What's a great MD beach town?

[lscalder]

Cobb Island which is in Charles County.

[Hobgoblin]

Chesapeake Beach and North Beach are a great area. Nice schools, beach access and boardwalks in both. We've lived here (Chesapeake Beach) for 4 years and have really liked it. It's very family friendly.

It's a short drive to Prince Frederick with a large hospital and plenty of shopping. Although, the local market is fairly decent for a small place, decent selection and prices.

It's also not too far from Annapolis and DC, so commuting for work or additional shopping options isn't that bad at all.

Shadyside, Deale and Rosehaven are pretty nice too. We looked in these areas before we bought in Chesapeake Beach. I especially loved Rosehaven as it was right next to the Herrington Harbor Marina which is a lovely place, but at that time everything there was priced out of our range, which was admittedly quite low.

There's a lot of small coastal communities all down the length of Calvert County between Chesapeake Beach and St. Mary's-- Breezy Point, Plum Point, Dares Beach, etc you may want to look into as well.

[happjack]

chesapeake beach is a nice little town. you could even go down to solomons island or st. marys (small college town), although it's a bit more pricey and further from entertainment areas in annapolis/baltimore/dc.

you should also check out the area around the susquehanna and head of the bay: havre de grace, perryville and north east...even elkton. some of those towns put you within an hour's drive of philadelphia.

in any of these little coastal towns, if you're looking for waterfront along the bay, be sure to get a good home inspection. there are still many, many older "shore shacks" along the bay and it's various tributaries. some have been restored/partially renovated into rather nice, quaint cottages. however, when hurricane isabel came through here a few years back, many of these older homes were flooded. some were leveled and new ones (usually much bigger) built in their place. others were not...just make sure you check 'em out.

[PenguinSix]

Are you looking for a 40 minute commute to DC? Then Chesapeake Beach / North Beach would be within range. They have some new condos going up around there you might consider (just to see if you really want to live there). Deale might also work. I think the ones you listed in St. Marys would be outside a 40 minute drive to DC (if that was your requirement)

Are you technically looking for sand / beach or just water?

One thing to consider is that most of the towns along the Western shore are bedroom communities. There isn't 24/7 night life and you have to drive a bit to do anything beyond just bare essentials for shopping. Annapolis has a lot to offer, of course, but you'lll pay for it.