Tuesday, August 31, 2021 / by Anne Rose
Leland North Carolina | What We Love about Living in the Town of Leland
Leland North Carolina
Courtesy of Google maps, retrieved Aug 30 2021
Located right across the Cape Fear River and just west of Historic Downtown Wilmington, Leland has the fastest increasing population in southeastern North Carolina. Leland has the feel of all these: a small town, a booming suburb, and a bustling metropolitan area.Located in Brunswick County, the 2010 census population was 13,527, and annual statistics indicate a fast growth rate, with many new residents finding affordable real estate and easy access to both the beaches and either Wilmington North Carolina or Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Leland is actually part of the Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Leland covers 19.9 square miles, the majority of which is land. One of the most rapidly growing towns in southeastern Coastal North Carolina, Leland includes non-contiguous parcels that are forested land and parks. Leland wraps around the tiny town of Belville on its north, west, and south sides.
Find Your Next Home in Leland North Carolina
Neighborhoods in Leland include Lanvale Forest, The Arbors, Adair Park, Lanvale Trace, Brunswick Point, Shoreline Villas, Grayson Park, Windsor Park, Brunswick Forest, and Magnolia Greens, among many others. With the large number of developments and new homes going up every month, there is a community to appeal to everyone Leland. There are even rural areas of Leland that offer a taste of country living and room for livestock.
In September 2021, a search for homes for sale in Leland North Carolina resulted in 517 active listings, with waterfront acreage ready for development, multi-million dollar homes on the historic Brunswick River with views of historic downtown Wilmington, new construction homes across a wide range of price points, condominiums, and manufactured homes on fairly large lots under $100,000.
Leland Weather
Because Leland is across the river from Wilmington and set just a bit further from the beaches, the weather is slightly different from being directly on the coast. The summers are hot and humid, and the winters are short and cold, with an average low of 36 degrees and high of 96 degrees.Impacts from hurricanes may be slightly less than on beach communities, although some areas of Leland are prone to flooding, and tornadoes during hurricane season are a concern. The most pleasant time of year in Leland is mid-April to the beginning of June, and then mid-September to late October.
Leland Restaurants
A must eat location is Locals Tavern. They have really good food... burgers, wings, and their cheese curds are out of this world. They have cold beer!! On Wednesday evenings, Locals Tavern has music bingo, and the place is usually packed -- look for great food specials -- and it's a lot of fun to interact with other locals of Leland.
~ Ashley Dance, local expert & Broker/Realtor®
Leland is just minutes from Historic Downtown Wilmington by either the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge or the Isabel Holmes Bridge, and traffic is usually light except for the 30-40 minutes right at rush hour in both the morning and the evening. Because Leland is so close to downtown, the shopping, entertainment and restaurants are easily accessible.
Leland has plenty of its own shopping and dining to offer residents and visitors. Most of the stores, including a huge Walmart, are located in the strip malls of Waterford Village, The Village Shoppes, Sandlewood Gift Shoppes, Shops at West Gate, Westgate Marketplace, and The Villages at Brunswick Forest.
The planned development communities in Leland, like Brunswick Forest, have clubhouse-sponsored activities like Mah Jongg leagues, walking groups, cocktail parties, and a huge assortment of clubs and interest groups.
One of the most attractive things about living in Leland is easy access to both Wilmington International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport. Just a 90 minute drive, the extra commute is often justified by super affordable airfares and convenient flight times from the south (via Southwest Airlines), Florida, and the midwest.
Pickleball fans love the House of Pickleball for its private courts, league play, tournaments, and evening socials. The HOB attracts players from the entire Cape Fear region. Youth athletics through the Brunswick County Parks & Recreation has soccer, basketball and softball teams in Leland. The town also features a number of beautiful, wooded walking trails.
This is my fave tucked away park in Leland, and not many people are aware of it, you'll find it just off Village Road: Cypress Cove Park ~ Nancy Baldridge, local expert, Listing Coordinator & Broker/Realtor®
Great outings in Leland include a walk at the neighboring Brunswick Riverwalk in Belville, and golf at Cape Fear National in Brunswick Forest or Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation.
~ Ashley Dance, local expert & Broker/Realtor®
In addition to all the usual drive-through fast food restaurants, there are some great locally owned eateries, as well as a third location of the iconic restaurant Cape Fear Seafood and a Shuckin' Shack restaurant. Pizzetta's is popular for pizza and awesome antipasto salads. Leland Smoke House offers wood smoked barbeque and homemade Southern-style sides. A number of the popular food trucks in the Cape Fear are actually based in Leland, and there are often "food truck rodeos" at the local parks.
With the large strip malls and retail developments, there is probably at least one of your favorite fast food restaurants in Leland, including Starbucks, southern favorite Bojangles, Firehouse Subs, and Five Guys. One of the area's best Harris Teeter grocery stores is in Leland's Waterford Commercial Center. Look for specials in the imported cheese and gourmet foods section. I've regularly found goat cheese marked down to $1, and German wursts for 75 cents! The staff at this Harris Teeter are super friendly, too, and always willing to help with menu planning and party recommendations.
I'd also make sure to add a regular stop at Bridgewater Wines + Dines. Not only do they have a FANTASTIC selection of imported and US wines, but their wine bar and menu of dine-in charcuterie plates are wonderful. Great place to meet friends for a glass of wine and snacks!
Locals love Shelton Herb Farms, which has all the vegetable and herb starts you need for your kitchen garden, as well as fruit trees, shrubs, and flowering plants to keep the bees happy.
~ Anne Rose, local expert, KBT Director of Marketing & owner of the Port City Foodie website
I'd also make sure to add a regular stop at Bridgewater Wines + Dines. Not only do they have a FANTASTIC selection of imported and US wines, but their wine bar and menu of dine-in charcuterie plates are wonderful. Great place to meet friends for a glass of wine and snacks!
Locals love Shelton Herb Farms, which has all the vegetable and herb starts you need for your kitchen garden, as well as fruit trees, shrubs, and flowering plants to keep the bees happy.
~ Anne Rose, local expert, KBT Director of Marketing & owner of the Port City Foodie website
Leland Close-up
Leland is just minutes from Historic Downtown Wilmington by either the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge or the Isabel Holmes Bridge, and traffic is usually light except for the 30-40 minutes right at rush hour in both the morning and the evening. Because Leland is so close to downtown, the shopping, entertainment and restaurants are easily accessible.Leland has plenty of its own shopping and dining to offer residents and visitors. Most of the stores, including a huge Walmart, are located in the strip malls of Waterford Village, The Village Shoppes, Sandlewood Gift Shoppes, Shops at West Gate, Westgate Marketplace, and The Villages at Brunswick Forest.
The planned development communities in Leland, like Brunswick Forest, have clubhouse-sponsored activities like Mah Jongg leagues, walking groups, cocktail parties, and a huge assortment of clubs and interest groups.
One of the most attractive things about living in Leland is easy access to both Wilmington International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport. Just a 90 minute drive, the extra commute is often justified by super affordable airfares and convenient flight times from the south (via Southwest Airlines), Florida, and the midwest.
Local Attractions
Leland has a plethora of entertainment and sports options for residents and visitors.Pickleball fans love the House of Pickleball for its private courts, league play, tournaments, and evening socials. The HOB attracts players from the entire Cape Fear region. Youth athletics through the Brunswick County Parks & Recreation has soccer, basketball and softball teams in Leland. The town also features a number of beautiful, wooded walking trails.
This is my fave tucked away park in Leland, and not many people are aware of it, you'll find it just off Village Road: Cypress Cove Park ~ Nancy Baldridge, local expert, Listing Coordinator & Broker/Realtor®
Great outings in Leland include a walk at the neighboring Brunswick Riverwalk in Belville, and golf at Cape Fear National in Brunswick Forest or Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation.
