Moving to Delaware from the Midwest (Wilmington, Dover: real estate, low crime, house)

[relativelyso]

Hi. We are contemplating a move to Delaware with our diabled daughter to be closer to family.
We are in our 60s and also LGBT, so want to live somewhere that is welcoming to our kind.

We want to live in a smaller town, but are considering Dover. Hard to get a feel for the lay of
the land from here, so we are planning a trip out in August. We'd like to be some place that is
very walkable, safe to bike, and low in crime. We are also retirees, so the cost of housing is
a big consideration.

Your thoughts, ideas, and things not to miss on our trip east? Thanks.

[qworldorder]

Originally Posted by relativelyso

Hi. We are contemplating a move to Delaware with our diabled daughter to be closer to family.
We are in our 60s and also LGBT, so want to live somewhere that is welcoming to our kind.

We want to live in a smaller town, but are considering Dover. Hard to get a feel for the lay of
the land from here, so we are planning a trip out in August. We'd like to be some place that is
very walkable, safe to bike, and low in crime. We are also retirees, so the cost of housing is
a big consideration.

Your thoughts, ideas, and things not to miss on our trip east? Thanks.

Hmmm, I wouldn't recommend Dover if you are looking for somewhere walkable/bikeable. That's not a very walkable city, at all, and it's not very LGBT-oriented. Newark is pretty walkable and moderately affordable, depending on where you live, and quite LGBT-oriented, but it's a college town filled with youth who can be pretty rowdy, so that may or may not work for you. Wilmington, Delaware's largest city, is its most walkable and is LGBT-friendly, but there are significant crime issues in the city proper; prime neighborhoods tend to be outside city limits and are car-oriented. The only neighborhoods in the city limits that I would recommend that are still walkable would be Trolley Square and the Riverfront, but housing can be expensive. Lastly, Rehoboth Beach is the most LGBT-oriented city in all of Delaware, has low crime and is decently walkable, but you'll be paying an arm and a leg for a house down there. Really, there are no perfect fits, but if you do enough research for a place in Newark, Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, you might be able to find something quite close.

[rdlr]

We live outside the City of Dover (our towns join) and we are in a small town. Our town(s) might be a good fit for you, either Camden or Wyoming. Many times when people describe "Dover" they're not aware of some fringe towns that are perfectly safe, walkable, and friendly. We had one bicycle theft last year. Housing is affordable, real estate taxes are low, we walk to the park, post office, bank, corner store, deli, bus stop, and can bike a mile to Fifer's Orchards for fresh fruits and vegetables. So when you think and hear about "Dover" look around the perimeters. We've been here 34 years feel very safe, and the 3 town policemen walk the beat and sometimes stop to chat if we're outside. Good Luck!

[Pine to Vine]

Investigate Milton and Smyrna. Cute little walkable downtowns. Neither can be confused with Berkeley, but no one will care about your sexual orientation.