Possible Move to Salisbury Area, any suggestions? (Fruitland, North Beach: fit in, transplants)

[notsure123]

My husband may be offered a job opportunity in Salisbury, MD in the near future. I am concerned about the area and have not found much information about areas to live, etc. I have two children, ages 3 and 6, so I am very concerned about the schools. Are the public schools so bad that people send their kids to private schools? If so, which ones? Any opinions/ideas would be helpful!

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by notsure123

My husband may be offered a job opportunity in Salisbury, MD in the near future. I am concerned about the area and have not found much information about areas to live, etc. I have two children, ages 3 and 6, so I am very concerned about the schools. Are the public schools so bad that people send their kids to private schools? If so, which ones? Any opinions/ideas would be helpful!

according to others salisbury is a **** hole full of crime don't move here without a gun.

[North Beach Person]

Salisbury is the County seat of Wicomico County. a generally rural area of the Eastern Shore. Statistically crime is ceneterd in Salisbury, but as one of the larger jurisdictions on the Shore seems worse than it really is. Much of it is centered around the college.

Advantages to living in a municipality would be central water and sewer, outside of town you'll be on a well and septic (wells shut down when the power goes out if you don't have a generator) and better services such snow removal. Also town police rather than having to depend on the 2 or 3 Deputy Sheriffs and State Troopers on duty at any one time for the County.

Also, the 1 or 2 complainers are transplants to the Shore who want the residents to change their ways rather than, as a newcomer, trying to fit in.

[CelticViking]

Salisbury has evidentally gone downhill however there are some nice areas surrounding Salisbury. If I were to make the move because of a job in Saisbury I would look at areas on the outisde. Lets say Pittsville for example, Hebron, areas near Fruitland..etc.

[Dotty19]

Originally Posted by CelticViking

Salisbury has evidentally gone downhill however there are some nice areas surrounding Salisbury. If I were to make the move because of a job in Saisbury I would look at areas on the outisde. Lets say Pittsville for example, Hebron, areas near Fruitland..etc.

I agree. Pittsville is a nice place. I love it back there. And Fruitland isn't bad either. My cousin lives there and it's no time away from Salisbury University.

Now about schools, if I had the money personally I would send my kids to a private school. It's just a personal opinion, but the Salisbury schools i've been to (Parkside & Bennett) are nasty. A few people I know went to private school (can't remember the school names) in Salisbury and when they left private school they came to Stephen Decatur High School because their parents didn't want them at the Salisbury public high schools... I can't blame them.

[oncesir]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Salisbury is the County seat of Wicomico County. a generally rural area of the Eastern Shore. Statistically crime is ceneterd in Salisbury, but as one of the larger jurisdictions on the Shore seems worse than it really is. Much of it is centered around the college.

Advantages to living in a municipality would be central water and sewer, outside of town you'll be on a well and septic (wells shut down when the power goes out if you don't have a generator) and better services such snow removal. Also town police rather than having to depend on the 2 or 3 Deputy Sheriffs and State Troopers on duty at any one time for the County.

Also, the 1 or 2 complainers are transplants to the Shore who want the residents to change their ways rather than, as a newcomer, trying to fit in.

How is it that you can make such statements and not live in this area? I have friends that live in the city(Salisbury) without city water, although crime is high around the college that isnt the only area that has a crime problem and you make statements about city services such as snow removal being better just because its in the city yet I know that its not.

1 or 2 complainers??? The ppl that I know complain about Salisbury all the time, both transplants and long time residents. You'd have to be totally ignorant not to have something bad to say considering the local issues that are unresolved year after year. I highly recommend actually living in the area being discussed since this IS someones life we are possibly helping uproot.

To the OP, if you have to move to this area understand that jobs are few that offer a livable wage compared to home prices, although the housing market here was hit hard (like most areas)and that statement may be more incorrect now. Ive lived here for 6-7 years and I dont recommend the area mostly due to the crime amounts and the poor local economy. Regardless, search this forum and listen to those that have lived here or currently do. If you search enough and read through the many posts you will begin to see a common theme of truths. Also, understand that many locals even know that this area overall is a dead end. I know ALOT of ppl that feel this way and they were born and raised here but stay mostly due to family ties. Good luck.

[North Beach Person]

Man if I hated a place as much as you hate the Eastern Shore I'd either move or kill myself.


As to "how" I'm qualified to answer questions about an area where I don't live, here it is:

One of the many hats I wear has me meeting with elected officials and employees of towns all up and down the Shore and SoMD. In fact I just attended a meeting where the Salisbury Town Manager was a speaker, as was I. The new fire station is magnificent, by the way.

Water system? Are there some areas of Salisbury not connected? I don't know but it's possible in a system that is retrofitted into an area. That doesn't negate the fact that water/sewer service is a benefit in that particular municipality. Salisbury's is one of the systems the State of MD uses as an example of best practices for management and operations. Same with sewer.

Snow removal. Wicomico County Public Works is always praising Salisbury for the competence it shows. Are you one of those people who want their street done first even though it's not high on the priority list? Every jurisdiction has those lists for snow removal, first up are Police and Fire stations, hospitals and primary roads. Next are secondary roads and last are the smaller neighborhood streets.

I've never minimized the lack of jobs on the Shore, that's both a negative and part of its appeal since the lack of jobs keeps dumbass Washingtonians from colonizing it like they have Southern MD.

[notsure123]

Thank you to everyone's thoughts. I appreciate any input and look at it as a whole and not individually. I am use to living 15-20 minutes away from malls and shopping areas, so I think the outlying areas of Salisbury would be appealing. Any further opinions/info about these areas?

[jifie]

It has a nice zoo, but other than that it's gone by the wayside. Defiantly not an up and coming city. It's become a rest stop for city dwellers on their way to ocean city.

[deandre]

Yeah I jet down Sbury every now then. My boy and his crew down there