Wilmington, Delaware, is a regional city with a vibrant arts, entertainment and restaurant community. The quality of life is high and the cost of living is comparatively low. A comparison of the cost-of-living can easily be made; just click on www.salary.com to the Cost of Living Wizard. Also, there is no sales tax in Delaware. With relatively low property tax, healthy compensation packages and an affordable cost-of-living, many of our associates become homeowners within the first year of living here and enjoy the short commutes and other amenities that come with Wilmington life.
Wilmington supports a number of quality arts and entertainment options. The Grand Opera House is the home of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Opera Delaware and presents touring performers from around the world. The Baby Grand, which recently opened next door to the Grand Opera House, attracts modern rock bands, contemporary theater companies and others to Wilmington. The DuPont Theater brings to Wilmington national touring productions of Broadway shows. The Delaware Theater Company offers top-drawer theatrical productions with casts including professional Broadway actors. The Wilmington area abounds with museums, including the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Museum of Natural History, Winterthur Museum, the Delaware History Museum, the Brandywine River Museum, Longwood Gardens, the Hagley Museum and the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts.
For the sports-minded, Wilmington is home to the Blue Rocks, a minor league newly affiliated with baseball's Boston Red Sox. Its riverfront stadium was built specifically for the team. Wilmington also supports the Delaware Smash, featuring World Team tennis competitors. The University of Delaware provides Division I college sports and a world-renowned ice skating training center. Wilmington also offers a range of public and private golf courses, indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, parks, hiking and mountain biking trails, ice skating rinks and other recreational activities. All are minutes from Richards, Layton & Finger’s offices. The Delaware beaches at Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany are less than two hours away, and the beaches of the New Jersey shore at Avalon, Stone Harbor, Long Beach Island, Ocean City, Cape May and more are also less than two hours away.
In contrast to national trends, Delaware’s economy is strong and growing. During the 1980s, Delaware became a major financial center with many large national and international banks establishing significant operations in or around Wilmington. More recently, Delaware has also attracted two Internet banks, both of which have based their operations on Wilmington’s riverfront. Several other Fortune 500 companies operating in the Wilmington area bring economic vitality to the community and enrich Delaware’s cultural life, schools, churches, synagogues and community organizations.
In addition to activities in and around Wilmington, the city’s central location provides easy access to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and New York City. Wilmington is approximately 35 minutes from Philadelphia and an hour from Baltimore, making either city an easy option for an evening’s entertainment. Many at the firm attend professional sporting events in South Philadelphia, where new stadiums have been built for both the Eagles and the Phillies. The new Wachovia Center, where the Flyers and the 76ers play, is also located in the same complex. Others favor Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. The firm has season tickets to the Blue Rocks’ games that associates are encouraged to use. Washington, D.C. and New York City are a convenient car, bus or train ride away, and Wilmington groups regularly sponsor trips to both cities for events such as art exhibitions or Broadway shows.
