[mglan80]

^^In addition to what Joe wrote, nearly all of the residential growth in the city is due to one company: Buccini/Pollin. They have nearly single handedly created a highend residential market in downtown Wilmington. They had vision and audacity when the other local and established builders and developers had only chips on their shoulders.

Wilmington is benefiting from a more diverse economy than most other similarly sized cities, who normally have county and city government offices, a few law firms and a few local and national bank operations/offices. Wilmington has a range of large corporate operations from chemical to finance to local insurance carriers, as well as a large legal community built around the Chancery Court. These attract young and relatively affluent talent, which as everyone knows, is the key to a healthy and mixed urban environment.

It's too bad Wilmington wasn't able to annex as much land as other cities around the country, and enable them to better intergrate the surrounding towns into city neighborhoods.

Thanks for your thoughts Chicago103.