where's the best/safest area? Are there any places with alarm systems? (apartments.com doesn't let me search that ammenity) Places with playgrounds or yards?

Is there anyone on here that happens to have a place in that area and could rent one or two rooms to me? It'd be me and my kids short-term, about 8 months (Jan-Aug) if I get the job. My husband most likely can't relocate on that short of notice or that short of a term so safety is a big deal for me.

9/28/2005 7:54:10 PM

I spent 6 years in Newark... Where in Wilmington will you be working?

Crime isn't a big deal in that area, ad there are a ton of places.

9/28/2005 7:59:28 PM

guys arent supposed to relocate with women

9/28/2005 8:00:40 PM

jackleg are you ever wrong?

9/28/2005 8:17:22 PM

Eh, I don't *technically* have the job yet - and I'm not sure exactly what part of the Wilmington area - wherever the industrial center is most likely. It's doubtful they'd locate a large purchasing center inside city limits. I don't want to display the company name because it's a big company etc etc but I wouldn't be surprised if someone managed to guess

So far I'm not finding much under $800/mo for 1-2 br's. I'd like to have 3 at least, because I might be able to get someone to go with me who can take care of the kids in the apt/townhouse. I've driven through on my way to Atlantic City and it seems nice enough, but so did my old neighborhood and there were drivebys nightly. I'd really feel better if I had some kind of alarm or gated community or something since I won't have a big strong man to protect me.

^ All I have to say is ... jackleg is still single I won't be mean - he hasn't done anything to me

9/28/2005 11:05:00 PM

The industrial part is mostly on the South and East side of town. Easy access off I-495.

Check out Christiana or Bear, DE. There are a lot of new apartment complexes in that area. And it's about a 15 min drive to Wilmington. Glasgow is a little further away, but has new stuff too. All have easy access to I-95, activities, and shopping.

Avoid New Castle... Nothing good there to live in (I used to work for the town). Newark is ok, but stay away from the downtown area, it's all college students.

If you want more specific help, let me know

9/28/2005 11:12:07 PM

I lived in wilmington until I came to school here in 2001. I sent you a pm with my aim screen name, send me a message and i'll tell you whatever you may want to know.

9/28/2005 11:20:40 PM

thx everyone

I'm going to try and sleep some now ... hopefully I'll be talking to them soon ... there's a chance they could find me a place closer to here or somewhere that I have family. My panic may have been premature although I'd still like to know about the area because if this co-op leads to a FT offer it may well be in Wilmington, DE.

gimme a couple days to get back to you ..

9/28/2005 11:37:34 PM

Quote :

"Housing in Wilmington, Delaware (and surrounding) "

Isn't that pretty much the whole state?

[Edited on September 29, 2005 at 7:49 AM. Reason : .]

9/29/2005 7:49:22 AM

^ yea basically.

9/29/2005 7:06:17 PM

ok, I just got the call. I got the job. Now I need a place to live starting in January.

11/10/2005 10:24:59 AM

keep in mind that the cost of practically everything is much higher in the northeast than it is here. food, gas, rent, insurance (which probably won't affect you if it's an 8-mo. co-op), etc. on the upside, however, at least you'll have wawa, 7-11, friendly's, and pretty good pizza. wilmington is not far *at all* from philly, and there's really not much to do in delaware anyway. keep in mind, too, that delaware has no sales tax, but it's also one of the more polluted states in the union. environmentally, it's a cesspool. good luck.

11/10/2005 10:50:15 AM

gasoline isn't necessarily more expensive up here. NJ has the cheapest gas in the nation. And not all foods are more expensive. Some are the same price, and some are cheaper.

i've noticed that cereal is more expensive up here in ny than nc. But milk and chicken is cheaper.

its a toss up. But yeah everything else is $$$er.

But thats why you get paid more too!

11/10/2005 11:02:55 AM

^ Trust me, I've rolled in Wilmington and gas is definitely higher. NJ is cheap. Delaware is not.

11/10/2005 11:16:51 AM

well the beauty of delaware is its so small you can just drive to another state to get gas

11/10/2005 11:19:10 AM

True I enjoyed Jersey when I spent some vacation time there. We stopped to eat in DE going up and coming back.

So, anyone got a room to sublet? I'm an easy keeper; won't be there any weekends basically (I'll be flying home to see my family). I don't care about pets, noise, kids ... as long as it's not flearidden or otherwise nasty

Need a place Jan - mid-August

11/10/2005 12:11:12 PM

just find a place in inner philladelphia. its much safer there, schools are some of the best and only about a 20 minute drive from wilmington. you DONT want to live in deleware especially with your kids.

11/10/2005 12:38:01 PM

Quote :

"Isn't that pretty much the whole state?"

wins

11/10/2005 12:53:59 PM

Southpaw is wrong about the gas

http://www.raleighgasprices.com/

http://www.wilmingtongasprices.com/

it does have bad pollution ratings, not like there's smog or anything but there are a lot of chemical plants and factories, so who knows what's in the air. I never have noticed it sight or breathing wise going back and forth. Not being able to notice it only makes it a little better though.

Some things are more expensive (not much) some things are not. People don't know what they're talking about when comparing prices in that region to NC. Lumping Delaware or PA in with vermont, new hampshire, mass., NY, etc. is just stupid, especially ny city where prices are rediculously higher. Excluding land, prices in Delaware, the lowerend of Jersey, Southeastern PA, and maryland are not that much different than here. Officially those states aren't even the Northeast, they're the mid-atlantic i believe. Boston is just as far from philadelphia as philly is from raleigh. Living in the NE is more expensive, but people need to realize that just because something is NE of them, that doesn't make it part of the region known as the "NorthEast".

Quote :

"just find a place in inner philladelphia. its much safer there, schools are some of the best and only about a 20 minute drive from wilmington."

that driving time is about right most of the time, during morning and evening traffic it's more like 45 minutes to get from north wilmington to center-city philly. probaby another 10-15 for the business side of wilmington.

Quote :

"you DONT want to live in deleware especially with your kids."

I don't know what he's talking about there.

and boy do i miss wawa, hoagies, cheesesteaks, tastykakes, oh and diners too... why are there no diners in raleigh?

11/10/2005 1:30:31 PM

you just got trolled big time. inner philadelphia is obviously a dangerous place to live and some of the worst schools

11/10/2005 1:46:57 PM

Quote :

""you DONT want to live in deleware especially with your kids.""

i lived there for grades 1-4. i loved it.

11/10/2005 1:49:26 PM

it's looking like the kids aren't going to go with me ... imma miss teh lil rugrats It'll just be me for 8 months, but I'll be flying home every weekend.

If any of you has a room up there you'd like to rent, I posted an ad on craigslist ... I've already replied to a couple; just waiting to hear back.
http://delaware.craigslist.org/sha/110253265.html

[Edited on November 10, 2005 at 2:43 PM. Reason : .]

11/10/2005 2:42:24 PM

I do not know why you don't want to take your kids to DE either (as was stated before by someone else). My first 2 publications were on the DE public school system. Granted, it's not the greatest, but it could be worse (like NC).

Gas is also about the same as it is here, but like others said, NJ is much cheaper, and they pump it for you (by law). But you have to pay whatever it is to go over the bridge now. As for flying, southwest has been running some really great deals to/from Philly.

I can ask some of my friends if you'd like if they know anyone looking for a temporary roommate. I can tell you some places and landlords to avoid after my own dealings with them. Don't overlook Elkton, MD either as a decent alternative if you don't mind a little drive to Wilmington. I can also recommend many great places to eat, etc.

[Edited on November 10, 2005 at 3:05 PM. Reason : h]

11/10/2005 2:59:53 PM

just move to south philly.
wilmington sucks.

11/10/2005 6:25:07 PM

^^ southwest is great, i typically can get a round trip from rdu to phl, for about $90 as long as i order them a few weeks ahead of time. Unless it's thanksgiving or something like that.

11/10/2005 8:23:47 PM

So far, I've got four good possibilities.
* One is in Chadds Ford, PA - single woman, professor, artsy type, but seems friendly enough $500
* One is a married couple renting two rooms ... seems like they have a revolving door since they had no idea who I was even though I called them back an hour after they called me ... Newark, not university area $400
* One is a single chick in North Wilmington with a 2br condo (haven't called yet) $500
* One is a "cozy 2br cottage" in Concord Township near Chadds Ford (haven't heard back)$325

Opinions? I don't know the area too well, nor am I familiar with the tax laws about living in PA while working in DE but being a resident of NC

[Edited on November 12, 2005 at 5:43 PM. Reason : There are LOTS in Newark around U of D, but I'm ignoring them for now]

11/12/2005 5:42:39 PM

Yeah, the stuff in Newark probably is worth ignoring based on how you've described your situation. But they may be the cheapest as well... depends on the apt complex or area. If you go that route, i'll tell you specific streets/landlords/complexes to avoid. But anything described as not in the UD area can be a viable option.

None of my friends seem to know of anything available either, but it is the weekend, and they may have scattered.

Chadds Ford, PA is a nice area. As long as you do not claim any resedency in PA, you shouldn't have to pay taxes to them, though you will of course to NC and DE. You'll be straight North of Wilmington there, off route 100. But that is a congested road in the AM, so you'd be looking at ~30 min to downtown Wilmington.

Where in North Wilmington is the "single chick"? A few of my friends have moved into that area since they've revitalized it.

11/12/2005 6:21:49 PM

Update:

* professor-lady still has her room available - $500 including utilites
* the cottage may be vacant ... I'm going to see about sharing with another intern - would have been $325+heat, but with it being vacant I might be able to share with another intern.

* I've decided not to pursue the revolving-door or the others I mentioned, various reasons

* Another person contacted me with a 3br/1ba place in Wilmington in a place called "Union Park Gardens" - $550 including utilities

11/14/2005 9:26:40 AM