The Craft Beer Trail: Real Estate Near Wilmington’s Best Breweries (Cargo District Focus)

For years, the “location” argument in Wilmington real estate was measured in minutes to the beach. But a new metric has emerged for buyers in New Hanover County: walkability to a taproom.

With the explosion of the Cargo District, Soda Pop District, and South Front, Wilmington now has distinct micro-markets forming around its brewery hubs. Buyers—especially millennials and investors—are paying a premium to trade a 20-minute drive for a 5-minute walk to an IPA.

If you want an investment property or a primary home in the heart of Wilmington’s craft culture, here is the insider guide to the city’s “Beer Districts.”

1. The Cargo District: The “Container” Revolution

The Vibe: Industrial innovation. This creative zone is defined by container architecture, live-work studios, murals, and a gritty, modern aesthetic.

The Anchors: End of Days Distillery, Bull City Ciderworks, Alcove Beer Garden, and the Cheesesmith/Queen Street strip that fuels foot traffic day and night.

The Real Estate Play: Target The Bottom, Castle Street, and Queen Street.

Insider Tip: You’ll see 1920s bungalows beside ultra-modern container homes. Renovated bungalows that sat overlooked five years ago are now prime short-term rental stock thanks to walkability. Homes within a 4–6 block radius of the Alcove/Queen Street corridor carry a noticeable premium.

2. The Soda Pop District: Industrial Redemption

The Anchors: Hi-Wire Brewing—arguably the most family-friendly taproom in the city—plus Cugini Forno and nearby makerspaces.

The Real Estate Play: Princess Place Drive and the streets between 8th and 13th.

Insider Tip: This is the “early adopter” zone. Prices are rising, but you can still find cosmetic fixers near Hi-Wire that become excellent long-term holds or 30-day rentals. Carolina Place and Ardmore sit just close enough to benefit from the spillover without the premium of being directly in the district.

3. South Front District: The Established Cool

The Anchors: Satellite Bar & Lounge, Benny’s Big Time, and The Second Glass. South Front is its own ecosystem with dining, nightlife, and a polished streetscape.

The Real Estate Play: Historic bungalows along South 3rd, 4th, and 5th.

Insider Tip: Breweries may change hands (like the former New Anthem space), but the value here isn’t tied to a single taproom. It’s the zoning, the walkability, and the established South Front identity. Homes here consistently command one of the steepest premiums per square foot south of downtown.

Strategic Advice: The “Walkability Premium”

Investors should know that a home three blocks from Hi-Wire or Alcove will appraise differently than a comparable home 10 blocks away. Walk Score is now influencing valuation—especially for Airbnbs and furnished mid-term rentals.

In these districts, lifestyle is the product. Proximity to breweries, creative spaces, and food halls materially affects nightly rates, occupancy, and resale.

Your Next Step

Don’t just buy a house—buy into a culture. You need a team that knows which “up-and-coming” street is the real deal and which one is just riding the hype cycle.

At Aspyre Realty Group, we track commercial permits, brewery expansions, and neighborhood absorption rates as closely as we track inventory. We are experts in listening to your lifestyle priorities and communicating them into a targeted home search that puts you exactly where you want to be—drink in hand, walking distance from your front porch. Let’s tour these districts and find your spot on the trail.