Is Delaware in the souuuuuth? (Wilmington, Seaford: condo, houses, college)

[anniebleu]

I've lived in central Delaware (Kent County) for over 30 years, and I'd never thought of it as the South until I read a similar, long discussion on this forum. Same subject, interesting range of opinions. Anyone who's interested could probably find that thread.

I remember clearly that one central Delaware native considered herself southern. Surely, though, it would be rare for anyone from the Wilmington / Newark (New Castle County) area to view themselves that way. Sussex is mixed in that regard, I think. The beach towns--Rehoboth, Bethany--are quite cosmopolitan, whereas just to the west in Sussex county would likely be the most "Southern" of all.

[maryCh]

Hi MimzyMusic,

I too would have to say that DE is unique in that it is a little of both, and a lot of neither. As I think I have posted elsewhere, I am originally from southern Ohio, but grew up in Va Beach. Married a "yankee" from NY, and have since lived in the northeast, and NC prior to moving to DE just over a year ago.

That said, I myself am a mix of both... "yankee" and "rebel", yet "city" and "country" as well. Having lived in rural NC, I would say there is very little of DE that we have experienced that resembles that southern state. Nor does it resemble, in my opinion, any of the other southern states we visited while living "down south".

But then again, Virginia was officially a southern state, yet it has its elements of both (think of the Northern VA area with the suburbia DC influence). Its been a common joke all my life that some natives of northern VA would like to separate themselves from the rest of THAT state and its reputation!

DE, to us, is a good blend of a little bit country, somewhat trendy beach area, with access to the metro areas that others have mentioned. We are in central Kent County, comfortably within reach of everything we want.

But then again, depending on WHERE in NC you go, you get the same thing. The larger cities are no longer southern style (Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, etc), yet there are pockets of NC where the old feud is alive and well.

And Texas, to me, is a WHOLE other place in itself! Too large, distant, and with its own history to begin to compare with li'l ole DE! Its like comparing apples with oranges, ya know?

Mary

[from PA]

Originally Posted by maryCh

Hi MimzyMusic,


And Texas, to me, is a WHOLE other place in itself! Too large, distant, and with its own history to begin to compare with li'l ole DE! Its like comparing apples with oranges, ya know?

Mary

More like comparing watermelons with lemons.

[jmc1]

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery...dixon-line.htm Check out an original map...Delaware is in the South...Many maps on here.

[doctorjef]

Oh good grief! That proves nothing. There just isn't any definitive answer to this question. Depends on what you mean by "the South" and in what context you're talking. See my response today on the Mason-Dixon line thread that you also revived. Give it a rest, please!

[cpterp]

Politics (Liberal vs. Conservative): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jesusland_map.svg
Civil War (Confederate vs. Union): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Confederate_States_of_America.svg
Religion (Catholic vs. Protestant): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Religions_of_the_US.PNG
Economy/Population: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boswash.png
Accent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_American_English.svg
Media: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/masters-north
FBI: http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

ven disease : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lyme_Disease_Risk_Map.gif and usage of "dixie" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ethnotelephonic_dixie.jpg.

and of course size.

Yep, DC, Maryland, and Delaware are Northeast states.

[toobusytoday]

Well there you go, Delaware is NOT a Southern State. Are we done yet?

[jmc1]

Yup. I don't really care anyway, South or North. I like both. Just got caught up in the topic, LOL.

[TXRyan23]

Most people I know here in Middle Tennessee don't even consider Kentucky or Virginia as southern states, Delaware is in no way or shape a southern state. It may have been lumped in back in the 1860's much like Missouri but honestly, Arizona was a part of the confederacy, Who thinks Arizona is a Southern state ?

To the mod that said he/she thought Delaware was more urban then the southern states listed which I believe was Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina..

At last census, Delaware had a population of like 800k..

That would mean that the metro areas of Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh/Durham would ALL have a population greater then that of the entire state of Delaware. I don't see how it could be more urban but I could be wrong, I've never been there.

[toobusytoday]

How many people that have posted on this subject grew up in Delaware? You know how in school, usually around the third grade, you are indoctrinated in everything you could possibly know about your state? Well, I grew up in Delaware and we learned that it's a mid-Atlantic state. I don't remember anything about it ever being a Southern State and the point about there being slaves there was certainly glossed over. If you've ever been to lower Delaware you will not see anything resembling a plantation like you find in the real South. Chicken, corn, and soybean farms, yes. Plantations, no. There is an accent in lower Delaware, but I contend that it's more of a rural accent then a Southern one.

New Castle County is urban/suburban and sprawly but that is not the whole county and certainly not the whole state. One might think that if you just stay on I-95, but you can lose that feeling 30 minutes from the most crowded section in just about any direction in New Castle county. Not quite sure why anyone would think that the state is so urban-like if they have visited.