Wilmington

The residential streets of Triangle, a walkable suburb a mile outside of Wilmington, fittingly form a triangle – enclosed by 18th Street, Baynard Boulevard and Broom Street. While conveniently located off the busy Interstate 95, Brandywine Park and the Brandywine River give this neighborhood a quiet respite. Well-maintained early 20th-century homes boast landscaped gardens, nodding to the pride that residents feel toward their community. And recreation is always a walk away, as the Brandywine Zoo and Jasper Crane Rose Garden are just across 18th Street, and the popular downtown is easily accessed across the Washington Street and Van Buren Bridges. Triangle residents have the advantage of Brandywine Park and all its amenities, which include a rose garden, zoo, walking trail and sports fields. “The Friends of Wilmington Parks will host garden party events with light refreshments at Jasper Crane Rose Garden,” says Siwa Versnel, a staff member for Wilmington State Parks. “It’s a way for the community to get together and appreciate the flowers.” Pickleball and tennis courts are first-come, first-serve, and the Wilmington Little League plays on the baseball field. The park also offers a playground, a dog park and the Brandywine Zoo. The Brandywine River flows through the green space, offering scenic walks along the park’s trail, which is part of the 10-mile Northern Delaware Greenway Trail. “We see lots of dog walkers and people on bicycles and roller skates,” Versnel says. “They do a lot of 5Ks, like the ShadRun. It’s part of ShadFest, which is a free family event for the local fish that breeds naturally in the Brandywine River.” Additionally, she mentions a free summer concert series that takes place at the Sugar Bowl Pavilion, also in Brandywine Park. Most homes in Triangle were built in the early 1900s, maintaining a vintage charm that pairs well with neat, manicured lawns and narrow one-way avenues lined with sidewalks. Typical housing styles include American Foursquares, Craftsman bungalows and colonials and Dutch, Victorian or Tudor influences. "There are 80- and 90-year-old Victorian homes in the neighborhood," says Peter Meyer, a broker with Meyer & Meyer Realty. "Our real estate taxes are a lot lower than other places. Inventory is low in Wilmington, even with high interest rates." It’s not uncommon to find no single-family houses and maybe one multifamily property on the market at any given time. These 1,500- to 3,500-square-foot single-family homes, many cozied up close to their neighbors with detached garages around the back and fenced-in yard space, generally cost between $300,000 and $650,000. Brick and stone 1,350- to 2,000-square-foot twin homes with wide front porches might offer shared driveways or street parking, usually priced from $250,000 to $380,000. Students usually begin with a 9-1 student-teacher ratio at Warner Elementary, which Niche grades a C-plus. The John Dickinson School, graded a B, serves sixth through twelfth-grade students. Another middle school option is Skyline Middle, which receives a B-minus Niche grade. Private education options in the area include Salesianum High School, an all-boys Catholic school with an A grade. The private school's multi-million-dollar Abessino Stadium is a draw for the community and the city, and fans come watch the Sallies play football and run track. Basketball games are also popular, and NBA player Donte DiVincenzo played for the school’s team in 2015. While there are no restaurants along the residential streets that confine Triangle, there are plenty of dining and nightlife options nearby. Scout Cafe is a local counter-serve coffee shop on Baynard Boulevard, and a quick walk across the Washington Street Bridge is Washington Street Ale House, a rustic tavern with pub-style food. A few blocks away on Market Street, there are several corner markets and takeout spots with cuisines varying from Chinese and Jamaican to subs and fried fish. “The Triangle is near Trolley Square, which has lots of bars and stuff open pretty late,” Versnel says. “If you’re going out in Wilmington, you’re going to Trolley Square.” This retail area, on the other side of Brandywine Park, features pubs, breweries, and eateries for all tastes. Commuters can easily hop onto Interstate 95, which runs through Triangle and passes over Brandywine Park. For those without a vehicle, the Delaware Administration for Regional Transit, or DART, bus system services the area.

Originally designed as a streetcar suburb more than a century ago, Baynard Village is a predominately residential neighborhood on the north side of Wilmington. Victoria Dickinson, a local Realtor with Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate, describes the community as part of the city’s back gateway. Driving along Interstate 95, motorists enter Baynard Village by getting off the highway and heading south on Route 202, which functions as an entrance corridor and bisects the densely populated neighborhood arranged in a traditional urban grid pattern. Neighborhood residents enjoy quick access to downtown about two miles away. Even closer to home, a looping tree-covered park trail crosses the Brandywine River, allowing the community to enjoy one of the city’s best natural resources. “That’s the appeal of living in the area,” Dickinson says. “A lot of my clients say they like to go fly fishing during their lunch hour.” Though there are few places to shop or dine in the neighborhood, residents are close to casual and upscale stores and eateries across the river downtown and along Market Street a few blocks south. Homes throughout the neighborhood generally cost about $175,000 to $300,000. In the Baynard Boulevard Historic District, which composes the western half of the neighborhood, single-family and semi-detached Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Victorian and Classical homes from the early 20th century are more expensive with their historical architectural features intact. East of Concord Avenue, home properties, such as a brick, 3-bedroom colonial-style townhouse with a covered porch and 1,275 square feet of living space, sell for approximately $200,000. In addition to hiking its riverside trail, people visiting Brandywine Park along West 18th Street can stare down lemurs, feel the calm vibes of capybaras and watch pythons slither up and down trees at the Brandywine Zoo. After a trip to the zoo, stroll down from Monkey Hill to stop and smell the flowers in the Jasper Crane Rose Garden. For deeper immersion in nature and self-reflection, meditate under the park’s cherry blossom trees by shutting your eyes and focusing on the sound of water streaming over the historic Josephine Fountain. Across from the park, Warner Elementary School is part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Niche gives the school system an A- and ranks it No. 2 on its list of districts with the best teachers in Delaware. From there, students can enroll at Skyline Middle School and Alexis I. du Pont High School. Skyline scores a B-minus with Niche, while the high school gets a B. Families alternatively apply to send their kids to private institutions such as the Salesianum School, located in the adjacent Triangle neighborhood. Within the neighborhood, folks can start their morning with coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the Scout Cafe. Crossing the Washington Street Bridge into downtown, residents often head to the Washington Street Ale House to indulge in cold craft beer and hot wings in a booth by the cozy dining room fireplace. For a more upscale dining experience, you can head to Tonic Seafood and Steak, one of the premier dining establishments downtown. Closer to home, folks can visit various corner stores and markets for a quick run for groceries and essentials. North of the neighborhood on the other side of I-95, folks can complete more substantial grocery runs at the ACME Markets supermarket in Fairfax. While the city’s trolley system gave rise to Baynard Village a century ago, residents have relied on public bus transit along the Baynard Boulevard corridor since the late 1950s. Managed by the DART First State transit system, the bus routes traveling the boulevard are part of a local and regional service network that crisscrosses the state and connects to Philadelphia.

You might feel like you’ve stepped into a Thomas Kincaid painting when you enter Brandywine Hills, a charming Wilmington suburb of 262 homes just three miles north of the city. Tall lamp posts line the sidewalks, and the neighborhood’s wooded streets are named after literary greats such as Channing, Hawthorne and Tennyson. <br><br>Here you’ll find homes with unique architectural styles set on lots of about a third of an acre. “No two homes here are alike,” says Steven Anzulewicz, licensed realtor with Keller Williams and 20-year resident of the Brandywine Hills community. There are sprawling ranch-style homes, stone and brick colonials constructed in the 1930s and 1940s and mid-century modern homes built in the 1960s. Three- and four-bedroom residences can range in price from $300,000 to $900,000, with the majority of houses priced around $500,000. <br><br>Anzulewicz notes that the community itself is as diverse as its architecture. “Brandywine Hills has always attracted individuals from varied backgrounds,” he says. Many of those people move to the area to enroll their children in the Brandywine School District, a system with an A-minus rating from Niche and a student-teacher ratio of 13 to one. Students might begin their educational journeys at Harlan Elementary School, which has a C-plus Niche rating, where they can participate in an elementary sports league and explore the field of robotics. At P.S. duPont Middle School, rated A by Niche, students can study world languages and cultures and choose from extracurricular activities such as Science Olympiad and diversity club. Mount Pleasant High School, home of the Green Knights, has an enrollment of approximately 1,150 students and an A-minus Niche rating. Here, students can choose from a wide range of academic options, including career and technical education courses, fine arts and music offerings and the International Baccalaureate program. “The IB program here is incredible,” Anzulewicz says. <br><br>Brandywine Hills is home to Matson Run Parkway, a green space that is ideal for walking and jogging. At Rockwood Park, you can walk or bike the two miles of lighted trails and visit the Rockwood Museum, an incredible Gothic-style estate that offers tours, programs and seasonal events such as haunted walks and holiday light tours. Anzulewicz says the community also has a strong relationship with the Delaware Center for Horticulture, a nonprofit that works toward greener communities. “They come in and plant ecofriendly trees,” he says. <br><br>Another perk of living in Brandywine Hills is its proximity to downtown Wilmington. In about a ten-minute drive, you can be in the middle of the trendy downtown district, surrounded by a variety of retail shops, cafes and bistros. If you’d rather stay even closer to home, you can pick up a latte from Sleeping Bird Coffee or a wood-fired pizza from La Pizzeria Metro. “There are a few restaurants and small shops that are walkable to the community, but you will have to drive a few minutes if you want Wegmans or Sprouts,” Anzulewicz says. <br><br>In addition to the area’s diverse architecture and well-respected public schools, Brandywine Hills is also a 10-minute drive down Interstate 95 from Wilmington’s Amtrak station and about 30 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport. Locals will tell you that Brandywine Hills is an accessible, convenient enclave with stunning homes, but you could always come check it out for yourself.

Once a prosperous mill town along the banks of Brandywine Creek, Brandywine Village embraces its rich history in waterfront green spaces, 18th-century mill owner’s homes and vibrant murals of the legendary reggae musician Bob Marley, who used to live in the neighborhood. “It’s a beautiful and historic area,” says Marcia Brunswick, a real estate agent with Re/Max Edge who has been selling homes in the area for over 15 years. “And it feels more prestigious than living downtown.” While the neighborhood offers a change of pace from downtown’s hustle and bustle, residents are about a mile north of the city center and can walk, drive or take the bus into Wilmington’s art, culture and entertainment district. The Brandywine Village Historic District is on the south side of the neighborhood along Brandywine Creek. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it includes several Georgian estates built by prosperous mill owners in the late 18th century using granite from the area. Local organizations like Old Brandywine Village preserve the district's historic character, and two of the granite homes now serve as the headquarters of the Junior League of Wilmington and the Wilmington Senior Center. The Cathedral Church of St. John looms over the corner of North Market Street and Concord Avenue, and while the Gothic Revival building no longer serves as a house of worship, it now serves as an affordable housing complex for seniors. On the opposite end of Market Street, the Brandywine Methodist Episcopal Church dates to 1857 and remains operating as the Harriet R. Tubman Community United Methodist Church. Further south along Brandywine Creek, Superfine Lane is a high-rise condo complex named after the grade of flour produced along the waterfront, with units selling for about $200,000 to $285,000. Further north, homebuyers will find a mix of row homes and twin homes built around the early 1900s. Most homes feature brick exteriors, oriel windows and columned front porches. Prices for single-family homes range from around $135,000 to $250,000, depending on the size and condition of the home. The neighborhood's overall CAP Index Crime Score is 6 out of 10, higher than the national average of 4. Waterfront green spaces include Brandywine Park, which spans nearly 200 acres along the banks of Brandywine Creek. The park’s trail system has four fitness stations for outdoor exercisers to incorporate into their routines, while the Rodney Street Tennis Courts are the most used public tennis facility in Wilmington. Attractions include the Brandywine Zoo and the historic Jasper Crane Rose Garden, where hundreds of flowers bloom each spring. Over at the Sugar Bowl Concert Venue, the Friends of Wilmington Parks host free summer concerts. Across the street from Bob Marley’s former home is One Love Park, which features a basketball court and playground for kids to explore. In addition to preserving the neighborhood’s historic character, Old Brandywine Village hosts various community events. The Brandywine Village Market is a seasonal farmers market held each summer in Brandywine Mills Plaza. Neighbors gather every week to listen to live music, shop local vendors and drink craft brews in the beer garden. Market Street hosts a variety of flavors. Grapes Jamaican Cuisine serves authentic Caribbean dishes, while Quality Subs, Steaks & Grocery is a counter-serve spot known for its made-to-order hoagies. Over on Concord Avenue, Troisieme Café has a small, outdoor patio where locals can sip coffee and eat pastries. Market Street is also a culinary hot spot in downtown Wilmington, which is less than a mile south. Rustic spots like Stitch House Brewery sit down the street from upscale restaurants such as La Fia Bistro, an intimate eatery known for its small plates and global flavors. Corner stores like Ho Ho Market sell the essentials, and Acme Markets is about a 2-mile drive southwest. Students attend the Red Clay Consolidated School District, which Niche rates an A-minus and ranks as the third-best school district in Delaware. Evan G. Shortlidge Academy earns a B-minus and serves kindergarten through second grade, while the C-plus-rated Emalea P. Warner Elementary School serves grades three through five. Skyline Middle School earns a B-minus grade, while Thomas McKean High School is rated a C-plus. The high school’s work-based learning and career pathways offer students hands-on experience in fields such as early childhood management, animal science and marketing communications. Brandywine Village is centrally located at the intersection of U.S. Route 13 and Delaware Route 202, locally known as Market Street and Concord Avenue. Market Street leads to downtown Wilmington, about a mile south across Brandywine Creek. DART also provides local bus service to downtown Wilmington, among other places. Concord Avenue connects to major thoroughfares such as Interstate 95, and Philadelphia is about a 30-mile drive north. I-95 also provides convenient commutes to Philadelphia International Airport, less than a 20-mile drive away. ChristianaCare Wilmington Hospital is about a mile south of Brandywine Village in downtown Wilmington. The hospital is part of the Delaware Trauma System and is designated as a Level III trauma center.

About one mile north of Downtown Wilmington, North Brandywine is an urban neighborhood that exudes a historic atmosphere. Marcia Brunswick, Realtor with RE/MAX, says, “People really like the neighborhood because the homes are beautiful, it’s not far from the city, and it feels more prestigious being in the north side of town.”<br><br>North Brandywine is laid out predominantly by brick row homes and twins built in the 1920s. They feature a mix of colonial and Victorian-style architecture that add character to this small and charming neighborhood. Some homes have small front yards with a porch where you can relax, while others are lined up directly against the sidewalk so you can be on the move the second you walk out the door. Each home is typically two-to-three stories with three or four bedrooms. Prices for these attached homes start at about $120,000, with renovated properties reaching up to $200,000.<br><br>Brandywine Park, Delaware’s first and largest urban park, is just a few blocks away, offering 178 acres of green space along the rushing water of Brandywine Creek. Go for a stroll on the trail while soaking in views of the water and the spandrel arches of the historic Washington Street Bridge leading to the tall office buildings downtown. Bask in the beauty of the park’s historic Jasper Crane Rose Garden. And during peak season, walk through the gorgeous cherry blossom display beautified by the work of art of Josephine Fountain. As the first park in Delaware, it’s also home to the state’s first zoo, where you can check out several mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Another fun place to visit is One Love Park, located across the street from Bob Marley’s former home, named in honor of the reggae star’s hit song “One Love.” The park has a playground and basketball court, making it a frequent spot to see kids playing outdoors.<br><br>You’ll find many local restaurants along N Market Street serving a variety of comfort foods. If you like fried chicken, New York Fried Chicken is the place to go. Or cross the street for some Greek food at Gyro Everyday, both of which serve Halal food. Stop by Pete’s Pizza for a cheesesteak, stromboli or of course, pizza. Or, for a quick snack, head to one of the neighborhood’s corner markets, where you can also grab some groceries.<br><br>Elementary students go to Shortlidge Elementary School for kindergarten through second grade before finishing at Warner Elementary School. They go on to Skyline Middle School, which has a B- rating from Niche and offers a growing STEM program. Most high schoolers attend John Dickinson High School, which has a B+ rating from Niche and is one of just five high schools in Delaware to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Some students in the south side of North Brandywine attend Thomas McKean High School, which has a partnership with Delaware Public Media, allowing students to gain experience in radio and journalism.<br><br>Beautified by historic homes and scenic parks, Northern Village could be the perfect place for someone who wants to live just outside Downtown Wilmington.

Browntown is a residential enclave of Wilmington whose gridded, sidewalk-lined streets and neighborhood parks are separated from the city’s bustling riverfront by Interstate 95. “This is a great community located in walking or biking distance to the riverfront,” says Dorrene Robinson, president of the Browntown Civic Association and a proud homeowner who has lived in the neighborhood for over 27 years. “We just upgraded two parks, and the housing value has gone up with the new townhouses being built off 7th Avenue.” While Browntown offers proximity to the city’s waterfront attractions, the neighborhood embraces more of a laid-back, urban feel. “It’s a small section that’s kind of cut off from the rest of the city by Maryland Avenue,” says Tony Letizia, a Realtor with VRA Realty who serves all of Delaware. “It’s a nice, walkable part of town that has a bit less traffic.” Rowhouses and twin homes line the neighborhood’s gridded streets, and most were built between the early and mid-1900s. Many properties feature brick exteriors, covered front porches and narrow, fenced-in backyards with room for a small patio. “There’s a street of beautiful rowhomes that the city of Wilmington built,” says Tony Letizia, a Realtor with VRA Realty who serves all of Delaware. “It’s on Coleman Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, absolutely gorgeous brownstone buildings.” While some properties have driveways leading to attached garages, street parking is the norm in other parts of Browntown. Prices in the neighborhood range from around $115,000 to $265,000, depending on the size and condition of the home. “Recognizing how substantially Browntown has increased in value in the past four years, homes that used to sell for $50,000 are now the same ones that sell for $200,000,” Letizia says. Browntown's CAP Index Crime Score is 6 out of 10, higher than the national average of 4. “We have a good Community Engagement Unit from the Wilmington Police Department,” Robinson says. Corner stores and restaurants line Browntown’s northern border along Maryland Avenue. Bacalao Supermarket sells the essentials, while Evelyn’s serves up homestyle soul food platters. The Elizabeth Shopping Mall is less than a 1-mile drive south and includes the Wilmington Flea Market, an indoor bazaar home to various local vendors. The complex is also home to casual restaurants such as La Cabaña, known for its authentic Mexican food. Residents can also head across I-95 to Riverfront Wilmington, which includes local favorites like Big Fish Grill on the Riverfront. “I love Big Fish, they have great seafood,” Robinson says. For groceries, Great Valu Market is about a 1-mile drive north in the Adams Plaza shopping center. Delaware follows a school choice program that allows families to apply to any public, charter or vocational-technical school outside their assigned pathway. Browntown is one of the few neighborhoods in Wilmington assigned to attend the Christina School District, which earns a C-plus from Niche and has an average student-teacher ratio of 12-to-1. The Bayard School serves kindergarten through eighth grade, while teens attend Glasgow High School. Both schools earn a C-minus from Niche. The high school’s Early College Leadership Academy offers tuition-free dual enrollment courses at Wilmington University, and students can earn up to 28 college credits before graduation. Eddie Michaels Playground is in the neighborhood’s southeastern corner behind blocks of rowhomes. The Browntown Civic Association renovated the green space in 2020, and it features a basketball court and a play area with a swing set. Residents are about a mile north of Canby Park, a 44-acre green space with an 18-hole disc golf course, lighted ballfields and a series of hiking trails for outdoor exercisers to explore. On the opposite side of I-95, lively Riverfront Wilmington includes attractions like the Delaware Children’s Museum and Daniel S. Frawley Stadium – a Minor League Baseball venue home to the Wilmington Blue Rocks. In addition to Minor League Baseball games, Riverfront Wilmington hosts outdoor festivals year-round. In the summer, the Wilmington Street Food Festival features a variety of local flavors and live entertainment. Neighbors also gather at the riverfront on New Year’s Eve to watch a dazzling firework show light up the sky above the Christina River. I-95 runs along Browntown’s eastern border and connects residents to nearby cities, such as Philadelphia, about a 32-mile drive north. “Getting on and off I-95 is super easy from that location,” Letizia says. DART provides local bus service to the community, and Route 005 stops along Maryland Avenue on its way from Newark’s Christiana Mall to the Wilmington train station. The station is less than a 2-mile drive from Browntown and serves Amtrak and SEPTA trains. Residents are less than a 10-mile drive from Wilmington Airport, where Avelo Airlines provides nonstop flights to major cities in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. Philadelphia International Airport is about a 23-mile drive north.