Seeking Info on Easton MD (Baltimore, Annapolis: insurance, crime rate, chapel)

[macdebbie]

We are planning for retirement about 5 years out.

Live right now in a great coastal town in Northern MA - @ 17K population with good restaurants, live theatre, movie theatre, good library, hospital, a couple of independent bookstores, historic homes, a safe community, a vibrant arts and "event" culture, and of course the water. We're about 40 minutes from Boston if we want to experience a big city show or sports event.

We are seeking to escape the harsh winters here and the high, high cost of living.

We've been to the Chapel Hill area a couple of times and really like it (except for the sprawl) but we wish we could be closer to the ocean.

We just came across an article on Easton, MD and like the sounds of it. The few pictures I could find on the web intrigue us. We certainly will pay it a vist, but would love to know from people who live there or know of it more about it.

Comments?

[kimh2]

Easton is a very nice little town. I live about 20 minutes north of there on Kent Island (they are also building a very nice 55+ community on Kent Island called Gibsons Grant - it's waterfront) and my boyfriends parents retired from Vienna, VA (DC Suburb) to Easton. The town has the Avalon Theatre and other local attractions - you are also close to St. Michaels, Oxford, etc. - it is a very quaint Eastern Shore coastal town - nice restaurants, art galleries, quaint shops, etc. Annapolis is 40 minutes away should you need more of a selection of upscale shops. Easton is growing rapidly! The only down side is that it is the main road to the Ocean and during the summer the traffic can back up but overall - it's a wonderful little town. I would also look at St. Michaels, Oxford and Chestertown - all very upscale little coastal towns. Hope this helps - please e-mail me if you would like more info. There is also a magazine called "what's up Eastern Shore" that would help familarize you with the area.

[rickauf]

I agree with the above reply. I live on Kent Island, work in both Annapolis and Easton. Beautiful area and the shore is very amenable to retired individuals.
However,,,,, My profession involves treating a large amount of the retired population. The situatio down here is starting to cause a large outflux of people who just cannot afford it.
I donot want to start a political debate,, jsut stating the facts as i know them:

We live in a one party state.. our new governor has carte blanche with taxes and he is a kid in a candy store. we just had the largest stae tax increase in american history.
the new state session is to apply taxes to professional work: by the ned of this summer: taxes on plumbers, electricians, etc (not the parts, the labor)...next in line.. and this is waht is scaring the retirees away: taxes on medical and dental work.
It is going to happen. It does not look like insurance will cover taxes on medical/dental work. I have have seen more of my retired patients planning moves out of stae in the past 6 months than the past 15 years put together.

Jeez, i might have to relocate my practice 45 miles away into delaware.

Anyway, i do not mean to be political,,, but if $$ and taxes are an issue, think twice about MD. I love it here.. the most beautiful place i know of the retire,, but getting old means needing doctors.. and if medicine is taxed, and the doctors lose patients, the stae loses doctors. this is happening now.

good luck in your search!

Rick

[macdebbie]

It's what I am looking for.

It's one thing to read chamber websites and guidebooks, visit, and still another to get the "inside" scoop.

Thanks for your honesty. Taxes certainly are definitely a consideration, especially as we age.

[macdebbie]

Looked these up, although sound cute, they are way too small for us. We really don't want anything under 10K population.

Why the high crime rates in Chestertown and St. Michaels?

[kimh2]

Hmmm - don't really know about high crime rate in Chestertown or St. Michaels - doesn't seem accurate. Definitely not an area that is a problem spot. St. Michaels and Easton are very close together - with 5/10 minutes.

We had 3 inches of snow here today -- I can certainly relate to why you want to get away from the harsh winters in MA -- I couldn't handle it - especially as I get older. Good luck with your search.

[macdebbie]

The high crime statistics came from the City Data site, compared to the National Average. Doesn't break it down by what crime type. Easton was OK though.

Can anyone advised on lifestyle in Easton? What is there to do? Are there good bookstores, restaurants? How close is the water for boating? Is there a real community feel? Where do people go when they want "big city" attractions? Is the hospital in town adequate? These are all things that are important to us.

Are there any communities of houses in Easton?

It seems so cute and picture perfect. We're planning a visit soon. Assume we would fly into BWI or Dulles?

[ljd1010]

macdebbie, we're also from New England (RI) and lived in easton for 7 years. While it is a lovely area and a was great place when our kids were young, I found it a bit too far from urban areas to suit my tastes. Although the area has grown in the past several years, it is still a hike to get to Baltimore or DC. Annapolis is about 45 miles. What we
found comical was what people on the Eastern Shore considered "waterfront property- a view of the river. If you sail, it is ideal. You mentioned Chapel Hill - my husband and I are moving to the Triangle of NC in 3 weeks. We're not quite ready for retirement, but plan to work there for another 10 years before retiring. It is a bit far from the coast but we may relocate to the NC shore when we do retire. St Michaels is lovely but it is a sleepy little town that gets crowded with tourists in the summer. Easton is located right off of Rt 50 - and Rt 50 is the main thoroughfare for beach traffic from Balti/DC to Ocean City in the summer. The closest airport is BWI - you can fly from Providence to BWI for $59 each way on Southwest!

[cancan]

Chestertown is a sleepy and quiet as it gets, cant imagine high crime there....maybe some petty crime (sheds being broken into) but cant imagine chestertown with "high crime".......I live 6 miles from Chestertown and havent heard of high crime there.

I wouldnt worry about easton or chestertown or anywhere over here being smaller than 10,000 people.....there are many more people than that in the easton area...just not planted within town limits.

[manofsteel084]

Easton has a lot of cute cafe's, shops and restaurants. The downtown area is very nice.

In respone to the above post about taxes.....most Marylanders don't have any idea how good they have it...taxes in maryland are relatively low. 3500 for about a 450,000 home in most counties, although, the eastern shore(Easton) may be higher.

St. Michaels is a pretty amazing place...but much smaller than Easton. Not sure about the crime data, as it is really sparsley populated.

Easton also puts you pretty close to Annapolis....an amazing town....I used to make that trip several times a year.....