Dorsey Hall, Ellicott City, Maryland (Columbia, Elkridge: townhouse, neighborhoods, top schools)

[itsasmallworld]

Hi all,

Does anyone know anything about the Dorsey Hall subdivision? I found a townhouse I really like but am still in the exploration stage and not ready to contact a realtor with my questions, but was hoping I could get the "real deal" from the folks here.

How far is this subdivision from a bus or train station? How is the shopping in the area? The realtor's ad said you can walk to shopping, but I'm not sure that means grocery shopping or a mall or mom & pop shops. Is there a lot of ethnic diversity in the area?

The place seems great but I just want to be able to do a comparison shop and weed out certain neighbrhoods so that I can plan my visit to the area next month.

I keep hearing people talk about Dorsey Search/Dorsey Hall in Columbia, not sure if this is the same one - the ad specifically said Ellicott City, zip code 21042.

Thanks, everyone!

[newhart]

Do you have a street address? That's very close to where I live. If it's truly Dorsey Hall, then it's definitely within walking distance of the village center, which has a large grocery store, and several smaller shops. There are also professional buildings futher down Dorsey Hall Drive, where there are a lot of doctors' offices.

I think it's one of the nicer neighborhoods in the Columbia area. The townhomes are near the pool and walking paths, and the elementary school is first-rate.

I'll try and find out something about transportation.

[KDkid]

Dorsey Hall is a nice neighborhood, but most people in that area drive everywhere. Their are local buses, but it takes forever to get anywhere. As for the train station, the closest one is about a twenty minute drive. If you are planning on relying on public transporation, Ellicott City and Columbia are not the best locations.

[itsasmallworld]

I've wandered around southern maryland/dc a bit and found that after a couple of hours, the transit system made sense to me. I know that everyone drives and that MARC and other transportation systems north of DC are not as intricate, but still wanted to know what it's like.

[SmokeyLisa]

The Dorsey Hall is very close to the village center for shopping and pool access. When you see the Dorsey Hall sign, the village center is right around the corner. It is the Ellicott City section of Dorsey Search. I really like the entire Dorsey Search area, it is very nice and quiet and a good commuting location (if you are driving). I particular liked Dorsey Hall because in some cases you are slated for Centennial Schools - which are suppose to be one of the top schools in the state and one of the top based off of stats, and you have the same amenities (pathways, tot lots, pools, etc.) as Columbia (and the CA fee). There is a premium on neighborhoods that feed into Centennial schools, if your neighborhood does not feed but surrounding ones do, it may be a good investment to take the chance that you will be redistricted back into Centennial.

I agree with the previous post that most parts of Columbia and Ellicott City are not the best for public transportation. You can take the bus from the village center but most people drive. You may be better off in Elkridge, Laurel and perhaps out of HC if you want train mass transit.

Anyway, from a house perceptive, IMO, you can not go wrong in Dorsey Search.

Good Luck.