Fenwick, Lewes among South's best tiny towns

Delaware heaps on the Southern charm, even if we can all agree to disagree on whether the First State really belongs with the rest of the South.

When the editors at Southern Living magazine compiled their annual list of standout spots, two Delaware towns caught their fancy: Fenwick Island and Lewes.

In the upcoming April issue, the Alabama-based lifestyle magazine named Lewes the "Best Small Town in Delaware," while Fenwick ranked third among the "South's Best Tiny Towns," according to a Tuesday release.

The magazine hits newsstands Friday. This year's winners in a dozen categories represent "a diverse mix of longtime favorites and new discoveries," according to Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans. 

Based on surveys of 32,000 readers, both Ocean Isle, North Carolina, and Magnolia Springs, Alabama, bested Fenwick in the "tiny towns" category. 

Fenwick realtor John Kleinstuber says the relatively sleepy town of .5 square miles (more than a fourth of it water), is less expensive and much less crowded than neighboring Bethany Beach or Rehoboth. Weekly rental prices in Fenwick range from $1,200 for a two-bedroom townhome on the bay side of the highway to $8,500 for a five-bedroom bayfront home, he said. Cottages for sale start at $500,000.

"I think that we're the jewel," added the decades-long Fenwick resident who lends out parking permits to prospective renters. "After these people spend a day on the beach...they're sold." 

Now that the word is out in the national press, will Fenwick be flooded with beach bums?

Kleinstuber isn't worried. There's only so much space left to build and town zoning discourages multi-family dwellings.

Overall, Aiken, South Carolina, was honored as the best small town in the South, but Southern Living also included rankings for each state. In selecting Lewes, the editors referenced the legend of Blackbeard on the Lewes Canal and the mysterious Roosevelt Inlet shipwreck dating to the American Revolution.

Located east and north of the Mason-Dixon Line, Delaware is considered a southern state by the U.S. Census Bureau, which lumps it with Virginia, Alabama and Louisiana in conducting regional surveys.      

"Regardless of where the Mason-Dixon line was drawn, the South isn’t defined by lines on a map," said Evans of Southern Living. "It’s about a culture and a way of life."

In Maryland, St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore won the best small town in the state for its Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Ocean City, Maryland, ranked seventh in the "Best Beaches" category, while Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, won the top honor. 

Magazine editors lauded Ocean City for its 10 miles of public beaches on the Atlantic and "an iconic 3-mile-long wooden boardwalk." Dolle's Candyland on the boardwalk, a family-owned business since 1910, was recognized for its famous saltwater taffy and other beach treats.

Dolle's co-owner Anna Dolle Bushnell was overjoyed to be included in the roundup. With three locations in Ocean City and a fourth expected to open next week, the sweet shop was established by Bushnell's grandfather, Rudolph Dolle. A separate location in Rehoboth is independently operated.  

"It's a family tradition and it's really awesome to be nationally recognized," Bushnell said. Earlier this week, the Travel Channel recognized the Ocean City boardwalk as the nation's best, she noted.

Delaware wasn't included in Southern Living's inaugural South's Best awards last year. Yet the University of Delaware was honored separately by the magazine as the fourth most beautiful college in the South.

In 2016, two towns in Delmarva — Berlin and Milton — ranked 26 and 38, respectively, on House Beautiful's "40 Charming American Towns You've Never Heard Of" list.

Contact Margie Fishman at 302-324-2882, on Twitter @MargieTrende or mfishman@delawareonline.com.

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