Quick Course in Basics, by a Native Delawarean (Newark, Milford: school district, gated)

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by elizamary

Oh Charley..........More like barf, barf

I'll try to make it today and bring some "samples".........
Really, It's No Trouble! You Can Thank Me Later!

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by Delly

I'll try to make it today and bring some "samples".........
Really, It's No Trouble! You Can Thank Me Later!

You'll forgive me if I decline your generosity

[Georgia to Northeast PA]

Originally Posted by Delly

Hello, Georgia to Northeast PA!!! Oh, most certainly! The Wagon Wheel is still alive and well! Kitty Budd used to own that place, and I think she still does. Witt Brothers doesn't carry as much of the "down-home" food as they previously did. I'm in Wyoming (Delaware, that is) So many new people have moved here, and the older ones have died off, that our culture is changing. Wish you would come back! We need you here! Morris Market in Frederica is doing well, and they are a lot like Witt Brothers was. They carry muskrat, possom, frog legs, fat back, ham hocks, etc. Strange, we can ride to Atlantic City, order breakfast, and there's no scrapple or grits on the menu, and that's only 2 hours away. I guess not so strange, though, because one poster said she never heard of any of that food in Wilmington. Kirby & Holloway is still here, in Dover. Yes, I forgot Loockerman Street, and you're right. If people know how to say it, they can't spell it. Even some of the street signs are spelled wrong. Your Dover High School has a great drum line called Roaring Thunder. They were in our Peach Festival Parade last August, and are awesome. The Caesar Rodney High School Band won't participate in our Wyoming Peach Festival Parade in August, yet Dover does! I was in Forney's gift shop (it's not a jewelry store anymore) and the downtown area is in bad shape....limited stores, etc. Dover Hardware has been demolished and they are putting up a high rise apartment with a parking garage on top. The old Loockerman Exchange finally sold, opened for a couple of months, then closed again. If you have specific questions about Dover, just ask! I'll fill you in!

Yes, I was in Dover High Marching Band when Lenard Knight and some other guys started the drumline. Just reading your post I am having a big grin on my face because I know all those places like the back of my hand. I knew Dover Hardware was gone (I bought the equipment for my first science fair there back in the 70's). How about the newstand (I can remember being a little kid going in there thinking there was no way anyone could read all those magazines). In fact my mom bought my first teen magazine there one year before going to the beach for the week. I heard Loockerman Exchange was sold but I am sorry that it did not stick around. I grew up at Wesley Church there on State, from little bitty through high school. Went to Dover Days every year. Fireworks on the lawn. Opened my first bank account at Wilmington Trust on State Street, went to the library, spent my Easters at Woodburn hunting eggs, had my wedding reception at the Blue Coat Inn (Can't believe it is gone). Got my flowers at Cooks. Learned to swim at the YMCA. Swam in Silver Lake. Had my first Kiss at Silver Lake. Got all my formal dresses at Simon's. Ok this will take you back wasn't there a Sears or something downtown? I can remember going to Sears something downtown. Hung out with all my friends at the Blue Hen Mall. I could go on forever

[rdlr]

Georgia to NE PA.......Wow! You really lived the life, here in Dover. Yes, there was a Sears almost across from Loockerman Exchange. They took that down and put a high rise office building, with apartments at the top. Delaware Made, a souvenir store is on the first level, as well as some other commercial establishments. And, yes, too bad the Blue Coat is gone, and the Dover Newstand is gone. I go back even farther than you! You're probably the age of my children. When I was 20 yrs. old I worked at the Farmers Bank, on the corner, which then became Mellon Bank, Gerard Bank, and now something else. The Loockerman Exchange was a Braunsteins Department Store, where I shopped. The St. Patrick's Day Parade this year was huge, but sadly, I didn't see many people I know. Thanks for sharing all those memories!

[Georgia to Northeast PA]

Originally Posted by Delly

Georgia to NE PA.......Wow! You really lived the life, here in Dover. Yes, there was a Sears almost across from Loockerman Exchange. They took that down and put a high rise office building, with apartments at the top. Delaware Made, a souvenir store is on the first level, as well as some other commercial establishments. And, yes, too bad the Blue Coat is gone, and the Dover Newstand is gone. I go back even farther than you! You're probably the age of my children. When I was 20 yrs. old I worked at the Farmers Bank, on the corner, which then became Mellon Bank, Gerard Bank, and now something else. The Loockerman Exchange was a Braunsteins Department Store, where I shopped. The St. Patrick's Day Parade this year was huge, but sadly, I didn't see many people I know. Thanks for sharing all those memories!

That is way too neat Delly, I forgot someone told me the Loockerman Exchange used to be a department store. I am sorry you did not see many people you knew at the parade but the great news is that we will always carry it around in our heart

[missyandbrent]

Originally Posted by ltdontcare

It's funny. Outsiders always ask "What's in scrapple?" I always tell them it's the stuff the guys in the hotdog factory scrape off their shoes at the end of the shift. Now shut up and try it. Once they try it, they stop asking and just want some more.

LOL Thats a good one ! Its funny I lived in Lancaster county pa a big part of my life and never had scrapple until I moved here. I love it!
-Missy

[Joe84323]

Muskrat? Possum? That's plain nasty. That canal is wider than I thought!

In Northern De, the worst thing we eat is scrapple. We say "Punkin what?"

The only things I can say, are that Northern De and Southern De are totally different.

I can tell somebody's an outsider by how they say Wilmington. Those from Wilmington say "Woomingtin."

Also those who say "I-95" instead of "95," and people who say "Philly cheesesteak."

I used to work at Borgia's steak shop on Union St. A guy came in, and asked for a Philly Cheesesteak. I honestly had no idea what that was. I asked the dude what it was. He couldn't explain it to me. I asked the girls I worked with what was on it. Nobody really knew. After a few seconds somebody said "Just make him a cheesesteak." I said ok, and made it. Now, when I'm outside of the area I hear it a lot more and could easily have deciphered what the dude wanted.

Also, a real Wilmingtonian knows there is a world of water ice outside Rita's.

[elizamary]

I'm from Philly origninally......Not much difference between Wilmington and Philly areas.....below that........big difference.

[drnorman]

This is a terrific thread. I'm learning lots! I live about 25 miles north of NY City. Anytime a New Yorker moves/visits/travels south or west of NY, some people respond as if all Yankees are alike. I grew up in the 1950's on a farm in Iowa with soybean and corn fields, Gurnseys and Holsteins, and John Deere implements. Initially we used horses to farm and I went to a one room country schoolhouse for awhile. As a kid I trapped muskrats, shot pheasants, etc. Today, traveling from north to south through Delaware is not that much different from a recent trip I took through Iowa. Both are very flat, still rural in many respects, etc. I came to N York City many years ago to coach the debate team at NYU. Now after many years of hard work, my lawyerly wife and I are retiring and we are moving to Middletown, DE. DE has lots of things I like but the people are the best. The long-time residents we've met in DE are similar in many respects to my old friends and relatives from Iowa. I'm happy to be moving there. And, I want to add, the people on this site are the best!

[adnyb]

My bride and I enjoyed our vacation this Oct in DE. We stayed at a hotel in Seaford, and roamed all over that area for a week. Even down into MD (sorry). We had a great time looking the area over, and stayed well below the ditch, staying in Suffolk County. We did venture over to Rehoboth once, but otherwise stayed west.

We have spent most of our lives (so far) in New England, and the one thing we noticed right off was that there are no sides to the land down there!

Based on our limited experience of one week, and what we have read here (thank you Delly), I sure we will enjoy living there when we sort of 'retire' in a couple of years. We haven't settled on a specific town just yet (we're coming back down in the spring for another look-see), and any suggestions are very welcome.