What's it like in Hagerstown, MD? (Baltimore, Germantown: ski resort, sales, apartments)
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Hi;
Currently I reside in NY, and I'm debating on relocating to Maryland. I drove through on my way to Georgia, and it seemed like a really cute state. I was having trouble finding pet friendly apartments, but managed to find one in Hagerstown! I was wondering how the town/city was… what it's like. Crime rates aren't really my biggest concern, I'm sure they're less than Baltimore, which was my original choice when I thought of moving to MD. I'm more interested in the climate and area. If you'd call it "affordable" and if you believe it to be a "nice quaint town" and a peaceful place to live. I can describe my area pretty well, and let's just say its boring, and pretty tiring. There's not much to do around here, I love the outdoors and nature walks, things like that.
My friend and I want to make a "fresh start" so to speak, and any information that would help us decide is very much appreciated!
Than you on advance!
I think Hagerstown has many of the things you just mentioned. It's proximity to the outdoor destinations (within 30 minutes drive of 5 national parks, many state parks, Whitetail and Liberty ski resort) that you can walk, like the C & O Canal, Western MD Rail Trail, Appalachian Trail, Hagerstown City Park, etc. THere is a good amount of shopping and dining, especially shopping, for a town this size. There are a variety of houses, both new and older, for cheap right now.
Without having any numbers in front of me, I'd say crime is average. Would not call it a dangerous place, but there is crime. I'd say very little if any violent crime is random, most seems to be issues between people that escalate.
One thing I would say is I wouldn't call Hagerstown "quaint". It has many nice parts, and some parts are quaint for sure (like the South Prospect Street Historic District, tree lined neighborhoods of the north end, etc) but much of the "inside the city limits" of town is working class and has an industrial feel. Downtown revitalization has had the brakes put on due to the economy, but plans are in the works for some things that will draw more people there. We are close to some other places like Shepardstown, Frederick, Boonsboro that are quaint and nice to walk around.
Htownerp;
Thank you! I had just found out my dad's friend lived there (well around Hagerstown) a while ago. He told me the ony thing I would have to worry about would be private property taxes and having enough money to actually make the move.
The apartment I found seems perfect for me, and from what my dads friend said, "it's probably going to be the perfect place for you, just be careful with spending". He seems to be most worried about the property tax on my car, said its like 5% sales tax or something...?
Do you know of any dog parks or dog friendly locations? I'd hate to have him trapped in an apartment almost always.
Htownerp;
Thank you! I had just found out my dad's friend lived there (well around Hagerstown) a while ago. He told me the ony thing I would have to worry about would be private property taxes and having enough money to actually make the move.
The apartment I found seems perfect for me, and from what my dads friend said, "it's probably going to be the perfect place for you, just be careful with spending". He seems to be most worried about the property tax on my car, said its like 5% sales tax or something...?
Do you know of any dog parks or dog friendly locations? I'd hate to have him trapped in an apartment almost always.
Yeah you'll have to pay tax on the blue book value of your car when you register it in MD. It's an annoyance.
Pretty sure you can bring the dog on a leash to any of the state parks nearby (and there are alot). Some might have a dog play area.
Right now, there is no "dog park", but Funkstown (small community that abuts the city limits) is looking into one and so is the city of Hagerstown. There have been a lot of requests to add dog parks. Not sure why there isn't one already.
I don't have a dog and have not paid attention to where you can and can't take one, but like HandsUp said, state parks and places like the C & O Canal and Antietam Battlefield (which, by the way, has some beautiful walks) would be a good spot for the dog. Just bring a bag for scooping poop. I do see people walking their dogs at my favorite place to run/walk, Fairgrounds Park. There is a one mile measured blacktop path with trash cans and doggie doo doo bags spread around the length of it.
Yeah you'll have to pay tax on the blue book value of your car when you register it in MD. It's an annoyance.
Pretty sure you can bring the dog on a leash to any of the state parks nearby (and there are alot). Some might have a dog play area.
So it's only a "one time thing" or would it be annual? Is it roughly a 5% tax too?
I'm not sure how transferring plates work, but I assume it's like NY, 30 days after a move until you're fined?
We have only a couple parks in my area, a bunch of beaches, close to none allow dogs. But we have two "local" dog parks which are only about 40 minutes away. I think I seen online that there were a couple near Frederick and Germantown. But I'm not exactly sure if those are far or if they're a reasonable distance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by htownterp
Right now, there is no "dog park", but Funkstown (small community that abuts the city limits) is looking into one and so is the city of Hagerstown. There have been a lot of requests to add dog parks. Not sure why there isn't one already.
I don't have a dog and have not paid attention to where you can and can't take one, but like HandsUp said, state parks and places like the C & O Canal and Antietam Battlefield (which, by the way, has some beautiful walks) would be a good spot for the dog. Just bring a bag for scooping poop. I do see people walking their dogs at my favorite place to run/walk, Fairgrounds Park. There is a one mile measured blacktop path with trash cans and doggie doo doo bags spread around the length of it.
That's good to know! People in my area complained for years before they built our dog parks. The funny part is one that is highly reccomended isn't in a dog friendly area at all. So now people in that town are trying to have it removed. Haha. It's just weird. I hope they built a nice one in Hagerstown sometime.
I've also seen online that there are some nice verternarian offices and emergency vet offices.
The more I look into Hagerstown, the more excited I get.
It really does seem like a peaceful place to live. Not the hussle and bussle of the city, but not as quite as the country towns right?
So it's only a "one time thing" or would it be annual? Is it roughly a 5% tax too?
I'm not sure how transferring plates work, but I assume it's like NY, 30 days after a move until you're fined?
We have only a couple parks in my area, a bunch of beaches, close to none allow dogs. But we have two "local" dog parks which are only about 40 minutes away. I think I seen online that there were a couple near Frederick and Germantown. But I'm not exactly sure if those are far or if they're a reasonable distance.?
One time thing. You'll also have to have it inspected upon arrival, and Maryland has a pretty tough inspection. Registration must also be paid for, once every two years.
You'll have plenty of time to transfer plates and stuff, I'd file it somewhere in the back of your mind, just after getting drapes for your new place.
Frederick is about 25 miles and two small mountains away - whether that is far is a matter of opinion.
So it's only a "one time thing" or would it be annual? Is it roughly a 5% tax too?
I'm not sure how transferring plates work, but I assume it's like NY, 30 days after a move until you're fined?
We have only a couple parks in my area, a bunch of beaches, close to none allow dogs. But we have two "local" dog parks which are only about 40 minutes away. I think I seen online that there were a couple near Frederick and Germantown. But I'm not exactly sure if those are far or if they're a reasonable distance.
That's good to know! People in my area complained for years before they built our dog parks. The funny part is one that is highly reccomended isn't in a dog friendly area at all. So now people in that town are trying to have it removed. Haha. It's just weird. I hope they built a nice one in Hagerstown sometime.
I've also seen online that there are some nice verternarian offices and emergency vet offices.
The more I look into Hagerstown, the more excited I get.
It really does seem like a peaceful place to live. Not the hussle and bussle of the city, but not as quite as the country towns right?
Yeah I'd say that's about right. The further east you go, the more you run into hussle and bussle.
One time thing. You'll also have to have it inspected upon arrival, and Maryland has a pretty tough inspection. Registration must also be paid for, once every two years.
You'll have plenty of time to transfer plates and stuff, I'd file it somewhere in the back of your mind, just after getting drapes for your new place.
Frederick is about 25 miles and two small mountains away - whether that is far is a matter of opinion.
Ha! If I can wait that long, that would be great! I probably need proof of residency or something, I assume. As that's how it works in NY. I was planning on doing everything the day we move down to Hagerstown, just so it's all done and over with. I'm sure my car can pass the state inspection, it's only a couple months old at this point. But I hope scratches from ignorant drivers doesn't count against it...
I'm glad it's a one time thing. My dad's friend told me its annual, which would put quite a damper on my parade, so to speak. But if it were, that would be a great way to make money for the state of Maryland.
Quote:
Originally Posted by htownterp
Yeah I'd say that's about right. The further east you go, the more you run into hussle and bussle.
Thanks! You guys have been very helpful. I'm sure I'll love it in Hagerstown. I'm just somewhat upset that I cannot move sooner! My cousin tried to convince me to live with my parents until age 30... He lives in NC and says his move was a pretty decent mistake on his part.
I've been told rental costs increase ever so slightly every couple of years. But if my plans happen, I'll be making enough money to purchase a house in a couple years if need be. I've been told the housing market is quite decent in MD. *fingers crossed!*
I've seen a lot of reviews that make Hagerstown sound like a wonderful place to live. That may be true as you move away from the center of town, but as a born and raised city of Hagerstown resident I can say that living in downtown Hagerstown is becoming an increasingly bad experience. The demographics of the city has changed dramatically. Many homes that use to be owned are now rented. Some have said the residents are mostly rednecks, however, I find that most of the rednecks live further out in the county. Instead the residents of the city are becoming increasingly urban, relocating from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the DC area. A lot of the New Yorkers originally came to this area to sell drugs. There are also a good number of residents who relocated to this area who have family members who are incarcerated at the nearby prison (There are almost 7000 inmates at the three prisons). A large number of ex-offenders live in Hagerstown. I don't have a problem with that if they are no longer involved in criminal activities, however, many continue to break the law. In my neighborhood there was a murder this past summer(both the victim and the shooter had criminal histories). There also appears to be a lot of gang members (Bloods, Crips, DMI, BGF) in the Hagerstown area. As the demographics shift, there seems to be an increasing lack of respect for law and order. Instead of walking on sidewalks, a lot of folks seem to like to walk down the middle of the street. I understand this is some kind of urban thing. Also increasingly, folks like to drive their cars in front of oncoming vehicles and park on the wrong side of the street. Although the city of Hagerstown has bike paths, I've never seen anyone using them. Children and young adults on bikes weave in and out of traffic and almost never wear helmets. I also notice that a lot of children (including toddlers) are playing along the street and do not have any obvious parental supervision. In the last few months there has been several kids hit by cars. There was also a gun found by a kid who was playing behind the city post office and another child got shot. Given the dramatic changes in Hagerstown, I no longer feel that the city of Hagerstown is a safe place to live. I'm hoping I will be able to sell my house (it will probably become a rental) and move elsewhere. Although Hagerstown leaders now how plans to build a new stadium in the city, I don't see how this will improve city living. I expect the city of Hagerstown to continue to deteriorate. To me, Hagerstown is a lot like Baltimore on a smaller scale. Take a look at the city of Baltimore and it's urban decay and drug problems, and you see the future of Hagerstown. It's sad but at this point I only see Hagerstown going from bad to worst.
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