for Marylanders... (Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring: hardwood floors, high crime, houses)

[pkoons]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of this. I posted it to squash a MD/VA rivalry. Read on...

I won't be ridiculous and say that NoVA is not nice, it just has no personality.

In every category except for dining options and crime, MD reigns supreme. Let's compare a bunch of select, well known, easily comparable MD/VA cities. (Obviously, my rankings are subjective, but please tell me if you have a dispute and reason...)

The BIG Cities: Baltimore v. Richmond - Baltimore (MD)
The yuppie urban locales: Bethesda v. Arlington - Arlington (VA)
Urban/suburban blends: Silver Spring v. Alexandria - Alexandria (VA)
County govt. big burbs: Rockville v. Fairfax - Rockville (MD)
Planned communities: Columbia v. Reston - Columbia (MD)
Vacation hotspots: Ocean City v. Virginia Beach - Ocean City (MD)
Wealthy elite mansion towns: Potomac v. Great Falls - Great Falls (VA)
The state university college towns: College Park v. Charlottesville - Charlottesville (VA)
Horse country: Hunt Valley v. Middleburg - Hunt Valley (MD)
Exurban expansion: Frederick v. Ashburn - Frederick (MD)
Up & coming towns with prisons: Jessup v. Lorton - Jessup (MD)
Military bases: Ft. Meade (Odenton/Laurel) v. Norfolk - Ft. Meade (MD)
College towns far removed from DC: Westminster v. Roanoke - Westminster (MD)

The score? 9-4, MD. I can keep going... And that's without even listing ONE of a KIND cities like Annapolis, Easton, and Takoma Park that have a heck of a lot more identity, culture, etc. than Warrenton, Manassas, and Annandale.

Tell you what, give me three VA cities that COMBINED provide what Annapolis provides, and I'll give you the win

[dullnboring]

Hehe. I'm a born and bred Northern Virginian but I agree with each of your assessments. As a whole, I prefer Maryland to Virginia. It has far more...personality...and crabs

[Zack]

Williamsburg is as nice as Annapolis. Can't forget the Shenandoah Valley either.
For the military bases, try Dam Neck right on the ocean with a non-crowded beach. A better big city comparison is Va Beach, much bigger than Richmond and more comparable in size to Baltimore.

[SilverDragon]

I currently live in Fairfax County and I am moving to Howard County soon. We really like the Alexandria area and have enjoyed living here. The generic feel of the area and complete lack of a community identify has not been lost on us. A lot of that I think is because most of the population is transient. I am hoping that will change in Maryland, but to some extent, one suburb is just like any other. They can't all be Halethorpe.

I will put forth two things that I feel NOVA has above and beyond anywhere in DC-metro Maryland.

1. Ethnic Food - we have not merely food from different countries, but different regions of different countires all within 5 miles of town. You could get in trouble in Alexandria for confusing Ethiopian and Eritrean food. I have yet to see a Peruvian chicken joint in Howard County (but if I am wrong, please tell me.)

2. Doginess - Alexandria and Fairfax have their own networks of dog parks, lots of housing complexes have others. It is the single most dog friendly place I have ever lived, and I have moved around a lot. Howard County has one dog park, you have to pay for it, and I am concerned my new neighborhood won't have lots of people with dogs (a social boon for me and my creature).

BTW - I love Annapolis, and we gave some serious thought to moving there. I would, however, advance Old Town Alexandria as a smaller but comparable area. Quirky shops, family friendly, nautical, stunning colonial charm day and night.

[dullnboring]

While I can't offer a direct comparison to Maryland, I have to agree that Northern Virginia is extremely dog-friendly. Where I live, they have "doggy bag stations" (almost like paper towel dispensers in public bathrooms) liberally placed throughout the community near public trash cans. There's dogs and people walking dogs everywhere.

There's definitely a wide variety of ethnic food available in Northern Virginia, particularly in Arlington and Fairfax County and that's definitely a plus for someone like me, but I'd guess just based on demographics that Montgomery County isn't too shabby in that department either. I don't think you'll find many Peruvian chicken joints in Howard County....yet. Howard County's Latino population is growing fast but still is only 4% of the population, but give it time and I'm sure soon enough stores offering pupusas and Inca Cola and the like will pop up.

I too think that Alexandria would offer the closest comparison to Annapolis. One thing that I prefer in Annapolis however is the fact that the water seems more utilized with boats and such and restaurants looking out on the water, perhaps due to the fact that it's a large bay as opposed to a river. Annapolis also seems to be slightly less touristy than Old Town.

[jessy0780]

Originally Posted by SilverDragon

I currently live in Fairfax County and I am moving to Howard County soon. We really like the Alexandria area and have enjoyed living here. The generic feel of the area and complete lack of a community identify has not been lost on us. A lot of that I think is because most of the population is transient. I am hoping that will change in Maryland, but to some extent, one suburb is just like any other. They can't all be Halethorpe.

I will put forth two things that I feel NOVA has above and beyond anywhere in DC-metro Maryland.

1. Ethnic Food - we have not merely food from different countries, but different regions of different countires all within 5 miles of town. You could get in trouble in Alexandria for confusing Ethiopian and Eritrean food. I have yet to see a Peruvian chicken joint in Howard County (but if I am wrong, please tell me.)

2. Doginess - Alexandria and Fairfax have their own networks of dog parks, lots of housing complexes have others. It is the single most dog friendly place I have ever lived, and I have moved around a lot. Howard County has one dog park, you have to pay for it, and I am concerned my new neighborhood won't have lots of people with dogs (a social boon for me and my creature).

BTW - I love Annapolis, and we gave some serious thought to moving there. I would, however, advance Old Town Alexandria as a smaller but comparable area. Quirky shops, family friendly, nautical, stunning colonial charm day and night.

I live in Howard County- The 2 big parks I've been to in this area- Centennial and Rockburn are always full of dogs, and have the doggie cleanup bags placed around. I can't vouch for all the neighborhoods, but I see several different people walking dogs everyday- there's at least 8-10 dogs in my little neighborhood.

[SilverDragon]

That's good to know, thanks!

[pkoons]

Ellicott City is one I didn't mention, it's a very nice area. Howard County is good in terms of "doginess" I'd say that's a better comparison to Alexandria than Annapolis.

King Farm in Rockville is one example of a community with the doggy dispenser stations. Also, my neighborhood, Herald Harbor in Crownsville, is very dog friendly, especially if you have a retriever - they love swimming in the river.

As much as I like Old Town... Annapolis still blows me away. Drive into town for a Fractured Prune donut at 730 AM and watch the sun rise... you can't beat it.

RE: Halethorpe - ouch! That's where a lot of my family lived before I was born, Halethorpe & Arbutus. It's pretty run-down, but once again, it does have... character

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by pkoons

RE: Halethorpe - ouch! That's where a lot of my family lived before I was born, Halethorpe & Arbutus. It's pretty run-down, but once again, it does have... character

I'd agree that "run down" describes the area of Halethorpe that is south of Washington Blvd. But, there are parts of Halethorpe that I'd recommend in a heartbeat. Arbutus too.

The part near MARC's Penn Line is full of big old houses with tall ceilings and other features that are old-school. Many have been gentrified. Many have oak hardwood floors throughout, you can find pocket doors, real attics, wrap around or full width porches, high ceilings, more. I'd call them bungalows, colonials, cape cods, or "Sears" style houses. Some of my pals lived in these places when I lived there, back in the 1950's. I was there almost weekly up until 2005.

From this part of Halethorpe or Arbutus, you get the ability to walk to the MARC Penn Line Halethorpe Stop and ride to DC. The area where Halethorpe blends into Arbutus, along Carville & Oregon Avenues is also full of these old gems. Of course, some of these old gems need modernization, but if you really want an old solidly built house in a stable area this could be the one. This is not a high crime area by any means. You could actually live on Carville or Oregon and walk to both MARC and to the old Hollywood Theatre and a few pubs, a bakery, etc. Zip is 21227, worth a look, especially if want to get away from unreal prices in DC. If you could find equivalent homes in close in Arlington, VA, they'd be $750k or up, twice what they are in Halethorpe or Arbutus. The train into DC is the best deal going.

s/Mike

[Marylandmama]

Originally Posted by SilverDragon

2. Doginess - Alexandria and Fairfax have their own networks of dog parks, lots of housing complexes have others. It is the single most dog friendly place I have ever lived, and I have moved around a lot. Howard County has one dog park, you have to pay for it, and I am concerned my new neighborhood won't have lots of people with dogs (a social boon for me and my creature)

BTW Anne Arundel county has 3 free dog parks!!!