Airlie and Summer Rest

Home to Airlie Gardens and local restaurants on the Intracoastal, Airlie is in close proximity to Wrightsville Beach, great for anyone looking to enjoy the water. The majestic oak trees make Airlie Road a memorable area you will fall in love with.

The neighborhoods that surround the beautiful and historical Airlie Gardens include Edgewater, lions Gate, Spartina, etc.. Housing ranging from homey apartments to luxurious multi story homes. Living on summer rest you are very close to some of Wilmington’s most popular attractions including Airlie Gardens. Airlie Gardens is over 67 acres to explore, the Gardens offer breathtaking landscaping and walking trails and is a hotspot for nature enthusiasts (and a popular wedding venue!). Also in close vicinity is Wrightsville Beach. Which is a popular destination for locals who enjoy boating, paddle boarding, and surfing, or anyone who wants to enjoy a day at the beach with the family. The cost of homes is this area can vary from 400,000 – 3.5 million giving these building structures very different and unique styles.

There’s tons of event that also go on in Airlie Gardens and on the waterway near the neighborhoods. Including the Airlie Garden Summer Concert Series which takes place on Airlie Garden's Oak Lawn, the Summer Concert Series offers live performances all while being surrounded by beautiful landscaping. You could also visit dockside, which is a local hotspot Located on the Intracoastal, Dockside offers a large selection of freshly caught seafood and features outdoor seating with views of the water. There’s also the state wide event known as garden party. In early April, nestled among the blooming azaleas of Airlie Gardens, you will find ladies showing off big garden party hats and men clad in seersucker and bowties. This is a premier event that oozes southern sophistication and class.

Airlie Gardens’ history dates back to 1884, when Pembroke and Sarah Jones bought the property on Shell Road (now called Airlie Road) and commissioned German landscape architect Rudolf Topel to transform it into a picturesque garden. The Joneses were wealthy industrialists noted for their lavish entertaining who used Airlie to accommodate their guests and parties. The formal gardens date back to 1901, reaching peak development of the estate in the late 1920s. There were a reported half million azaleas, 5,000 camellias, and scores of other plants finding their way as part of Airlie’s landscape; many of these are still blooming today. The Corbett Family purchased the Airlie property from the Joneses in 1948 and used the gardens as a primary residence. Local business owners with strong ties to the community, the Corbett’s would open the garden to the public several seasons throughout the year, especially in the spring during azalea bloom. The Corbett Family sold Airlie to the county in 1999 and since then, the gardens have been undergoing restoration and are now preserved for public use. The 67 acres of today’s Airlie is all that remains of the original 155 acre Jones’ estate.

Originally Developed: 1899
Predominant Architectural Style: Coastal Carolina Beach House
School District: Laney
Median List Price: $965,000
Homeowners Association: n/a
Minutes to Downtown Wilmington: 15 - 20 minutes
Minutes to I-40: 15 - 20 minutes
Minutes to Wilmington Airport: 15 - 20 minutes