Wilmington advice for me (Dover, Claymont: sales, neighborhoods, schools)

[gr8cakes]

Hi folks!,
I'll be moving to Wilmington shortly. I've researched the area the best I could online.
Transportation, demographics, public services (police, fire, sanitation, schools, etc.), hospitals, tax rates, employment, etc.
However, that doesn't tell me how people actually feel about where they live.

What I see online is like going to Burger King...
The sandwich I get never looks like the picture of it on the wall.

I would like to know:

Do you like Wilmington?
pros/cons

Where do locals go for dinning, recreation and entertainment?
With hopes your suggestions are geared for the economical wallet.

What neighborhoods, parks or areas should be avoided or encouraged by pedestrians?
I enjoy walking, I'm only young at heart and have no desire to being street prey.

Of course, I don't expect anyone to answer each question (unless you want to).
Pick one that strikes you.
Thanks in advance.

[Pocopsonite]

WHERE in Wilmington will you be moving? Or is that still to be decided?

It's important to distinguish between the City of Wilmington and the ZIP codes that are "Wilmington" but extend miles and miles beyond the city limits.

The answers to all of your questions will vary considerably, depending on whether you'll live in the city or outside it.

[gr8cakes]

Originally Posted by Pocopsonite

WHERE in Wilmington will you be moving? Or is that still to be decided?

It's important to distinguish between the City of Wilmington and the ZIP codes that are "Wilmington" but extend miles and miles beyond the city limits.

The answers to all of your questions will vary considerably, depending on whether you'll live in the city or outside it.

I'll be moving to:
W. 3rd. St.

[doctorjef]

West 3rd is a fairly long street. Some of it is ok - the part not on the downtown side of I-95 - and some of it is going to be sketchier. If you want places to eat and drink that are modestly priced, I would suggest exploring some of the offerings in Trolley Square and in Little Italy. I can personally vouch for Rocco, in Little Italy -- small restaurant bar with modest prices, great meatballs, sausage and peppers, and long hots. I'm not so keen on their pizza, but plenty of people like it. It's on Union Street. There is a well-known and much praised taqueria in the Trolley Square shopping center -- can't think of the name, but worth checking out. Dead Presidents on Union Street, again in Little Italy, has some good specials and tends to cater to people in the restaurant service sector. You might also like Kid Shelleen's, sort of on the fringe of Trolley Square. With a few exceptions, most of the restaurants in Little Italy and Trolley are not expensive. Up on Green Hill, you might also like Oddity Bar. On Lancaster Pike, Feby's Fishery is a generally low priced seafood place with a solid reputation. I don't frequent Grotto Pizza, a Delaware chain, but there is one on Pennsylvania Ave and that would be modestly priced.

Stay away from Cool Springs Park at night.

Yes, I like Wilmington, but I live in the burbs rather than within the city limits. The suburbs are as safe as anywhere else, but there are sketchy areas within the city limits and I think most people would have an intuitive sense of parts where you would not want to hang out or certainly be after dark or very late at night.

[gr8cakes]

doctorjef,

Thanks for the tips!

[Road_Warrior]

I grew up on W. 4th Street

Generally, we stayed in town except for retail.

I always got my taxes done on the corner, got my gas a few blocks away at the Amoco, went to the restaurants around the corner.

For retail, though, we never went downtown. That part of town seemed to lean on Kirkwood Highway - Prices Corner for retail and where we worked in retail as kids.

For food shopping, we would go to Trolley Square (then known as ACME and Happy Harry's,) for supermarket, pharmacy, etc.

Although "3rd Street" has gotten pretty bad, the area is still very convenient without getting on an interstate.

Enjoy.

[gr8cakes]

Thanks to those of you that have responded.

I have been in Wilmington for a month. A couple things have taken me aback a little.
First, regardless of income levels; everyone says hello! At first, my impression was,
what do you want? I guess that's the New York City in me.
Secondly, the racial division. Something I'm not accustomed to.
Third, no sales tax! So accustomed to paying 8.25% (higher % in NYC and on Long Island), that I was initially shocked.
Forth, the much lower cost of living. I can get more for my money here! I can't remember the last time I
bought supermarket food so inexpensively. Even what locals call an expensive place in my mind is moderately priced ($25.00 or less for a dinner entree). In NYC. $25.00 starts a dinner option of usually pasta!
One of my bad habits is tobacco use. $5.00-$6.00 a pack here as compared to $12.00-$14.00 a pack in NYC for the exact same brands!

I do enjoy walking around in Wilmington. It's easy to get around on foot.
Yes I have walked in and through the seedier neighborhoods as well has the wealthy ones and all those in between. I have mixed feelings as to which time of the day is best to be a pedestrian.
I do like that every neighborhood has at least one park, some have more.
I've been to a few of the free tourist and locals attractions offered in town.
On a map Wilmington looks expansive, in reality the blocks are small compared to New York state.
Five blocks here = one NYC block!
I've also discovered the impressive public bus transportation system here. Very inexpensive.

For the most part, I like Wilmington.

I do plan to check out the coastal regions and the capital (Dover) in the near future.

[exo5]

Check out old new castle, go visit west chester PA and go to longwood gardens in the holiday time frame.

[Clark Park]

As a Philadelphian the thing I find MUCH cheaper in Delaware is liquor.

Thank you Total Wine & Liquor in Claymont!

[youngprodigy21]

Originally Posted by exo5

Check out old new castle, go visit west chester PA and go to longwood gardens in the holiday time frame.

Old New Castle is a great place to visit on an occasional weekend, but WAY TOO BORING of a place to live.

The area seems to be a combination of blue-collar working class and old money retirees.