Station/Boat Location~
MSO Philadelphia (living in N. Wilmington, DE)
Date there~
July 2002 - 2006
Weather~
HOT! We have been having a heat wave this summer. Mid to high 90's all summer, today, in mid-September it is 83. A/C is a MUST. Falls are pleasant, so I have been informed. I was told that it will snow here, occasionally. No "real" snow for the past 3 years, but 4 years ago this area had 104 inches! YIKES!
Military facilities~
MSO/Group Philadelphia is about 25 miles away, the commute from this side is excellent. DH makes it in to work in about 25-30 minutes. Dover AFB is about an hour away, but the traffic and roads make it impossible for ME to use the facilities there. Ft. Dix is about 1 &½ hours. Willow Creek is about 2 hours.
Medical~
Here in Delaware, we do have Tricare Prime available. I have found some excellent civilian doctors who do accept Tricare. Lots of specialists in the area, also. The base in Philadelphia has no medical facilities. AI duPont Hospital for Children is here in Wilmington, an EXCELLENT children's hospital, but they do not accept Tricare. There are a number of good hospitals in Wilmington, though. Of course, Philadelphia has lots of hospitals, too.
Housing~
All on the economy. Lots of apartments and townhouses. If you are looking for a house to rent, it can be difficult. Lately, there have been a lot of homes for sale in this area.
Shopping~
Oh, where to start? Delaware is TAX FREE!!! The shopping here is great! Malls a'plenty. There is a small local mall w/Boscov's, Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, and the usual mall type stores. Christiana Mall is very large and about 15 minutes south of N. Wilmington. And then there is the King of Prussia Mall. It's about 45 minutes north, in Pennsylvania. Last I heard, it is the 2nd largest mall in the US. Frankly, any mall that has 4 exits off the highway has got to be HUGE!! LOL You can find anything here!
Fun Activities~
Baltimore is 1 &½ hours away, DC is about 2 &½ hours, Philadelphia is &½ hour, Cape May 2 hours. The Amish Country is literally right up the road. Hershey, PA is 2 &½ hours. All the typical touristy type things in the big cities. Six Flags Great America in Jackson, NJ is about 2 hours. Sesame Place is here, too! Way too much fun stuff to list!
Child Care/Schools~
I am not sure about childcare since my boys are older. Many neighborhood schools, the K-3 one my youngest is at is GREAT! There are some K-6 schools, too. My oldest goes to P.S. duPont Elementary in Wilmington. This is a grade 4 through 6 only. It is a VERY large school with a very diverse student body, but with outstanding test scores. There are oodles of private and parochial schools in the area, but we found that they are very expensive.
Adult Schools~
Many, many, many colleges in the area. Univ of Delaware, Weidener University, Neumann College, Univ of Pennsylvania, Temple just to name a few. Univ of Phoenix (the one that works with the military) has a branch here, also.
Additional Info~
After 18 years in the Coast Guard, this is the first place we have been stationed that we absolutely LOVE! The area is beautiful, the housing costs are reasonable, shopping is outstanding.
Homeport PA
MSO Philadelphia (living in N. Wilmington, DE)
Date there~
July 2002 - 2006
Weather~
HOT! We have been having a heat wave this summer. Mid to high 90's all summer, today, in mid-September it is 83. A/C is a MUST. Falls are pleasant, so I have been informed. I was told that it will snow here, occasionally. No "real" snow for the past 3 years, but 4 years ago this area had 104 inches! YIKES!
Military facilities~
MSO/Group Philadelphia is about 25 miles away, the commute from this side is excellent. DH makes it in to work in about 25-30 minutes. Dover AFB is about an hour away, but the traffic and roads make it impossible for ME to use the facilities there. Ft. Dix is about 1 &½ hours. Willow Creek is about 2 hours.
Medical~
Here in Delaware, we do have Tricare Prime available. I have found some excellent civilian doctors who do accept Tricare. Lots of specialists in the area, also. The base in Philadelphia has no medical facilities. AI duPont Hospital for Children is here in Wilmington, an EXCELLENT children's hospital, but they do not accept Tricare. There are a number of good hospitals in Wilmington, though. Of course, Philadelphia has lots of hospitals, too.
Housing~
All on the economy. Lots of apartments and townhouses. If you are looking for a house to rent, it can be difficult. Lately, there have been a lot of homes for sale in this area.
Shopping~
Oh, where to start? Delaware is TAX FREE!!! The shopping here is great! Malls a'plenty. There is a small local mall w/Boscov's, Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, and the usual mall type stores. Christiana Mall is very large and about 15 minutes south of N. Wilmington. And then there is the King of Prussia Mall. It's about 45 minutes north, in Pennsylvania. Last I heard, it is the 2nd largest mall in the US. Frankly, any mall that has 4 exits off the highway has got to be HUGE!! LOL You can find anything here!
Fun Activities~
Baltimore is 1 &½ hours away, DC is about 2 &½ hours, Philadelphia is &½ hour, Cape May 2 hours. The Amish Country is literally right up the road. Hershey, PA is 2 &½ hours. All the typical touristy type things in the big cities. Six Flags Great America in Jackson, NJ is about 2 hours. Sesame Place is here, too! Way too much fun stuff to list!
Child Care/Schools~
I am not sure about childcare since my boys are older. Many neighborhood schools, the K-3 one my youngest is at is GREAT! There are some K-6 schools, too. My oldest goes to P.S. duPont Elementary in Wilmington. This is a grade 4 through 6 only. It is a VERY large school with a very diverse student body, but with outstanding test scores. There are oodles of private and parochial schools in the area, but we found that they are very expensive.
Adult Schools~
Many, many, many colleges in the area. Univ of Delaware, Weidener University, Neumann College, Univ of Pennsylvania, Temple just to name a few. Univ of Phoenix (the one that works with the military) has a branch here, also.
Additional Info~
After 18 years in the Coast Guard, this is the first place we have been stationed that we absolutely LOVE! The area is beautiful, the housing costs are reasonable, shopping is outstanding.
Homeport PA
