Life in Mechanicsville?
- Thread starter NurseSherri
- Start date
NurseSherri
New Member
well, I certainly appreciate all of the advice from everybody. Actually, the idea of being more rural is very appealing to me. I lived up in the mountains east of San Diego and it was a 20 minute drive just to get milk, but it was totally worth it. I just did my grocery shopping after work most of the time. 20-30 minutes to get to Target and a larger grocery store seems just fine to me. I love the idea of being surrounded by trees and having privacy. It's true, I am a nurse, so that's why I thought being close to all of the local hospital systems (30 min or so) would be good in case I don't land a job before I get out there. I am interviewing for a wound nurse position at the wound clinic at St Charles, and I am hopeful for that, but I won't be there for a few months so I am not keeping my fingers crossed too tight that they would hold the position for me. I do have to consider the morning commute with my second grader and will need after school care until I get off of work. To me, a nice quiet life seems like the change I need! I'm hoping the kids aren't as "fast" as they are here and am hoping that life itself is a bit slower there. I actually want my kid to have a real childhood! It's kind of scary coming to a place I've never been to before and know absolutely nobody... I'm praying that I can meet some new friends and enjoy our life there. We will be there at least 3 1/2 years until he retires from the Navy.
mamatutu
mama to two
If you want rural and beauty of nature, you will find it here. Where you, and your husband will work are considered congested for this area. Don't be fooled, however, that your child will have a different environment as far as negatives. The drug problem in somd is here, as it is in the rest of America. But, that being said, I have seen children rise above it, and children to succumb to it. As far as people, everyone is extremely laid back, and friendly here, and life is what you make it anywhere. I am not a native. I was raised in the South, and moved to metro MD in 1984, and rural MD in 1998. It is absolutely beautiful, for the most part, and no place is perfect. Bottom line is I think you will like it here; it will just be an adjustment. Moving is one of the top 5 most stressful things you can ever do! Once you get past that, you will be fine. I am a transplant, and think somd is probably one of the last untouched areas you could move; even though, it is feeling the problems of progress into the future, which cannot be avoided. I am sure it will work out for you, and good luck with your move!
NurseSherri
New Member
thanks a lot mama tutu.... I know it is a challenge to raise kids anywhere these days, but the drugs here are just so prevalent... my "friend's" daughter was caught having sex at age 11 and was just busted over the weekend in a car with friends with weed and alcohol! The problem I have with that is that the parents here seem to make light of these kinds of behaviors, "oh, they are just a little wild"... it's scary! I can't wait to absorb the beauty of the forest and the water. It is a huge adjustment for sure... however, I grew up in Pittsburgh and moved to San Diego in 1998, so I understand the culture shock thing. I do believe life is what you make of it, and I truly think we will be happy there. Plus my family is only 5 hours away! We will be there in time for Christmas... supposed to be leaving here right at the end of November. I'm sure I'll be writing more posts and asking many more questions, so I thank you all in advance!
mamatutu
mama to two
The world is small, as in that 6th degree thing. One of my brothers and his fam live outside Pittsburg in New Kensington. They moved there years ago because he used to work for NASA, but started his own safety compliance company. He met his lovely wife at NASA and their company is thriving, and they are partners. I like to think of them as bucking the system!
Also, another location to look at is Benedict, which is not far from Hughesville/Mechanicsville. It is very small, as in extremely small, but historic (The British landed their in 1812 to siege Washington), wonderful old houses, quaint, friendly, on the water. My FIL and BIL live there. Just to let you know of other possibilities. Side story: When we moved to somd, we stayed in Benedict for a month before moving into our house in Saint Leonard. My first time on the Pax river beach, I put my blanket down to sit and take it all in. I looked to my right, and there was an arrowhead just sitting there. I was in awe, like who planted this! It is now at the Jefferson Patterson Park museum. My claim to fame! 
Sorry to break it to you, we have no shortage of that happening around here.
I have joked that if the St Marys county deputies noses were unable to 'detect the smell of burnt marijuana', they wouldn't have any arrests at all.
The good news is that around here at least with the kids, pot and diverted prescription drugs are the main problem. Comparatively little meth and not a lot of heroine. For some reason, the kids are not often caught with crack, that is more of a problem of the over 40 crowd.
But those problems exist wherever you go to some extent or another. All you can do is to keep your kids busy with sports and activities and to hope for the best.
If this is your fiances last duty assignment, be prepared to live in soMD for a long time ;-) . The place is full of folks who came with the navy and then sort of got stuck, mostly due to the job opportunities in the defense contracting sector around the base. So keeping that in mind, I would not buy a home right when you move here. Rent for a year, scout out the neighborhoods and traffic patterns. See if you can find a job that suits you.
If rural living is something you are looking for, there are some nice neighborhoods between La Plata and Mechanicsville (Dentsville area) that would give you a short commute to La Plata for your kids schools, access to Waldorf for jobs and still provide your fiance with a very doable commute.
OldHillcrestGuy
Well-Known Member
Yes I know there are tons of brand new apartments, condo's and town homes in Waldorf, especially along Billingsley Rd. and they do look very nice, but how long before they will have to be fenced in and gated like others along St Charles Pkwy?
Its quite a ride from Waldorf to Pax (35 or so miles) for her hubby and if you were to compare schools I would think the schools are better in St. Marys.IMO
Alot of people bash Waldorf on here all the time, I have no real problems with Waldorf, I have lived in SoMd.for 42 years, worked in Waldorf for 13 years, we do 75% of our shopping there,all my doctors are there.
In that post I pretty much left Waldorf out just so that it didnt end up being a bashed by others on the forum.
In your post you directly called out Waldorf as having no nice apartments...Not sure how that is pretty much leaving Waldorf out...? Anyway, my point was there are new things there. That's all.
Personally, I live 5 min from Gate 2 for now and it's just fine for my girlfriend and I. I enjoy having a very short commute.
OldHillcrestGuy
Well-Known Member
My bad, I just reread my post, I did completely leave out the nice new ones built along Billingsley Rd. They are very nice and I have commented to wife how nice they look. Also heard they were high $$$. I use Billingsley all the time when going to Waldorf if its anything south of the Rt.5, Berry Rd., 301 intersection.
Dear NurseSherri
FYI - there is "Mechanicsville" which is a spot along MD Route 5 and there is the Mechanicsville zipcode. It's a zipcode that almost goes from the Potomac to the Patuxant rivers.
There are more than likely a few "rough patches" in that area.
The only drawback, as I see it, is a decent grocery store.
Otherwise you aren't missing out on anything else the area doesn't have to offer.
FYI - there is "Mechanicsville" which is a spot along MD Route 5 and there is the Mechanicsville zipcode. It's a zipcode that almost goes from the Potomac to the Patuxant rivers.
There are more than likely a few "rough patches" in that area.
The only drawback, as I see it, is a decent grocery store.
Otherwise you aren't missing out on anything else the area doesn't have to offer.
cough, you might want to talk to Sheriff Tim Cameron about the drug problem in St. Mary's County. It's not just put, it's heroine and worse. The Sheriff has been very candid when speaking to local groups that the drug problem is not isolated to a few "bad" neighborhoods and it's not relegated o minor drugs. Let us not forget the biggest drug of choice, alcohol.
I do get a laugh when I hear or read that line ("detect the smell of burnt marijuana"). Sad statement is that it typically comes after stopping a young male driver... maybe it's a pretext for searching the vehicle, but it typically results in finding something. (Call it profiling or predictable behavior on the part of the drivers).
dixiepeach
Member
I agree! Schools in Mechanicsville are great! And I don't need or want a Target or WalMart on every corner.
Beta
Smile!
Another good thing about the location of Mechanicsville -- if things don't work out at St Charles or St Mary's hospital, the Calvert hospital in Prince Frederick is also a reasonable distance (~30 min).
One thing that may be different -- that 20 minute drive won't have as much traffic, or traffic lights. It'll be mostly country road heading to the grocery store.
I made a quick question thinking you were someone else. I didn't say anywhere "why" you moved there or "how" you should think -- clearly you're having your own issues if you're going that over-the-edge for a minor comment.
It's funny that you compare Food Lion and McKay's to Safeway and Giant. None of them are that great and consistently all rate low nationally (and of course, my 3 favorites are ranked top 3, so there's that). Granted, Giant are probably the best in this general vicinity, but that's not saying much, especially if you're trying to give a San Diego person an honest view. None of them compare in that case. IMO the Food Lion in Charlotte Hall is decent, but not great. It's passable as a grocery store and if you really need something better for a few additional needs, she or her husband can get them on the way home from work. I do that all the time when I need something at the Giant in California. Big whoop
Oh and sorry, I'm not your fellow trailer trash neighbor. Don't try to bring me down with you.
There are PLENTY of drawbacks to Mechanicsville. I guess if you don't count Charlotte Hall, then Mechanicsville has even less. I wouldn't say a "decent grocery store" is the main drawback, though. The Food Lion is decent and the McKay's to the south is decent. The McKay's at the north end of the county is crap, but maybe when they eventually move to the yet-to-break-ground-but-should-open-in-2012-plaza, it'll improve.
The main drawback to Mechanicsville is proximity to everything. Then again, as someone who came from an area similar to San Diego, I'd say this whole discussion is silly because the ENTIRE tri-county area is seriously lacking. I suppose it's all relative.
If you read my post, I did not say that meth and heroine are not a problem. Having lived and worked in a couple of places, the meth and heroine problems in other locations are worse than in St Marys co. Most of the high school and community college aged kids that get busted around here get in trouble for diverted prescription drugs and pots, heroine deaths and trailers that blow up from meth cooking are not as common a sight as in other parts of the country.
Yeah, I would like to audit that too and see how many searches after establishment of this 'probable cause' come up clean. The fact that I am apparently not the only one who chuckles about this line tells me that I am not the only one who thinks that it may be bogus. The odds of finding contraband in the car of a 17-22 year old are apparently high enough that pulling them over at random has enough of a yield to make it worthwhile.
