Student report by Jenny G. – Highlights in Wilmington
In and around Wilmington there are a lot of nice places to visit and spend the day.
Aussie Island
If you want to spend a sunny day at Wrightsville Beach you can rent surfboards, bikes, beach chairs and much more at Aussie Island Surf Shop which is located near Beach Access #29, which is a popular place for students to be spending their time at the beach.
Airlie Gardens is also a beautiful place to visit when you have good weather. It is a public garden with historical background and as a student you get free access every first Sunday of the month.
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is about half an hour away from campus and a great alternative on rainy days.
Bars & restaurants
Hi-Wire Brewery
One of my favorite places in Downtown Wilmington was Reel Cafe, which is a four story building that includes a restaurant downstairs and bars upstairs. You can get great food and on the weekends they have a dance floor outside on the rooftop. Also if you like singing karaoke this is place might be worth looking into.
During our first week in Wilmington the international students very invited to Hi-Wire Brewery where you can enjoy one of their self made beers in the beer garden (assuming you are 21+) or play soccer pool, table tennis or other games with your friends.
The Might As Well Bar & Grill, also called MAW is a very popular place for students since it is located right next to campus and offers a nice atmosphere for a relaxed evening. Right next to it you can get great deals for tacos and other Mexican food at Islands or treat yourself to some Japanese Cuisine at Yoshi Sushi Bar.
If you feel like going out during the week then Palm Room is your place to be. They offer great music and drinks for 2$ every Tuesday.
Highlights on campus
The great thing about living on campus in Wilmington is that you don’t even need to drive far or even leave the campus at all if you are looking for some entertainment.
UNCW has their own cinema, an amphitheater, daily entertainment programs, and nice places to relax at. Depending on where you live you get access to your own pool and in front of my building we were able to rent hammocks.
You can also rent equipment for all sorts of sports at the student recreation center which is the biggest most well equipped gym I ever got to work out in.
