WILMINGTON — Wind your way down Edgewater Club Road in the Porters Neck area, just before you get to Figure Eight Island, and you’ll find a neighborhood surrounded by a white picket fence.
That neighborhood is known as Laurel Lea, a community so distinctive that it was used to depict a utopian town in an episode of NBC’s “Revolution” television show. Established oak and pine trees tower over craftsman bungalows with front porches, pastel-colored siding, and white trim. Service alleys run behind the homes, connect to the detached garages and help to keep the clutter that comes with day to day living out of sight.
Located within this “utopia” you’ll find 1311 Legacy Lane, a three-bedroom, three-bath home where Nathan Pecnik and his wife have lived here for ten years.
“You’d never know this home was in the city. The characteristics of the home and the entire neighborhood are unique in Wilmington. The area is natural, with lots of trees and flowers. There is a lake with several species of wild birds along with ducks and geese”, Pecnik said.
Pecnik added, “the homes are distinctive in style, the grounds are very well maintained, all the homes are painted with gorgeous coastal colors. Being that there are alleys that lead to detached garages, in the backs of the homes, you don’t see parked cars along the streets. You can focus on the beauty of the homes and landscaping.”
Residents enjoy access to a 7-acre lake with a dock and a boathouse, green spaces, a clubhouse and private pool.
Their real estate agent Eliza Bruin spoke highly of the family-friendly atmosphere.
“Every holiday is an event in Laurel Lea. There are Cookies with Santa, a Fourth of July parade with fireworks, a cookout on Memorial Day, and an Easter Egg hunt. The neighborhood is very quiet and safe, for kids and pets. There is even a small farm at the entrance of the neighborhood where residents can purchase eggs and organic produce,” Bruin said.
Pecnik pointed out that the lot across the street will never be developed per an agreement made with the original landowner. On that lot, a tall oak tree stands in the center and when the original landowner’s son was little that was where he would go when he was in trouble. The tree became known as the “pouting tree” and now part of the neighborhood lure.
If your vision of the perfect home includes a white picket fence, front porch swing, and lazy summer afternoons spent floating on a raft in the neighborhood pond, then this just might be the place for you.
