This Week Around Wilmington: New Chase Branch and Job Growth News

Host: Happy Friday, Wilmington! Welcome back to Real Stories with Buddy Blake. Buddy, there's actually a lot packed into this week's roundup — a new bank, a huge jobs report, film money, and like five things to do this weekend. Where do you want to start?

Buddy Blake: Let's start with the bank thing, because I think it's actually a bigger deal than people realize. Chase Bank just did their grand opening for their first-ever branch in the whole Wilmington market, and it landed in Hampstead.

Host: Wait, their FIRST one? Not just first in Hampstead, but first in the whole area?

Buddy Blake: First in the whole Wilmington market, yeah. And according to the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, there's three more locations planned already. So this isn't a one-and-done thing, they're committing to the area.

Host: That's interesting that it landed in Hampstead specifically, though. Why there?

Buddy Blake: Honestly, it tracks with everything else I'm seeing. Hampstead keeps picking up new services, new infrastructure, as more people move in. A national bank deciding to set up shop there, that's the kind of thing I file away. If you're looking at homes for sale in Hampstead, or even thinking about selling a home out there, a new bank branch is one more sign of where things are headed for that area.

Host: Right, it's like a vote of confidence from a company that does a lot of research before they plant a flag somewhere.

Buddy Blake: Exactly. They don't just pick a spot randomly. There's a lot of number crunching behind a decision like that.

Host: Okay so speaking of numbers — the jobs report. This one kind of stopped me when I read it. Walk me through that.

Buddy Blake: Yeah, this one's a big one. There's a new report, also covered by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, and it shows Wilmington's total number of jobs grew by close to thirty percent between 2015 and 2025.

Host: Thirty percent over ten years? That's huge.

Buddy Blake: It is. And here's the part that really got my attention — that growth puts us fifth-highest among metro areas nationwide. Not just in North Carolina. Nationwide.

Host: Fifth in the whole country? No kidding!

Buddy Blake: No kidding. And honestly, that number explains a lot of what I've just watched happen on the ground here over the past decade. New employers coming in, new rooftops going up, more demand for housing. It's not abstract to me, I've literally watched it unfold.

Host: So this isn't just a cool stat, it's actually connected to everything else you talk about — the housing market, the growth in these smaller towns around here.

Buddy Blake: It's all connected. I actually wrote a longer post breaking down what this ranking means for the area, and if you want to see how it's actually showing up in local housing numbers, the New Hanover County market insights page is a good place to look. I'll make sure both are linked in the show notes.

Host: Good, I'll check those out myself. Okay, switching gears — tell me about this film incentive thing. That caught me off guard.

Buddy Blake: Yeah, this is a good one. North Carolina legislative leaders announced support for an additional thirty-one million dollars in funding for film projects specifically in New Hanover County.

Host: Thirty-one million, just for film here?

Buddy Blake: Just for here, yeah. And WWAY NewsChannel 3 reported that local film workers are saying it could ease some of the ongoing uncertainty in that industry. And look, Wilmington's film history runs deep. This isn't new for us.

Host: Right, we've had that reputation for a long time.

Buddy Blake: Exactly, and steady work for that community matters way beyond just the film sets. We're talking restaurants, rental housing near the studios, all of that ripples out. If anyone's curious what's currently on the market in that part of the county, there's a homes for sale in New Hanover County page worth a look.

Host: That's such a good point — it's not just actors and crew, it's the whole local economy around them. Okay, let's do the fun stuff. What's on the calendar this week?

Buddy Blake: Oh, there's good stuff. First up, there's a Paul McCartney tribute show — Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney — playing at Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts on October ninth.

Host: Thalian Hall's such a great spot for something like that.

Buddy Blake: It really is, and it sits right in the heart of Downtown Wilmington, so honestly it's a good excuse to grab dinner nearby and make a whole evening out of it.

Host: I love that. What else?

Buddy Blake: Art in the Arboretum is turning thirty, which is kind of wild. New Hanover County News reports the community's invited to celebrate on October tenth and eleventh, five dollar gate tickets.

Host: Thirty years, that's a real tradition at this point.

Buddy Blake: It is, and a milestone like that is worth showing up for if you've got a free weekend afternoon. Then there's Scare Faire, a Halloween-themed market coming to Wilmington that same weekend, October tenth — local vendors, trick-or-treating, family activities.

Host: Good one if you've got kids looking for something before the actual holiday.

Buddy Blake: Exactly that. And if you're more into live music, Little River Band is scheduled to perform at the Wilson Center on October sixteenth. Solid pick for an evening out if you're a fan.

Host: Nice variety this week, honestly. Anything else before we wrap up?

Buddy Blake: One more, and I think it's important — there's free VA claims assistance happening Friday, October ninth, for veterans in the Wilmington area who need help filing or updating a VA benefit claim. WWAY NewsChannel 3 covered that one. If you're a veteran and you've been putting it off, this is a chance to get it handled with help right there in hand.

Host: That's a great one to mention, people really do put that stuff off. Well Buddy, this was a packed roundup — the bank, the jobs number, the film money, all the weekend stuff. Thanks for breaking it all down.

Buddy Blake: Anytime. And look, if any of this has you thinking about Hampstead, Downtown Wilmington, or anywhere else around New Hanover County, give me a call or text, nine-one-oh, three-nine-five, one-oh-oh-oh. Always happy to talk through what's happening in your neighborhood. And the full article with all the sources is linked in the show notes if you want to dig into any of it yourself.

Host: Perfect. Thanks everybody for listening, we'll catch you next time on Real Stories with Buddy Blake.