SODA POP COTTAGE
Sit back and relax in this exquisitely appointed coastal cottage near the buzz and family-friendly excitement of an emerging neighborhood. The historic home features an adorable, private fenced backyard and uses retro-modern furnishings with exposed wood, metal accents, and natural colors to hint at the nearby beaches. Two blocks over is Soda Pop District’s famed Hi-Wire Brewery and Bowstring Brewpub, but we’re within a mile of the Wilmington Riverwalk and a short drive to beachfront towns.

HOME
The home has three bedrooms with sleeping arrangements for six: a queen bed in the front bedroom, another queen bed in the middle bedroom, a sleeper sofa in a flex bedroom/office and another sleeper in the living room. Upon arrival you are welcomed by an adorable front porch that leads to the well appointed main living area. Here we find an abundance of natural light, a vintage fireplace, and cheerfully-inspired furnishings complemented by a 58-inch television. The front bedroom features the warmth of wood decor with its own spacious private bathroom. The dining room has seating for six at a farmhouse table and leads to a second bedroom that boasts a private bathroom of its own.

Finally, an updated kitchen with new appliances and tiled backsplash will draw you to prepare a meal or simply enjoy a hot or cold Keurig brew. It also provides access to the laundry room with a full-sized washer and dryer as well as a third bedroom that combines an office with a sleeper sofa and its own wall-mounted television. Please don’t let the gently rolling floors fool you - you haven’t had anything to drink (yet). The uneven structure has been frozen in time and captures the charm of the natural settling since construction in 1935.

This clean yet comfortably updated home is located at the outskirts of the rapidly developing Soda Pop District, named for the former Coca-Cola bottling plant that was built here at the same time as our home. There are a variety of restaurants and attractions - with more being added. The neighborhood is blossoming with renovation activities, so please be patient. As an up-and-coming downtown area, you can expect diverse housing. We have a combination of newly restored homes like ours, low-income housing, and homes/apartments under renovation or in need of renovation. This is not a long-time tourist spot and there are still many locals who have called this place home for decades. Please respect this - as we have learned about a great sense of community here. For now, take advantage of below market pricing during this area's evolution.

Each day, however, can bring special experiences in the immediate area. Wake up to the sounds of birds chirping and frolicking in the bird bath located within the privately fenced backyard. You are invited to cross the tiny wooden bridge over the dry riverbed to the shaded sitting area beneath the ole’ oak tree. Among the chirps of feathered friends, you just might hear the sound of freedom as F-18 Hornets sometimes engage in training exercises overhead.

As the morning takes shape, you may take a 5 minute stroll to Folks Café, a local hole-in-the-wall eatery with specialty coffees and daily breakfast specials influenced by their Argentinian heritage. Grab one of the baked breakfast treats or homemade empanadas and enjoy it on the quirky back patio.

When lunchtime rolls around, walk a bit further to ‘The Half’, a sandwich shop tucked inside an old Mutual Life Insurance branch that was a part of the world’s largest black-owned enterprise. Now it is a place for globally-inspired sandwiches, rotating artwork, and unique beer collaborations with some of the top breweries in the country.

Just two blocks from our home is the heart of the Soda Pop district. Here we find the award-winning Hi-Wire Brewery, an Asheville original now locally housed in an old car dealership. Here you find mesmerizing murals that surround 24 beer and wine taps in a family-friendly atmosphere featuring activities from table tennis to foosball. Next door is Cugino Forno, a Neapolitan pizzeria armed with two hand-made, wood-fired ovens and a spinning freezer that displays a dozen flavors of gelatos imported from Italy. On the same block is the neighborhood’s newest addition, Bowstring Burgers and Brewyard - a legend in Raleigh and now ready to spread its wings in the Soda Pop District. In addition to their 16 taps and proven recipe for thin, juicy burgers, there is a full bar with high-end bourbons and tequilas as well as an indoor/outdoor venue for local music acts and national tour groups alike.

Just outside the immediate vicinity of the Soda Pop District - but still within a mile - is the heart of downtown Wilmington and the award winning Wilmington Riverwalk. In 2015 it was ranked as the top riverfront in the country by USA Today - and has taken various top 10 positions since. From our home to the riverwalk you will find more coffee shops, three more breweries, three museums, more music venues, and too many restaurants to count. And it’s just one-and-a-half miles to Riverfront Park and Port City Pier, premier venues for both paid and free riverside music. Lastly, it is a short 20 minute drive to Wrightsville Beach, 30 minutes to Carolina Beach, and 45 minutes to Oak Island and Southport. This is truly a spectacular springboard to all that the Cape Fear area has to offer.

Guest Access
Through the use of a coded smart lock, you will have access to the entire house except for a single storage closet. As stated earlier, this includes a fully equipped kitchen, a bright living room, an ample dining room, two bedrooms with private baths, a third bedroom/office, and a quaint, private fenced backyard with plenty of greenery and a shady refuge from the sun. There is ample parking on the street next to the house and additional parking along the newly renovated park across the street.

Other Things to Note
There is a $120 cleaning fee which includes weekly service with sheet and towel replacement. The home is dog-friendly for a small $60 fee. Sorry, no other types of pets are allowed. There is a 10% discount for week-long rentals and a 15% discount for 28-day rentals. Despite being one story, there are a few steps up to the front porch and a single step up to the back door through the rear gate. House rules are simple: no smoking, no events or parties, no pets unless prearranged and prepaid, and no bad vibes.