis water, and organic olive oil. The toppings are all locally sourced, too…can they check anymore trendy health buzz words? pro tip: the pizzas are definitely personal-sized (~10 inches), so order accordingly!

THE HALF

They serve quality sandwiches, alcoholic beverages, local art, and a quaint backyard patio with picnic tables. The menu is concise but inclusive—there’s a great variety of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous options, as well as both warmed and cold sandwich options! pro tip: there’s a constant stream of people after doors open, so either get here early or prepare for a wait

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schnackos

BOOMBALATTI’S

A lifelong dream that came to life in 2015, owners Wes and Kristen quit their corporate America jobs to make some of the best ice cream in Wilmington. Every scoop is made in-house with local NC grass-fed dairy with no artificial flavors and colors. The texture is extremely smooth and the ice cream mix-ins are so fresh (no stale pie crumbs in these scoops!). Boombalatti’s also carries vegan ice cream using a coconut milk base! recs: the coffee cookies and cream, chocolate cream pie, and fluffer nutter butter—an ultimate trio 💥

BRITT’S DONUT SHOP

Located on the boardwalk of Carolina Beach, they’ve been making one thing since 1939: from-scratch, glazed, yeasted doughnuts that remind me so much of Hole Doughnuts in Asheville!! These doughnuts are iconic to the town and have frequently been ranked among the top 10 doughnuts in the country. pro tip: they only take cash, but if you forget there’s also an ATM right next door :)

HIDDEN GROUNDS COFFEE

This coffee shop was opened by a trio of UNC Wilmington alumni in 2023, and it has skyrocketed to one of the trendiest coffee shops to visit in Wilmy! What puts them on the map is… everything?! They have a super cute outdoor dining space (Jurassic Park vibes), stunning marketing and branding work (dinos + cowboys, hip merchandise), and a creative coffee menu. pro tip: come early, they often have a queue! We had to wait 30 minutes before ordering our coffee at 9am 🤯

LITTLE LOAF BAKERY & SCHOOLHOUSE

The best bakery in Wilmington if you’re looking for viennoiserie and “old world” bread loaves that feel like Europe! Opened in 2022, they have a beautiful patio space ✨, a cozy porch, and the cutest interior. Everything is baked fresh daily, and they also offer classes (hence the “schoolhouse”)! pro tips: (1) get there 15 minutes before they open to get the best selection (they’ve sold out within 2 hours before), (2) if you’re there you can “pre-order”/claim a pastry that is in mid-bake and they’ll deliver to you later, (3) the menu is different day-to-day to help with production (i.e., croissants only on Saturdays, Danishes only on Sundays), so plan accordingly!

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and… that’s a wrap 😊 please share any other Wilmington recs and tips in the comments below & let me know if you visit any of these places!

1. Carver, Shea. “Coffee shop and cafe to open 3 local stores by mid-summer.” Port City Daily. (March 19, 2025)