lewes and dover area (school, college, live)

[rockky]

I forgot to mention....have you tried the Italian restaurant over in the shopping center on Rt. 8? I think it's Mari Monti's....tucked in the corner beside the Food Lion. Also, Roma's close to the base.

Cool Springs on South State Street...up scale sea food. (No pun intended! ;D)

[NancyM]

My brother moved to Kent County (Smyrna) 2 yrs ago. He bought a 4 bdrm colonial 1/2 acre property for $140k, and now it's worth $225k. Real estate boom is going on there like it did in NJ from the late 1990's until last year. So buyer beware....DE is getting pricier every quarter. I admit, their property taxes are low and there are no state taxes....but prices on home are going up and up. I've talked with realtors there and they don't expect the housing market to stop rising anytime soon.

[rockky]

Yep. The Smyrna/Middletown area is boomin'! New Castle County put a stop to development, so construction began below the canal. The area has become an extention of Wilmington/New Castle.....which has become somewhat of a burb of Philly. Many young families have moved into the area.

Rt. 1 is a direct road north, so the commute is easy until you get up around Rt. 95. Then it gets nuts.

There is no doubt that home values are increasing there just like at the beaches in Sussex County.

[rossc]

Originally Posted by donsabi

Insurance is comparable to any other location.
Don

My auto insurance is double what it was in New Hampshire. I have a clean record, but I have a few vehicles. Something you might want to check out.

Ross

[rossc]

Originally Posted by winnie

Monster- good points, I did not spend enough time in DE to get to know the locals but I tend to keep to myself anyway. You actually described some areas I know in NY which is kind of funny..I can show you some real filth up here too give me a weekend of your time and bring the coffee.

There are areas like that in every state. I moved from NH and comparatively, the real estate here is quite high, especially considering the lower income scale.

MA???? Say it isn't so. Talk about taxes.

Ross

[MiouMiou]

Rocky:

I especially related when you said you begin to think something is wrong with you, because we have begun to feel the same way. It seems you almost have to "dumb yourself down" to talk to people. Never met so many people that proudly mention they have not read a book since high school. I don't know what it is about this area. There seems to be a certain reverse snobbism in being ignorant and being proud of it. Perhaps we have too many teeth. I have definitely found the "good old boy" mentality as far as finding a job here. I am a teacher, was only able to find work as a substitute at the high school here, and after one year of the chaos and and out of control student population at Dover High School had enough. Have not been able to find work since, and being over 50 makes it even more difficult. For now we survive by travelling when we can, going away to visit friends out of state, and looking for jobs and housing elsewhere. Growing up, I can remember knowing or at least being able to name every single neighbor on my block, something I know I will never be able to do here. What happened to that sense of community? Why are people so determined to shut others out here? Why are people so unfriendly here? It is not my attitude, I would and have tried jumping through hoops here in an attempt to make friends here.

I also agree with you about summer traffic being a nightmare. At first we loved the idea of living about a 30 minute drive from the beautiful beaches in Rehoboth. Then we tried it one summer's day, and after over two hours in traffic, an hour trying to find parking, I don't think we went again. The infrastructure of this state does not seem to be keeping up with the amount of people moving in.

Of course I realize that some people just love it here and have had a totally different experience. This is my personal opinion and experience of living in Dover.

[rockky]

"The infrastructure of this state does not seem to be keeping up with the amount of people moving in."

Bingo and amen, Miou Miou!!!

I'm surprised you mentioned age discrimination in regard to finding employment. I was amazed to find it here. Perhaps I will find it other places as well, but it appears that employers (certainly the public school system) aren't looking for experienced providers. My work history was with students where there is difficulty finding people to work in the category. I have excellent references. I was looked at as if I presented with two heads. I ended up paying out over $300. for medical exams and criminal background checks just in order to submit an application. Then they lost my paper work. It took months of hoop jumping just to try to get into the system.

Everyone agrees that Delaware schools need to be improved. Some are. Most continue to do the same old, same old. Their lack of success seems to be exemplified when you go to a doctor or try to find services. No one seems to have any organizational skills. There appears to be a total lack of professionalism. I feel as if I'm imposing on their time when they are making personal phone calls during work time. Frankly though, I think that is becoming the norm in many areas.

I tend to go back to PA to shop for clothes. It's great to not pay sales tax on large ticket items, but choices appear to be limited to Wal Mart. It seems to be the social center of the community.

Also, I am not a person who 'sees' color or race. My interaction with others is based strictly on the behavior/attitude of the person in front of me. When I was told that I wasn't "black enough" to work with a group of children, I was shocked. Yeah. I was hurt. I really cared about those kids.

Oh, well. We are leaving Kent County. Oddly, we are leaving for tax reasons. I've always felt that I was a productive member of any community in which I lived. I wish my memories were the same here.

On to other places and new adventures! Maybe I'll find out that it really *is* me.

[Stonecoldharbours]

I have experienced age discrimination in NY and in VA...and alot of what you all had in some of the most upper class areas of both states..unfriendly people and snobs and etc...I am afraid this is everywhere, at least it seemed to be for me. GA was the worst. People just are not warming up to outsiders often cause of crime and not knowing us perhaps, I don't know but I have lived alot of places and I could of written what you all have on here, ditto ditto ditto! We move often, mainly due to promotions. My children are tired of moving, so we want this to be the last move, ever and we were offered a job that is permanent, and pays very well, so we are considernig it cause it can't be any worse than we had alreayd experienced...esp lower ga, goodness as soon as you open your mouth, your an yankee outcast!

[Stonecoldharbours]

mmm lost paperwork, wonder if its in the water?


oh and they lost all my paperwork when I had applied for a job here for a teachers asst, and I had applied to over 27 postions, they were like, oh the last person who worked in office, who had fired a few days ago, must have your papers or shredded them....it was at that point, I knew I was being discrimated against, lesson well learned here, but what can I do, nothing really.

[rockky]

Yep, Pgh. I felt the same way. I got a different story from each person with whom I spoke. The first administrator I spoke to wanted to hire me on the spot, but explained the process to me. I did everything I was instructed to do. By the time I had all my ducks in a row, she moved to a different administrative position. The new guy seemed to hire who he knew. The good ole' boys club and nepotism was working well in his case.

btw, teacher asst. positions pay a great deal more in DE than they did in the area of PA where I worked.