My take on Delaware (Wilmington: credit, homes, neighborhoods)

[pete lynch]

Sounds more like your take on Wilmington and New Castle county.
The only thing in your whole post that was not about Wilmington or NCC was this:

The beaches are a whole new can of worms. Perfect water quality according to recent headlines, and different types of living for types all people. Million dollar beachfront homes, trailers, shacks, single family. If you truly want to live by our beaches, you actually can (for now haha)!

I don't dislike Wilmington; I just don't go there much. When I read the thread title I was hoping to read an opinion of Delaware not just the upper third.

[doctorjef]

I think the OP oddly conflates a number of things that aren't closely related. Christiana Mall is certainly not part of Wilmington -- it's an island floating out by itself off I-95 and Rt 1. I avoid going there as much as possible. It's not convenient, though I find it necessary three or four times a year. I see it as a magnet for shoppers from NJ, PA, and MD, given the opportunity to avoid sales tax.

The Wilmington Riverfront and Downtown are really two different things/places/destinations not particularly connected to one another. What happens in the development of one is unlikely to influence what happens in and to the other.

Crime is the overwhelming factor that keeps people out of the City of Wilmington, and despite my hopes for the City, I don't see crime getting any better. Policing just isn't adequate at multiple levels.

The layout of downtown isn't really very pedestrian friendly, and parking isn't that good.

I don't consider myself to be a naysayer regarding the City of Wilmington, but I'm not unrealistically optimistic either. There are major structural problems that at this point cannot easily be corrected. One is that Wilmington never really annexed anything - apart from the ill-fated Brandywine Village shortly after the Civil War - and therefore lacks both a sufficient and diversified tax base and the vested interest of those in the vast suburbs surrounding the City. Certainly none of us would wish to become part of the City of Wilmington now. Another effect of this is that the City itself is a political monoculture. I don't think there's any healthy competition of viewpoints and ideas within its political class. This isn't even so much a matter of party affiliation as it is the relative lack of economic and racial diversity within the citizenry itself, which in turn sets the agenda for the political class. The relatively affluent areas of Wawaset Park, Westmoreland, and the Highlands (together with some more modest areas like Forty Acres, Trolley, and Happy Valley) are overwhelmed by the rest of the City in terms of population and economic demographics.

Areas like Little Italy seem to be getting shootier rather than more gentrified. Two weeks ago there was gunplay outside of Union City Grill on Union Street around 6:00 p.m. It wasn't reported in the paper, as no one was hurt, and I only learned about it from one of the restauranteurs in Little Italy. That part of Union Street is an area that one would normally expect to be pretty safe, especially in the early evening during daylight saving time. My spouse and I no longer drive through the Hilltop area on our way to the Riverfront, even though that is the quickest route for us. We quit doing that over a year ago after gunfire in broad daylight - early afternoon - on the street that we had been using. Instead, we now take the slower way of Kennett Pike/Pennsylvania Ave to the I-95 access road and go down that.

[themis27]

Completely agree about little Italy. Gun crime has spilled over and unless someone is injured or killed, It's not reported in the news urinal. I have friends in PA who for years would eat dinner at Mrs Robino's about twice a month. They don't go anymore. The Cool Springs area is getting dicey too.

One good thing that's happened is the pending closure of the compost plant that been stinking up the city and surrounding areas.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

I think the OP oddly conflates a number of things that aren't closely related. Christiana Mall is certainly not part of Wilmington -- it's an island floating out by itself off I-95 and Rt 1. I avoid going there as much as possible. It's not convenient, though I find it necessary three or four times a year. I see it as a magnet for shoppers from NJ, PA, and MD, given the opportunity to avoid sales tax.

The whole "people go to Christiana Mall to avoid sales tax" hypothesis is a bit overstated I think. Neither NJ nor PA has sales tax on clothes, and most of Christiana Mall is dedicated to selling clothes. For people buying things other than clothes, this could be a factor though.

[doctorjef]

Originally Posted by pcity

The whole "people go to Christiana Mall to avoid sales tax" hypothesis is a bit overstated I think. Neither NJ nor PA has sales tax on clothes, and most of Christiana Mall is dedicated to selling clothes. For people buying things other than clothes, this could be a factor though.

I'm going by the license plates I see there. I see this too at Concord Mall on 202, though there you don't tend to see MD plates, as it is too far north.

[longnecker]

Originally Posted by pcity

The whole "people go to Christiana Mall to avoid sales tax" hypothesis is a bit overstated I think. Neither NJ nor PA has sales tax on clothes, and most of Christiana Mall is dedicated to selling clothes. For people buying things other than clothes, this could be a factor though.

People come from out of state and stay in area hotels so they can shop at the Rehboth Outlets.

[Kristin730]

Originally Posted by pcity

The whole "people go to Christiana Mall to avoid sales tax" hypothesis is a bit overstated I think. Neither NJ nor PA has sales tax on clothes, and most of Christiana Mall is dedicated to selling clothes. For people buying things other than clothes, this could be a factor though.

Go to the mall on a weekend, particularly during the holiday season, and check out the license plates. More out of state than Delaware.

[c65]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

What happens in the development of one is unlikely to influence what happens in and to the other.

this line alone is enough for me to disregard everyhting else you have said doctor.

if you think that in time, the effects of newark and christiana wont be reflected in every single part of delaware, then what exactly do u think is happening ? Id really like to know what u think the outcome is if it ISNT a greater, richer delaware.

if things arent staying the same, then what exactly is happening if its not upward progression ?

have you honestly convinced yourself that we are moving backward lol ?

[c65]

things take time people. without a doubt over 95% of the shootings are between people we probably dont want here anyway. more people died in one weekend in chicago than wilmington over a whole year.

you guys act like pedestrians are targets for shooting practice. The crime is between thugs . its not gangs verse the people.

and it appears that my guess was right none of you have spent more than a day in the city !

[longnecker]

Originally Posted by c65

and it appears that my guess was right none of you have spent more than a day in the city !

Why would we want to??