How would you describe the people of Northern DE?

[doctorjef]

That's interesting -- I myself notice very little about the native DE accent, which seems decidedly bland to me, neither Northern nor Southern. I do notice every time I hear someone from the South - seems like I run into quite a few North Carolinians here - or from above the Mason-Dixon line (never forget that DE is east of the Mason-Dixon line, neither north nor south of it) in most cases (some Pennsylvanians and South Jersey folk are sufficiently bland in their speech that I don't hear anything distinctively regional). I don't think the "o" hear is as broad and drawn out as in the traditional accents of Maryland and Virginia, but you probably notice it if you are coming from places with a more clipped and/or nasal accent.

[Joe84323]

To me, there are several different types of NCCO people.

Native Wilmingtonians, save the rich NW part of the city limits are a bit rough around the edges, can be a bit trashy, I hate to say, and are extremely casual creatures. Dressing up is a shirt with a collar, jeans, and nice sneakers. Delaware people traditionally don't dress up as much as surrounding states.

As you move up through Bellefonte and Claymont, the people transition into a PA-riverward type people. These people remind me the most of the blue-collar people I see in Eastern Delco, PA.

Most of North Wilmington to around Hockessin (away from the river,) are your average, everyday soccer moms and healthy happy suburban Americans. These people are as much suburban Philadelphians as they are Delawareans. Think West Chester, PA. They are better dressed, generally white-collar, and are not "rough around the edges."

There is an internal Mason-Dixon line in northern NCCo. It begins at around Stanton and New Castle, and includes Newark, and farther south. These people start to have more drawn out speech like a Baltimore person would have. Words get a little longer, and Nascar seems to get more popular. You start to hear country music in bars, and see lots of Maryland license plates and start to see Ravens fans.

Around New Castle, and Bear, however, there is a huge amount of transplants from everywhere - Southern DE, NY, NJ, PA, MD, far away. These people are usually tax refugees. You'll find a lot of islanders, Indians, Hispanics and Asians who are in search of suburban America.

Newark's suburbs are a bit of an anomaly as they are more cookie-cutter suburbanites than the beer-drinking Nascar fans in South Newark.

Really, half the county (Wilm, N. Wilm, Bellefonte, Greenville, Claymont, Hockessin, Pike Creek) is quite opposite of the other half (Bear, Middletown, New Castle, Stanton, South Newark, Smyrna, etc.)

The real litmus test is Nascar. Wilmington and above doesn't exactly consider Nascar a sport. Stanton and below, Nascar becomes a pretty big deal.

[doctorjef]

This is interesting. When I was house-hunting here on the internet and trying to develop a short-list of properties to look at, one of them was somewhere in suburban Newark. However, my realtor advised me that the house was "too far south, too close to the Maryland line, I don't think it's what you want at all". She seemed very adamant so I didn't look at it and of course ended up in Greenville, farther north and close to the PA state line. I never asked my realtor, but I intuited -correctly or not - that she was referring not just to distances but to something cultural. Basically she felt we should be in Trolley Square or somewhere in Hockessin, Greenville or the Brandywine Hundred.

[Joe84323]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

This is interesting. When I was house-hunting here on the internet and trying to develop a short-list of properties to look at, one of them was somewhere in suburban Newark. However, my realtor advised me that the house was "too far south, too close to the Maryland line, I don't think it's what you want at all". She seemed very adamant so I didn't look at it and of course ended up in Greenville, farther north and close to the PA state line. I never asked my realtor, but I intuited -correctly or not - that she was referring not just to distances but to something cultural. Basically she felt we should be in Trolley Square or somewhere in Hockessin, Greenville or the Brandywine Hundred.

She thought highly of you!

[phlydude]

Wow, slap us NASCAR fans in the face again, why don't you?!?

I grew up in Philadelphia and am a gear head...this makes me a NASCAR fan

I wear a Dale Jr hat from time to time but dress up in summer casual attire with polos, non-cargo Bermuda shorts and a dock-siders

I do not have any NASCAR markings on my car

I don't attend races

I don't mind getting my hands dirty

I don't think that this is based on geographic location, this is based on my upbringing. When I bought my house, it was a financial decision...you could say I am a tax evader of sorts. My builder was building the same houses where I lived in PA for $60k more and the taxes were 4x as much. No brainer for me.

To judge people based on where they live in an area is absurd...no where I have seen so much difference in one housing development to another, just yards apart from each other as I have in NCC DE.

BTW - I am a "south Newark" resident of Glasgow...I live next to the YMCA, the DE State Police Troop 2 and across the street from the Glasgow County Park...it is QUIET here and that is why I chose to live here initially.

[Joe84323]

When I said "South Newark," I meant South Newark, not Glasgow. Drive down Marrows Rd, and walk around on the other side of the bridge if you need this clarified.

Being a car enthusiast and a Nascar fan are two completely different things. Nascar is basically a bible belt soap opera on wheels with a bunch of beer-drinking southern caucasians. Of course there are exceptions, but, if you've watched Nascar, you see the people who tailgate, and can draw your own conclusion. In the 90s, when Nascar was newer, it pulled in a slightly more mixed crowd. Now the oil and vinegar have separated a bit.

You want real car races? Watch Rally races. THAT's real driving (at least they don't drive around in a circle.)

[phlydude]

I think of South Newark as being the southern end of the Newark postal designation - down 896 past the University...Marrows road, while parallel to it, doesn't come up when you say that.
Now if you say Kimberton...completely different story!

[Joe84323]

Kimberton is exactly what I mean.