The Neighborhood

Tucked into Delaware's western edge on the banks of the tidal Nanticoke, Seaford feels equal parts river town and launch-pad. Public ramps and the Nanticoke Water Trail let residents slip a kayak in at dawn, cruise upriver for bass, or idle down to the Chesapeake in a small powerboat - all without ever leaving city limits.

Back on shore, the little city cooks far above its weight class. Sal's turns out crackly-edged, hand-tossed pies and red-sauce staples that locals swear rival Little Italy, while cozy French bistro Bon Appetit a few blocks away still serves duck a l'orange and souffles in a candle-lit room that feels smuggled in from the Left Bank. Craft beverages have become a downtown calling card: Brimming Horn Meadery opened a second tasting room on Spring Street, pouring blackberry hydromels and Viking-strength honeys alongside weekend food-truck pairings.