OT: moving

[mps9506]

I'm pretty stoked now. We just got our keys to a house we are leasing in downtown Wilmington (I know everyone says buy, but I can't afford to live in a house like this, and it affords me to save money by living with roommates to buy in the future).
It's a registered historic house built in 1869 if I remember correctly, three stories, four bedrooms, 3 bath, one block off the riverfront, off street parking, water garden in the back yard that is fed from the 20 foot stone wall that borders the backyard (looks like it hasn't been used in years though).
There is nothing new about this house, so it comes with the problems of old house, poorly insulated, all old hardware and electrical, etc etc. But also all the good, like mostly original hardwood, very "unique" (ugly?) wallpaper, 3000 year old curtains, fireplaces in every room, free standing bathtubs and on and on...
Most importantly since we plan on staying here a while this time it is almost time to start up a new reef after bouncing around the last 3 years...
I'll post pics of the house in the next week or two. I forgot to bring my memory card with me on my trip to Wilmington this weekend.

[kathywithbirds]

Cool!! So where is it in relation to the Cotton Exchange?

We were looking at places there for my sister but she wound up in Florida.

[boozeman]

I love old houses with character...looking foward to the pics
did you scope out the spot for the tank yet?

[mps9506]

Cotton Exchange is on the northern end of the riverfront we are near the southern end. Near where the steamboat is always docked. Maybe 6 or 7 blocks from the cotton exchange. The only thing I don't like is there isn't a good grocery store in walking distance anymore. The food market/artisan shops on the riverfront shut down a year or two ago. Plenty of restaurants and bars in walking distance though.

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by boozeman

I love old houses with character...looking foward to the pics
did you scope out the spot for the tank yet?

Yep, trying to figure out a good spot, gonna have to walk around with a level and check the crawl space to see where the supports are, and see what the electrical will support. Not trying to go to crazy. I'm thinking a small cube tank with T5's or single HQI. I really have no idea where to put the RO/DI though Wish I could put it outside.

[kathywithbirds]

Yeah, that was what I didn't like about the riverfront district. There wasn't any "civilization." If you wanted groceries or needed a pharmacy or something, you had to drive.

We stayed at the Best Western with the mural on one end. My sister tried to drag me to one of the bars (this was St. Patty's Day weekend, they dyed the fountain green) and I, old fogie that I am, dragged her right back out after developing a headache within minutes of subjection to very loud obnoxious music.

I did like the end where the boat docks. Neat shops, houses with character. Even a Coast Guard boat.

[kathywithbirds]

here's a couple pics of where Mike will be:

[mps9506]

Here are some pics from the real estate agency. I forgot to mention this place is almost 2600 sq. feet. Which is much bigger than the 750 I have now

[mps9506]

more photos

[BigAl07]

Lokks GREAT Mike! Congrats

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by kathywithbirds

Yeah, that was what I didn't like about the riverfront district. There wasn't any "civilization." If you wanted groceries or needed a pharmacy or something, you had to drive.

We stayed at the Best Western with the mural on one end. My sister tried to drag me to one of the bars (this was St. Patty's Day weekend, they dyed the fountain green) and I, old fogie that I am, dragged her right back out after developing a headache within minutes of subjection to very loud obnoxious music.

I did like the end where the boat docks. Neat shops, houses with character. Even a Coast Guard boat.

Yeah St. Patties day is a pretty messy here, lots of drunk college kids and drunk adults stumbling around bar to bar. There is a little bar that was outside of downtown that we used to go to on St Patties day that had the BEST Guiness in town. It was a hole in the wall, but if you ever want a good beer and be surrounded by grumpy old people that would tell you stories about how it used to be, that was the best place.
Thankfully over the last several years Wilmington is transforming the riverfront area to be a bit more eclectic and usable instead of just a bar scene.

[mps9506]

Notice the wallpaper in one of those rooms has been up for nearly a century. It has birds on it. Very ugly but so neat at the same time. I'll have to get in with the camera in a few weeks to take closeups of some of the cool unique features of the house.

The plaque next to our front door reads:

Built by James Walker (1826-1901), a native of Scotland, architect, contractor and builder, who built the old James Walker Hospital and donated it to the city. He also worked on one of the wings of the Capitol building and the old Smithsonian building in Washington, DC before moving to Wilmington. He left this house to William Gilchrist, a friend, at his death on March 15, 1901.

[boozeman]

a lovely house