[iheartphilly]

^
I've been to both. New Hope wins hands down since the waterfront has more breath and depth in a community/town feel, even though it gets touristy at times but that is the draw and success of it. I think it is also more scenic and has charm in ways that the Wilmington waterfront doesn't. Sometimes you cannot build that into a community/town, it just part of the geography and past history (i.e., the railroad tracks turned into garden/walking path next to restaurants). I also remembered New Hope has smaller streets with sidewalks that spur off the main street that face the Delaware River that you can walk and stand and see wildlife/eat ice cream, etc. Wilmington needs more development in the waterfront and it seems to linear developed along the river rather than an organic development in and away from the river. Wilmington can get there but will take more time, more people and businesses that want to be on the waterfront. I do like the old maritime equipment still left in its place as that adds to the history of the waterfront once used for river commerce.