When we moved to Wilmington seven years ago, the biggest draw for us wasn’t the beaches or the coastal weather. It was downtown – the historic homes and buildings, the restaurants, the shopping, the Riverwalk, the festivals and the occasional star sighting (maybe not so much for Steve). Downtown has been a prominent setting in our lives. We got engaged here, married here and now run a business from here.

It’s hard for us to believe there are people who live in New Hanover and northern Brunswick counties who do not take advantage of downtown. Yet we come across people all the time who never set foot there.

Why? Is it the parking? You won’t find cheaper parking in a downtown area (i.e. Charlotte, Charleston, Savannah…). Is it safety? Well, I don’t like being downtown after 2 a.m., but I feel that way about any city or town.

Do It Downtown is asking these same questions in a grassroots effort to promote downtown to locals. It’s an effort Bon’s Eye Marketing strongly supports, because, as Joan Loch, owner of Crescent Moon in the Cotton Exchange, said at the first Do It Downtown forum, “We need a thriving downtown 12 months a year.”

With five theatres, five museums, 20 galleries, 50 restaurants, 100 shops and more, downtown has so much to offer. It’s why Bob Jenkins, owner of Wilmington Adventure Walking Tour Company, moved downtown more than 30 years ago.

“Why did I move?” he said. “The history, culture, architecture, the people. There’s not another city in North Carolina that has the diversity that downtown has. I’ve had to find 23 different translators. What’s incredible is that they’re all Wilmingtonians.”

Jenkins called the Do It Downtown movement a “dream come true” for him. He pointed to a wood beam in the middle of The River Room, a meeting and event space where the first forum was held.

“That beam is 500-700 years old,” he said. “This room is held up by that. People come from all over the world to see this city’s history. A lot of locals take that for granted.”

Do It Downtown hopes to educate people about the uniqueness of downtown and to dispel any misconceptions about the area.

“It’s about community,” said Richard Davis, president of the Brown Coat Pub and Theatre. “We are strongest when all businesses downtown are strong. We need each other, and we need the people of Wilmington.”

If you don’t often go downtown or try to avoid it all together, why is that? The folks behind Do It Downtown want your input.