Are there any "quaint" towns? (Baltimore, Columbia: home, purchasing)

[MountainFair]

If you are looking in AA County, try the Arnold area,
down College Parkway. It's a bit pricey, but pleasant.
In carroll County, the north county area is still quaint -- New Windsor, Union Bridge, etc

[mustangn]

Frederick Maryland is a very cute town. It has a very historic downtown that is growing at a nice pace. I can't comment on schools, because I don't have children. Good luck.

[mom2boys37]

I really wouldn't consider Frederick a quaint town at all. It used to be but not now

[sobo16]

I think the downtown part of Frederick could be considered quaint. It all depends on the definition of quaint; it means different things to different people. For the record, Arnold in Anne Arundel County is not quaint by any definition. It's not really a town either; it's a zip code with no character. It might be a good, safe place to raise kids, but it's just residential developments and Ritchie Highway with a few strip malls.

[Tallybalt]

If your husband is working in Hunt Valley, and you want a few acres,

then there is one answer for you:

Pennsylvania.

Commuting to Hunt Valley from Carroll County is not easy as it requires taking the back country roads. But there's a wonderful road called I-83, which is four lanes wide of shimmering concrete, that will take you to York County, Pennsylvania. Hunt Valley is about a half hour from York, Pennsylvania, at most.

Lower taxes, cheaper houses, and you can get a couple acres not too far from the highway.

Why are you even looking at Maryland?

[Tim Rankin]

Frederick is very much a quaint town, notwithstanding issues concerning traffic and affordability.

The pace of life in Frederick has accelerated greatly over the last several years, and is not as quiet as it used to be. The upside is there is quite a bit more to do, as a result.

It is probably still a great place for those who like a more active lifestyle, vs. the serenity of the "country."

[mom2boys37]

Everyone has an opinion, but in mine Frederick is very far from quaint. Quaint to me is the towns you find in Garrett County or small communities in the south. Downtown is full of artistic wanna-bees that think its wonderful to pay a million dollars to live on the corner of market and south street. That is so not a nice neighborhood or better yet the condos that sit at Bentz and South.

[Joykins]

I think of Westminster, Poolesville, Ellicott City, and even Annapolis as "quaint."

[midge2914]

Look into Manchester, Md., Carroll County. Only 5,000 residents, beautiful landscapes, kind of like Andy of Mayberry. Look into it.

[Stripes17]

Originally Posted by midge2914

Look into Manchester, Md., Carroll County. Only 5,000 residents, beautiful landscapes, kind of like Andy of Mayberry. Look into it.

If I had the opportunity, I'd move back to Carroll County rather quickly.

It was very laidback and I enjoyed the rural, scenic roads as well as the many historical areas nearby.