27 y/o artsy/hipster professional - is there a place in Delaware for me? (Wilmington: real estate, apartments)

[revisingproust]

I'm thinking about moving to Delaware but I'm not sure where is best for me. Although I heard Wilmington's arts community is growing, I'd prefer to live Newark or south. Where would you recommend for me to live - would prefer not to live in student housing or the pre-made communities (outdoor pool, exercise room, etc.)

[Joe84323]

Why exactly are you moving? What do you do for a living?

I would personally recommend Philadelphia, which seems to be the hipster/emo capital these days because of the high number of arts colleges, and cheap neighborhoods, and good public transit.

Newark is very collegy, and when I say that, I mean snobby north Jersey - Long Island type rich kids and frats.. not so much hipster.

Give us some details and maybe we can help you out more.

[SXMGirl]

I'm not young, artsy, or hipster, but if I was, I think that I would either look in the Yorklyn or Arden areas. Maybe even Trolley Square. Philly may be more of what you are looking for; however, if you want a quieter home life, then then those sections of Delaware might be for you. Also, possibly the beach areas. Again, not a big night life in the winter.

[doctorjef]

I never understand people asking questions like this without giving more info about themselves, their circumstances and goals for moving. If you could supply more to go on, people here might be of some real help.

[anniebleu]

Agree that you need to supply more info.

I think there are a few hipsters in the mix in Newark, but probably insufficient for you.

Rehoboth Beach. The art community there is, I think, for the most part kind of conservative. The art on display (and sold) at the beautiful, historic Rehoboth Art League, for example, is mostly seascapes, sailboats, seabirds, that sort of thing. A few exceptions. Rehoboth is livelier than it once was during off-season, but quiet nevertheless.

[LynnePatrice]

Troll!

[scubaguy]

Met a waiter at the Melting Pot a few months back. He is a 3rd year Law student at Weidner College and rents a studio apartment on the Wilmington Waterfront. He could not say enough about how fun it is living there. They are brand new places. (name escapes me - quick Google of Wilmington Waterfront apartments should work) Seems like a cool place to live with easy access to Philly and Newark by way of I-95. Good luck!

[revisingproust]

there's not really more to say. i'm not moving there for a job. i live in philly now but i have previously lived in smaller cities and college towns and loved it. i know it's hard to find friends and groups of people you like in smaller towns so i'd at least want to go somewhere where it's possible to meet people. i've heard wilmington might be the spot for me due to its new arts scene. i'm just not totally sold - though, to be fair, i haven't visited. i figured i'd post here b/c i'd find the names of places that i wouldn't consider otherwise (i.e. i've only considered newark & wilmington). i like quiet, i don't go to the bars too much... i'd just want to go to a place where it won't be virtually impossible to meet people my age.

[toobusytoday]

Revising, you have good reasons to be concerned. It is hard to meet people as a single person and there are certainly pockets of places where that would be more likely to happen. I think both Newark and Wilmington are good ideas, and I like Scubaguys specific suggestion of the Waterfront apartments in Wilmington. I'd suggest a visit!

[doctorjef]

I suspect the Trolley Square area would be more suitable. While it is the home to the few youth oriented bars that Wilmington has, it's not like a big loud commercial scene. It is the place for most 20-somethings to live here and is very conveniently located. The Arden communities would indeed be the more traditional art colony place for you, but I'm not sure that they would be a very good place to meet people in your age bracket. Further, I'm not sure there would be much to rent there -- certainly not any apts, unless you might luck into a garage apt or guest house for rent. I think of Arden as for settled familes in their later 30s on up. Frankly, I found the stuff down on the Christina riverfront to be soul-less, but who knows, you might like that scene. There aren't any conveniences down there, however, and I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any to move in, especially in this economy. You are so close if you live in Philly, that you need to come over and basically spend a weekend hanging around Trolley, exploring Arden and checking out the riverfront area. Suggest you check Craig's list for rentals and also try to contact a property rental agency or real estate company that deals with rentals. You can also check the on-line ads in the Wilmington News Journal. The reality of what's available and at what price might be a significant deciding factor for you.

I don't know all that much about Newark, but I'm afraid if you aren't a UD student, you'll find it hard to find your niche. Rehoboth Beach is a good place in a lot of ways, but of course then we are talking about a completely different part of the state and frankly if you are young, artsy and considering living there on an ongoing basis, it would help a lot to be gay (though even at that, the permanent gay community there seems largely more middle aged). Otherwise, you might not find much there for yourself.