Frostburg, La Vale, Cumberland Area Developments Discussion Thread (Baltimore: layoffs, buying)

[RunningNorm]

So, while I am here...has anyone heard of any new developments in the area? I continue to work with the disc golf community to expand its presence here. One of our PDGA members has reached out to the MD State Parks and is working hard to bring disc golf to Rocky Gap and Dan's Mountain...which would be great for the area...something new and fun to do!

Frostburg had their block party last night, which looked really fun! I had a soccer match or would have gone. But, what else has anyone heard about growth here?

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by RunningNorm

So, while I am here...has anyone heard of any new developments in the area? I continue to work with the disc golf community to expand its presence here. One of our PDGA members has reached out to the MD State Parks and is working hard to bring disc golf to Rocky Gap and Dan's Mountain...which would be great for the area...something new and fun to do!

Frostburg had their block party last night, which looked really fun! I had a soccer match or would have gone. But, what else has anyone heard about growth here?

A new Rite-Aid being built in LaVale. A couple of new Mexican restaurants there as well. Some road work on US-220 at the I-68 interchange. That's all I can think of.

Good news for your disc golf idea. I would contact the local paper. I bet they would publish a piece on it. Of course, you would probably have to write the article, but they would almost certainly print it.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by RunningNorm

Any chance we can get a Starbucks, Panera, and Chipotle to come to the area? Oh, and a Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond!

Why would you want this crap? Panera is so bland... Chipotle is nauseating... Starbucks has its uses but I'm sure Cumberland has superior locally-owned coffee shops...

Cafe Mark - Cumberland, MD - Gourmet Coffee, Espresso, Mocha, Latte, & Fresh Baked Desserts 21502

Queen City Creamery | Where Fresh Is Best!

Welcome to Mountain City Coffeehouse & Creamery

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Why would you want this crap? Panera is so bland... Chipotle is nauseating... Starbucks has its uses but I'm sure Cumberland has superior locally-owned coffee shops...

Cafe Mark - Cumberland, MD - Gourmet Coffee, Espresso, Mocha, Latte, & Fresh Baked Desserts 21502

Queen City Creamery | Where Fresh Is Best!

Welcome to Mountain City Coffeehouse & Creamery

Panera's food is decent and they have free wifi, without anyone chasing you out for using it, so if you work on the road (as I used to), it can be handy. I agree wholeheartedly about Chipotle, that place is overpriced, crappy food.

However a derth of Panera is an opportunity for smaller sandwich shops and cafes to operate.

Though, the idea of Panera attempting a frou-frou pepperoni roll or dumping seasoned lettuce onto a Stone-ground artisan red river rye wheat ciabatta pane sub roll is amusing.

[westsideboy]

I agree with the previous two posts. I am not a coffee drinker, but Cafe Mark and Queen City Creamery (they make homemade custard too) are both highly regarded. Our local sub shops blow Panera Bread away. Give me a Pepperoni Roll or steak and cheese hogie with seasoned lettuce over a chain store sandwich any day.

We need more shopping options, a Target would be a great start. We could also use some diversity of food offerings. We have no Indian, Vietnamese, Ethopian or any other such cuisine. Heck, when I was a kid, Chi-Chi's is what passed for Mexican, and we had a single Chinese sit down restaurant in LaVale. I remember when the first Chinese carry-out opened in Cumberland, it was like Christmas Day.

So we definitely need commercial growth, but duplicate businesses that compete with the local flavors would end up in a zero sum type situation, one opens, one closes.

[RunningNorm]

Panera, Starbucks, and Target in your area are a sign that corporate america give a **** about where you live...enuff said,...

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by RunningNorm

Panera, Starbucks, and Target in your area are a sign that corporate america give a **** about where you live...enuff said,...

Perhaps you should move to Altoona... that city is equipped with these amenities.

[Flamingo13]

Has anyone been to "downtown" Cumberland lately? Have any more places opened? That's a good middle ground for us to meet us w/friends for the day - Not sure if it's called downtown, but the area w/the kind of town square, some shops, a couple restaurants.... love the architecture and layout, it's just so sad that so many storefronts are/were vacant.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Has anyone been to "downtown" Cumberland lately? Have any more places opened? That's a good middle ground for us to meet us w/friends for the day - Not sure if it's called downtown, but the area w/the kind of town square, some shops, a couple restaurants.... love the architecture and layout, it's just so sad that so many storefronts are/were vacant.

There are a few regular Cumblerand posters who I'm sure could give you a more up-to-date assessment, but ...

I visit once or twice per year. There are some empty stores but compared to some other small town downtowns outside of metro areas(especially in Appalachia), I thought it was doing Ok.

In the post-industrial US, for a city its size to have a "bustling" downtown, a place like Cumberland would have to be a retirement destination or college town ... and it is neither. However I find a lot of those towns rather banal, so I dig Cumberland.

This might be fun to do with your friends: The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad | Allegany County, Western Maryland

[Flamingo13]

Thanks - that railroad visitor center is wonderful. We had talked about a train trip previously, maybe we should look into it more.