RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Delaware is one of a kind. No sales tax. Rural areas and "modernized" areas. You've got the beaches, mountains, and four major cities (NYC,Philly, Baltimore, Wash DC) all within 3hrs. The University of Delaware is a good school and the town it's in is pretty cool - Newark. It's just kind of expensive.... and you've got a lot of pollution (thanks DuPont, Valero, and southern Jersey across the river).

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Besides Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is forgettable at best.

rated far too far for many reasons

i grew up in delaware but moved when i got married. delaware is the state u come to on vacation, leave on probation and come back on a violation. besides the crime and the crackheads its not a bad place to visit but beware of the police.

Although I live in Virginia, I have many relatives all over Delaware and know the state well. It's definitely underrated. And no sales tax! If it says "$1.99" on the can, it's REALLY a dollar ninety-nine! I would move to Delaware in a minute if I could find a job there. Some drawbacks (the unrestricted growth spurt of Sussex County, the southernmost county, is the biggest--Sussex County was rated recently as one of the fastest growing counties in the country). Here's a rundown of the population centers/resort areas of the state. I've been to them all and have spent lots of time there since the mid '70s. The beaches: Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes. Fenwick Island--probably the most charming of the towns, but it runs right into Ocean City, MD, so it's turned into an extension of that popular resort town. But get off the main highway in Fenwick Island, and drive by the canals, and you will see some real charm. Some modestly priced motels (on the ocean side) make this an excellent summer choice. Bethany Beach--wow, this town has changed since its "dry days" (which meant no booze in the restaurants--right up to the early '80s!) It's now what Rehoboth Beach was in the '60s and '70s--smaller and more charming, but the main drag can get congested in the summer. Still a good choice for families. Dewey Beach--if Bethany Beach is the "G-rated" (or maybe PG-rated) destination of Delaware, Dewey Beach must be the R or even X-rated destination. It's a huge "meet market" (or "meat market") during the summer. Think drunken 20-somethings staggering down the main highway at all hours of the day. The town has gained a reputation as being "party central" for the mid Atlantic--even Sandra Bullock has been spotted at Bottle & Cork and Rusty Rudder, the two most famous restaurants/bars (Hootie & the Blowfish performed many times in this town before breaking out in the mid '90s, and the Rolling Stones were even evaluating a "special 'warm up' gig" at Rusty Rudder last year!) So for its noise and excess, Dewey does have its merits. Rehoboth Beach--This has turned into the "San Francisco of the Mid Atlantic," thanks to a high gay population and art scene. Heck it even has a Film Festival every year. There are still some pockets of family entertainment to be found here. (My church had its yearly "youth retreats" here in the '80s). Just beware of "Poodle Beach" (those familiar with Delaware's ocean resorts will know this term). Lewes--The oldest town in the state, bumped up against Delaware Bay (ok, it's not on the ocean). But for fishing and bed and breakfast fans, this is the place to go. Some charming shops and good pubs and restaurants to be found here. Other towns in Delaware worth mentioning: Dover--the capital and a very quaint one at that. Wonderful old houses and Irish pubs line the downtown area. Wilmington--the largest city (nearly 100,000) and with a vibrant downtown area and waterfront that, like other DelMarVa counterparts Cambridge, MD and Norfolk, VA, is going through a restoration. There are some sketchy areas of Wilmington so be careful! But the downtown area has some amenities that must've spilled over from nearby Philly and Baltimore (excellent restaurants and hotels, for starters).

I say, "BEWARE OF DELAWARE", especially REHOBOTH BEACH. Summered there as a child, wonderful memories, moved there as an adult, big mistake. Small town corruption, police brutality, unfriendly neighbors, dirty beaches, need I say more. There are far better places to live and visit. Oh by the way, Delaware has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, so don't even think you will be treated fairly, you won't. If your family hasn't lived there since the 30's, you will always be an outsider.

This is the most overlooked state in the country. Yes it's small, but it has everything you need and more. Wilmington is changing into a Northeast destination and the beaches are great. Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Fenwick Isalnd, Lewes and Bethany Beach are all great. Old New Castle is beautiful. There are a lot of nice places to eat and hang out in Wilmington and Newark. Newark has a nice main street with outdoor eateries and some historic bars. Don't let Delaware's size keep you from coming. It is a great place to live and vacation. I've lived all over the world (Hawaii, Ohio, Illinois, Alabama, the Philippines, New Jersey and Virginia) and I would have to say next to Hawaii, Delaware is my next favorite place I've lived.

One word: Boring.

Not much to say here. The welcome to Delaware sign on I-95 says Small Wonder. I don't find there are many wonderous attractions here though. The seashore in Delaware is nice but it doesn't really set it apart from any other coastal place. Wilmington looks like it's seen better days. For most people passing through here it's just a place where you pay a toll and keep going somewhere else. This should just be a part of Maryland considering there really aint much distinction about the place.

Get outside Wilmington and then you have something.

Tax-free shopping and great resort beaches. But they need to change those horrid gold-on-blue license plates.

Very short state that is basically a thruway to Philly and Baltimore.

Pennsylvania Jr. Except it does have the shore, tax-free shopping, and infinitely better roads.

Isn't this state an extension of Maryland's eastern shore? The 'Ware isn't the most hip-hop happenin' place, but it isn't attractive, friendly or interesting in the least. Rehoboth Beach is nothing special; plenty of better seaside communities nearby. Wilmington and vicinity seems like the Philly metro's bastard son, though it's probably convenient to better cities. South of Wilmington, most of the state leaves me with the impression that this is a place of farmlands connected by produce stands and big box retailers.

Delaware has some nice resort areas on the ocean that are rightfully gaining in popularity. The rest of the state has some good historic sites. Wilmington is a small-to medium sized city. Dover is an attractive town for a state capital.

I spent my childhood summers at the shore. I only had good memories until i learned that there is a world west of Highway 1. It's a different world over there. But the tax-free shopping, beautiful beaches, and smoke-free bars make it one of my favorites!

Delaware is a better state then it is rated here- it has many positive attributes. Wilmington is a decent moderate sized city, and the at capital at Dover is attracting retirees. Rehoboth is a place I vacationed as a child- and it was beautiful.

Not really a bad state- nice beach's at Rehoboth, a decent capital city of Dover, Wilmington is not too bad, and has mild winters for its location. Deserves to be rated much higher then it is.

SEE. Maryland, same opionion, because they are pretty much the same state.

Beaches are great, better than Ocean City or Virginia Beach. Lewes and Georgetown and Dover are quaint all American towns. But that smell of chicken crap--urgh!!! It permeates the air and is very unpleasant. Plus there is violent crime now in many of these small towns because of the low income lifestyles of those who work in the chicken plants. Perdue and Tyson should be accountable!

Well, I felt obligated to give the state where I currently live a 5, but that wouldn't be fair to those of you who are reading the reviews for an honest opinion. Anyway, I moved here from PA in 1997 (read my review on PA destinations) for my first job after college. I haven't been all over the state yet, but where I've gone is usually beautiful (unless it's in a city). To name a few parks to visit: Battery Park in New Castle, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (to the northeast of Dover), and Fox Point State Park in Bellefonte. There are tons of other parks, too. I personally haven't been to any of the Delaware beaches, but that's only because my parents had always taken me to Ocean City, MD (2.5 hours away), so I go there. I've heard nice things about Rehoboth, Dewey, and Bethany Beaches though. For Restaurants, there are too many to name. Every state or town has at least a few good ones. But if you're near Dewey Beach, head to the Rusty Rudder. It has a great view and great food. If you're up near the PA border on 202, stop in at Macaroni Grill. It's a nice Italian Restaurant w/ good food and a nice ambience. For a more complete list, you can go to http://www.visitdelaware.com/ and click on Dining Out. Also on that page, the Things to Do link might be more helpful, since I don't want to take up a lot of space here. Well, that's all for now (did I type a book?). If you want to email me and ask a question, feel free. dave_in_delaware@hotmail.com ... I'll try to help.

DULLSVILLE... and don't even bother trying to find a hotel in Dewey Beach... the rates are insane! And it's the same stretch of scenery no matter where you go.

Why doesn't this state just become part of Maryland? I have never known or heard of one person from this state, or have I heard anything about it. Rhode Island is smaller but at least it has some character!

My uncle lives in Virginia and i live in New England and we always drive down there when I was younger every summer we used to stay in Dover Pretty nice but when you leave dover it becomes a how do I put this ummm. Waist land

Well they have tax free shopping, and...uh...ummm... NOTHING.

Ahhhhh, summers in the 'Ware....the music, the dancing, the memories...