Info on Cumberland,MD (Hagerstown, Frostburg: fit in, real estate, violent crime)

[gjs]

I have a job interview in Cumberland,MD.
Can anyone please tell me a little something about this town.
Cost of living,things to do,econemy,safe town or not?

[westsideboy]

Cumberland is located in mountainous Western Maryland. It is a city of about 20,000 surrounded in every direction by mountains, forests and only scattered small towns for about 60 miles in every direction.

The cost of living is low. Real estate is cheap compared to the rest of the state. Outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting abound. Cumberland also has a regional arts scene that includes theatres and art galleries. The city is comparibly safe. Violent crime is very rare.

The bad news is that the economy is bad. Unemployment and underemployment are high, and the town and the region have been losing population for the last 50 years. If you are one of the lucky ones to get a good job, you will find your standard of living to be better than in the suburban parts of the state.

[gjs]

Do you have any idea on how the school system is there? good, not so good, so so.
Also I hear that they are building a new 7 story hospital there, not really to typical
for an economically depressed town to be able to do this.

[westsideboy]

Public Schools are so-so. Not great, but not horrible. I recommend Bishop Walsh Catholic School. Tution is less than 4,000 per year and the education is much better.

The hospital is good news. The city is a regional health/commercial/business center, these jobs are available.

[Cookey mith]

Cumberland is a beautiful area. But the prison in Jessup, Md. will be closing and they are sending some of their worse offenders to Cumberland.

[westsideboy]

Yeah, but something tells me those felons will never see the light of day again, let alone have the chance to interact with citizens of the county.

[vwfan]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Public Schools are so-so. Not great, but not horrible. I recommend Bishop Walsh Catholic School. Tution is less than 4,000 per year and the education is much better.

The hospital is good news. The city is a regional health/commercial/business center, these jobs are available.

Good suggestion on schooling. My mom graduated from Bishop Walsh way back when. I think she turned 55 this year!

Cumberland is a neat little place. My dad grew up in Levale. My grandfather Jack (John) Martin taught at the high school (English or Math, I can't remember), and my uncle John works with the youth detention center working on special projects (teaching the kids usable trade skills).

It certainly is a mountainous area surround by forest, but i've always liked it. Would be a great place to live if there were a bigger variety of jobs. You could however commute to Hagerstown and not sit in much traffic to get to work.

My uncle also worked on the cut-through along I-70/68. There's a great park that we used to go to towards the bottom of the mountain on the cumberland side that now has a jack nicholas designed golf course. My grandpa ended up moving to frostburg, and two of my uncles actually live in Cumberland still.

[Moth]

Cumberland is a neat little place. My dad grew up in Levale. My grandfather Jack (John) Martin taught at the high school (English or Math, I can't remember), and my uncle John works with the youth detention center working on special projects (teaching the kids usable trade skills).

It certainly is a mountainous area surround by forest, but i've always liked it. Would be a great place to live if there were a bigger variety of jobs. You could however commute to Hagerstown and not sit in much traffic to get to work.

Indeed. My grandfather was born there although they moved on to Wheeling. We always pass through on the way to Wheeling to visit family and I have always wanted to stop and check it out. Its at that point in the trip where you just want to get there. Last time, I made a vow to dedicate a weekend to just checking out Cumberland. It could have a lot of potential if the techies and artists would move there.

[girl-on-the-go]

My husband may be taking a job with the power plant there in Cumberland. We feel lost and have no idea if this would be a good move for us. We are both tired of the big city and concrete heaven we've always lived in here in the great state of Texas. We've never lived or even visited this north US. Where would be the best place to raise a family, in or near Cumberland so my husband would not have to commute more than 30 minutes or so?? We have two elementary aged kids, are the schools decent? Does the community welcome newcomers? Is it a safe (being there is a supermax facility there?), stable, warm small town atmosphere, or is it deteriorating? Are there places to shop, eat, etc. etc. Any locals with some advice? We'd love nothing more than to buy an old charming home and experience the slower paced, beautifully landscaped small-town atmosphere. PLEASE help!!

[westsideboy]

Girlonthego. I already answered some of your questions previously in the thread. As for the others...

Your choices within 30 miles of Cumberland are limited to Cumberland or smaller towns like Frostburg, Keyser WV, etc.

The question about whether the community welcomes newcomers rests largely on the newcomer. If you come to town willing to assimilate, listen, and become part of the commmunity, you can fit in and be accepted. If you come in with your own set of values, morals, believes, and adverstise them, it is hard the shake the "outsider" label. For starters telling people in Cumberland you are from the "great state of Texas" will get you alot of strange looks. I think just "Texas" would be enough.