Cumberland Maryland? Please tell me what you know. (Baltimore, Bethesda: leasing, how much)

[Moth]

Finally visited Cumberland last Summer on a hot Sunday afternoon. A very nice downtown, albeit a bit sleepy. Found some joint that was open and had a pretty good lunch washed down with an Old German beer.

There were a few characters milling about who looked to have seen better days, although none of them were threatening at all. Most of the locals seemed laid back and very nice.

Very impressive scenery. Obviously the exodus of manufacturing has hurt the place. It is too far from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and DC to be a commuter suburb. It needs to attract some kind of economic activity. Maybe remote working will amp the place up a bit.

Worth a return visit.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Moth

Finally visited Cumberland last Summer on a hot Sunday afternoon. A very nice downtown, albeit a bit sleepy. Found some joint that was open and had a pretty good lunch washed down with an Old German beer.

There were a few characters milling about who looked to have seen better days, although none of them were threatening at all. Most of the locals seemed laid back and very nice.

Very impressive scenery. Obviously the exodus of manufacturing has hurt the place. It is too far from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and DC to be a commuter suburb. It needs to attract some kind of economic activity. Maybe remote working will amp the place up a bit.

Worth a return visit.

Cumberland is a nice day-trip from Pittsburgh for us, as it is a scenic drive down the Historic National Road (U.S. Route 40) from Uniontown, PA. The city of Cumberland is indeed "a bit sleepy", but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There was visible poverty in the heart of the community; it would be nice if the area could attract a major employer paying $15/hr.-$20/hr.---like a distribution center. Bedford, PA, which isn't far north of Cumberland, has distribution centers for REI and Walmart. Amazon might be a good idea for a distribution center in Cumberland. The nearest Amazon ones seem to be in Pittsburgh; Winchester, VA; and Hagerstown, MD; and Carlisle, PA (the latter three along the I-81 corridor). One in Cumberland might be able to service Western MD, the Morgantown, WV area, and the Laurel Highlands of PA.

[BaltimoreBruiser]

Cumberland is also a nice day trip from over here in the Baltimore northern suburbs. I love all of Western MD. Once I pass Frederick and cross the first line of hills towards Boonsboro, my mood improves 100%. Using some Ancestry DNA magic, and tracing my family tree back using their archives, it came as no surprise that my ancestors were early pioneers of Kentucky/WV appalachia! I definitely wish there was adequate work in my field for that area. I'd move out there quick.

If visiting, stop by the Charis Winery at canal place near the stage. Nice little place to grab a sip. I think there's a brewery nearby as well. The canal area is definitely a nice spot to go relax.

[westsideboy]

Getting some large employers would be a step in the right direction, but we don't have a work force right now to sustain anything like that. We don't have enough workers to keep our existing businesses running, nearly everyone from doctor's offices to auto repair to restaurants are having issues and only open 5 or 6 days a week at most.

Dig Deep Brewery is a great anchor to the Canal Place area. The beer is good, the space is enjoyable. Charis has some wonderful wines. The guy who owns it is pretty experimental, so you can find some unique wines.

[BaltimoreBruiser]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

We don't have enough workers to keep our existing businesses running,

Dig Deep Brewery is a great anchor to the Canal Place area. The beer is good, the space is enjoyable. Charis has some wonderful wines. The guy who owns it is pretty experimental, so you can find some unique wines.

That is an excellent point, looking at the population decline over the past 70 freaking years. Sort of a paradox, eh? You need these employers to increase population, but you need to increase population to attract these employers.


And yea, the owner did the tasting for us when we went. He was a very fun, talkative fellow. I

[bufflove]

My wife and I enjoyed Dig Deep, but I'd especially recommend Locust Post Brewery to anyone traveling from points east (most everyone in Maryland). The beer and food were solid and the owner was really excited to show off all the fun steampunk-like metalwork he created for the brewery's interior. The outdoor area also looked really nice if you happen to have better weather than we had during our visit.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by bufflove

My wife and I enjoyed Dig Deep, but I'd especially recommend Locust Post Brewery to anyone traveling from points east (most everyone in Maryland). The beer and food were solid and the owner was really excited to show off all the fun steampunk-like metalwork he created for the brewery's interior. The outdoor area also looked really nice if you happen to have better weather than we had during our visit.

Good call. I forgot about this place. I haven't been back since the business started, but I was there for the owner's big Easter Egg hunt several years ago. Some of his steam punk art was for sale in a small studio on Mechanic St. in North End (near downtown.) Weird stuff, but the owner is a wood worker and craftsman of high caliber.

[Moth]

I ate at some tavern/pizza joint- cannot recall the name. Very friendly and decent grub. The décor was fantastic- where else would you see Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates memorabilia coexisting?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Moth

Where else would you see Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates memorabilia coexisting?

Gotta love that!

[Tom Lennox 70]

Cumberland is an economically depressed city, though certainly not as impoverished and crime ridden as Baltimore City or Prince George's County. I lived in Maryland years ago and the thing is that Maryland's state government is controlled by the DC suburbs and Baltimore City and their policies hurt Western Maryland. For example, Maryland has very strict "smart growth" and "high density development" rules that MIGHT make sense in Montgomery County but economically hinder cities like Cumberland where they're not allowed to expand businesses and residential areas. There was a major housing development in Alleghany County a few years back that was blocked by the state, which would have brought new growth and jobs to the area.

Also keep in mind that regardless of what happens on the federal level, Western Maryland will never be able to benefit from the coal and natural gas that neighboring parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania have because of government overregulation on the state level. Cumberland sits on the Marchellus Shale just like Western PA and West Virginia yet they're not allowed to do fracking which has brought tremendous economic growth to neighboring areas. Basically the area has the potential to see a massive economic boom from developing its natural resources, but isn't allowed to because that would offend the liberal sensibilities of the liberal elites in Bethesda and Potomac.

Cumberland would have much more potential if it wasn't in Maryland.

Morgantown, West Virginia is less than an hour to the west with similar mountain scenery, plus a better economy.