I rode my bike to the office this morning and I go right down Market St from Rodney Sq to 3rd St. The changes downtown are so cool. I believe most of it has to do with the growth of DCAD. Plus a raise inn kids taking Community College seriously and getting training at Del Tech. As a Wilmington native I’m excited… 3 big theatres on Market (One being in the photo!)… a new IMAX on the waterfront…
And in my neighborhood there’s been tons of growth as well… The News journal had a story about a effort to get somethiong going in Little Italy too.. like shops and pubs and Lincoln St.
Wish I was as optimistic as you, Dorian. Grand’s struggling, and word is that wedding receptions are pretty much keeping the Queen afloat.
Wish the Queen had better bookers. The occasional draw and a lot of dreck. On average, about three ‘tribute’ bands a week. Plus bands from recent eras that nobody has any nostalgia for.
There was a tribute band to ‘Sublime’ a couple of months back. Who the fuck is ‘Sublime’?
The problem for Wilmington restaurants and entertainment venues is just not enough people LIVE in the city, especially not YOUNG people. And for us aging suburbanites, it means babysitters, which kind of takes the fun out of a night out when you have to get back early. Especially now that DUI starts at .08. Besides that is not the kind of business you want to rely on.
To make a city vibrant you need young people who live right there in affordable apartments above all the ground floor shops and restaurants. Wilmington doesn’t have the neighborhood infrastructure for 24-hour habitation. There is some but it is spotty.
I agree that there aren’t enough good bookings at the Queen, but there’s also something else going on that I have yet to put my finger on. I went to see Esparanza Spaulding at the Grand last Weds and it was maybe 75% full. Now maybe Modern Jazz isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but she’s a Grammy winner This is odd.
A few people at my office (aging suburbanites) were interested when they heard I was going and their first question was “where do you park?” I walked from 40 Acres… Older suburbanite won’t change… but should parking prohibit culture?
But I will tell you this, downtown is packed with younger kids thanks to the deals on studios they get from the DCAD. They recuit artist from the Philly and NY metro areas and they just pay what the can afford and it’s sunbsidized by the city and DCAD. (I happen to know the Director of Admissions over there and a few instructors.) Trolley Square and Little Italy is also packed with people under 30.
On another note I know who Sunlime are and they shouldn’t have a tribute band… 🙂 Bottom line though there is tons of culture in Wilmington now, but you need to go out and check it out. There’s stand-up comedy at Extreme Pizza and the dive bar across the street is pretty decent. Demeo’s has pizza better than Rocco’s in my opinion. Trolley Square now has a Vietnamese take away place and a coffee shop that prepares Middle Eatern pour over coffee (better than French press). There’s a German food shop near Rodney Sq for fuck sake…
Not to mention the Imax/theatre on the waterfront and all the stuff tha’s already there. Look I’ve lived in Wilmington my entire life. I know the story… it just isn’t true now. If you’re willing to live there there are plenty of neighborhood for 24-hour habitation. I love you bro, but that’s an inane statement.
It’s also inane to look at Wilmington as if it is Philly or Baltimore — it might be Philly or Baltimore 20, 30, 40 years ago before all of the building and growing of 24-hour habitation. The apartments in the Market St area all have waiting lists and that isn’t just those used by DCAD. There is a new art supply store coming shortly to Market St (I forget the name, but apparently it is a big deal) and there is a great deal of energy around expanding artists housing like Shipley Lofts and creating a Creative District. There’s definitely been some success and there are folks trying to build on it.
I talked to someone a few weeks ago who asked where I park to go to restaurants and shows downtown — mostly I just walk downtown from my house. But this person was starting to go on about parking and I asked him where he parked in Philly. He parks in garages and lots close to his destination of course. I asked why Wilmington needs to be different. No answer, of course.
And DiMeos pizza is the best in the city right now, seriously.
It is obvious to see on this thread who has been there and who hasn’t. I discovered it recently, just a year ago. And in honesty, that was probably due to the Queen opening up. There are some of us who like watching the Blue Rocks better than the Phillies because we see better baseball. We are aficionados and know good quality baseball, and avoid the hype. As a metaphor, Wilmington is like that on the music scene. The acts passing through the Queen are like the Palladium in the 60’s. I chuckled as I heard El Som parroting almost word for word what was said in the past… Who the fuck are the Who?
As for parking, it is free on the streets after 6 and there are swarms of yellow jersey-ed parking police on every corner who make the streets seem very safe. And most parking garages have evening parking after 5 for around $3 a full evening…
I’ll say it here first. It’s the northeast coast’s budding Austin.
I love The Queen and the LOMA scene these days. There are some pet peeves that I have had, but most of them are inconsequential. For me, it’s a 35-40 minute drive from home, but I do it frequently.
Last year I went to the Wilmington Rock Circus at The Queen and there are some very cool local bands that are more than simple teenage garage bands (HOT BREAKFAST!!!).
And almost without fail, every time I head up for an event, I think to myself that I need to get up there more often.
It took a long time for NY to come back as fit for 24 hour habitation too — NYC was my playground when I was much younger. A very rough and sometimes dangerous playground for about the only people who could see through it to play — young people who were creating their own trendy and not just chasing its symbols. (Bleeker Bob’s is closing to make way for a Froyo!)
And it isn’t just the Queen, either — the Delaware Opera Company has amazing events (Macbeth coming up!) and the Wilmington Grand Prix is coming up. And they are looking for volunteers too.
@Kavips… i think you have it. I’m not really looking for every big name act or artist or show. I just want great places to eat and drink and tons of diverse culture… and I thing in all these catagories Wilmington is imprroving by leaps. Compared to NYC it’s a nowhere… but so is almost ever other city on earth.
I went to a poetry reading last night at Hummingbird to Mars and the theme was Socialism (for May Day). Some Russian and German poems, some gag folk songs, a few original poems… It was good and I feel like a true radical dissedent for a few hours. It’s out there…
Hey some people need to worry about parking and a babysitter… I get it.. But I don’t see how that’s a Wilmington issue…
Wait… When I go to New York, I don’t have anywhere to park!!!
But you are right, Cassandra. Besides the Queen, Delaware Theatre Company, The Grand, etc… There are a number of really nice venues for music/comedy/dance/cinema.
If I had any lingering complaint about Delaware in general, it’s that there is still precious little for the under 21 crowd. But that may be a national thing…
What makes New York accessible is that you don’t have to park. You can take Amtrak or local transit to get there. When there use a wide variety of transit modes. Here in the county you need a car if you want to see a variety of events.
Whoa… wait a minute! You don’t know Sublime? Go on and hate me, but I loved that band. BTW, music is personal, so I get that El Som and I don’t have the same taste. Neither one is better or worse, just different!
And I’m with Dorian… “I’m not really looking for every big name act or artist or show. I just want great places to eat and drink and tons of diverse culture.” What’s also great is that there always seems to be something going on, so you don’t have to wait for some festival.
Diversity is a biggie for me, and the mix of people gathering downtown is unlike anywhere else in the state.
Also, the restaurant scene has grown by leaps and bounds. I can’t get enough of Orillas. Love Chelsea Tavern and DiMeo’s is the best pizza around – absolutely no competition!
I’m a city resident, and I’m loving the way we have dinner in one restaurant and then walk a few blocks for an after dinner drink and some good music… and probably dessert!
@Tom… That’s what I’m saying… if you live in Wilmington you don’t need a car. My girlfriend and I plan to share one once we both work 100% in Wilmington… Buses and bikes…
Now it’s not as convenient as NYC subway or DC Metro, but there’s plenty to do sans driving. I know it because I do it.
I don’t mind the parking thing. What I won’t tolerate though is the risk of being ticketed or towed – what a buzzkill! That’s a dealbreaker for me. So it has to be a paid lot or garage, and not one that is trying to get rich off me either. And not one that has a closing time.
Well that’s good to know. It should be said more often. I hope it is consistent (no loopholes). You will know nightlife is coming back when they start running the meters at night again.
You get ticketed and/or towed if you park stupidly — pretty much the same as everywhere else. The thing about Wilmington (for now) is that the parking people are pretty much gone after 5:30 or so. If you park in front of a hydrant or too close to a corner then you get what you get. Same as if you did that in Philly or Baltimore. Who have 24 hour parking enforcement.
Puck, it’s said on EVERY sign. Don’t fall into those suburban myths about the “horrible” city. Seriously, come on down! Ignore those scary stories – you know, the same ones you heard when you dared to live in NYC!
Parking in Wilmington can be confusing, Signs seem to conflict there have been times we were sure we were legally parked and got a ticket. Newark is friendly to bicycles and pedestrians, it is a shame the city
uses parking tickets as a way to fund a bloated bureaucracy .
How about putting together the “Delaware Liberal Guide to Wilmington Nightlife?” (restaurants, bars, entertainment, parking, safety, etc.). It could be mostly crowdsourced, and it looks like the archives contain a good start already. Just make sure you post it permanently somewhere.
The Art Loop is fantastic, you would not believe how many galleries have opened in LoMa. Also, Tuesday night open mic nights at The Queen (in the cafe) are lots of fun.
The Tower Theatre in Philly. I saw U2 there in 1981.
That Jason330 is a funny guy.
I rode my bike to the office this morning and I go right down Market St from Rodney Sq to 3rd St. The changes downtown are so cool. I believe most of it has to do with the growth of DCAD. Plus a raise inn kids taking Community College seriously and getting training at Del Tech. As a Wilmington native I’m excited… 3 big theatres on Market (One being in the photo!)… a new IMAX on the waterfront…
And in my neighborhood there’s been tons of growth as well… The News journal had a story about a effort to get somethiong going in Little Italy too.. like shops and pubs and Lincoln St.
Wish I was as optimistic as you, Dorian. Grand’s struggling, and word is that wedding receptions are pretty much keeping the Queen afloat.
Wish the Queen had better bookers. The occasional draw and a lot of dreck. On average, about three ‘tribute’ bands a week. Plus bands from recent eras that nobody has any nostalgia for.
There was a tribute band to ‘Sublime’ a couple of months back. Who the fuck is ‘Sublime’?
The problem for Wilmington restaurants and entertainment venues is just not enough people LIVE in the city, especially not YOUNG people. And for us aging suburbanites, it means babysitters, which kind of takes the fun out of a night out when you have to get back early. Especially now that DUI starts at .08. Besides that is not the kind of business you want to rely on.
To make a city vibrant you need young people who live right there in affordable apartments above all the ground floor shops and restaurants. Wilmington doesn’t have the neighborhood infrastructure for 24-hour habitation. There is some but it is spotty.
I agree that there aren’t enough good bookings at the Queen, but there’s also something else going on that I have yet to put my finger on. I went to see Esparanza Spaulding at the Grand last Weds and it was maybe 75% full. Now maybe Modern Jazz isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but she’s a Grammy winner This is odd.
A few people at my office (aging suburbanites) were interested when they heard I was going and their first question was “where do you park?” I walked from 40 Acres… Older suburbanite won’t change… but should parking prohibit culture?
But I will tell you this, downtown is packed with younger kids thanks to the deals on studios they get from the DCAD. They recuit artist from the Philly and NY metro areas and they just pay what the can afford and it’s sunbsidized by the city and DCAD. (I happen to know the Director of Admissions over there and a few instructors.) Trolley Square and Little Italy is also packed with people under 30.
On another note I know who Sunlime are and they shouldn’t have a tribute band… 🙂 Bottom line though there is tons of culture in Wilmington now, but you need to go out and check it out. There’s stand-up comedy at Extreme Pizza and the dive bar across the street is pretty decent. Demeo’s has pizza better than Rocco’s in my opinion. Trolley Square now has a Vietnamese take away place and a coffee shop that prepares Middle Eatern pour over coffee (better than French press). There’s a German food shop near Rodney Sq for fuck sake…
Not to mention the Imax/theatre on the waterfront and all the stuff tha’s already there. Look I’ve lived in Wilmington my entire life. I know the story… it just isn’t true now. If you’re willing to live there there are plenty of neighborhood for 24-hour habitation. I love you bro, but that’s an inane statement.
It’s also inane to look at Wilmington as if it is Philly or Baltimore — it might be Philly or Baltimore 20, 30, 40 years ago before all of the building and growing of 24-hour habitation. The apartments in the Market St area all have waiting lists and that isn’t just those used by DCAD. There is a new art supply store coming shortly to Market St (I forget the name, but apparently it is a big deal) and there is a great deal of energy around expanding artists housing like Shipley Lofts and creating a Creative District. There’s definitely been some success and there are folks trying to build on it.
I talked to someone a few weeks ago who asked where I park to go to restaurants and shows downtown — mostly I just walk downtown from my house. But this person was starting to go on about parking and I asked him where he parked in Philly. He parks in garages and lots close to his destination of course. I asked why Wilmington needs to be different. No answer, of course.
And DiMeos pizza is the best in the city right now, seriously.
I guess I am spoiled from my years living in New York.
It is obvious to see on this thread who has been there and who hasn’t. I discovered it recently, just a year ago. And in honesty, that was probably due to the Queen opening up. There are some of us who like watching the Blue Rocks better than the Phillies because we see better baseball. We are aficionados and know good quality baseball, and avoid the hype. As a metaphor, Wilmington is like that on the music scene. The acts passing through the Queen are like the Palladium in the 60’s. I chuckled as I heard El Som parroting almost word for word what was said in the past… Who the fuck are the Who?
As for parking, it is free on the streets after 6 and there are swarms of yellow jersey-ed parking police on every corner who make the streets seem very safe. And most parking garages have evening parking after 5 for around $3 a full evening…
I’ll say it here first. It’s the northeast coast’s budding Austin.
I love The Queen and the LOMA scene these days. There are some pet peeves that I have had, but most of them are inconsequential. For me, it’s a 35-40 minute drive from home, but I do it frequently.
Last year I went to the Wilmington Rock Circus at The Queen and there are some very cool local bands that are more than simple teenage garage bands (HOT BREAKFAST!!!).
And almost without fail, every time I head up for an event, I think to myself that I need to get up there more often.
It took a long time for NY to come back as fit for 24 hour habitation too — NYC was my playground when I was much younger. A very rough and sometimes dangerous playground for about the only people who could see through it to play — young people who were creating their own trendy and not just chasing its symbols. (Bleeker Bob’s is closing to make way for a Froyo!)
And it isn’t just the Queen, either — the Delaware Opera Company has amazing events (Macbeth coming up!) and the Wilmington Grand Prix is coming up. And they are looking for volunteers too.
@Kavips… i think you have it. I’m not really looking for every big name act or artist or show. I just want great places to eat and drink and tons of diverse culture… and I thing in all these catagories Wilmington is imprroving by leaps. Compared to NYC it’s a nowhere… but so is almost ever other city on earth.
I went to a poetry reading last night at Hummingbird to Mars and the theme was Socialism (for May Day). Some Russian and German poems, some gag folk songs, a few original poems… It was good and I feel like a true radical dissedent for a few hours. It’s out there…
Hey some people need to worry about parking and a babysitter… I get it.. But I don’t see how that’s a Wilmington issue…
Wait… When I go to New York, I don’t have anywhere to park!!!
But you are right, Cassandra. Besides the Queen, Delaware Theatre Company, The Grand, etc… There are a number of really nice venues for music/comedy/dance/cinema.
If I had any lingering complaint about Delaware in general, it’s that there is still precious little for the under 21 crowd. But that may be a national thing…
What makes New York accessible is that you don’t have to park. You can take Amtrak or local transit to get there. When there use a wide variety of transit modes. Here in the county you need a car if you want to see a variety of events.
Whoa… wait a minute! You don’t know Sublime? Go on and hate me, but I loved that band. BTW, music is personal, so I get that El Som and I don’t have the same taste. Neither one is better or worse, just different!
And I’m with Dorian… “I’m not really looking for every big name act or artist or show. I just want great places to eat and drink and tons of diverse culture.” What’s also great is that there always seems to be something going on, so you don’t have to wait for some festival.
Diversity is a biggie for me, and the mix of people gathering downtown is unlike anywhere else in the state.
Also, the restaurant scene has grown by leaps and bounds. I can’t get enough of Orillas. Love Chelsea Tavern and DiMeo’s is the best pizza around – absolutely no competition!
I’m a city resident, and I’m loving the way we have dinner in one restaurant and then walk a few blocks for an after dinner drink and some good music… and probably dessert!
I’ll say it here first. It’s the northeast coast’s budding Austin.
Hear that, Google? We need Google Fiber *now*.
And this is coming to Market St soon.
Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow!
@Tom… That’s what I’m saying… if you live in Wilmington you don’t need a car. My girlfriend and I plan to share one once we both work 100% in Wilmington… Buses and bikes…
Now it’s not as convenient as NYC subway or DC Metro, but there’s plenty to do sans driving. I know it because I do it.
I must be missing something… parking isn’t that difficult. We walk a lot, but when we drive parking has never been an issue.
I agree. Haven’t had a problem parking in the evening in forever.
Hey, you gotta be willing to walk a block or two, but that goes the same for all those Christiana Mall shoppers, too. 😉
I don’t mind the parking thing. What I won’t tolerate though is the risk of being ticketed or towed – what a buzzkill! That’s a dealbreaker for me. So it has to be a paid lot or garage, and not one that is trying to get rich off me either. And not one that has a closing time.
There’s no charge/ticketing for parking after 6pm, so… I’m not sure why this is a concern.
Well that’s good to know. It should be said more often. I hope it is consistent (no loopholes). You will know nightlife is coming back when they start running the meters at night again.
You get ticketed and/or towed if you park stupidly — pretty much the same as everywhere else. The thing about Wilmington (for now) is that the parking people are pretty much gone after 5:30 or so. If you park in front of a hydrant or too close to a corner then you get what you get. Same as if you did that in Philly or Baltimore. Who have 24 hour parking enforcement.
Puck, it’s said on EVERY sign. Don’t fall into those suburban myths about the “horrible” city. Seriously, come on down! Ignore those scary stories – you know, the same ones you heard when you dared to live in NYC!
Parking in Wilmington can be confusing, Signs seem to conflict there have been times we were sure we were legally parked and got a ticket. Newark is friendly to bicycles and pedestrians, it is a shame the city
uses parking tickets as a way to fund a bloated bureaucracy .
As soon as Wegmans opens, I’ll be in Wilmington several times a month. Unfortunately, I know of no plans for a Wegmans in the area.
For people without a resident sticker it’s either two-hour parking or metered and it’s free after 6pm and Sundays. Yeah, that’s complicated.
How about putting together the “Delaware Liberal Guide to Wilmington Nightlife?” (restaurants, bars, entertainment, parking, safety, etc.). It could be mostly crowdsourced, and it looks like the archives contain a good start already. Just make sure you post it permanently somewhere.
@Pandora at 1:37 yesterday:
I think we just saw a food orgasm play out live on the blog.
Oops, feel free to move my last comment to the latest open thread.
ART LOOP TONIGHT.
Come on in to Wilmington and enjoy the evening.
LOL, DD!
We’re planning on heading out to the Art Loop tonight! Love that! Mr. Pandora and I met 23 years ago because of the Art Loop!
The Art Loop is fantastic, you would not believe how many galleries have opened in LoMa. Also, Tuesday night open mic nights at The Queen (in the cafe) are lots of fun.