Condé Nast TravelerSep 9, 2025
This North Carolina Town Is at the Center of The Summer I Turned Pretty
The beloved beach enclave stands in for a nebulous Northeast location.
Refined American cuisine; local, sustainable
20 things in this story
- Cape Fear RiverSightRiver waters were filming location
- Cousins BeachNeighborhoodFictional name for Wilmington
- East Coast Intracoastal WaterwaySightSeparates Wrightsville Beach from Wilmington
- Front Street InnHotelBoutique hotel with espresso bar
- Trolley StopRestaurant1970s hot dog shop
- Tower 7RestaurantTex-Mex delights
- Ceviche'sRestaurantCeviche and seafood in yellow building
- YoSakiRestaurantSushi and pan-Asian dishes
- Tempo LoungeRestaurantLive music after dinner
- MannaRestaurantRefined American cuisine; local, sustainable
- Outer BanksNeighborhoodThey line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the…
- Wilmington BattleshipSightWorld War II battleship on Cape Fear River
- Dawson's CreekPlace
- One Tree HillPlace
- UNC WilmingtonPlace
- Elsewhere
- Great Smoky MountainsHotelGreat Smoky Mountains National Park, United StatesViews from Blueridge Parkway
- Shell Island ResortHotelWrightsville Beach, United StatesLocal institution on white sand
- Trailborn Surf & SoundHotelWrightsville Beach, United StatesNewly renovated; hip hangout pool
- MasonboroNeighborhoodMasonboro Island, United StatesIsland for docking boats
- Blueridge ParkwayTrailBlue Ridge Parkway, United StatesDrive to see Appalachian Trail crossings