So...Tell Me About Salisbury (Baltimore, North Beach: low income, rental, high crime)

[Jahodor]

Originally Posted by gottaq

i went to college by salisbury. bad, bad, bad place. the only thing keeping this town alive is Salisbury University and the Purdue Chicken plants/headquarters. everything else is a dump. people are very poor and neighborhoods are dangerous. yet because it's on the eastern shore, the locals view it as the 'new york city' of Delmarva. Baltimore is like civilization compared to salisbury

I know people who live in Salisbury who even say this. The Airlines used to employ people including myself and just everyone I worked with lived in Delaware or even as far as Ocean City and this was in the late 1990's/ early 2000's. Now, with the airlines operating with a smaller staff that only leaves the University and Purdue to keep the town afloat (unless you want to count Walmart and PGH). Years ago there was Dresser Wayne and some other companies, when they left, it left a huge hole in the town that has yet to recover from that.

Just about all the retail is on the northern side of town, even though the south end is trying build itself up. The center is bad, no matter what anyone says.

[North Beach Person]

Y'all do know that rural areas, even the population centers, rarely have the amenities you find in more urban areas?

Of course you do.

[Jahodor]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Y'all do know that rural areas, even the population centers, rarely have the amenities you find in more urban areas?

Of course you do.

No Harris Teeter in Salisbury (That I know of) but Fenwick Island has one. Unfortunately, the one near Bethany is closing.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Jahodor

No Harris Teeter in Salisbury (That I know of) but Fenwick Island has one. Unfortunately, the one near Bethany is closing.

Fenwick demographics are going to be a lot different than Salisbury's.

[EducatedBro82]

Folks quick to bash a place they know nothing about. yes Salisbury has its rough parts, but so does parts of Baltimore and PG County. Wicomico County is not ALL bad. There are some neighborhoods I would avoid, such as Downtown or the outskirts of Downtown in East or West Salisbury and they are trying to clean that up.

And to the idiot who said people are very poor, that's a lie. My parents arent poor as they both have college degrees and well paying jobs (mom works for the State, father works in Marketing) and our neighborhood is FAR from dangerous when we have home that avg 300k or higher. Know something before you embarrass yourselves.

Like someone else said, It's one of those places with literally every type of neighborhood you can imagine, from riverfront mansions, trailer parks, urban single family 1/3 acre lots, historic Victorian homes, row houses, tiny tiny cape cods, sprawl development, townhouses, condos and cluster homes.

Oh and there is 3 Food Lions, 1 Giant, 1 Walmart, 1 Sam's Club, 1 Target in Salisbury Proper. Food Lion is the DC equivalent of Giant.. its Giants all over PG county, whereas Food Lions all over the County.

I attended one of the "worst" schools in Wicomico county which had a majority-minority population. Graduated with honors, attended college, and graduate school.

Crime is higher because it is a smaller city, so you have to take the good and the bad. Folks will make it out to be Baltimore or SE DC of here in PG County which is completely false.

[marlinfshr]

Overall, Salisbury is not that bad. it's crime is overstated and it is obvious the areas it is located in. It is a small city in a rural area so of course it isn't going to have the "big city life" that is in Baltimore or Washington. But there is still plenty to do. The outskirts of Salisbury aren't bad as well and is an affordable area. Within the city has some nice places as well. I agree with the previous poster who stated that there seems to be a bit of every type of housing.

My parents live there, in a nice modern community right on the edge of the city limits, so they have to pay Salisbury taxes (outside of town no city taxes). I live right outside Ocean City, about 40 minutes away. Overall I like the area but one big problem is career oriented jobs. The medical field seems to be growing as a good many retirees have been moving to the area and Salisbury itself has a decent hospital. Another main industry is chicken. Perdue, Tyson, Mountaire Farms, and 1 or 2 others are in the general area from lower DE to VA's eastern shore. Also I would think education with the UMD eastern Shore and Salisbury there as well. But that is it. That is the big problem with the area IMO, but back to what I stated earlier, it is a small city in a rural area so that is pretty much what is to be expected. It is growing though.

And as far as supermarkets? One? Come on now! They are all over. Food Lion is the main one in the area, but there is also a Giant, Walmart, Target and others. Everything you need is available right in town.

[Boris347]

Originally Posted by jdmc410

PLEASE do yourself a favor. DO NOT MOVE HERE. The schools are terrible, Crime is through the roof! FLAT and ugly. BACKWARDS!!!!! Whatever makes sense, do the opposite.
1 Supermarket in the whole town.

Its evident you know nothing about Salisbury, since nothing you said is true. Have lived on the outskirts for years and love it. Its quiet, friendly, and has everything you need close by. No Traffic Jams, decent roads, lots of schools, little crime, no where near what they have across the bridge, and seashore, and the Bay close by. You could do a lot, lot, worse.

[Boris347]

Originally Posted by gottaq

i went to college by salisbury. bad, bad, bad place. the only thing keeping this town alive is Salisbury University. and the Purdue Chicken plants/headquarters. everything else is a dump. people are very poor and neighborhoods are dangerous. yet because it's on the eastern shore, the locals view it as the 'new york city' of Delmarva. Baltimore is like civilization compared to salisbury

The reason most people that come to the University here, and don't like it, is because they can't get away with the crap that they can get away with at home. Our "Crime" rates go up when the College is open, and these students get their names in the papers all the time. The residents are actually happy when you folks go back to where you came from. If your from Baltimore, its especially true, since many of the Students from there seem to lack respect for other folks and act like jackazzes when they come here, to the point that locals call them Baltimorons.

I have had to stay in Baltimore, for job related times, and its a Dump compared to any place on the Shore. Its no wonder you need a cop for every 5 residents. If ants where criminals, Baltimore would be an anthill.

I live a couple of miles from the College and see students all the time, and talk to them in places they work, and not all of them are jerks. Some of them are great kids , but its always the "few" that make it bad for others. The good ones actually like it here, and a lot of them stay.

And where did you hear that the "Locals" call it the "New York City" of Delmarva. I have lived and worked here since you where crawling around the floor eating dust balls off the carpet, and have Never heard that at all. Did you just make that up?

[gottaq]

Originally Posted by Boris347

The reason most people that come to the University here, and don't like it, is because they can't get away with the crap that they can get away with at home. Our "Crime" rates go up when the College is open, and these students get their names in the papers all the time. The residents are actually happy when you folks go back to where you came from. If your from Baltimore, its especially true, since many of the Students from there seem to lack respect for other folks and act like jackazzes when they come here, to the point that locals call them Baltimorons.

I have had to stay in Baltimore, for job related times, and its a Dump compared to any place on the Shore. Its no wonder you need a cop for every 5 residents. If ants where criminals, Baltimore would be an anthill.

I live a couple of miles from the College and see students all the time, and talk to them in places they work, and not all of them are jerks. Some of them are great kids , but its always the "few" that make it bad for others. The good ones actually like it here, and a lot of them stay.

And where did you hear that the "Locals" call it the "New York City" of Delmarva. I have lived and worked here since you where crawling around the floor eating dust balls off the carpet, and have Never heard that at all. Did you just make that up?

ok to everybody defending salisbury and disagreeing with my comments. it's cool you guys stick up for your hometown. but the eastern shore and salisbury really is a declined, depressed, middle of nowhere place. i attended the university, and everybody there would agree. however, i'm from north jersey, and I'm used to cities like NYC. All my friends were either from DC or Baltimore areas. So we're used to much larger, more significant metropolitan areas. then we come over to the eastern shore and it's like we've traveled 30 years back in time. so don't blame us for this perception... we just live in CIVILIZATION.

[catsy girl]

Originally Posted by gottaq

ok to everybody defending salisbury and disagreeing with my comments. it's cool you guys stick up for your hometown. but the eastern shore and salisbury really is a declined, depressed, middle of nowhere place. i attended the university, and everybody there would agree. however, i'm from north jersey, and I'm used to cities like NYC. All my friends were either from DC or Baltimore areas. So we're used to much larger, more significant metropolitan areas. then we come over to the eastern shore and it's like we've traveled 30 years back in time. so don't blame us for this perception... we just live in CIVILIZATION.

salisbury is not my hometown, although i loved living there and think often about returning. i lived in baltimore 50+ years, and have no desire to live there again.

when i was in salisbury, i met many people who had come from somewhere else to the university and chose to stay. they loved the low key lifestyle, proximity to the beach, and convenience of being in a compact, easily accessible town.

salisbury did suffer in the 2008 recession, and although it has come back in many respects , it probably has a way to go yet. i don't know anybody in salisbury, who is interested in spending much time on the "western shore". they appreciate the slower pace of salisbury, as this is what attracted them initially.

age certainly has something to do with one's impressions of salisbury, and the eastern shore in general. if you want night life, it's probably better to stick with the larger cities.

catsy girl