Wilmington positives? (real estate, apartment, sex offenders)

[suzytee]

Hello all,

Have been reading these posts/threads and am struck by a bit of negativity about Wilmington - crime, lack of grocery stores, etc. Can anyone give me the positive side? Herer's what I've heard - people are moving in/neighborhoods are regentrifying/Delaware is perfectly located between DC and NY/Philly, etc.

I am looking to relocate to a quieter life. Am self-employed in the style/fashion business and can work from home. Need space, peace and possibility - no more big-city hectic lifestyles. Would like to have a great, old-style apartment, walk along the river, get a dog and a nice car, go out for milk at night if I need it, and be able to get on Amtrak whenever I need a city-fix. Am over 50 but still young, both outside and in. No kids, no husband, wouldn't mind a date or two now and then.

Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks to all.

[rdlr]

Hi Suzy,
The City of Wilmington covers a wide area, so things which concern you may, or may not be prevalent in various areas. Here's the City-Data link to Wilmington, Delaware, which shows a population of 72,664. Wilmington, Delaware (DE) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Also, here's the link to Wilmington's Visitor Center Visitors Center: Attractions

And yes, gentrification is taking place in the City of Wilmington at a steady pace, which is a good thing. Homes in disrepair are either being refurbished, or replaced by new construction. For an overall picture of the City, one would need to visit the area, as there are various types of housing available. The Riverfront appears to be a good location for professionals, or the Trolley Square area. But, again, a visit there will help you narrow your choices. Good Luck.

[Joe84323]

There are many positives to Wilmington.

The first thing to consider is how you define Wilmington.

The city itself is dense and urban and walkable with around 75,000 pop.

Wilmington as an area is a spread out area of a central "inner city" surrounded by suburbs, highways, stripmalls, malls, and comprises around 6-700,000 people, and includes a little bit of Jersey, Chester county PA, and Cecil Co, MD.

There are two Wilmington cities. Poor Wilmington and Yuppie Wilmington. Yuppie Wilmington is proud quasi-urban people living mostly on the northwest part of town in victorian homes with landscaped yards, pools, neighborhood parks, beautiful foliage, and close-knit fellowship between neighbors.

Wilmington can be a very beautiful city due to its location on the piedmont of the Appalachian mountains. Hills, rivers, streams, creeks, old stone homes, lots of history, large, mature trees in clean, old neighborhoods and people who care.

Then there's the rest of the city which can be much the opposite. I am familiar with both sides of the city, and both consider the other not to exist. It's kind of funny.

The other big draw of Wilmington is its connectivity with Phila, NYC, B-More and DC. It's not out of the way, has 95 and Amtrak and Chinatown and Greyhound buses. It's liberal, but conservative at the same time.

The biggest draw of the entire area is the affordability of the northeast Megalopolis. Almost any other area of the 95 corridor is crazy expensive (see Jersey) whereas Delaware remains dirt cheap for a the great location and standard of living it provides.

The last thing about Wilmington I love is that it is small, but it is representative of any other large city. It still retains its small ethnic areas - Italian, Polish, Irish, Spanish, Black, as IT IS NOT A SUBURB, as many Philly people would like to say. It retains a separate identity, and although it is boring compared to big cities, it has no match in it's size class. It is very much a small city in big city skin in these ways. It's a very real town/city.