Is Wilmington a Northeastern City? (live, design, rating)

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Ahhhh..some parts of Philly feel like down south.

Ahhhh.. the internet. Which parts of Philly feel like "down south"?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Infinite_heights77

Actually, I think it's Mid-Atlantic just like Baltimore. In certain areas, it has a southern feel as well as some northern attributes just like Baltimore has (southern most northern city, northern most southern city).

Ahhhh..some parts of Philly feel like down south. Some parts of southern, jersey feel like down south.

Wilmington and Philadelphia: New Sweden
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Delaware River
Wilmington and Philadelphia: William Penn
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Colony
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Same passage of immigration (river)
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Same metropolitan area (you can actually SEE Philadelphia from Wilmington)
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Same TV Market
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Bridge to Jersey
Wilmington and Philadelphia: Market, Walnut, Chestnut, Locust, Front, 2nd, 3rd, etc

Baltimore shares little to nothing with Wilmington except for rowhomes, which are very different from the ones in Wilmington. Do people not realize that Wilmington is the definition of a Satellite City of PHILADELPHIA?

[doctorjef]

You may define Wilmington as a "satellite" of Philly, but in the long course of history that assertion would seem to be an exaggeration. Just because two cities are located in relative proximity, doesn't mean that one is a satellite of the other. Philadelphia historically occupied a more circumscribed area than does the present city. There's also a sort of naive chauvinism amongst some Philadelphia residents, by which I have known some of them to label a town as far away as Kennett Square as a suburb of Philly. That just isn't remotely realistic, either currently or historically.

By analogy, the fact that Delaware was originally part of the land grant to William Penn doesn't make Delaware a satellite of Pennsylvania: the two States have rather different political and social traditions, both historically and currently.

What is true is that New Castle County has almost always been more economically oriented around industry and shipping than the two lower, agriculturally-based counties. Historically - though not so much in the present day - Maryland was unequivocally a Southern state, and Baltimore was a city in the South. Wilmington has always had a more typically Northern economic base, which it has shared in common with Philadelphia, Trenton, and all the other cities spread northward along the Atlantic coast and the rivers that drain into the Atlantic.

The Penns and the early aristocracy of Philadelphia don't seem to have had an overly great interest in Wilmington (or the three counties on the Delaware, for that matter), although some of these families owned farms in Lower Delaware and the MD Eastern Shore, in addition to their urban-political activities in Philadelphia. The later immigration pattern was based more on proximity to the coast and to manufacturing centres - whether at Wilmington or farther north in PA - than on the proximity of two cities to one another. The DuPont black powder mills first attracted Irish workers (to an area that at the time would have been defined as very much north of the City of Wilmington), and the waves of Italian and Central-Eastern European immigrants almost a century later were attracted by the economic opportunities offered by a variety of urban communities on the East Coast of North America, whether Wilmington, Philly, or anywhere else. Proximity does not equal "satellite".

Where can you see Philadelphia from Wilmington? If you mean from the upper floors of one of Wilmington's taller buildings on a clear day, I'm not sure that really counts.

What is true, is that Wilmington falls within the Philadelphia television market, and for serious sports fans, they are most likely to be fixated on the Philadelphia teams. Some of us, however, only have a passing interest in the fortunes of the "Igles" or that baseball team oddly named for young female equines.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Do people not realize that Wilmington is the definition of a Satellite City of PHILADELPHIA?

As to your claim that Wilmington is a satellite of Philly, I think the answer is yes and no. DR J has given a good historical backdrop. I will give my views as someone who has lived in both cities.

Why it is not a satellite city: Wilmington is itself an important center of business. It is home to DuPont, a number of smaller chemical companies, a port and several financial credit operations. Economically, it could (and does) easily stand alone. It has a respectable number of cultural offerings for a city of its size, with some very good museums, an opera company, a good regional theatre company (along with several 2nd tier companies) and a teetering symphony. The nightlife and restaurants are OK for a city of its size.

Why it is a satellite city: The city looks for Philly first class entertainment and culture. Many concerts, lecturers, musical ensembles, etc. which might go to Wilmington if it were not so close to Philly, bypass the city, preferring (I suppose) to double dip with a gig in Philly. Wilmington looks to Philly for professional sports, but that is not uncommon for cities of Wilmington's size to have a sports allegiance with the closest city. Wilmington has to rely on Philly's airport. And a huge reason is media: If Wilmington were not so close to Philly, it is large enough to support a television media presence. In this case, it is too close to support one. As such, Wilmington rarely gets attention in the local news and other media outlets, so it falls off the radar of folks in the broader Delaware Valley.

My experience: When living in Wilmington, I was able to do most of what I wanted within the city. When I wanted "big city" excitement, I could travel up the road to Philly. But while living in Wilmington, I was always aware of the monster up the road. Since living in Philly, the reverse is true - Wilmington is not really on anyone's radar here. Too bad, because it is a nice city.

I see the Wilmington-Philly relationship as a double edged sword. If Wilmington were located further afield from Philly, it would likely clock in as a metro along the lines of, let's say Little Rock - its own television stations, airport, more concert stops, etc. On the other hand, for those who enjoy it, residents would not have easy access to a such a large and vibrant city, should they so desire.

[Road_Warrior]

A satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas which are located somewhat near to, but are mostly independent of larger metropolitan areas.

JM, Jef, no offense, but it's the tiny aspects one understands after growing up in a neighborhood of Wilmington that makes you realize the similarities between the two, especially when you grow up in one, and then live in the other immediately after for several years. Water ice on the corner, Italian Festivals, Steak Shops, the fact that Wilmington and Philadelphia both have their own dedicated roads to Atlantic City, they both went to Wildwood (before Route 1 was built.) It's the fact that snack at school in Wilmington was a soft pretzel. Growing up, there was no question as to Phillies caps and Eagles Jackets. The Tastykakes, Herr's chips. seeing the same people on TV and hearing the same radio stations since you were born.

I used to deny it vehemently, but the neighborhood fabric is dangerously similar.

BTW, Jeff, Old New Castle, the Del Mem Bridge, East Wilmington, I495 (at sea level.)

[Mountainbluebear]

I would consider anything north, west, or east of Wilimington to be part of the Northeast; otherwise I'd consider the rest of the state to be in the South.

[gwillyfromphilly]

It's definitely Northeastern. For those who consider Wilmington a southern city then you would have to seriously consider Philadelphia a southern city as well.

[muppethammer26]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

It's definitely Northeastern. For those who consider Wilmington a southern city then you would have to seriously consider Philadelphia a southern city as well.

and Atlantic City.

[nep321]

It's mixed. That's all. It's more similar to DC than anything in New England, for example.

[jtees4]

Originally Posted by jm02

Ahhhh.. the internet. Which parts of Philly feel like "down south"?

South Street, of course