Ellicott City, MD - What's it like? (Baltimore, Columbia: apartments, crime rate)

[LondonUSA]

What is it like, the most desirable parts, cost of housing etc.

**Note: I'm from England so really have no idea**

[ceilinglamp]

I'm not the most familiar with it but I liked it when I was there. It's charming, parts of it are fairly old for the Baltimore suburbs. Housing is more expensive in EC than most places in the Baltimore area, but you will find that is the case with Howard County in general. Nice area.

[J_Lurk]

The "historic district" is like a cute old High Street.

The rest of it is like suburbs with big detached houses.

Look at the Wikipedia entry.

[goldenchild08]

Ellicott City is a small sleepy suburban area in Howard County. It has been rated as the second best place to live in America by CNN Money Magazine for years.

Best Places to Live 2010 - Top 100: City details: Columbia, MD - from MONEY Magazine

The main strip in Ellicott City is Route 40. Route 40 is a generic drag full of amenities like fast food restaurants, gas stations, liquor stores, many car dealerships, supermarkets as well as big box retail stores like Wal-Mart, Sears and Home Depot.

Ellicott City is mostly White with a significant concentration of fairly recent Korean immigrants who own many restaurants, deli's, liquor stores, laundromats and bars in Ellicott City, nearby Columbia and Baltimore City.

Ellicott City really doesn't have what many would call "shady areas". Although there are some well-maintained small low-income public housing apartment developments near the courthouse and police headquarters on Roger's Avenue called Hilltop where some petty property crimes may occasionally occur. However, Ellicott City is a generally a wealthy/upper middle class enclave in Howard County that is much safer than some of the roughest and most dangerous blocks in North America in Baltimore City in Edmondson village which is only a short straight shot fifteen to twenty minute drive down Route 40. But the bad parts of Baltimore mine as well be on another continent than Ellicott City because they are two separate worlds. Ellicott City is also statistically safer than nearby Columbia, which is also much statistically safer than a city with a crime rate that matches the national average.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Ellicott City has some unique charm. Old Ellicott City is a small touristy type attraction located along Main Street near Rogers Avenue and the Courthouse complex. Old Ellicott City features a few small restaurants and bars. The area has a very dusty and historic feel similar to places in Philadelphia without, well, all the urbanity and diversity.

Historic Ellicott City, MD - Restaurants

[dad2paisley]

We moved to EC in the late 70's. EC was much nicer then. Now, the main drag RT 40 is a drivers nightmare. Heavy traffic almost all the day and night. The gas stations are very expensive on Rt 40. Housing off of Rogers Ave. not safe at all. Those apartments have low to mid level income and lots of shootings. Around this area, cops are always stationed pulling people over and a high arrest area.
Downtown EC is nice but the stores are pretty expensive as well. Not really much night life in EC.
Housing is so expensive in EC as well as all of Howard County. Taxes and property taxes are extremely high and the county exec has raised so many taxes on the citizens it's aweful.
Howard County use to have rolling hills and lots of farm lands and was a really nice little county to live in.
Now, it's expensive, loud, filled with heavy traffic, taxes are so high and really an expensive place to live.

I suggest you go up the road a bit into Catonsville. This area is nice and still affordable.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by dad2paisley

Howard County use to have rolling hills and lots of farm lands and was a really nice little county to live in.
Now, it's expensive, loud, filled with heavy traffic, taxes are so high and really an expensive place to live..

So you moved to suburban development that clobbered fields and farm lands and are surprised by/critical of others who have done the same thing?

[dad2paisley]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

So you moved to suburban development that clobbered fields and farm lands and are surprised by/critical of others who have done the same thing?

Nope. We had our own farm and we don't live in EC anymore. My dad sold it cause it got to expensive to upkeep as he got older. I would never live in Howard County anymore the way it's become so overcrowded, no land at all even in the western areas out Rt 70.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by dad2paisley

Nope. We had our own farm and we don't live in EC anymore. My dad sold it cause it got to expensive to upkeep as he got older. I would never live in Howard County anymore the way it's become so overcrowded, no land at all even in the western areas out Rt 70.

Got it. Apologies for my tone.

[newhart]

We moved to EC in the late 70's. EC was much nicer then. Now, the main drag RT 40 is a drivers nightmare. Heavy traffic almost all the day and night. The gas stations are very expensive on Rt 40. ......

Rt 40 in EC is the same as Rt 40 anywhere in the Baltimore area. It's a commercial strip. It only gets worse as you go into Catonsville.

The gas stations are very expensive on Rt 40.

Lately, the gas stations on Rt 40 have been among the cheapest in the county. The Long Gate area is usually cheaper, but the prices dropped on Rt 40 first.

What is it like, the most desirable parts, cost of housing etc.

The cost of housing varies. You can get an older mid-sized home in a nice area for the upper 400k and up, but it may not be updated. Newer construction with everything that comes with that may be around 650k and up. Eastern EC towards Elkridge has a lot of neighborhoods built in the past 20 years and is a little cheaper than the western part, but maybe more congested. West of 29, the older neighborhoods of Valley Meade and Dunloggin have beautiful older homes on large lots. The neighborhoods off of Centennial Ln have always been in demand due to the schools, and Font Hill is very affordable. The Burleigh Manor neighborhood is more expensive. There are high-priced newer homes off of Rt 99 and in the Turf Valley area.

[ceilinglamp]

Originally Posted by dad2paisley

We moved to EC in the late 70's. EC was much nicer then. Now, the main drag RT 40 is a drivers nightmare. Heavy traffic almost all the day and night. The gas stations are very expensive on Rt 40. Housing off of Rogers Ave. not safe at all. Those apartments have low to mid level income and lots of shootings. Around this area, cops are always stationed pulling people over and a high arrest area.
Downtown EC is nice but the stores are pretty expensive as well. Not really much night life in EC.
Housing is so expensive in EC as well as all of Howard County. Taxes and property taxes are extremely high and the county exec has raised so many taxes on the citizens it's aweful.
Howard County use to have rolling hills and lots of farm lands and was a really nice little county to live in.
Now, it's expensive, loud, filled with heavy traffic, taxes are so high and really an expensive place to live.

I suggest you go up the road a bit into Catonsville. This area is nice and still affordable.

Lots of shootings in Ellicott City? What does lots equal like once every five years lol