Places around Aberdeen Proving Grounds (Baltimore, Elkton: sale, for rent, HOA)

[gottogetfishing]

Don't over look North east, Maryland. Immiedaite access to the water, some lovely little shops and eateries in a quaint walkable down town, a 20 minute commute to APG with one bridge toll that costs a mere $10 per year, no traffice jams like Bel Air, and condo complexes that may offer you gorgeous waterfront views, marinas, tennis courts, etc for the price range you want. You also have very quick access on and off of Rt 95 (only about 1.5 -2 miles away), so you can easily get to Delaware pr Philadelphia and pionts north or Baltimore and DC and points south. North east is exactly midway bewteen Philly and Baltimore. There's a great little waterfront park where you and wife and have quiet down times, a jazz bar with some excellent live music in the middle of town, and a completely revamped main street complete with the gas lights and paver sidewalks. Cecil county is much more rural than Harford, with plenty of surrounding farmland and rolling hills. At the end of the town limits is a wonderful state park, that rests at the northern most point of the Chesapeake Bay where you can hike, mountain bike, fish or just stare at the vistas. Here's a link for North east: http://www.northeastmd.org/. As for living accomodations, you can find some two bed two bath condos in the low $200's on the wate at North East isles.

[tfgreen]

Sandee, knowing what you do now, "but for" the house prices in Bel Aire would you move to Bel Air over De?

Hummingbird, I have very limited info and have never spoken to anyone with any first hand knowledge but for some reason have always come away with the impression Havre De Grace schools were not ranked well and considered on par with Cecil county? Can you give me your personal experience with the grammar, middle and HS?
The only area of Havre De Grace we really saw was Bulle Rock (pretty but not for us)....what streets in Havre De grace do you recommend? Tried looking on RealEstate sites but could not tell what areas to be looking at.....

[Joe1977]

Shoreone,

My wife and I still work at Fort Monmouth and we just went down to APG area to look for the first time this weekend. We have 2 kids and we are looking to buy a new home. All I can say is dont live anywhere close to APG. I grew up in a rural enviroment but outside the front gate the towns are so depressing. Building that look like they have been abandoned for years, alot of store close because of the economy. In general dirty and not taken care of. My warning to you is don't even look into Aberdeen, Abindon, Edgewood, Joppa.
Now I did like Bel-Air and Forest Hill Area reminds me of NJ area and you will pay a premuim to live there. Still only about 25 minute ride to APG. I also liked a small town about 15 minutes away called Belcamp. Now I wasn't to fond of Cecil County Perryville and Port Deposit very poor and under developed areas but I will tell you I did like Charlestown and North East. Some seclusion but not to far from a store or to go shopping. Plus in cecil county you get a nice size house for your money and taxes are cheap. All in all we enjoyed are trip and I am looking foward to moving down there. If you want to talk in general about MD area more send me a private message and we can talk through email at work. Hope this helps.

[Sandee1213]

Tfgreen-

That is a good question. I really don't know. If I could have the house that I bought for the same price and the taxes the same still on a flat 1/2 acre lot in Bel Air I might consider it. I do not think the commute is too much less, since there is no traffic for us. I do like Bel Air a lot. I like all the shopping and how close everything is.

That being said De. does have a lot to offer. Our school is fantastic, we have a good hospital, mall, restaraunts. It is an in between of Bel Air and Cecil County I think. I like being 45 min closer to NJ too.

I have to be honest on here this week has been hard on me, I am nervous for the summer. We are now in De. and we do not have friends and family here. (my next door neighbor is BRAC too, but that's it) I don't think that people that live in Harford County, Cecil County, or Delaware realize how hard it is for us Brac folks. This is a big change. I realized that as much as I miss the shore/boardwalks I really miss my friends/family. It is easy to say that we will meet new people, but that takes time.

I would strongly recommend meeting others that are in your same boat with Brac, it does help.

[Rennfam]

The reason I would NOT choose DE is that DE and MD do no have reciprocity on income taxes - my husband worked in DE for 5 years and it was expensive. We moved to Cecil County and really like it here. We are well educated, professionals so the De stereotype of MD as "less-than" doe snot hold true for us. This is convenient , an easy commute to Aberdeen ( where my husband works now) and a good quality of life that is less pricey than Harford Co.

[hummingbird21078]

Originally Posted by tfgreen

Sandee, knowing what you do now, "but for" the house prices in Bel Aire would you move to Bel Air over De?

Hummingbird, I have very limited info and have never spoken to anyone with any first hand knowledge but for some reason have always come away with the impression Havre De Grace schools were not ranked well and considered on par with Cecil county? Can you give me your personal experience with the grammar, middle and HS?
The only area of Havre De Grace we really saw was Bulle Rock (pretty but not for us)....what streets in Havre De grace do you recommend? Tried looking on RealEstate sites but could not tell what areas to be looking at.....

There's quite a few areas i would suggest. If you are looking for something in town I would stay along the waters edge like Chesapeake Drive, Commerce Street, Concove Way, Giles Street, Alliance Street, Havre de Grace Elementary area, the area around Tydings Park and down along Washington Street and Market Street area and the area around Bomboy's Chocolate. They are the best areas, IMO, to live in town. If you are looking to be right on the outskirt of town then you may want to look at the areas off 155 like Grace Harbor or the homes around Meadowvale Elementary. The homes off Chapel Road are nice and affordable and it's a quiet area. There's also places back in Oakington too but I think they may be expensive, although I never looked into them I am assuming by driving through the area and seeing them they must be a million dollar homes

As for the schools, I have kids in Havre de Grace Elementry, middle and high school. I love the schools here. My oldest transferred to the high school from private school and loves it so much better. I have one special needs child in the Elementary school and I have to tell you that they have gone above and beyond to make sure his needs are accommodated. IDK if you have any knowledge or experience with the IEP process but let me say that this is usually a huge headache and very confusing for most parents but this is the only school I haven't had to fight to get my child the services they need. The staff and administration are wonderful, no over crowding concerns and a vested interest in the kids. My sister and brother in law moved from here to Rising Sun in Cecil for the rural atmosphere and while they do enjoy the rural area and say the schools are good there they wish they had stayed here. They said that the schools here don't get the attention they deserve because they are far better and more involved than the schools they have there. They are considering putting their house on the market and moving back.

Here's 2 links for the city you can check out:

Havre de Grace Maryland in Harford County - Official City of Havre de Grace Web Site

Havre de Grace Tourism -- Harford County, Maryland Travel and Trips

[gottogetfishing]

RenFamm, thanks for the good words about cecil County. We are also highly educated folks who relocated to North east in Cecil County in 2005. And, we came from NJ! While any transition is tough, and hopefully those on this thread really do empathize with the agony of moving from familiarity to something unkown, this area is very kind and a much slower pace. So, you can get to know people a little bit better.

My question to all of you BRAC folks is this, how can I best advertize my waterfront condo for sale/rent? I've been searching for the right newspaper or online service that would result in some exposure but I'm just not sure where to go with it. Can you offer some advice? Feel free to send a private email message if that's preferred.

Thanks to those who can help me and keep the faith! It's not so bad south of the Mason Dixon line! And, good luck with your searches.

[kjbond]

Hummingbird -
Do you know anything about Bayview Estates in Hdg? They send to Meadowvale Elem. Not sure if you know where it is or anything about it, but it's one of the neighborhoods where we are looking at homes this weekend!
Thanks for any info,
Janet

[Rennfam]

I find it so funny that there is the term "Ceciltucky" when we moved here we heard the term "Delawillies" and it stuck for folks in DE.

As for Cecil County amenities:
1. yes Cecil is more rural and more family oriented
2. there is a familiarity here where restaurant and store personnel recognize you and treat you fairly
3. the county infrastructure is efficient and the staff have commensense and compassion

However, I will say that the local hospital is fine for your run of the mill things but for the more involved we go to Baltimore for our healthcare. We found the Christiana system (in DE) sub-par in terms of care and the personnel uncaring (treat patients like cogs in a wheel).

I cannot speak to the schools here - our kids were grown when we moved here. I have my doctorate and teach at a university and my husband is in upper management - we are educated professionals who like the pace of life here.

For me, Harford County around Belair is getting rather congested. I like sitting on my deck with a quiet breeze, or strolling near the waterways where it is clean. Yet, Harford Co will have better nightlife...

[hummingbird21078]

Originally Posted by kjbond

Hummingbird -
Do you know anything about Bayview Estates in Hdg? They send to Meadowvale Elem. Not sure if you know where it is or anything about it, but it's one of the neighborhoods where we are looking at homes this weekend!
Thanks for any info,
Janet

Bayview Estates is a nice quiet area to live in. It's "up the hill" from town and yes it's Meadowvale Elementary area, still HDG middle and high schools. I do believe they have a home owners assoc, I know a lot of people do not like dealing with HOA's so I figured I'd mention that to you.

There's a few local real estate places here in town you could check out too, most people in "Grace" use their local agents when selling or renting out a home.
BCH 356 Congress Ave (410) 939-5055
Prudential Real Estate 300 S Union Ave (410) 642-3032
Marquis Investments 800 S Union Ave (410) 939-5955
Owen Realty Company 850 Revolution St (410)-939-2076
Remax 208 N Washington St (410) 942-1200