You've heard of it, and its reputation. We all know "the look" people give us when we say we're from Delaware County and the response is, "Oh, you're from there". I'm from Norwood, but I usually say "Just outside Philly, you know, near the airport". If you're from Delco too, I'm sure this is incredibly relatable. And if not, then, well, we have a lot of explaining to do.
1. The Home of Wawa
Wawa is a hugely popular business that has spread all over the east coast, but the original Wawa, Wawa #1, has its home in the very heart of Delaware County on MacDade Boulevard. Unfortunately it has since been replaced by a bank, but there is in fact a plaque on the wall dedicated to none other than "Wawa #1".
2. Tiki the Cockatoo
Ever been to the Glenolden Wawa? Then you've seen the cockatoo that perches on the green Ford F-150. You've probably exchanged a few conversational words with him too. We love Tiki here in Delco.
3. Meanwhile, in Delco...
If you're from Delco and you go on Facebook at all, you'll know what this means before I explain it. An unknown user has created this Facebook page explicitly to mock Delaware County and the people who live there via memes, and has titled it Meanwhile in Delco. We take pride in this page and vehemently share its posts, because the interwebs can never have enough memes about Delco.
4. Inside Outs
I have never encountered anything quite like an inside out anywhere else in my brief nineteen years of life. This tantalizingly delicious delco delicacy is basically a pizza folded into a half moon shape that can be stuffed with whatever your little heart desires, that is then deep fried to perfection.
5. Turks
Lou Turk's in Tinicum is a rather infamous landmark of this county, as it is in fact the local strip club. Right off of the Industrial Highway, sometimes there's a pop-up flower stand out front, and it is right across from none other than a Wawa. Us Delconians often threaten to drop out of school in favor of working at Lou Turk's. If this entire situation doesn't scream Delco, then I'm not sure what else will.
6. Dining under the stars
Now, not everything about Delaware County is as trashy as it is sometimes made out to be. Every Wednesday from May to September, weather permitting, an entire street is blocked off and all of the restaurants provide outdoor seating from 5-11pm. There is live music, shopping, and even some stands that give out free items or have activities for kids. Highly, highly recommend dining under the stars in Media if you're looking to try something different for dinner in the summer.
7. Pica's
This one is more for the older generations of Delco natives, but nevertheless, dare I say Pica's may have some of the best pizza in the state. When I was younger I refused to eat pizza if the pie was in the shape of a circle, so Pica's rectangular tomato pie was perfect for me. Located in both Upper Darby and West Chester, this fairly upscale family pizzeria has become a telling Delco staple.
8. “Wooder”
Everyone and their mother has heard this one before. We go anywhere outside south eastern Pennsylvania and ask for a glass of “wooder” and all we get are blank stares. We’ve actually had to learn to pronounce the word correctly in order to function outside of our immediate area.
9. CN Skate Palace
Now obsolete, this old fashioned roller skating rink was the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights. They played the best music, had the best food, and the best arcade games. You were all that and a bag of chips if you got to have your birthday party at CN Skate.
10. Aunt Mary Pat
Aunt Mary Pat encapsulates everything that is stereotypically Delco. She has the Delco accent, mannerisms, and even facial expressions nailed, but she is not quite what you'd expect. She became famous as the result of a Facebook video that went viral from a local comedian by the name of Troy Hendrickson. Now, he dresses up like Aunt Mary Pat almost on a daily basis and posts videos just as frequently, as well as doing live comedy shoes. It is downright hilarious, due largely in part to its incredible accuracy.
11. "Down the shore"
For all you non-Delco readers, when we say this we almost always mean that we're going to Wildwood. Grammatically it doesn't make sense to go down the shore, as you would normally say to the shore or to the beach. Not here though. Everyone in Delco goes "down the shore" at least once during the summer, and in typical Delco fashion we will inevitably run into each other. In a Wawa. I don't make the rules, guys.
12. Linvilla Orchards
I've never thought about Linvilla being strictly Delco until just this past week when I said to a few of my college friends from New Jersey that I was excited to go to Linvilla and they had never even heard of the place. It is a wonderful festival-esque place that is open year-round but is the most frequented during the fall months. It includes hayrides (of the normal and haunted varieties), Pumpkinland, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, apple picking, and THE best apple cider you have ever or will ever taste in the form of donuts, the drink itself, and even apple cider slushies. Needless to say, I'm taking my friends there this weekend, because this is just a place you have to experience for yourself.
13. Never. Ending. Construction.
Potholes are also a telling trait of a Delco road, but for some reason the powers that be feel the need to work on several major roads, including 420 and MacDade Blvd, at the same god damn time. How in the world are we supposed to get anywhere when two of the most populated roads in the entire county are simultaneously closed for six months?
14. Swiss Farms
https://www.facebook.com/SwissFarms/photos/a.25966...
Also a concept that is foreign to anyone that is not from around here: a drive thru supermarket. Looks like a barn, and you literally drive up to the window, tell them what you want, and they bring it out to you. Apparently, this is not the norm anywhere else. It sure as hell is incredibly convenient though.
15. “Fake” Delco
"I'm from Delco" they say. "Which part?" we ask. If they say Radnor, Haverford, West Chester, Garnett Valley, Marple Newtown, Unionville, or Rose Tree Media, they're wrong. I mean technically they're right, at least according to any map, but come on. If you're from real Delco, your school district has no money and probably questionable taste in wall color, including my high school Alma Mater. I'm looking at you, Interboro. Repaint those ugly yellow walls. Please.
16. It’s all about family
Another source of positivity in this place is our emphasis on family connection. While we do usually wind up 10 minutes away from every family member we've ever known and loved, it is nice to be able to host family Christmas parties when every single person is able to show up because they all live close. Sunday football parties, summer barbecues, and even just impromptu get-togethers are an advantage to living in the same place our whole lives, and they become priceless as time goes on.
17. Anywhere but Taylor Hospital
Crozier? Sure. Mercy Fitz? Absolutely. Riddle? Sign us up. But absolutely under no circumstances will we ever elect to go to or stay at Taylor Hospital. We shudder just thinking about the horror stories we've heard from inside that building.
18. Chester. Nuff said.
I’m sure we all know that Delaware County is not always portrayed in the most positive light, and this city is most definitely one of the reasons. At least it’s reputation is sound though, as Chester was proudly voted second most dangerous city in America in 2014!
19. Vince Papale and Tina Fey
And finally, I present to you two of the greatest people that this county has ever produced: Vincent Papale, ex-Philadelphia Eagles team member and star of the Delco-based movie Invincible, and Elizabeth Stamatina Fey, movie star and actress. I'd be willing to bet that unless you're from Delco, you had no idea that her first name is actually Elizabeth and not Tina. I know this obscure piece of relatively useless information because she is in one of my stepmom's yearbooks, as she attended Upper Darby High School with her, the very school off of which the incredibly renowned movie "Mean Girls" is based.
