DELCO isHAVING ITS DAY A DIVERSE COUNTY, FROM PHILLY TO THE MAIN LINE TO THE DELAWARE BORDER Laurel Anderson
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F YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT DELAWARE COUNTY before its recent moment in the spotlight created by the HBO series “Mare of Easttown,” you’ve likely recently been schooled on Delco lore. The extensive coverage of this pop culture phenomenon could not be ignored. Maybe you’ve tried your hand (or your mouth) at the regional accent that British actress Kate Winslet mastered, with its distinctive vowel sounds in the words own, know, home, phone, hoagie, plus of course wudder. Surely you chuckled watching the “Saturday Night Live” pitch-perfect parody “Murdur Durder.” With it’s own grizzled lady detective, the “Hoagie Broadchurch” series introduced a new and broader audience to the delicacies
Marcus Hook locations figured prominently in “Mare of Easttown.”
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County Lines | August 2021 | CountyLinesMagazine.com
of Delco, featuring the classics from Wawa—coffee, hoagies and wrappers strewn across the series’ sets. Even the costume designer drew inspiration from the local convenience store’s customers, as several stories have reported. And capitalizing on the free advertising, Wawa, which is headquartered in Media, introduced a limited edition Mare of Easttown spicy cheesesteak (beefsteak, spicy pepper relish, cheddar cheese sauce). Sadly it was available only at Delco’s 40-some Wawas for a fabled week in June. TOUR LOCATIONS Although “Mare” series creator Brad Ingelsby featured both Chester and Delaware County locations—Phoenixville, Coatesville and a few Philly spots, too—it was Delco that was the breakout star this spring. So much so that fans have actually caused disturbances at some of the show’s locations. And since there’s no “Sex and the City” guided bus tours of the locations on this HBO series, it’s a DIY affair. Police have had to patrol the Wallingford neighborhood and house that was used as Mare’s home on the series. In addition to drive-bys and selfies in front of the private home, some fanatic fans have trespassed on the property and reportedly even peered in the front window. Less has been heard about fan interest in the McMenamin house on Creek Road in Chadds Ford. “Mare” fans have also cruised the public streets in Marcus Hook and Chester looking for shooting locations, re-enacted the river walk Mare and Zabel took under the Commodore Barry Bridge, and visited the store in Boothwyn (yes, it’s Aquarium World) where Mare bought the gift for her grandson.
