Upstate imposters? N.Y. county, like the Philly suburb, inspires Delco merch
Although Delaware County, Pennsylvania — or Delco, more commonly — prides itself on being one-of-a-kind, a rural area in upstate New York is apparently invested enough in its Delco identity that it’s selling merchandise.
As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports in a light-hearted opinion piece, the non-Pennsylvania Delaware County is the inspiration for a website that peddles T-shirts, hoodies, flags and bumper stickers “celebrating rural culture through fashion, design & authentic content in Upstate NY.” All are emblazoned with the “Delco” moniker that residents of the Philadelphia suburb are more accustomed to seeing grace everything from beer to apparel to Delco: The Movie.
In addition to Pennsylvania and New York, a Delaware County can be found in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Oklahoma. But sources told the Inquirer that none have the unique culture of the Philly-adjacent Delco — with its passion for hoagies, the Eagles, dive bars and an accent that major stars including Mark Ruffalo and Kate Winslet have had to learn for locally based TV dramas.
“The pride comes from having a little bit of a chip on the shoulder,” asserted Rob MacPherson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Visit Delco.
Other unique sites, such as Blue Rooted, offer the “authentic” original: Pennsylvania born and bred merch.
