Moving to the Newark DE area.

Hi

My husband%26#39;s company is relocating to the Newark area, about 5 minutes from the University by the end of 2006. We have never been to DE. We do not have childern.

We will need to purchase a home 250 to 350 range. Any advice of areas of the city to avoid, specific neighborhoods to look into. We are open to both new and older areas but want to be in a nice sub division or area. We would like to be fairly close to shopping, grocery stores, etc...

Any information would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

Moving to the Newark DE area.

I am not a Newark, DE native but my son graduated from the University last year. So I%26#39;ll see if I can share a few impressions...

For the most part, Newark is a great college town. The main street area has lots of restaurants, bookstores, and so on...the University itself is beautiful and a great place to go for daily walks, etc. Also, there is a wonderful shopping mall in nearby Christiana (about 10 minutes from the University on the 1-95) which has a great mix of shopping...all the major dept stores and specialty shops, an uncrowded Costco (unheard of in my native NY!).....every year, I%26#39;d combine a trip to see my son with a trip to do Christmas shopping at that mall, since there is NO SALES TAX in Delaware!

But I digress. To answer your question: there is a particularly nice area of homes on the Delaware/Maryland border, just south of the University (south of Elkton Road...and south of the Rodney/Dickenson dormitories at UDel.) I also recall that the area just north of the school - close to a spot called the Christiana Towers - also seemed to offer some appealing housing possibilities. Also lots of interesting communities in the area between Exit 1 and 4 on the 1-95.

That said, there are a few rough neighborhoods surrounding Newark that you would probably want to avoid - you would definitely want to get a lay of the land before buying. But I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll really like Newark - it%26#39;s just an hour from Philly, an hour from Baltimore, two hours each from NYC and DC, plus close to the shore. Good luck!

Moving to the Newark DE area.

Hi

Thank you sooooooooooo much for your wonderful reply!!!

I have made note of your suggestions and will do more research on the areas you have suggested!!!

Have a great day!

You are so welcome!

As I say, mine is mostly the college-mom%26#39;s eye view of Newark - it does strike me as the kind of place where neighborhoods vary dramatically in character even from block to block, so it really bears some firsthand investigating. A lot of corporations seem to have located to the area, so I imagine their workforces have gravitated to particular redential areas. A real estate agent could probably offer some guidance.

Coincidentally, one of the high points of my son%26#39;s college career was a trip to Chicago - he applied for a grant from the university, and his comedy improv group, The Rubber Chickens, got to spend a weekend studying at the ';Second City.'; For comedians, that%26#39;s as good as it gets!

If you%26#39;re visiting Newark, Embassy Suites on College Ave is a good place to stay; very central and convenient. There%26#39;s a new Marriott up the road a bit that%26#39;s really nice - actually, the college website (www.udel.edu) is a good link to lodging.

Best of luck!

Hi

Wow, what a great opportunity for your son to work with Second City! Chicago is an amazing city and we are really going to miss it.

The company will pay for us to go to Newark for 5 days to find a house. I am trying to do as much research on the area as possible so that we don%26#39;t end up in a bad area. We will also be working with a realestate agent.

Again, thanks sooo much for your tips!!!!!

I am selling my home and it%26#39;s about 15 minutes from the University, which is a good thing. It%26#39;s in your price range (279,000) and it%26#39;s big enough for a future family. The neighborhood is cozy, only 40 homes. It is near the main arteries of Northern Delaware, including Route 1. There is tons of shopping nearby, no more than a 5 minute ride. Living near the University can get messy--one way traffic, lots of college students.

Here is the home information:

www.pattersonschwartz.com

Quick Search #37931

Please let me know if you%26#39;re interested or need any other help.

Look into Middletown, Delaware. It%26#39;s booming and close to everything.

Hi

THANK YOU so much for showing me your home that is for sale. It looks really nice and sounds great. Our realtor that we will use is also from Patterson Swartz. We went to DE for 3-4 hours last year and met her. We will not be coming back to DE till Sept/Oct to house hunt.

When do you need to sell your home by? May I ask why your moving? :)

Thanks so much!