I have questions about DE (Wilmington, Dover: hotel, house, living)

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

Delaware has lots of nice wooded areas, but it isn't what I would think of as great old forests that exist in more rugged areas of the country.

That's true. Our biggest forest is Redden State Forest with only 9,500 acres Bridgeville/Georgetown area.

But, I really enjoy seeing the stand of baldcypress at Trap Pond State Park, the most northern found. Unusual sight for this area.

Trap Pond State Park, Laurel, Delaware

[doctorjef]

Originally Posted by rdlr

Suggestion, Dr.J -
You're not going to find a first-rate crabcake in a high class restaurant, or at a chain restaurant (I know you don't frequent those). Stop at Sambo's in Leipsic, where the crabs are caught there and the crabcakes are homemade. Absolutely succulent! Or, any other eatery along the water. They have to be fresh and made with local crabs to be first-rate. Other suggestions may follow.

I may have been misunderstood on this post -- what I meant was that I've become so used to incredibly good lump crabcakes here that I tend to take them for granted. Before DE, I could only get them when visiting my late parents during the years they lived in Baltimore, or at one place on Michigan Ave in Chicago or one place in Austin, TX (in other words, good lump MD style crabcakes are rare as hens teeth in other parts of the country).

[Miranda Sebastian]

For many, many years, I used to go through Delaware and never stopped perhaps because I had some miscontrued ideas of what it was really like.

Last year, I spent a week at the beach, and now is part of my itinerary. I love the quaintness of the state, and all it has to offer, and one of its nicest is: ITS PEOPLE. I found them to be down-to-earth, unpretentious, and very kind and considerate to outsiders

I shall be back in October........

[James420]

Originally Posted by ~seasoul~

So, if my husband's job was in Newark or Wilmington, would there be an area that is rural-ish with properties for < $250,000, that would not be a horrendous commute?

I still think that Bear, Middletown, Townsend, Odessa, and Smyrna would be in your price range, and maybe Hockessin. Newark toward the PA line I think its 19711 zip code.

Be carefull around where Bear meets Glasgow kinda good and bad parts there. To make a comparison the movie theater near where I live in North Wilmington 19810, (Naamans rd and rt202 concord pike). It has 1 state police officer for Friday and Saturday nights. The one in Glasgow on rt40 has 5 or 6 state police officers on the weekends. Not because its a bigger theater, but because that one has alot more trouble.

[doctorjef]

To my amazement, I just found one listing in Yorklyn - near Hockessin - for 239K that sits on a little more than a half acre of land (.63 acres). Yorklyn is a lovely, rather isolated little area up in the woods of far northern Delaware. The pictures of the house showed it to be in decent shape. There are other houses in Hockessin below 250K (a few), but they aren't unique like this one and would undoubtedly have only normal sized small lots. However, this also emphasises the fact that if you want as much as a few acres you aren't going to find it around Hockessin. You'd definitely have to go farther south. If anyone wants a link to a website displaying this house or its mls, you can dm me.

[DelawareLiz]

O.k...I'm back. Been busy having fun all weekend. Anyhow, just in case you wind up moving to Sussex, I'll answer your questions. I've lived in eastern Sussex/ DE beaches since 1985 and know the area very well. By the way, eastern Sussex and western Sussex are two very different places. VERY different. So, here it goes:

Originally Posted by seasoul
1) Are insects a serious issue in the summer? (Mostly concerned about ticks, mosquitoes, biting flies, huge spiders)

Not really. Just stay out of the woods/ heavy grasses during the spring and summer (ticks). Gnats and mosquitoes aren't that bad here--typically depends on the weather and wind though.

2) Are there areas with less humidity in the summer or is it pretty bad state-wide?

About the same, although I must say that the amount and duration of high humidity days are less at the beach. I know this because I work inland every day during the week, and when I drive 29 miles home it's often cooler and much less humid on those 90-some degree days we had in May. We had maybe two terribly humid days in Ocean View so far this year versus about ten in western Sussex. I cannot stand humidity either.

3) Is the seafood to die for?

Yes, it's all that and a bag of chips.

4) Do jellyfish interfere with enjoyment of the ocean?

Sometimes--they're bad right now. I saw them everywhere when I was kayaking on Friday.

5) Is DE mostly natives or transplants?

Transplants most definitely in my area. You'll fit right in if you're from up north and move to the beach. To give you an idea of how many transplants are here: my development has about forty homes. Out of these forty, only three homes are owned by Delaware natives. One of those homes is mine and my husband's; we've lived in Delaware all our lives and so have our families. My husband is the only Sussex County native here; I'm originally from Wilmington, DE.

6) Are there decent properties with small acreage for < $250,000?

Most definitely in Kent & Sussex Counties--in fact, my home will be up for sale in two years listed a bit above that price range, and it would be classified as a decent property. However, my lot is only 1/4 acre though--but the backyard is rather large.

7) Is there a New England / History feel to the state?

No, definitely not here in Sussex.

8) Is the state mostly flat or do you have some hilly topography?

Flat--eastern Sussex is as flat as a pancake.

9) Are there forests and big old trees?

We still have some woodsy areas in eastern Sussex. Nothing too impressive though; many have been cut down.

10) If I were to visit in order to get a feel for the state, what would my best plan be? Like if I want to scope the place out thinking of a possible move there, what areas should I spend time in?

I'd go with Dover, but if you want to visit the beaches this summer....do it during the week. Summer weekends can be rather frightening.


To help you answer #10, here's a little about me:

I want to move somewhere with milder winters than Buffalo, NY

Southeastern Delaware could never, ever have winters anywhere near as insane as the ones in Buffalo, NY. Living close to the ocean typically equals less snowfall.

I still want all 4 seasons

We have all four and they aren't going anywhere, thank goodness for that.

I love the beach

We have wonderful beaches and trust me...I take full advantage of them. I'd probably shrivel up and die if I ever had to live inland in ANY state.

I love history

Plenty of it.

I love big old forests

You'll need to head inland or go up north, although Assawoman Wildlife Refuge near Fenwick is a wonderfully vast, coastal wooded area. Not a big old forest, but it keeps this nature lover happy.

I hate bugs (I feel bad saying that)

They really aren't that bad, I promise...I had to laugh when I read this because my husband says the same thing as well.

I want to live in a rural-ish area, but not out in the boonies. More like border between suburbs and country. Anywhere like that in DE that might suit me?

You can do that here in Ocean View. I live in a development in the suburbs, but there are woods and farmland right outside my development. I like that about this area--I get to live in a town and ride my bike everywhere, but I'm just a few miles from rural/agricultural areas. Certainly get to have my cake and eat it as well.


Please let me know if you have any other questions...hope this helps.

[DelawareLiz]

By the way, I just had a wonderful crab cake at Jimmy's Grille in Bridgeville last night

[~seasoul~]

I've decided I've got to come see DE for myself this summer. I'm going to stay in Dover and explore from there. While I'm looking forward to a day or 2 at the beach (weekday of course) I think what I really need to do is simply drive around the suggested areas and hang out at some little diners to get a feel for how I'd fit in in various parts of DE.

DE sounds very unique to me. From the way you all have described it, DE sounds different from anywhere I've ever lived (MA, IL, CA, RI, NC, HI, NY).

I can't wait to see the state for myself.

[doctorjef]

I hope you aren't immediately turned off by Dover. The capital complex is very nice and I love Legislative Hall, the state capitol building, as well as the Dover Green and area immediately adjacent to it. However, Dover as a whole is a rather sprawly big town that is neither a true city nor a charming, compact small town (not to say that it doesn't have some charming bits). If possible, try to come on the first weekend of the month when there is special stuff taking place around the Green, and you can tour the Governors House and Legislative Hall. The Governors House is small, charming, and dates from the very end of the 18th Century. If you're into airplanes at all, the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB is pretty cool too. But Dover overall would not make me want to live in Delaware.

By all means, see Lewes - the "first town in the First State"; also Rehoboth Beach; old colonial Odessa on your way up to the Wilmington area; Old New Castle; Main Street and the University of Delaware campus in Newark; and Wilmington and its suburbs. In terms of the latter, the Riverfront area is worth checking out, Trolley Square, the Delaware Art Museum, and then up Rt 52 to Centreville (Buckley's Tavern for something to eat) and the PA state line just north of Centreville. You might also want to stop off at Winterthur - one of the historic DuPont family properties - for at least a walking tour of the beautiful wooded grounds (Winterthur is likewise on Rt 52 as you make your way up to Centreville). This is a very short drive actually, only a few minutes north of Wilmington proper.

Finally, I agree with a previous recommendation to see at least some of Rt 9, which takes you through remote low country marshland between Dover and Delaware City. A GPS will serve you well, although it's hard to get seriously lost in Delaware -- you're never too far from the main road and civilization.

[~seasoul~]

I won't judge DE by Dover. I just think it will provide a good central place to stay while I explore the state.

The itinerary you offered is awesome doctorjef! I just hope I can cover everything within a 5 day trip. Good thing it is a small state. I'll be very curious to see how the traffic really is. I've read all about it on city-data!