Are you a new resident of Delaware, or thinking about making the move? If so, here’s a list of fun facts that’ll help you feel like more of a local once you get the key to your new home.
We go to the next level with certain foods.
Scrapple – a blend of all kinds of pork parts – is huge here. In fact the small rural town of Bridgeville is known as “The Scrapple Capital.” https://www.rapascrapple.com/. Almost all of our seafood restaurants have crab cakes on the menu because fresh blue crabs are so abundant. Oysters https://rehobothbay.com/ have always been popular but are becoming more beloved with the growth of oyster farming in our bays, making the trip from harvest to table a very short one. We also love our fresh chicken – an industry that only took off in the 1920s and sort of accidentally since the owner of the first large scale chicken farm originally bought her birds for a steady supply of eggs. https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/poultry/delmarva-s-4-8-billion-chicken-industry-was-accidentally-hatched-100-years-ago/article_36af9702-f119-51d1-a122-aee4b78955ce.html.
Our state mascot is a weird bird.
You might not have ever heard of a “Blue Hen” chicken before you considered moving to Delaware https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/delaware-blue-hen.10845/. The development of the breed began during the Revolutionary War, when the birds were bread for cockfighting – which fortunately is now illegal. The Blue Hen is now the University of Delaware mascot, and can still be found in abundance at the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Great industrialists ruled the north, with farmers and fishermen down south.
Northern Delaware is known to many as “chateau country” due to the many grand mansions built by the DuPont family and other industrialists with strong ties to American history. Most have been very well cared for over the decades and now serve as house museums and estates open to the public https://www.visitdelaware.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/homes. Winterthur, The Hagley, Nemours, and Longwood Gardens https://longwoodgardens.org/gardens/house-theater-district/peirce-du-pont-house, with the Peirce DuPont House are wonderful places to visit during every season.
While DuPonts and other old money tribes built wonderful beach homes over the years, southern Delaware has always been a more laid-back place for everyday people. Although Sussex County and the communities around the beaches are hot destinations for new residents, the area still retains the relaxing atmosphere and other characteristics that earned the moniker Lower Slower Delaware (which is why you see bumper stickers that read LSD). Go westward away from the beaches and you’ll see abundant farms that drive our vibrant agriculture and farm-to-table food scene.
Lower Delaware is also a destination for people who love to fish, and the Lewes Marina is an especially good place if you want a good catch https://www.visitdelaware.com/listings/lewes-harbour-marina-fishing-boating-outfitters/4355. Through the warm months there are head boats captained by very experienced hands that will take you to the best reefs and other spots where the big ones congregate. All you have to do is show up – equipment and bait are included, along with deckhands who’ll get those bad boys in the net. Most days you can also get your fish quickly and professionally cleaned at filleted once you’re back at the dock.
Your beautiful new home comes with an extraordinarily low tax bill.
Our property taxes are among the lowest in the nation, which is leading many from higher tax states to move here. Equally important, until recently there was still a lot of undeveloped land because the population wasn’t growing so rapidly. Which means today’s developers have the opportunity to create neighborhoods tailor-made for both families and active retirees. Take a look at our site to learn about new communities with new homes in all kinds of styles, set in resort-style communities suited for different lifestyles https://www.activeadultsdelaware.com/top-10-delaware-active-adult-communities/, and let us know when you’re ready to make your move.