Wilmington Inspires Students

I am so impressed with the men and women who live and work in Wilmington.

WDEL and the News Journal just reported a story about how officials with the city of Wilmington and Bank of America helped provide school supplies and personal notes of encouragement to more than 100 students who attend after-school programs at the William Hicks Anderson Community Center.

Click Here for the complete story with video from WDEL

Click Here for the story from the News Journal

This is a great way to start our New Year!

Marty

Continuing Commitment

Last week we took a good look at all that has been accomplished in 2015 - now we're in 2016 and it's time to look ahead.

Personally, I'm not too big on New Year's Resolutions - I believe in seizing opportunities for improvement all year around.

I also believe in continuing commitment.

With that in mind, we at Downtown Visions commit to the following in 2016:

• We will continue working with all of our Downtown Businesses to help grow our economy
• We will continue working with all of our Downtown Residents to make our city an even better place to live
• We will continue working with all of our Downtown Visitors to ensure their visit is enjoyable and productive
• We will continue to keep our streets in Downtown clean and safe
• We will continue to work with local artists, musicians, and vendors to keep our city lively and entertaining
• We will continue to collaborate with individuals, organizations, and businesses to make Downtown Wilmington a destination for people to visit, grow a business, and enjoy a great urban lifestyle

There's a lot of great plans for Downtown Wilmington this year, from new residential units to new businesses to new dining and entertainment options. We'll continue to have special events morning, noon, and night - weekdays, weekends, and holidays. 

I look forward to continuing to work with all of you throughout 2016!

Marty

2015 in Wilmington

This has been an amazing year in Downtown Wilmington! We've opened businesses, started schools, welcomed new residents, and enjoyed block parties, festivals, and concerts all over our Downtown Wilmington region.

Here's a look back at the year in images:

And here's a look at the year by the numbers:

2015 by the numbers:

21 - new businesses opened in Downtown Wilmington in 2015

16 - venues where live music, comedy, and improv are performed regularly

57 - events held for entrepreneurs

27,000 - Visitor Guides requested for Wilmington

12 - new tracks or elective areas being offered at the Delaware College of Art & Design

109 - concerts in Wilmington featuring local musicians

198 - new apartment units in four new buildings in Wilmington

65 - live lunchtime concerts

24 - nights of music festivals in Downtown Wilmington

1,982 - people who walked into the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau 

200,000 - approximate number of tickets sold to live performances in Wilmington to shows at The Grand, The Playhouse, World Cafe Live at the Queen, and Delaware Theatre Company

3 - Broadway Bound Musicals developed in Wilmington

11 - block parties in Wilmington

1 - Grand Prix weekend

8.46 Million - viewers who saw Nadjah Nicole perform on The Voice

365 - days in which the men and women who live, work, and play in Wilmington make the city a better place

Like I said - it's been a great year! 

Now, let's make 2016 even better!

Marty

Shopping in Downtown Wilmington

Our friends at Out & About Magazine have published a great piece on shopping in Downtown Wilmington.

Whether you're looking for last minute gifts for the Holidays or something unique and interesting for yourself this season, you're sure to find the perfect clothes, accessories, tools, toys, and more in Downtown Wilmington.

Click Here to check out the complete piece from Out & About.

Marty

Downtown Wilmington - Great Place for Entrepreneurship

Our friends at technical.ly just published findings from DataFox naming Wilmington as the fifth best city for Start Ups.

Technical.ly mapped Wilmington’s innovation corridor ahead of Delaware Innovation Week.

Here's an excerpt:

DataFox cited the city’s “favorable tax climate combined with access to decision-makers,” in addition to new incubators and coworking spaces, a low cost of living, UD’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship and proximity to the Northeast Corridor. It also noted availability of mentors and policymakers.

You can read the complete article here - and you can see the report from DataFox here.

I am proud of how Downtown Wilmington is home to so many great Start Ups and entrepreneurs - and I look forward to seeing more in our city in the future!

Marty