Why is everyone moving to Lewes to retire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way, I would never consider Lewes. It gets all the treated sewage water from New Jersey and Philly that is upstream.

Yes this and that chicken plant is huge and it pours all its waste into local water.

[Anonymous]

We have a home in Bethany.

I am so surprised at the number of retirees.
1. No car dealerships as you age must drive pretty far to get car serviced if still under warranty.
2. Hospitals/doctors are not awesome and limited
3. Airports basically BWI and PA pretty far as you age
4. Cost of living is not that cheap. Taxes are not that low definitely a misnomer.
5. Walkability from many homes not good so as people age?
6. Basic shopping is far. Either Rehoboth up 1 fun times or Salisbury or Annapolis.

[Anonymous]

My ILs bought a very small “vacation” condo in DE. Bayside community in Selbyville. They share ownership with another couple and never rent it out.

Originally my ILs thought they’d enjoy traveling there for extended stays as they are golfers. The arrangement they worked out with the other couple only gets them two weeks at the end of each month and they’ve decided that for such limited time they are there they have no use for the pool, golf or fitness memberships.

Their condo is steps away from a pool with basketball courts and clubhouse, but they aren’t members. They say golf is too expensive at Bayside.

The place is so tiny that the few times we’ve joined them (we are several hours away) for a family vacation, we have to share a bedroom 2DC in with us.

I think the draw originally was lower COL, and splitting the cost of the condo meant a cheap investment.
Funny that IL now arrive at their condo and do all sorts of day trips to Lewes among other places for fun - they’ve done everything else in and around selbyville

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ILs bought a very small “vacation” condo in DE. Bayside community in Selbyville. They share ownership with another couple and never rent it out.

Originally my ILs thought they’d enjoy traveling there for extended stays as they are golfers. The arrangement they worked out with the other couple only gets them two weeks at the end of each month and they’ve decided that for such limited time they are there they have no use for the pool, golf or fitness memberships.

Their condo is steps away from a pool with basketball courts and clubhouse, but they aren’t members. They say golf is too expensive at Bayside.

The place is so tiny that the few times we’ve joined them (we are several hours away) for a family vacation, we have to share a bedroom 2DC in with us.

I think the draw originally was lower COL, and splitting the cost of the condo meant a cheap investment.
Funny that IL now arrive at their condo and do all sorts of day trips to Lewes among other places for fun - they’ve done everything else in and around selbyville

Well, it isn't really a day trip to Lewes. It's all in the same area at the beach. Selbyville is just a zip code thing, but it's really Fenwick, which is really close to North OC and also all beach points going north, including Lewes. It's not a day trip drive there... it is close. I mean during peak season there is lots of traffic going that way, but people zip up and down the coast all the time.

[Anonymous]

When I've been through Lewes and Rehoboth, I see tons of medical centers, a huge hospital.....aren't they any good? Beebe seems to get good ratings in quite a few things. Is it just hard to find personal doctors there?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We seriously looked into the Lewes Delaware area as a possible retirement site and actually visited with a high school friend of my husband and her spouse for dinner and saw their lovely home with one floor living and a lower basement. In talking, when her husband mentioned he would be going to Wilmington about two hours north for a knee replacement at some point, I realized that it was likely that medical facilities for more extensive conditions and traveling for those services would need to be considered carefully. Just driving out to Lewes from the DMV as we do like that area, you can see how "remote" from major health care services one could be. We were also considering services for a daughter with an intellectual disability who is used to working part-time and a variety of activities all within perhaps 20 minutes maximum of where we live now. In general in Delaware, there just seemed like there was going to be a lot more driving for services that all three of us have more at hand where we are. However, Lewes is a lovely place.

Also from having parents who went between Cape Cod and Naples for over 25 years in retirement, you realize that evaluating a place 65-70, it is hard to look at the needs which likely increase for most 85-90. I also think at least researching places with assisted living, memory care as well as skilled nursing are also important aspects. My parents were in the Boston area and did move into a CCRC at about age 92 which offered memory care just when my mother needed it, and my dad remained in independent living until he passed away in late August after a 3-week decline. There was a saying that you went to Naples at 65 and you went back home at 85 as my folks outlived all who started with them in their community down there.

Another area on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that we actually enjoyed going to visit and bike the rails to trails on is Kent Island, and from I have seen there are some new retirement communities there, too. It is right off of the Bay Bridge so closer to Annapolis and DC possibly for health care issues.

The lack of comprehensive medical care is real. I have elderly relatives living in Lewes and they routinely drive to MD for doctors' appointments. One may need memory care soon and the options are quite limited.