What this Philadelphia Union player loves about living in Wilmington for the past 3 seasons
If you find yourself in a Wilmington supermarket behind a couple of young guys wearing Philadelphia Union gear, you may think you've spotted some local fans of the Major League Soccer club.
But if you are a supporter of the Chester, Pennsylvania-based Union, a closer look just might revealed they aren't fans ― they're actually players on the team's 30-man roster grabbing some grub.
In fact, several Union players call Wilmington home, enjoying some sales tax-free living just a 20-minute drive from their professional home at the 18,500-seat Subaru Park.
Delaware Online/The News Journal caught up with one of them, Union midfielder Jack McGlynn, 20, who has lived on Wilmington's Riverfront for three years to find out how he likes it in the First State.
Finding a Riverfront home
The Queens, New York-born McGlynn first moved to Philadelphia and joined the Union's youth academy in 2019 when he was only 16.
A year later as a 17-year-old Major League Soccer rookie, he had never been to Delaware when he first heard about Wilmington as an affordable spot to live.
That's when he decided to settle down at The Residences at Harlan Flats on Justison Street, moving there just weeks before he made his Union debut as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa.
You may be thinking the Union funneled McGlynn to Harlan Flats. It would make sense. The luxury apartments are owned by Wilmington-based developer Buccini/Pollin Group, whose founders are also part-owners of the Union.
But he says it was actually a fellow teammate who pointed a then-teenage McGlynn to Wilmington as a cheaper option than where more senior players live in spots such as Philadelphia or King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Even though McGlynn has a few fellow teammates in Wilmington ― including South African Union defender Olwethu Makhanya, who also lives at Harlan Flats ― he says they don't hang out too much after practicing and playing with each other day after day.
For them, home is more a place for recovery and decompression.
McGlynn has found life on the Riverfront to be peaceful and slow-moving compared with his Queens upbringing. It would take a lot more honking horns and an occasional four-letter word hurled from a car to make him feel more at home.
"It's a little quiet. I'm used to a big city and hecticness everywhere," McGlynn says. "So I wasn't used to this when I got here. But now I'm used to it and it's pretty calming."
In fact, it's so chill that he's been recognized only a few times: "I'm not at that level yet."
Where does Jack McGlynn venture out?
When it comes to supermarket shopping, McGlynn ventures just outside of the city limits, drawn to the sprawling Wegmans Food Market, which opened in 2022 at Greenville's Barley Mill Plaza.
It's there where he buys their pre-cooked Meals 2GO offerings, usually not having the time (or energy) to cook for himself.
"They have some that are healthy and it's really easy when you're tired coming home from training, so I just put one in the oven," says McGlynn, younger brother of Conor McGlynn, a professional soccer player for the new United Soccer League club Rhode Island FC.
It's rare for McGlynn to eat out, so he's not the one to ask about the best restaurants in town.
When his parents are in town for a visit, they almost always end up at the Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, a favorite spot a block from his apartment.
His go-to meal isn't quite as healthy as his Wegmans pick-ups: "I usually get a burger and fries. They are really good there. My entire family gets the same thing ― I tell them to get that every time."
When it comes to working out when away from the team, McGlynn doesn't go to the nearby Planet Fitness or the YMCA downtown. Harlan Flats has its own fitness center, which is open 24 hours a day for McGlynn to get in any work he needs.
Even though he's an admitted homebody usually watching Netflix, he has seen a few flicks at Penn Cinema Riverfront 14 + IMAX, located across the street from his apartment, including "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."
And, yes, he has been to the Christiana Mall, where he still marvels at paying the exact listed price, avoiding the 8.8% sales tax back home.
Verdict on living in Wilmington
For McGlynn, he's happy to live the quiet life on the Christina River.
The price is right, he likes his neighborhood and the commute is almost always hassle-free.
"It's usually a pretty easy drive. I just take that one road I-95 and you're there," he says.
He enjoys it so much he has now turned into the slightly more senior teammate who tells the new guys about Wilmington as a good first living option. That's how the 19-year-old Makhanya became his neighbor.
"[He] asked me where I live when he was new to the team and he actually moved into the same building," McGlynn says. "He likes it here, too. Wilmington is kind of the best spot to live for us when you're young and new.
"It's great. I like it a lot."
Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington Riverfront resident Jack McGlynn's Delaware adventures
