Please HELP...Harford or Cecil County?? (Edgewood, Bel Air: for sale, townhouse, buy)
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Perhaps you'd llike to rent for a while and that would give you some time to learn first hand about the area, the schools and the people? I live in North east having moved here from Moorestown, Nj. I've been here full time since 2005 and part time since 2001. (Also trying to sell my waterfront condo in North East isles. I built a home in the woods in Rising Sun.) It sounds like your children are pretty young son they may be flexible to a temprorary move (rental) until you feel greater confidence about your final destination.
For what it's worth, I've seen enormous positive change in North East and CC over the past 9 years. The water tends to draw people and North east is aware that to lure lucrative disposable income they need to continue beautifying the town and offering services that are amenable to people's needs. Therefore, new shopping, medical faciclities, and other services are developing rapidly in the immideiate area. I don't mind shopping in delaware and use Chrsistiana Hospital when necessary, which i feel is well respected teaching institution. If i have serious medical needs, i still go to Philly and the hospitals there.
I live in Cecil count (Perryville/Port Deposit area). The short version of what you are looking for is...
Harford county is a bit more expensive, has more shopping, slightly better schools, more "suburban" living.
Cecil county is a bit cheaper, less congestion, less traffic, more "country" living.
Now that being said, the school systems (and other aspects) of both counties are head and shoulders above some other counties in Maryland. I was living in PG county and paying for my son in private schools ($12k a year), but when we moved to Cecil county, the school system here (Perryville HS specifically) was actually better than the private school I was paying for out of pocket. Both Harford and Cecil have very low crime rates (with small isolated pockets being the exception).
There are a number of new developments going up in both counties, the one that I pass every day is advertising "single family homes starting at $280k" (on about 1/2 acre of land).
Now there are good and bad areas in both counties, but you can spot that just by driving the neighborhoods.
I would not restrict my choices based on county bounderies. Choose based on the neighborhood.
I've been looking to move to either CC of HC. My family is from south Jersey, but we've been living in the midwest cause I was in the military. Planning on moving back around this time next year. It seems like different web sites rate the schools different because I've seen ratings for several different elementary and high schools in Cecil that are rated at a 7 or 8 on some web sites while others have lower ratings or no info on the same schools. I do appreciate the info provided by those of you with kids in the schools or who work in the schools.
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Location: Havre de Grace, ,MD moving to San Antonio, TX
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We live in Harford County--Havre de Grace for about 10 years and WE LOVE IT. It is the small town community to raise kids. Its a historic district, but is much more reasonable housing than Bel Air. The schools are great. Parent involvement is incredible. I have never seen so much community involvement/ volunteerism--both parent and business--anywhere. They have little league in the spring that almost the entire town is down at the baseball field on Saturday sometime during the day for a game feeding their kids off the snack bar that is run by two ladies who have been doing it for years. Penguin swim team is awesome!! Everyone roots for everyone's kids. We look at Bel Air while we scoot over there to shop, but Havre de Grace is the place to raise your kids. The 4th of July Parade has half the town in it and every time the American Flag goes by spectators all stands up. Its very close to APG both main base and the Arsenal. The playground downtown is great in the summer to play and sledride in the winter. Bomboy's ice cream and candy is yum-o-rama.
Location: Havre de Grace, ,MD moving to San Antonio, TX
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The previous post was from my wife. I'd like to throw in my two cents. I agree with her overall assessment and I understand your caution. We're only leaving Harford County - and Havre de Grace - because BRAC moved my job to San Antonio. We shopped schools and neighborhoods with a critical eye just as you are doing. I learned that Web site stats aren't always the best indicators of the real value of a place. If you want a town where you don't just live, but become a part of; a place big enough for most amenities but safe for kids, I'd really recommend Havre de Grace, especially the Bayview-Grace Harbor-Grace Manor neighborhoods north of Route 40. Meadowvale Elementary has provided a first-class education for our kids (check the parent ratings, not just the scores). A high percentage of the people in the area work on APG and Edgewood.
Last edited by knoxgarden; 05-22-2010 at 12:31 PM..
Reason: No real estate advertising of any kind
The previous post was from my wife. I'd like to throw in my two cents. I agree with her overall assessment and I understand your caution. We're only leaving Harford County - and Havre de Grace - because BRAC moved my job to San Antonio. We shopped schools and neighborhoods with a critical eye just as you are doing. I learned that Web site stats aren't always the best indicators of the real value of a place. If you want a town where you don't just live, but become a part of; a place big enough for most amenities but safe for kids, I'd really recommend Havre de Grace, especially the Bayview-Grace Harbor-Grace Manor neighborhoods north of Route 40. Meadowvale Elementary has provided a first-class education for our kids (check the parent ratings, not just the scores). A high percentage of the people in the area work on APG and Edgewood.
NealS, how about the middle and HS? are they just as good from your experience? We are also moving with BRAC from a NJ town like you described with seeing everyone at LL, basketball, soccer etc., so this has been a tough decision trying to find a town with the same kid amenities we are used to ,,,,LL, Beach, parks, etc.
I registered just to answer your question. I work at APG. I have a son going into his sophmore year at North East high. We also live right near the high school. He has been through NE elementary, NE middle and one year in the high school. We looked into moving to Belair when he was in kindergarten because we had the same concerns as you. We decided to stay and see how things went. He has done extremely well and we haven't had any problems. Academically (curriculum wise), he is well ahead of most kids we know from all over. He is in a special STEM program which offers a ton of advanced courses in math and science. He had algebra 2, high school chemisty and high school biology his freshman year. He will continue at that rate through out high school and be able to take at least Calc 1 and 2, tons of AP couses, or courses at the local college if he wants to. I think the reason the test scores are lower in North East is it is a mix of kids from all different economic levels, mostly working class. But your child can excel if they are able. The other difference is the condition of the schools. NE elementary is as nice as any school I have been in, both grounds and interior. But the middle and high schools are horrible - very old and need renovating. They are on lists, but I don't know when. It pours in the high school and they close all kinds of stairwells during heavy rain. If you look at a brand new high school, like Patterson Mill in Belair and compare it to NE, you will cry. But my son doesn't care. And academically, we feel he is in the best place. Any questions, just ask.
I am not knocking Tome but it is not for everyone. We visited before our son went to kindergarten and didn't like that they had to wear suits and ties, but that is just us. A girl from our street went to NE elementary with my son, then Tome for Middle school and now she is back at NE high school. She did not like Tome because it was so small, and loves NE high.
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