Where to buy in Delaware? (Dover, Newark: home, moving, castle)

[Joe84323]

Originally Posted by rossc

DE just doesn't have the landscape that makes up most of what we consider New England charm. Building a nice New England cape in the middle of a corn field doesn't quite cut it.

I grew up in Delaware, and never saw a corn field until I was over 14 years old.

The part of Delaware I'm talking about has rivers and rolling hills with mansions and curvy, windy back roads going through them.

There's more to Delaware than Smyrna and Bear, people

[rockky]

Originally Posted by Joe84323

I grew up in Delaware, and never saw a corn field until I was over 14 years old.

The part of Delaware I'm talking about has rivers and rolling hills with mansions and curvy, windy back roads going through them.

There's more to Delaware than Smyrna and Bear, people

Joe, I believe you must be talking about the Chateau area of northern DE.

That drive up into PA on Route 100 is good for the soul. A stay at the Montchanin Inn is....well, it's pretty damn nice. LOL!

But c'mon now. Most of the folks moving to DE are not going to be purchasing property in that geographic area. Some may, but not the majority.

There's absolutely no doubt that the area looks much more like southern PA than the bulk of DE.

It is very, very beautiful. That is unless it's late at night....on Devil's Road....and an SUV is following you.

[nevada49]

Jade: I live in Conn. now and was in Delaware last month looking at 55+ communities for a move a couple of years from now. People here were really curious about Delaware, as it is not a state we know a lot about. I had not been there in about 25 years and that was just driving thru on the way to Florida. I told people the area near the beach is very much like the Long Island Sound area of Conn. - salt marshes near the beach, the sand dunes, beaches free of rocks. Of course the topography is different, no hills, probably not as colorful in the fall. I admit I will miss some of the quirkiness of the older areas near where I live now and for that reason I am trying to enjoy them while I have them. I was in Western Mass. last weekend, and came back via the Mohawk Trail, thru Bennington, VT, Brattleboro, VT., ate at a wonderful old stainless steel diner, went up to Poet's Seat tower in Greenfield, Mass. These places are a part of me and I will miss them but I am sure I will find wonderful places in the mid-Atlantic region. I want to live in one of the new developments, though I realize they are for the most part sterile, lack old large trees, not a lot of character, but I know I want a 55+ community, and a new place, so I have to trade off. I hope you find what you want and are very happy. Don't buy till you know you will be happy.

Eileen in Conn.

[from PA]

Originally Posted by nevada49

Jade: I live in Conn. now and was in Delaware last month looking at 55+ communities for a move a couple of years from now. different, no hills, probably not as colorful in the fall. I admit I will miss some of the quirkiness of the older areas near where I live now and for that reason I am trying to enjoy them while I have them.
Eileen in Conn.

Hi Eileen, I just want to correct you on one thing. It sure surprised me. The foliage he in the fall is tremendous. I could not believe it. I'm originally "from PA" and I must say there are areas along Rt 1 in Kent and New Castle counties that are loaded with color. We took a trip to NH last fall and honestly, the color was far superior here in DE.

[JadeG]

Thanks for all the replies.

Much as I love New England, I don't expect to find New England charm here in DE. There are other things I like about DE, and I sure don't miss those CT/MA winters!

As Laural said, what I really want is some privacy. I'm looking for greenery, on a street where the houses aren't all exactly the same. I do look in the 19711 zip code and I like what I see there a lot . . . but my commute would be 55 minutes each way, and that's before they develop the golf course and make the traffic that much worse.

There are definitely places in NCC where I'd love to live, and where I think the houses are worth what people are asking for them. I love some of the old houses in Wilmington. I'd love to be down by the shore. With daily commuting needs to Dover and Newark, neither of those are options. Who says DE is a small state? :-)

[anniebleu]

Hi PA! I will have to--gently--disagree with you on the fall foliage comparison. Having spent more than thirty autumns in Delaware, but part of those 30 (and even more) in New Hampshire and Vermont, I have seen absolutely spectacular foliage in the New England states, as well as lovely foliage in Delaware, but the latter at its peak not even close to VT and NH at their peak.

Just respectfully suggesting that you may have been in the wrong area at the wrong time. And yes, you may throw a sweet gum tree's "bee bopper" (what we used to call them) at me!

One thing is certain: much East Coast foliage brilliance is provided by sugar maples, and they thrive in great abundance in New England.

Nevertheless, you will find me pointing out to anyone who will look the early brilliance of the swamp maple and sumac, the ever-deepening garnet of the sweet gum, the gold of certain beeches, the rusty-rose of the white oaks, and many more here in Delaware. I must set aside some time, because I do have some photos to share.

Annie

[from PA]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

Hi PA! I will have to--gently--disagree with you on the fall foliage comparison. Having spent more than thirty autumns in Delaware, but part of those 30 (and even more) in New Hampshire and Vermont, I have seen absolutely spectacular foliage in the New England states, as well as lovely foliage in Delaware, but the latter at its peak not even close to VT and NH at their peak.

Just respectfully suggesting that you may have been in the wrong area at the wrong time. And yes, you may throw a sweet gum tree's "bee bopper" (what we used to call them) at me!

One thing is certain: much East Coast foliage brilliance is provided by sugar maples, and they thrive in great abundance in New England.

Nevertheless, you will find me pointing out to anyone who will look the early brilliance of the swamp maple and sumac, the ever-deepening garnet of the sweet gum, the gold of certain beeches, the rusty-rose of the white oaks, and many more here in Delaware. I must set aside some time, because I do have some photos to share.

Annie

Hi Annie, You are correct about being in NE at the wrong time. We have made several trips and have not hit the color display on any of our trips.
I was simply stating that I was surprised particularily this last fall how magnificant it was in our own back yard. We have had visitors come from the west coast to see the foliage in New England only to find that we were two weeks too early or too late. It's ok Annie, I promise not to hit you with anything.

[rossc]

The foliage in NE is much brighter than here in DE, but it doesn't last as long so you have to be there when it happens. For the past few years fall has been very short. We were going from short sleeves and shirts to snow. Two years ago we were wakeboarding on the lake in shorts two weeks prior to the first snow.

The changing colors depend on temperature changes. If it goes from warm to cold very quickly, leaves can go through the complete color changing cycle in a week or two. Fall tends to last a little longer here. Actually, fall lasted all winter last year. We never really had a winter in DE.

[from PA]

Very true. Gotta love it !!!!

[DTWilm]

If you did end up buying somewhere around Wilmington, there is a DART commuter bus (or there may be two, now) that goes from Wilmington to Dover. There are stops in Smyrna and Odessa as well. So at least you could work/read rather than drive, for that commute.