Newark Delaware? (Wilmington, Hockessin, New Castle: real estate, low crime, chapel)

[macdebbie]

My husband and I are looking to retire in a couple of years.

We love where we live (Newburyport, MA) for lots of reasons - it's quaint, on the coast, has a "real" downtown with restaurants, bookstores, businesses, a library, movie theatre, and playhouse.

It has a thriving arts community, and lots of festivals throughout the year, a farmer's market every Sunday, etc.

It has a hospital in town, and is within 32 miles of Boston. It also has extremely low crime - a rating of 93 vs the US of 320.

It's very walkable, beautifully historic, and yes, there are strip malls, but they are on the edge of town and contain the dry cleaner, grocery store, liquor store and Marshalls. We also have a few - 2 - chains in town - but they are integrated nicely with the rest of the town - Starbucks and Talbots.

I've attached some pics just so people can get a sense of the town. We are not trying to recreate the town, just the "feel" of it - vibrant, safe, lots going on, etc.

nwbryprt 050924 05 emair pictures from massachusetts photos on webshots
nwbryprt 050924 05 emair pictures from massachusetts photos on webshots
nbryprt shops 050101 01 emair pictures from massachusetts photos on webshots
newburyport harbor 03 emair pictures from massachusetts photos on webshots

Why do we want to leave if we love it so much?

COLD, snowy winters. Sometimes they last 6 months. Some winters we get 100 inches of snow. Had it with that. We definitely want a 4-season climate, albeit a milder one. We're willing to trade more humid, hotter summers for the snow.

COST - the median price of a house where we live is 440K. Realistically, you can't find anything "nice" (am I am talking small 3BR/2BA) for under 550K. Just to provide some perspective, we live in a very small 1,100 sq ft. "half-house" that is valued at 400K. Our RE taxes run 5K a year. We won't be able to afford to stay in retirement because of this.

We are also looking for someplace with good job opportunities. I am a financial advisor (I know, not a great field to be in now) and also have a health care background. I will be working still. I am not opposed to commuting, but don't want to commute more than an hour.

Ideally, we'd like a smallish town (where we live now is 18K and that is great) no more than 50K, with easy access - 30-50 miles away - to a bigger city which has an airport. Not that we go to Boston much, but it's nice to have for better hospitals and the airport.

We kind of like towns that have a college, although that is by no means a requirement, and don't want a town where the college IS the town, like Chapel Hill.

Although we absolutely love the coast, we are willing to forgoe living on the coast for lower cost of living (housing). We'd love a place that was within 2 hrs driving distance, though, so we could go for a long weekend.

We're looking for a smallish house - 1,800 sq ft - 3BR, 2BA, under 350K. We'd love to be able to walk to town from our house as we do now since as we get older, we really don't want to be driving that much. A hospital in town is a must, as is a milder climate.

Wondering if Newark, DE fits the bill. It appears it is close to Havre de Grace, MD which is a coastal city, and also Philly. Am I reading this right?

If anyone could provide info on this town, that would be great. Also open to other suggestions that fit our criteria. Also looking for a site that has good weather stats. City Data is great,but the weather is in graphs, making it harder to interpret.

[glcormier]

I wonder if you would like and consider looking into texas. It has a coast and it is much cheaper. Also Florida is coastal and I know people are saying the bottom fell out of the market. And you can buy homes real cheap.

[macdebbie]

We really want a place with four seasons, just a milder winter.

Can anyone comment on Newark, DE?

[rlrl]

from 1983-1987 and have passed thru Newark and stopped for breaks in Newark on my vacations coming back to NY in the 90's. I can tell you that I certainly liked Newark, it was different, not so much a small town atmosphere because there was a lot of traffic from the college students but if it weren't for the students it could have been more like a small town

SInce the 80's it's gotten more chic but even then it never got pretentious

[doctorjef]

You really must come visit Delaware in order to develop informed impressions. I don't think anyone here can really give you an adequate idea of what Newark is "like". The areas north of the City of Wilmington proper are lovely IMO -- Greenville, Montchanin, Centreville, even parts of the Brandywine Hundred and indeed even parts of Hockessin. This is still a geographically tiny area of the state, just the very tippy-top of Delaware. My only reservation is that you will miss all that Boston has to offer. However, Philadelphia is itself a major resource for those times one wants to be in a big city with its culture, entertainment and restaurants.

[pcity]

Not sure Newark is right for you. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice town, but...

The college dominates the downtown walkable area.

Outside the downtown and college areas, it's more suburban than "quaint".

Havre de Grace is not a coastal city. It's on the Chesapeake Bay. If you're looking for fishing and boating, the bay fits the bill, but if you're looking for an actual ocean beach, you have to travel at least an hour and a half to Lewes or Rehoboth.

[armx]

If any city in DE comes closest to what OP's ideal place to live would be - it is Newark. Delaware is not made towns attached each other but more like towns that are separated by a large mass of unincorprated areas of different characters.

I suppose that is a difficult concept to grasp if one grew up in states where towns with unique zip codes are clustered together and have different and unique characteristics that separate them and not the geography!!

[doctorjef]

Lewes in downstate Delaware - the older part of the town - is eminently walkable and has basic amenities such as a decent sized small, independent grocery, drug store(s), hosptial, and good places to eat. The town is quaintness and charm itself. It does not, of course, have a college or university, and the quality of medical care at Beebe Hospital has been the subject of criticism. The main problem would be the cost of properties within the town itself. An allowance of up to $425K would be more realistic for a few of the less historic, smaller houses or those needing updating. There is an arts scene in coastal Sussex County, though less than in northern New Castle County (or perhaps simply more local and amateurish - which isn't meant as a put-down). I'm unsure of the feasibility of finding a place in Newark where the need for driving is absolutely minimised. The area in immediate proximity to the university doesn't supply everything one needs, I don't think. Newark is a nice town, but really it is rather sprawling.

[pcity]

Another problem with Lewes is that it's not close to any major cities. OP stated they wanted 30-50 miles away from a major city.

Unfortunately, the type of development OP wants is not that common outside New England. Once you get as far south as DE, most development is more recent and therefore more sprawl-y.

PA or Jersey might have towns that might fit the bill. The problem there is that a lot of the small towns have emptied out, and wouldn't be the vibrant atmosphere the OP is looking for. Some have been revitalized though.

[kachoo]

I'm always on here talking about how much I enjoy living in Newark!

The real estate prices fall well within what you are looking for -- in the 350K range, you can find a selection of nice neighborhoods on the west side of Newark (zip code 19711). The Oaklands neighborhood, for instance, has a lot of character and is within walking distance of Main Street. Property taxes are less than half of what you are paying now... approx $2000-$2300 per year. Although you can walk to many places, you would still need a car, as Newark is a small college town rather than a city. The closest grocery store is about 1 mile away on New London Road, which I can easily walk to... but not sure as I get older!

Christiana Hospital is about 6 miles away, and has a good reputation, although many go to Philadelphia, which is about 1 hour. Newark is also about 2 hours to the Delaware beaches (Lewes, Rehobeth, Bethany.... all very nice). The Pocono Mtns are 2 hours north, Washington D.C. is 2 hours south.

Delaware has been named as the 2nd best state to retire in... second only to Alaska. (I think this article was in Money magazine.... but my old memory is fuzzy).

Another town you may enjoy, that was on my list of "possibilities", is West Chester, PA. Higher property taxes, closer to Philadelphia, but further to the coast... it also has the charm & vibrant community that comes with living near a college.