New Here, May Relocate

[itsbob]

Originally posted by newcomer
Well, as I'm one of those looking to relocate to the area and everyone seems to have an opinion, let me tell you what my family and I are interested in:

1) A "quiet" atmoshpere where family is important and "who's wearing what" is low on the priority list.

2) Shopping is available but NOT on every corner. I'd be happy with an hour or less drive.

3) McDonald's is a possibility when I just can't think of what to fix for dinner.

4) Schools are OK and homeschooling is welcomed.

5) Drugs and crime are at a low "normal" level where I don't have to worry at every stop I make.

6) Church involvement and volunteering is a way of life.

With all that said, would somd work for us? I'm guessing "yes" from what I've read. Any input? Now the $20,000 question...WHERE to live? Any leads--do they even exist for a managable price!--"in town" older homes?

As always, appreciate everyone's input! I'm not meaning to spark an ugly debate...

I've been here a year, and after a frustrating search for a rental (realtors are little or no help for rents) I posted an ad on SOMD for a 3 or more bedroom with the max I was willing to pay. By that evening I had over 10 replies from non-advertised properties. I found a wonderful 5 bedroom in Solomons.. GREAT location lots to do. We spend our summers out doors, joined the sail club on base, and learned to sail.. kids and I do a lot of crabbing off of our pier.. As far as adult entertainment, the Island has it all.. from the nice places.. Lighthouse, Dry Dock to the fun places.. Tike and Catamarans.. When I interviewed here I wasn't to thrilled with the area, but upon arrival I've come to love it.

Personally I would stay away form the Ranch Club.... too crowded, and have to wonder if anyone here ever heard the term planned communtiy.. But all in all, Solomons and Calvert County are both good places to live. Great schools, with young faculties, lots to do for the kids, but away from the crowd at the navy base. There are things to do in Prince Frederick, about 30 minutes away, a nice theater up there.. places to eat on our side and the St Mary's side of the river, and it's quiet.. course that may have to do with the 5 state police cruisers, and the one Prince George's cruiser in our parking lot too..

Well, feel free to ask me anything, as a newbie myself, maybe I can give you a newbie look on things...

OHHH.. and there are colleges here to go to.. from Assoc to Masters.. just about any major you want.

 

[itsbob]

Originally posted by newcomer


With all that said, would somd work for us? I'm guessing "yes" from what I've read. Any input? Now the $20,000 question...WHERE to live? Any leads--do they even exist for a managable price!--"in town" older homes?

I've been here a year, and after a frustrating search for a rental (realtors are little or no help for rents) I posted an ad on SOMD for a 3 or more bedroom with the max I was willing to pay. By that evening I had over 10 replies from non-advertised properties. I found a wonderful 5 bedroom in Solomons.. GREAT location lots to do. We spend our summers out doors, joined the sail club on base, and learned to sail.. kids and I do a lot of crabbing off of our pier.. As far as adult entertainment, the Island has it all.. from the nice places.. Lighthouse, Dry Dock to the fun places.. Tike and Catamarans.. When I interviewed here I wasn't to thrilled with the area, but upon arrival I've come to love it.

Personally I would stay away form the Ranch Club.... too crowded, and have to wonder if anyone here ever heard the term planned communtiy.. But all in all, Solomons and Calvert County are both good places to live. Great schools, with young faculties, lots to do for the kids, but away from the crowd at the navy base. There are things to do in Prince Frederick, about 30 minutes away, a nice theater up there.. places to eat on our side and the St Mary's side of the river, and it's quiet.. course that may have to do with the 5 state police cruisers, and the one Prince George's cruiser in our parking lot too..

Well, feel free to ask me anything, as a newbie myself, maybe I can give you a newbie look on things...

OHHH.. and there are colleges here to go to.. from Assoc to Masters.. just about any major you want.

 

[newcomer]

Thanks for the wonderful and encouraging post...you should be on AFN's "commercial free ad" for sponsorship!

I'll give posting a need for a house consideration...

Ciao!

 

[chatter48]

pax river

HI, I have lived right outside of Pax River Naval Air station since 1989. It has built up alot, since we moved here. Rent is expensive here, there is no other way to put it. If you are looking for perfection you difenently do not want to look in Patuxent Homes, or south essex. If you want nice but not perfect, Town Creek is ok. If you want perfection you might want to look in Wildwood homes. The Naval Base is fairly small, compared to most. With the influx of contractors traffic is a bear in the mornings. There are two colleges close by (not sure of what your major is) one is St Marys College, and the other is College of Southern Maryland. Lexington Park is the city where the base is located, California. Mechanicsville, Charlotte Hall, and Leonardtown are the surrounding citys with in St Marys County. Car insurance is outragous, utilities are not cheap either. There is no TV reception with out cable. City doesn't pick up the trash, you have to purchase trash service unless you go to the dump yourself, which cost 5.00 for residential. There are liquor stores or bars on every corner just about. Dont know if this helps, as I said I have lived here since 1989, I dont like it much but my husband works here at the base, my children are married and live here with my grandchildren, and my husband owns his own business, so I am stuck, like or not. Good luck with your move and happy house hunting. Connie

 

[RoseRed]

Re: pax river

Originally posted by chatter48
With the influx of contractors traffic is a bear in the mornings.

Excuse me??? Are you saying that traffic is bad due to the contractors working on base???

 

[Pete]

Re: pax river

Originally posted by chatter48
HI, I have lived right outside of Pax River Naval Air station since 1989. It has built up alot, since we moved here. Rent is expensive here, there is no other way to put it. If you are looking for perfection you difenently do not want to look in Patuxent Homes, or south essex. If you want nice but not perfect, Town Creek is ok. If you want perfection you might want to look in Wildwood homes. The Naval Base is fairly small, compared to most. With the influx of contractors traffic is a bear in the mornings. There are two colleges close by (not sure of what your major is) one is St Marys College, and the other is College of Southern Maryland. Lexington Park is the city where the base is located, California. Mechanicsville, Charlotte Hall, and Leonardtown are the surrounding citys with in St Marys County. Car insurance is outragous, utilities are not cheap either. There is no TV reception with out cable. City doesn't pick up the trash, you have to purchase trash service unless you go to the dump yourself, which cost 5.00 for residential. There are liquor stores or bars on every corner just about. Dont know if this helps, as I said I have lived here since 1989, I dont like it much but my husband works here at the base, my children are married and live here with my grandchildren, and my husband owns his own business, so I am stuck, like or not. Good luck with your move and happy house hunting. Connie

You are a little short sighted. I recently moved here (yes I am a contractor) from Maine, my utility bills are lower by a bunch, my insurance went up $60 a year, I didn't pay $5 for a dump sticker and would rather do that than pay a higher tax bill to have some guy toss my trash cans in the woods once a week. The traffic is nothing compared to most of the places I have lived, (CA/Memphis TN/Norfolk and yes even Maine crossing the Bath bridge) the taxes sure are nicer here than Maine, cable is almost an automatic in everyhome in America, I don't know anyone who still twists tin foil around a pair of rabbit ear antennas, and the local economy is growing. The reason rents are more expensive is because of the good wage/salaries paid here. You should look at what you have instead of what you don't. As far as the liquor stores and bars, I rarely notice them unless I am looking for one.

Good day to you Madam

 

[Ken King]

Re: pax river

Originally posted by chatter48
The Naval Base is fairly small, compared to most. With the influx of contractors traffic is a bear in the mornings.

Maybe it's because this is a Naval Air Station and not a Base. We don't have a fleet here and the active duty members are the minority on the station.

 

[Admin]

Let's take it easy on the newbies please. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if you do not agree with it. The like-it-or-leave-it approach is one of intolerance and something that we would prefer not to see.

 

[Pete]

Originally posted by Admin
Let's take it easy on the newbies please. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if you do not agree with it. The like-it-or-leave-it approach is one of intolerance and something that we would prefer not to see.

:shrug: I only pointed out that this place is no worse than most others.

 

[Sharon]

Originally posted by *archimedes*
Feel free to add to that list.

Boomerangs
Catamaran's
Jethros
Guidos
China Harbor
CD Cafe
DiGiovanni's
Harbor Sounds
Evan's Seafood
Captain Pat's Seafood

 

[itsbob]

Re: Re: pax river

Originally posted by Pete
You are a little short sighted. I recently moved here (yes I am a contractor) from Maine, my utility bills are lower by a bunch, my insurance went up $60 a year, I didn't pay $5 for a dump sticker and would rather do that than pay a higher tax bill to have some guy toss my trash cans in the woods once a week. The traffic is nothing compared to most of the places I have lived, (CA/Memphis TN/Norfolk and yes even Maine crossing the Bath bridge) the taxes sure are nicer here than Maine, cable is almost an automatic in everyhome in America, I don't know anyone who still twists tin foil around a pair of rabbit ear antennas, and the local economy is growing. The reason rents are more expensive is because of the good wage/salaries paid here. You should look at what you have instead of what you don't. As far as the liquor stores and bars, I rarely notice them unless I am looking for one.

Good day to you Madam

AMEN.. people don't know how good they have it here.. I myself lived in Rochester NH where the property taxes, utilities and weather were all unbearable.. where I had to go out and shovel down the snowbanks three or four times a season because I couldn't throw it high enough to get over the banks anymore.. I LOVE the utility bills and the property taxes here (although I don't own I rent) This area has a LOT of positives, and most of the negatives I hear or either inconsequential or the same everywhere you go.. I haven't lived ANYWHERE that someone wasn't bitching about nothing to do... but here we have jobs, income... a fairly new infrastructure.. good schools.. nice weather MOST of the time.. and lots of water..

There was a place in NH, this place was my goal in life for retirement.. Has been since the mid 80's, I would work my whole life, retire, and live out the rest of my days there.. it was Dover Point NH, on the Bay of the Piscataqua River where it opens into the ocean.. now I have found the same place in MD.. only the weather is a lot nicer.. think I'm going to retire and die here instead.

 

[RoseRed]

Originally posted by *archimedes*
Feel free to add to that list.

Spinnakers
SeaBreeze
Captain D'Rays
Sandgates
Casey Jones
Tavern at the Village
Damon's
Bear Creek
Naughty Gull
Old Field Inn

 

[pilot]

For those of you who like something more exotic, try one of the three Indian restaurants that have now moved into the area (there's now one in each county).

BTW, the one in San Souci has been taken over by new management, and it is now excellent!

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by *archimedes*
...and what is that place down by St. Inigoes, it is another one that is a woman's name...

Are you thinking about Mattie's?

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by *archimedes*
I think it might be Courtney's, run by a semi-retired waterman and his wife maybe?

Yep, there is one called that too. Mattie's is on the 235 side so it probably isn't that one. But you can see we have nowhere to eat out around here but those fast food places.

 

[RoseRed]

Did anyone mention St. James Pub?

 

[CMC122]

ST. Mary's Landing
Drift Inn
Good View( although where is the view?)
Baybreeze
Lenny's
Evans
The Roost
3 Brothers

 

[pilot]

Originally posted by *archimedes*
I was gonna put the Indian place in San Souci but I couldn't remember the name. I think I spelled Schieble's wrong, too. Also..

Linda's

and what is that place down by St. Inigoes, it is another one that is a woman's name...

The Indian place in San Souci is now called "Curry of India". There's also a "Taste of India" up near Waldorf in Smallwood Plaza. The one in Prince Frederick is called "India Garden". I think it just opened. Maybe someone can tell me about it!

The place in St. Inigoes is probably "Courtney's". Their claim to fame is that the owner actually catches the fish himself. It's excellent if you like REALLY FRESH fish. Another really good one for fresh fish is "Frank Morris Point". It's kind of isolated, but the view is absolutely spectacular.

Also, for fine dining, has anyone mentioned "Old Field Inn" or "Spinnakers" yet? "Willows" is also good.

On another note, it always amazes me when people complain about the lack of restaurants down here. While I wouldn't mind a few of my favorite chains (e.g., Olive Garden), I tend to find most chains to be REALLY BORING. If you want consistency they're OK, but if you want something really different, I'd take the restaurants we have here in Southern MD any day! And how many areas have a place like "Vera's"???

 

[Norrisca]

Relocating

Hello USNavywife,

I have lived here in Southern Maryland for over 20 years. Great place to raise kids and a great place to boat and tube or ski or go crabbing if you like the water. Crime is pretty low and people are pretty friendly, we are within an hours commute to DC and best shopping. The schools are okay, not bad but not great. Little or no night life here, some good places to eat. Lots of bars. If you need info about schools, housing or anything else, please e-mail me.

Welcome

Norrisca

 

[Hello6]

I wouldn't say "lots of bars" but coming from VA, I was shocked at the amount of liquor stores up there.
You can only get your booze bottles from the VABC stores (except on base of course) round here.