NYC to Wilmington DE move...HELP

[Charley]

Originally Posted by jdoll

Having spent 40 years as a Midwestern I take exception. First Delaware is located in the Mid-Atlantic, not the Northeast.

Bravo!

[doctorjef]

In fairness, I think he referred to the "east coast" rather than "the Northeast".

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by midwestdude

If you really want to live a comfortable life where the cost of living does not eat your salary, look into the great lakes region. You can find a very nice 2600 sq foot house on .5 acres in a low crime town for less than 160K. Overall cost of living is good, schools are good and the people are actually friendly. Delaware and the whole east cost is over priced, rude, poor traffic control, over crowdeed and extremely overated. Plus you have to hear the whining fair weather Philly fans

I was going to just ignore midwestdude, but I can't help myself: first, it is, of course, ridiculous to assume that one person's dream scenario (big house on big lot in possibly boring town) is what everyone wants.

And, just for an alternative point of view, I, too, am a native Midwesterner. I moved to DE for school, and found that I really liked the state. We lived in Wilmington, in Trolley Square, and I loved our apartment, I liked taking walks around the neighborhood (tons of nice streets to wander, and very pretty overall), I liked our local restaurants, the great museums, the interesting history, and I loved the rolling hills and country estates as you head out of the city towards Winterthur and beyond. People were very friendly, it's actually affordable (compared to many other places), and it's very convenient for day trips to Philadelphia, NYC, and DC. There seemed to be a good sense of community, and overall it was a very pleasant place to live. We moved on for job reasons, but I think Delaware overall is overlooked and underappreciated. It has a lot to offer, and is a pretty great place to spend a couple of years as a student (which is what the OP is doing, after all) or to settle down permanently.

[irishmafia]

The bus system is only as good as it is convenient to your location, the destination and time available for the trip. For me, it has been relatively useless the last 28 years of my life in DE. That is not condemnation, just a point that just because it works for some does not mean it is good for all, which was my point to needing a car.

While "Wilmington" is a chosen label from Bellefonte to Pike Creek, Talleyville to Stanton, there is a vast difference in living inside the limits and in many suburban developments in Brandywine Hundred. Whether or not the city has annexed property is irrelevant. Compared to 30-40 years ago, the Wilmington 'burbs are packed tighter than ever intended. Luckily, there is still plenty of green areas left, but even some of those areas are only there due to development restriction. Some great old maps can be seen at www.oldwilmington.net . Point is that the person moving here needs to be aware that their destination (Widener) is not a city/urban environment and needs to prepare for this.

Remember, the answers need to apply to the person asking the question, which may not always coincide with our personal experiences.

And while we are at it, Delaware is in the Northeast, Midatlantic and Eastern part of the country and the proper label all depends on how it is being related to other portions of the country as being offered by the presenter of the discussion.

[doctorjef]

I didn't see any indication from in the OP that the poster doesn't have a car. With a car short distances in Wilmington and its immediate surroundings are quite irrelevant. I would still suggest Trolley Square or Forty Acres (often thought of as part of Trolley) as areas that would meet the needs stated in the OP. Wilmington is like the vast majority of Americann cities in not having good public transport, so if the writer of the OP doesn't have a car, that is essential info to factor in.

[djstirr]

Thank you everyone for your detailed and practical advice.

Quickly to answer the most recent post, yes indeed i do have a car so information about vehicle transport does apply.

I have officially started the apartment search in the Wilmington area and will post updates periodically.

Please feel free to continue adding here at your conveniences as all information is valuable and facilitates my move by a large degree.

Thanks again for your help