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The Diner | Northeast Off-Topic Discussion

199K views 467 replies 53 participants last post by  xzmattzx 
#1 ·
This thread is for random discussions and comments. This thread is like the Buffalo Non-Development Thread, except it will be easy for everyone to participate in any discussions in here.

Smoe suggestions as guidelines, if you don't know if something should go in here or not:

Things that belong in this thread:
"I saw a bear while driving through the mountains today."
"The ref made a bad call at the end of the Rose Bowl last night."
"Look what my senator has proposed:"
Random photos
And so on...

Things that would be good to have their own threads:
Population increase in the past year, migration between states, etc
Multiple pictures of a town or scenery
New skyscraper proposed in Maine
And so on...


Things that there are already threads for:
"How tall is the Comcast Center going to be when it's done?"
Chit-chat about the Buffalo area: a new restaurant, widening a road, etc
And so on...
 
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#73 ·
I'm looking at getting a new camera before I go on some trips this Summer, and I figured I would ask in here and in the Western New York Non-Development Discussion, as opposed to the General Photography section, so that I can get responses from Americans who are familiar with stores in this area.

Here is what I want out of a new camera:
~Around $200 to $300 when ON SALE
~Fits comfortably into my pocket
~High-quality pictures
~Preferrably takes an xD memory card so that I don't have to buy a new memory card

I would probably buy the camera at Best Buy, when it goes on sale in the circulars. Another store that has whatever camera I decide to get for cheap is also worth looking at.

Any suggestions?
 
#85 ·
If you're ever wondering about Wilmington

I never thought about doing it before but maybe some of you folks would like a video showing off Wilmington. I found some of the best visitors guide videos and thought there might be a few people who are curious about the area. This is for those who don't have the nerve to attempt a search themselves.

Greater Wilmington & Brandywine Valley

Make sure to watch the Overview and Relocation clips. I bet that those who are not familiar with this city will agree with a quote from one of the videos. "I had no idea"
 
#86 ·
Dela where?

It was mentioned on another thread to imagine what it would be like in Delaware if the business laws were not as friendly. Would Delaware not exist in the minds of others even more than now? Why is this?

I want people to give their opinions on the state's identity crisis. Why is Delaware forgotten more than any other state? It's not the smallest. It's not the least populated. I think there are states that are just as dry (nothing to do) if that's your opinion. Delaware has great location between New York and Washington. People seem to enjoy themselves when they do discover the state. It's the "First State."

Americans can probably name 49 states with a little help but many know absolutely nothing of Delaware. Do they really know but act as they don't because of the hate towards credit cards? Think long and hard about it, then give your best answer.
 
#87 ·
I really don't think there's any snubbing of Delaware going on because people associate Wilmington as the place their credit card bills come from and/or payments get sent to. My recent experience since telling friends in the US (I'm currently living in England) that we're moving to Wilmington, DE would suggest that the only name recongition that DE has with them is the credit card statements. I don't think it's seen as a bad thing. But absolutely, most people know next to nothing about the State. At least outside of the Mid-Atlantic region, DE seems to be a place you go through on the way to somewhere else. BTW, here in London with many Brits who are familiar with cities of the NE such as NYC, Boston, Baltimore, Philly, and DC it's just the same as with Americans -- they know all those places but they can't even mentally picture where Delaware is in most cases and aren't sure if it's a city or a state! Hence, I've been telling people here that we're moving to the Philadelphia area, or just south of Philly, and then explaining more precisely.

I think at least part of the problem is that Delaware has no major population centre that is a draw in itself. The beaches, esp. Rehoboth, are a draw for people living in the Mid-Atlantic area, and same with tax free shopping. But that doesn't do the trick at a national level or even at a larger regional level (the East Coast or NE generally). Also, DE has no famous natural destinations that draw at a national level; again, Rehoboth would be the closest thing to that.

I have had two good reactions from friends in the States. I discovered that one professional colleague who now lives in Texas grew up in Wilmington and did his undergrad degree at UD. He was positive about Wilmington and opined that it's close to lots of fun stuff. Another friend who's a native Texan but who lived in Upstate NY for a number of years opined that DE "sure is a beautiful place". Other people on both sides of the Atlantic to whom I've sent various photo and promotional video links have expressed favourable impressions, esp. about the history and the nature.

I think more aggressively promoting those assets that DE does have may be important to developing the State's economy and presence in the national mind. The truth is, most people don't care where credit card banks are located or where corporations are registered. Above all, I think that promoting Quality of Life is crucial. Unfortunately, DE has some stinky legacy in that area, such as incidence of cancer. But really concentrating efforts on improving the liveability of the State and marketing that aspect is vitally important. My model in that respect would be my former home city of Austin, TX.
 
#88 ·
I came across this little nugget while looking for hours of operation for the Delaware Public Archives. You can find the location of and read the historical markers located in the entire state of Delaware.
http://archives.delaware.gov/markers/markers-search.shtml

I haven't had a chance to look at that video yet. I'll give my comments in a little while.
 
#89 · (Edited)
I only mentioned the credit card thing because there has been other forumers who acknowledged Delaware as being powerful in there eyes. People from around the country have said things like "we know the importance of Delaware and its corporations."

The History Channel recently did a ten week special with a clip about every state. They gathered people from all 50 states and told them to tell the best things about where they live. From watching this, it seems that a lot of places are just as boring as Delaware if not more. There are folks that live the rural life in the plain states and love it. They say there is nothing much to do but that's okay. Still these places stick in the minds of others. It was also said that Delaware, despite all its contributions to the country, is overlooked.

Delaware is looked down on by people who want to live a wild and crazy life. People tell me that there is not enough of the LA scene. These people need to realize that most of America is small town life. It is sad that major sports teams, roller coasters, and nightclubs are all that matters to most Americans. Delaware might not be dominated by these things but it does offer a lot to families.

Maybe I've lost my head about this topic. I notice on The Weather Channel that when they are naming states it goes like this. (Loud and cheerful) New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and ah, ah (cough, cough and mutter) Delaware. Sometimes their radar reads Washington DC, Wilmington, New York, Boston and they get all confused. Why can't they just say Wilmington? They don't mind talking about some tiny Kansas town.

I don't know what others see but on Saturday mornings I notice hundreds of thousands of cars coming over the Del. Mem. Br. and towards Route 1 for the DE beaches. When you look at I-295 heading into New Jersey it is empty. I don't know where all these people think they are but they seem to be having a good time.
 
#90 ·
I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate thread for this, but in the context of the present discussion I thought it might be informative to give my own reasons for moving to Wilmington DE, as a sort of example of the types of factors that could be relevant. Please try to just objectify my story and generalise it to what might be pertinent for other people.

I'm a 52 year old male. My partner and I have been together for 32 years. I'm a clinical psychologist by profession, licensed in Texas, Delaware, and the UK (the designation in Britain is "chartered" rather than licensed). However, I have a good deal of financial independence and as a result no longer have to depend on professional earnings. I am licensed in DE as a result of a time over ten years ago when my private practice in Austin, TX was hit by changes in the local and national healthcare markets that made me think it might be necessary to relocate. Delaware offers licensure reciprocity -- it was relatively expedient getting a DE license.

There was a connection regionally with DE, in that I spent crucial years of my childhood in northern VA and DC, and my folks lived for several years in Baltimore after I'd already left home.

Fast forward to the present. We're ready for a semi-retirement location and lifestyle. We want to be on the East Coast for reasons of personal taste. I want to avoid the harsh winter weather of NY or New England. I don't want to be plunged into a big city that I don't already know well (we had years of familiarity with London before actually moving over here). Neither of us wishes to live in a Manhattan shoe box. DE has low taxes, fairly mild weather, is close to lots of stuff we like and generally within the right part of the country. Northern DE is pretty, scenic, and Wilmington has some good restaurants. The suburban lifestyle is generally attractive and familiar. The fact that I didn't have to jump through a bunch of hoops here to gain professional licensure after having already been licensed in another jurisdiction for many years was an important factor -- even though I don't wish to work full time now, it's important to me to have the option of practicing on a part-time basis.

Well, I don't want to move to a place that's just dead boring, but I also don't require a great deal of entertainment. I like working on my house and garden, going to the gym, going running in my neighborhood streets, going out to eat at decent restaurants but not necessarily ones that cost a fortune, travelling, church -- you probably get the picture. I should mention that it seemed that Wilmington would be sufficiently socially liberal for us. However, I neither need nor want some sort of "LA life".

I think you can extract from the foregoing lots of what can make Delaware a good fit for a lot of people with a variety of personal circumstances.
 
#96 ·
You summed up pretty much everything. Wilmington is close to everything (NYC, Philly, DC, Baltimore), yet isn't overwhelming. Because we're just

It's crazy how Delaware is seen in the minds of others. It is either thin air or a place not to like. I really think some people may know of Delaware but rather not. I was flipping through channels last night and stopped to see a few seconds of "The Day After Tomorrow." It was a radar map on the movie that caught my attention. It was a zoom on the Northeast but no Delaware. The Mason-Dixon Line was on the Delaware Bay. The state was just deleted. I could still see NJ, CT, and RI though. The same thing was done on a firework brochure from Nottingham, PA. There was a self-made map of the Mid-Atlantic and it showed PA, NJ, MD, VA but no DE. Roads like Rt. 41 just fell off into the Delaware River. It's funny how people in the surrounding states love to come hear but are so rude afterwards. :eek:hno:

Just like xzmattzx said about Ohio and I said in an early post; there are places that are way more bland and boring. People can tell you that corn grows for hundreds of miles in Iowa but they can't say anything about a nice city like Wilmington. Huh! Go figure. :weird:
I've seen Delaware completely left off of maps several times myself. It really is as if there are only 49 states sometimes. You would think people had enough enough knowledge about the 50 states to at least know that Delaware exists and where it is (it's not near Maine, Iowa, A PART OF Ohio, or in the freaking Caribbean, as I have been asked over the years). It's too bad that Geography s that forgotten in this country that a whole state can be left off of maps out of forgetfulness or ingorance.
 
#91 ·
I was told that we could use this thread for Delaware Non-Development discussion but I don't want to over do it.

doctorjef:
You sound like you will fit right in and be quite happy in Delaware. We are a state that is enjoyed by people younger than 10 and older than 30. Everyone else is spoiled in my opinion because they think they live in the worst possible place and must get out. They want to party and become famous which is less common in Delaware. Your tastes will be met and you will probably find Wilmington more of a happening city than it sounds.

Come on, lets hear about all these other great places in the Northeast! :)
 
#93 ·
"Really small, flat and bland"

On the current State of the Week thread (Maryland), MuddyZehbra32 posted a stereotype of DE as "really small, flat, and bland". Small is indisputable, but in itself irrelevant, as other small states are seen in a positive way. Flat, from a geographical perspective, is partly true since much of the State is coastal plain (thought not all of it), "bland" is problematic, however. Maybe this is a variation of people being unable to say anything about DE or characterise it at all. What do you think -- what would be the chief things to either demonstrate that DE is not bland or, alternatively, to put some kind of positive spin on that stereotype (if such a thing is possible)?
 
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