Frederick-Washington-Allegeny-Garett County: Rural or Sprawling? Pittsburgh or DC/Balt Territory (Baltimore: townhouse, live in)

[Thruway]

Hi, I had a few demographical questions for people familiar with Frederick, Washington, Allegeny, and Garret County Maryland.

I wanted to know, are these places still nice, green, and rural or have they been "Loudonized" which is to say once lush, rural pastures and vistas are dotted like a checkboard with a large townhouse complex, a field, a shopping center, basic sprawl and rural melting pot only getting worse?
Or has the rural quality of been preserved?

From what I've read I have mixed views, because I understand Maryland has tougher than VA laws protecting areas from developement.
I'm wondering if this more of a Souther Frederick County issue and that from Frederick and beyond, it's rural with some development but nothing threatning to change the overall scene.

I can't imagine Washington County being sprawled out given the mountainous borders and long drive, such would be a shame.


My next question, I'm almost positive Allegeny and Garret county are sprawl free, since they are way out in the moutains.
I'd like to know is this area really considered part of Maryland or is it more trans-Allegeny/WV/Pittsburgh in culture?

Do you get DC stations, Balt, or Pit stations here and which teams do the locals root for in West MD?
Is it PIT country?
Thanks.

[westsideboy]

Frederick County is the Maryland version of Loudon County. Their is massive amounts of sprawl around Frederick City and the I-270 and I-70 corridors. The other parts of the county are still mostly farm land with a smattering of McMansions.

Washington County is more rural/farm than Frederick County. It is mostly valley country. Their is still alot of sprawl on the westside of South Mountain to Hagerstown. West of Hagerstown the sprawl trickles out and the land becomes almost entirely forested.

Allegany and Garrett Counties are 100% mountains about 75% forested. They are too far to be commuter communities and so there is no sprawl, just small towns and a few farms where topography allows. The exception is around Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County. There is some development there, high end resort kind of stuff.

Allegany and Garrett county are largely removed from the rest of MD by both distance and culture. There are still some historic and governmental ties to the rest of the state, but it is better to think of them as culturally similar to the Potomac Highland of W.V. They are even significantly different than Washington and Frederick Counties where fertile flat farm land and commuter proximity have lead to much more wealth and access to the metro areas. Allegany County gets D.C. Baltimore and Pittsburgh stations. Garrett County gets only Pittsburgh TV (I think). Pittsburgh, D.C. and Baltimore teams split the fan base pretty evenly. I would guess their are more Steelers fans now since they have been alot more competetive over the last decade than the 'Skins.

[alido]

Agree w/ Westsideboy: Western Md is wonderful. Like he said Allegany and Garrett Counties are 100% mountains about 75% forested. They are too far to be commuter communities and so there is no sprawl, just small towns and a few farms. Sadly, I have to commute so I will list some nice escapes that may offer a compromise. Wish I could live in Alleg. or Garr. Co Md.

PA,MD,& WVA have outlying counties that r still affordable, although prices r so different from 2 yrs ago. Good luck, have fun. I love visiting Western Md but live at what was known as Western Md's gateway: Washington Co Md.
On weekends I like visiting out past Greencastle, Pa. & rural Md.
MY PICKS:
Boonsboro, Md/Smithsburg,Md/Clearspring Md>Washington County,Md
www.washco-md.net

Greencastle, Pa, Chambersburg Pa>Franklin County,Pa
www.greencastlepachamber.org
www.co.franklin.pa.us

Shepherstown, West Virginia>Jefferson County WVA
www.shepherdstownvisitorscenter.com
www.jeffersoncountywv.org

[Tom Lennox 70]

Most people I know from Garrett root for the Pittsburgh teams. They get the DC and Pittsburgh TV and radio stations and I believe some from Morgantown, West Virginia.

Frederick County is very sprawling. A couple years ago they had a problem with dwindling water supply, which is something you only expect in Las Vegas, LA or Phoenix. For this to happen in a region like Maryland is just shocking.

[Thruway]

Frostburg, Cumberland, Hagerstown is more PIT than DC, BAL, or is it even until Cumberland where PIT takes over?

Frederick I assume is DC/BAL split?

[terryandtouey]

You'd assume correctly about Fred's DC/Bal split.

The local paper is, I believe, actually owned by the Wash. Post., to which a lot of Fred. residents subscribe. But just as many subscribe to Baltimore Sun. (If I lived there, I'd probably get both.)

Fred. has a minor league baseball team, which might be a feeder team for the Orioles. (Does anyone here know? -- it would be easy to look up -- the Frederick Keys.)

I lived away from Maryland for years after growing up here. Grandparents lived not far from Frederick so I was very familiar with the area. Was shocked when I returned at how it had exploded. It has it's share of growing pains to go with the expansion.

In Maryland, land use regulations are at the county level.

There's a thread on Hagerstown in which some of your questions are being addressed. You might want to have a look there.

[Stormcrow73]

Frederick County isn't very sprawling north of town. Once you get past Walkersville it's still basically rural.

The Keys are indeed an O's farm team.

From all I can tell, most football fans in and around Frederick cheer for the Redskins.