Culture of Delco (Lancaster, Chester, Springfield: school districts, university, income)

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Steinish

Do solid middle class African-American families gravitate towards Thornbury?

I hope you're not being sarcastic.

[Flyers Girl]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Since some of Haverford Twp is on the Main Line those parts(sections of Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr) don't look so Delco. But most of Havertown is absolutely Delco.... look, feel, people.

Parts of Havertown, sure. But not all of it. If you plopped me or the houses on my street in, say, Eddystone or Ridley, they would be wholly out of place.

[blinkme323]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

Parts of Havertown, sure. But not all of it. If you plopped me or the houses on my street in, say, Eddystone or Ridley, they would be wholly out of place.

I agree, 95% of Havertown doesn't fit in to the "Delco" mold at all, nor does most of Springfield.

[llanoestacado]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

As someone who was born in Chester, lived in West Philadelphia, attended Cardinal O'Hara High School, currently lives in Brookhaven (whenever I'm not in college) and traveled all over Delco and Philadelphia, I agree with all of the posts made here.

It's actually funny that this topic came up, as I was talking about this topic with my brother last night. I said, "The Media/Elwyn Line (R3) is as Delco as it gets. The Paoli/Thorndale Line (R5) goes through the wealthy Main Line suburbs, the Wilmington/Newark Line (R2) goes through the working-class former industrial towns generally along the Delaware River, and the Airport Line (R1) only serves the airport. If you want a true sense of Delco culture, take the Media/Elwyn Line". When I think of Delco, I generally think of the towns within the vicinity of Baltimore Pike, along with some exceptions (Havertown, Bromall, Aston, Brookhaven, and Boothwyn). Towns like Springfield, Clifton, Aldan, and Media would fit into my definition. Delconians have an accent very similar to the Philly accent. We eat very similar foods, watch the same sports teams, and get much enjoyment out of traveling to Center City and going "Down the Shore" in the summer.

One HUGE part of Delco culture is an institution that came out of Delco: Wawa. If you were to travel through Delco, you would not be able to miss a Wawa. They are literally everywhere here! There are around 10 of them on MacDade Boulevard alone. The "Wawa run" (which I just did a little while ago) is almost ritualistic down here. I am very brand-loyal to Wawa, even in the Sheetz-dominated Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA. Also, since I am only 20, another thing that I consider to be a part of at least Delco youth culture is Natty Lights. When I was in high school, that was the only beer that my friends would drink. It's terrible beer, but I guess my friends drank it because of how cheap it is.

I'll post more later if I think of anything else Delco-related.

It was so much fun reading your post about the culture of Delco and your being a part of it. I am also a product of Delco having been born and raised in Clifton Heights over 40 years ago. Yet over the decades so many things about Delco that you enumerated still ring true. You are an O'Hara grad and a number of my childhood friends graduated from there. In the late 60's and early 70's Wawa still had its dairy and milk production plant further out Baltimore Pike when the first Wawa food stores began to sprout all over Delco. Several towns along McDade Boulevard and Baltimore Pike back then and still today exemplify that white working and middle class Delco culture not shared by the more wealthy zip codes in north and west Delco. In my view, the towns in the Interboro school district like Norwood, Prospect Park, and Glenolden plus many sections of Ridley Township (like Folsom) today best preserve so many aspects of the traditional Delco culture - the modest homes with huge Eagles and Phillies flags; the pride in the small home towns with the volunteer fire departments (like in Clifton); the neighborhood taverns where friends still meet; the neighborhood swim clubs; the still strong Catholic parishes; the small family owned restaurants and newer Delco restaurants like Nifty Fifties at 420 and McDade Boulevard. I left Delco and Pennsylvania when I graduated high school, but I come back a couple times a year to visit relatives and visit my roots. Though I have lived in several states across the country with my wife and family over the last four decades, scratch the surface and my blue collar Delco roots come shining through. Everybody, if you want to experience the Delco culture first hand, come to Clifton early morning on July 4th and stand with the crowds on Baltimore Pike to see the hometown parade. Lots of young families with little kids plus long time Clifton residents watching the big fire engines and bands go by while vendors are selling soft pretzels. Later in the day, enjoy the one and only Rosati water ice - homegrown in Clifton - while you walk up to the Clifton fireworks that thousands walk up to attend. Lastly, be sure to see the movie Silver Linings Playbook that was filmed all over southern Delco - Landsdowne, Upper Darby, Predegast High, Ridley Park, Ridley Township. It's not pure Delco culture, but a pretty darned good version of it.

[soulsurv]

Lived in Delaware County for 53 of my 59 years and don't understand why it seems so strange to people. City border towns are always going to be rougher areas as time moves on. The Delco burbs were a real haven in the 50's to my parents' generation in their flight from Philly: lawns to mow, personal driveways, vegetable gardens, breathing room. It was a great place to live. It's a shame the taxes have become thoroughly obscene. My favorite place growing up" PLAYTOWN PARK, hands down!

[ActualUDResident]

There is no Delco culture. It's a very varied county.

The older parts are basically either small town or a mix of small town and old school Philly. Clueless people mistake this for stereotypical Delco but stereotypical Delco is more Ridley, Glenolden, Springfield, Havertown, etc etc. Most of the people posting in this thread clearly come from the delusional groups from these very much "Delco" newer suburban communities who forget that it's the places they stereotype that have the history and that are the source of all real culture in this county. As for why it is how it is? Because the vast majority of these more suburban parts are suburbs of the more urban parts of Delco. Anybody who thinks Chester is a suburb needs to get their head examined. It's older than Philadelphia and has its own former suburbs in three states. The vast majority of the county's older parts came up independently of the city and that's why it's nothing like the other places people try to compare it to and has a certain way about it. If you don't know the history, you really can't understand it.

Nobody who is from one of these older parts says they're from Philly. Not only would that have gotten us beat down back in the day but we have too much pride in where we come from for that.

One thing I always have liked about Delco is the small town nature and the way people genuinely have respect for each other based on athletic accomplishments. It's something you don't find many places these days.

If you want real Delco culture, go to a bar where local bands play, a sporting event (especially boxing, which Delco has a huge history in), and yes a community day or parade. Or one of the many historical sites that Bucks and Montco combined can't compare to. Because we're older than them.

[chessimprov]

If you're in the "delco" part of the county, you might say you are:
1. near the airport
2. near Media
3. Philadelphia

If you don't know where the first two are, you don't know delco, period. lol.

Also, I'm probably just as insane as the people in this county, lol.

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by Steinish

Isn't "Mr. Blue Collar Philadelphia Eagle" Vince Papale actually from Delaware County? I think because of the Italian last name, a lot of people think he's from South Philly. Anybody know for sure?

Vince Papale is from Prospect Park. Yet another one of the umpteen little Boroughs in Delco. The movie "Invincible" while entertaining had several falsehoods to create more drama as most movies do. Vince wasn't from South Philly, and when he tried out for the Eagles he was given a private try out, and had already been a Pro football player with the Philadelphia Bell.

I grew up in Springfield in the 60's, and 70's, so Delco holds no fascination for me. However, back then it was a nice place to grow up. As far as "culture" goes, it is all over the map as others have said.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Vince Papale is from Prospect Park. Yet another one of the umpteen little Boroughs in Delco. The movie "Invincible" while entertaining had several falsehoods to create more drama as most movies do. Vince wasn't from South Philly, and when he tried out for the Eagles he was given a private try out, and had already been a Pro football player with the Philadelphia Bell.

I grew up in Springfield in the 60's, and 70's, so Delco holds no fascination for me. However, back then it was a nice place to grow up. As far as "culture" goes, it is all over the map as others have said.

It actually is one of the most socio-economically diverse counties in the nation.

You can literally experience the best and worst like has to offer in 191 Sq Miles.

Even so, a majority of the county is very nice and pleasant.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Vince Papale is from Prospect Park. Yet another one of the umpteen little Boroughs in Delco. The movie "Invincible" while entertaining had several falsehoods to create more drama as most movies do. Vince wasn't from South Philly, and when he tried out for the Eagles he was given a private try out, and had already been a Pro football player with the Philadelphia Bell.

I grew up in Springfield in the 60's, and 70's, so Delco holds no fascination for me. However, back then it was a nice place to grow up. As far as "culture" goes, it is all over the map as others have said.

Was it?? I mean overall.

I grew up slightly before you and I distinctly remember people describing Upper Darby as "Upper Dump" circa 1960.