Delaware

We thought retiring to Delaware was the right next step. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Published

10 months ago

March 31, 2025

We thought retiring to Delaware was the right next step. We couldn't have been more wrong.

We’d always dreamt of owning a beach home for family vacations and weekend getaways, but our budget and the kids’ constantly packed schedules never made it possible.

Then, many years later, as we edged toward retirement and the kids were out of the house, we put the idea back on the table and bought a lovely home in Delaware just a 10 to 20-minute drive from a string of pristine beaches.

The house is in a newly built development dotted with duck-filled ponds and a quick drive to the heart of a quaint historic village filled with restaurants, live music venues, and a sprinkling of art galleries.

My husband spends hours casting off the coastline for striped bass and bluefish, and our neighbors, many newly retired like us, are welcoming and down-to-earth.

Moving here is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, but three years in, we’re planning our exit.

We moved from New Jersey

Before Delaware, we’d lived in the same house in the same suburban New Jersey town for more than 15 years.

However, during that time, we’d always felt on the periphery of the social scene, rarely got dinner invites, and found it difficult to make friends.

We both had good jobs and lived a middle-class life, but our roots were blue-collar. My husband was the only person we knew in the area who had not graduated from college.

We longed for a change, a fuller calendar, and a respite from nagging loneliness.

We weren’t the beach lovers we thought we were

Delaware’s dramatically lower property taxes and more affordable real estate meant less strain on our budget.

We also purchased a newer home, which meant spending less time and money on the endless repairs our 94-year-old colonial in NJ demanded.

Despite the benefits, homesickness has been impossible to shake.

We miss living a short 20 to 30-minute drive from our family who are still in Jersey. And while the small village we live near is nice, it’s just that — small.

We prefer being closer to the hustle and bustle of New York City with its diverse neighborhoods, major museums, and vibrant theater and music scenes, all of which we frequented often while in New Jersey.

We’ve also realized we weren’t the beach lovers we thought we were. Going to the beach had once been a treat. Now, we easily take it for granted, which makes it less special.

Plus, traffic jams and packed beaches in season make getting there a headache and a sweaty nailbiter, with parking lots at capacity by 8:30 a.m.

The noise, the grind of cars, and the lines snaking out of seemingly every coffee bar and lunch spot conspire to make a summer day about as relaxing as a full-throttle city commute.

We also miss our hikes through the small mountain range that was minutes away from our NJ house. The flat, bleached terrain without a hill in sight just isn’t the same.

To get that outdoorsy experience now, we must drive 90 minutes north, on a dismal, nerve-jangling highway.

We feel like part of a community here, which has been the greatest gift

Welcome mats for pickleball teams, girls’ nights, potlucks, and a dizzying number of groups and clubs have made it easy to build friendships both casual and close.

Unfortunately, we are too homesick for the area we left to feel truly relaxed. It is as if we are at a terrific party — great to be invited, but not to stay indefinitely.

The gift of these friendships has given us a sense of belonging that had always been just out of reach in our old neighborhood, and, importantly, a social confidence and insight that will help us choose our next community wisely.

Our turnabout has surprised us, but aging has brought into focus how we want to spend our time, and where. And that’s nearer to the convenience and culture of a major city, steeped in a diverse community, surrounded by varied terrain, and closer to family.

We have learned that retirement decisions can’t always be about money. Sometimes they need to be driven by what enriches the soul.

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Delaware

Delaware County’s 250th events aim to boost local economy

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Delaware County’s 250th events aim to boost local economy

DELAWARE COUNTY – Delaware County is gearing up for a year-long celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, bringing together community partners for a series of events and programs.

Delaware County’s plans for the semiquincentennial

The Delaware County America 250 Commission hosted a “We the People” party to unveil plans for the upcoming celebrations.

The events aim to educate and connect the local community while drawing visitors from outside Philadelphia to explore the area’s rich history.

What they’re saying:

“Delaware County is not just watching from the sidelines, we are proud to be an essential part of a massive regional and national celebration,” said Christine Reuther, Delaware County Council Vice Chair.

Andrea Silva, director of the Delaware County America 250 Commission, highlighted the diverse themes that will be showcased throughout the year.

Celebrating 250 years of history

The backstory:

Friday’s event celebrated Delaware County’s 250-year history, with different tables reflecting various themes.

Attendees included Colonial Farmstead, Penn’s Woods Winery, and Pathways to Freedom.

The programming will feature over 100 events, including the Battle for Independence: Amazing Race to Brandywine and the Irish America 250 Kick Off on Jan. 14.

The celebrations are expected to leave a lasting legacy, with hopes of boosting the local economy.

“We want to see real economic impact for our local businesses as visitors from around the world come to shop on our main streets and stay in our towns and eat in our restaurants,” said Reuther.

What’s next:

This year’s county event specifics can be found here.

The Source: Information from the Delaware County America 250 Commission.

America 250Delaware County

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Delaware

Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old

A 19-year-old man was shot dead in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood in the early hours of Jan. 9, police said.

Wilmington officers arriving to the 200 block of S. Claymont St. about 3:30 a.m. found the teen there.

The teen, whom police have not named, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about this shooting should contact Wilmington Police Detective Derek Haines at (302) 576-3656. People can also provide information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com.

Violence by the numbers

This is the first homicide reported this year in Delaware, which last year saw a slight drop in all violent killings.

Delaware police reported 52 people being killed in violent crimes in 2025, a drop of nearly 12% when compared with 59 people killed in 2024, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal database.

While the number of people killed in homicides statewide is down, the number of people killed by gunfire in Delaware was up in 2025 for the third year in a row.

According to the Delaware Online database, 47 were shot dead in Delaware last year. That was one more victim (46) than in 2024, three more (44) than in 2023 and nine more (38) than in 2022.

Despite the increase in gun-related deaths, there were fewer people shot last year in Delaware for the second year in a row.

Police reported 164 people being shot last year in Delaware. The previous year saw 195 people shot and police reported 210 people being shot in 2023.

This was the fewest people shot in Delaware since 2018, when police reported 146 people being shot statewide.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

MERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

MERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach

A dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach on Jan. 8, according to the nonprofit Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation Institute.

The juvenile male was first seen Jan. 6, floating at sea about 2 miles off the Indian River Inlet, a MERR Facebook post said. The bloated 30-foot whale ultimately beached near a private community in the early afternoon of Jan. 8, the post said.

MERR is attempting to coordinate with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to get equipment to move the whale out of the water and onto the beach to perform a necropsy, the post said. Right now, there isn’t enough information to determine a cause of death.

Delaware saw at least three dead whales last year, in the Indian River Bay, at Delaware Seashore State Park and at Pigeon Point. The first two were humpbacks, while the Pigeon Point whale was a fin whale.

A necropsy on the Delaware Seashore whale found blunt force trauma across its back, indicating it may have been struck by a ship, MERR Director Suzanne Thurman said.

Recently, on Jan. 4, a dead fin whale was found on the bow of a ship at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in New Jersey, which is located in the Port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook.

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