Easton (Chestertown, Chester, Denton: high crime, chapel, townhouses)

[macdebbie]

My husband and I took our first trip to the Eastern Shore a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with Easton.

We drove around alot - Chestertown, St. Michaels, Tilghmann, Oxford, so that there was little time to tour neighborhoods we might be interested in.

We want to go back and concentrate on seeing more of Easton - and eat again at Masons!

We are looking for a modest home - 3 BR/2 BA, with a little bit of a yard, probably not an antique, but it does not have to be new either. Our price range is @ 350 - 375K. My husband and I differ a bit on what kind of neighborhood. I liked the looks of Easton Village, he did not. He thought the houses were too close together. Neither of us liked the Chesapeake by Del Webb community - way too subdivisiony for us.

We both want something fairly close to town, with some trees and landscaping. We really don't want to hook up with a realtor at this point as we are not that close to moving, and we also realize things change.

That being said, the only other place we drove through was a golf community on the East side of 50 - Easton Club I think. It was OK.

Can anyone give us some neighborhoods to drive through next visit? And can
anyone comment on these subdivisions:

Matthewstown Run
Charlestown Village
South Beechwood
Triplebrook

[macdebbie]

Can anyone tell me where this is in Easton? Looks like a great place to bike.

Pictures of Easton Pg 2

[NYMD67]

hi!

Glad you enjoyed your trip to the Eastern Shore and hopefully you will find someplace that suits you

We live outside of Easton(in a small town called;Denton) but go into Easton for just about everything we need to do.
I am familiar with a few of the neighborhoods there,including Matthewstown Run.
It is a nice development, the homes are a little older in comparison of course to all the brand new developments going up.
Mainly colonials,nice layouts,just a little older.
If you have children, they do have some playareas right in the development.
It is extremely convenient to the grocery stores and downtown area of Easton.
There is also another developement right across from Matthewtown Run called Mulberry Station, also a nice family development, and they seem to have some nice neighborhood events. A fall festival right around Halloween (and the families are very much into Halloween there!),an Easter Egg hunt for the kids,I think they did a Xmas decorating contest,etc.... a fun place to live-it sounds like!
I think South Beechwood is a much older area,but very pretty with mature lots.
I am not familiar with the others you mentioned but there are new areas going up all over right now.
There is also another development called ;The Highlands (it is off of 328 or Matthewstown Rd) and the lots are very large,but the homes are pricey.

We enjoy the life here on the Eastern Shore and Easton is a great place. With all the development going on (which some are not in favor of,but if you have children,it is definitely a nice convenience to finally have~) it is becoming easier to not have to travel over the bridge for everything.

Yes, Mason's is a great place to eat! If you like Italian,there is a restaurant called; Scoccia's ( I believe that is how it is spelled) they have EXCELLENT food!

Good Luck to you and your family.

[laxmom]

We grew up with a home on the Miles River (Easton)and I didn't appreciate what we had until I became a little older (and wiser).

My sister and her family have since relocated from Montgomery County, Md. to a small town called Tunis Mills in an Easton suburb located on Leeds Creek. (Across the water from St. Michaels) She says she has made more friends and has gotten to know more neighbors there then in her townhome community in Montgomery Cnty.

Not sure of pricing and availability! Good luck!

[MikeinMD]

The pictures are of the Rails to Trails, converted railroad tracks to walking/biking paths. It runs roughly from the North Easton Sports complex south to Idlewild Park. Eventually its in the plans to connect to Easton Village with a bridge over Rt. 322, at the expense of the developer. I am not sure when that will happen. There is also susposed to be a public waterfront park build in that neighborhood where the trail will stop.

Matthewstown Run - A family friendly "subdivision". Lots of kids out there, most homes are similar, build mostly in the 90's I think and finished probably around 2004.

Charlestown Village - A subdivision off of Carroll's Addition. Its fairly small, has more of an "in town" feel in my opinion. Its a fairly quiet area, they do have a community pool. I think they started building these homes in the 80's?

South Beechwood - an older community off Rt. 50 south of Easton. The homes are nice, very wooded area, but small lots. Traffic might be an issue here, especially Sunday's when traffic can back up past the entrance making it hard to get out of and hard to make the u turn on Rt. 50 to get to.

Triplebrook - I believe this is basically Black Dog Alley between Chapel Road and Matthewstown Road?? If so its not really a neighborhood, its outside of the town limits, larger lots, probably min of an acre and would most likely have well/septic systems. Its not a bad area but its more "country".


Mulberry Station/Bretridge, this is more of a "subdivision" with similar homes

Ryan Homes is also building just past Matthewstown Run on Matthewstown Road, but its probably going to have that same subdivision look.

Londonderry is nice, its across from the YMCA, but might be pricey. Not the retirement community on Port St, but the neighborhood across from the Y.

Check out Gannon Circle, I can't remember the name of the community. The community is actually ouside of town limits, even though its surrounded by the town. It doesn't have many homes but has large lots and is very close. Its right before Matthewstown Run. There is also a community off Rt. 331, take it east, you will pass WalMart on your left, go not quite a mile and turn onto June Way a little past Ashley Furniture. Chapel farms is a small community off of Chapel Road between Washington St and Rt. 50 which might be nice.

Personally I would look at Easton Village and the Mulberry Sta/Bretridge areas.

[macdebbie]

Great suggestions!

Personally, I like Easton Village, although hard to imagine it not yet built out.

My husband wants to be in a place where the houses are not quite so close, although we don't need alot of land.

We will be retired, so no kids, and frankly, don't want to be in a place with a ton of kids. We do like mixed ages, so aren't looking for a retirement community.

If we were to look at established neighborhoods, not subdivisions, what streets would be considered "good" streets and might fit our price range (350K-375K)?

[cathyj]

My parents have lived in Easton Club for 5 years. If you're a golfer, it's especially nice. Very few kids in the area. I agree with you....Easton is a pretty town. The townhouses to the left, just as you enter the second entrance to the community, run 350-375, but that doesn't sound like it meets your husband's hope for something a little more private. I looked around Easton 2 years ago...took listings off the internet and drove from one to another just checking out neighborhoods. There's plenty to see that way.
Good luck with the search.

[macdebbie]

Yes, that is what we plan to do. Print off houses from Realtor.com that are in our price range and drive by them.

It would be helpful to know, though, if there are any neighborhoods we should stay away from - high crime and otherwise.

Someone mentioned the streets near the police station.

Any others?

[MikeinMD]

The areas to stay away is from the hospital to the Courthouse and all areas west until you hit the Easton bypass, Rt. 322, this will include the area around the police station. and the blocks between South St and Dover St. But what housing that is in this area will probably not be what you are looking for anyway so you should be fine. The more "in town" feeling neighborhoods are inbetween Rt. 50 and Rt. 322 while the more neighborhood subdivisions are east of Rt. 50 and a few west of Rt. 322.

[macdebbie]

Thanks.

Just so I am clear. My reference point is Scossa, where we ate one night. If I am at Scossa, facing the Courthouse, if I were to walk to the courthouse and beyond, then I would be in bad territory?

We saw a few "sketchy" streets going toward 50 (don't know what street we were on - Goldsborough, maybe.)