Carroll County Problems/Pitfalls

Lived in Carroll almost 12 years. I have seen a change but coming from PG county, this place is a different planet.

The schools are good. Use to be the top rated in MD, up until a few years ago. With the influx of non English speaking kids into the school meeting the same level of tests scores is impossible. More schools are becoming targeted title 1 schools and some are now title 1 schools, title 1 isn't a good thing. It basically means the school gets more resources due to the falling test scores. Teacher are the lowest paid in area but they finally got a raise this year.

Dewees is trying to get a handle on our (the whole state really) drug problem.

Fire Depts. are getting better funding now. For an almost all volunteer county they are getting it done.

Don't know if we are really ever going to get rid of the resident troopers. I for one want them to stay. Cheaper in my opinion.

Roads get paved and I don't know how we afford it. State must be paying a good chunk.

We thought about PA too. But after some research taxes were too high. They tax for Everything.

If we could limit growth better Carroll will stay the best place on this side of the state.

I moved from Moco a year and a half ago. The only regret I have is that I didn't move here a long time ago, when my kids were young. Now they are a college grad and college student that both live with us and they too wish we had come here long ago. I am much happier here. I work mostly in DC but the commute is well worth it. As soon as I get out of Moco on my way home from work,I truly feel a release and hope it stays that way for the rest of my days.

I'm a western Howard County resident and we too are thinking hard about moving, although probably to Frederick County. We looked at several houses in the Monrovia area and really liked it. Although my wife and I both agree that the next move is it. We are looking for the home we will die in. And ideally I'd like to be out of state but as long as I'm making pretty good money here I will deal with the BS.

fabsroman said:

So, we are contemplating a move to Carroll County. Nicer house, bigger yard, etc. Most importantly, hoping for like minded people. I've been to the belly of the beast here in Howard County and it is ugly.

So, what is bad in Carroll County? School system? Although, the area we are looking at all three phases of schools are 9 out of 10. Government? Gun laws?

Give me a heads up before I commit to this in its entirety. That way, I at least have some idea of what to expect in Carroll County over the next 20 years.

Thought I was safe picking western Howard County over Potomac, Bethesda/Chevy Chase, Cabin John, etc., but it appears that I will really regret this decision in 10 years, if not less. Just slightly regretting it right now.

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well i think you know what im going to say.. you have been out to my farm. We moved from Owings Mills, MD to Glenville, PA (basically on the MD/PA state line) and i have never regretted it.
i have slowly learned out here that everyone somehow knows everyone through someone. I keep meeting people that know about the farm i bought and the family that used to own it.

The biggest plus side, is feeling welcome and trust. I have met some great people that live around me. Like minded and trusting. I have only been up here for 2 years and already we help each other out. Building roofs, butchering animals, sharing crops and plowing each others drive ways.
And if you are pro gun, which i know we are here, sunday is like family gun day around here. Every sunday around 1-2pm you will hear people out having fun with their targets.

I just recently had surgery on my spine and i cant believe the amount of people that come over to help. From helping stack firewood closer to the house or just bringing our mail up the driveway.

one negative for me: no one delivers food out here.

OrangeSpear said:

well i think you know what im going to say.. you have been out to my farm. We moved from Owings Mills, MD to Glenville, PA (basically on the MD/PA state line) and i have never regretted it.
i have slowly learned out here that everyone somehow knows everyone through someone. I keep meeting people that know about the farm i bought and the family that used to own it.

The biggest plus side, is feeling welcome and trust. I have met some great people that live around me. Like minded and trusting. I have only been up here for 2 years and already we help each other out. Building roofs, butchering animals, sharing crops and plowing each others drive ways.
And if you are pro gun, which i know we are here, sunday is like family gun day around here. Every sunday around 1-2pm you will hear people out having fun with their targets.

I just recently had surgery on my spine and i cant believe the amount of people that come over to help. From helping stack firewood closer to the house or just bringing our mail up the driveway.

one negative for me: no one delivers food out here.

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Lived in Ellicott city for 10 years, went to high school and college in HoCo, dad still lives there, the place is miserable, and has gotten worse in every way. Moved to Taylorsville in Carroll county, like a different planet, people were cool, lots of things to do, lower cost of living, but still in MD. Moved up here East of Red Lion 9 years ago, the difference is at least as big as the difference between HoCo and Carrol, people are great, everything is cheaper, the government treats you like an adult, and while taxes suck, they average out a little less than a comparable house in MD would have. And we live in what the locals refer to as a S#!tty little town, friends out in more rural areas of York and Lancaster counties have it made, still plenty to do, but less trouble and better people than we have. Once you go upstate, away from the urban droogs, it's like going back in time before everything sucked.

Once you go upstate, away from the urban droogs, it's like going back in time before everything sucked.

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It doesn't take long out of Maryland to learn that most of the country is like that. A few (relatively very) small areas around urban hell-holes have the MD feel, but most of the country feels just like America used to feel.

My wife would echo the complaint that nobody delivers food, and there's not a lot of variety even if you go to town. The next town past our tiny town is a college town, so there's pizza and pizza fast food and a Chinese buffet. The nearest mediocre Italian restaurant is an hour away. No Thai food, no Indian food (small college towns here aren't as diverse). Very generic Mexican place, lots of good steak places (all very affordable).

I am partial to New Windsor (not the city). Been here since 99 from Western HoCo. You can still find land, (I am on three acres) for a decent price. No complaints with the schools. They still wish you Merry Christmas and don't have mixed gender restrooms. The taxes are less and I get concerned when I don't hear gunshots!

OrangeSpear said:

well i think you know what im going to say.. you have been out to my farm. We moved from Owings Mills, MD to Glenville, PA (basically on the MD/PA state line) and i have never regretted it.
i have slowly learned out here that everyone somehow knows everyone through someone. I keep meeting people that know about the farm i bought and the family that used to own it.

The biggest plus side, is feeling welcome and trust. I have met some great people that live around me. Like minded and trusting. I have only been up here for 2 years and already we help each other out. Building roofs, butchering animals, sharing crops and plowing each others drive ways.
And if you are pro gun, which i know we are here, sunday is like family gun day around here. Every sunday around 1-2pm you will hear people out having fun with their targets.

I just recently had surgery on my spine and i cant believe the amount of people that come over to help. From helping stack firewood closer to the house or just bringing our mail up the driveway.

one negative for me: no one delivers food out here.

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Man, I am sorry to hear about your back. I hope you are on the mend and feeling better. If you need any help up there, let me know. I am somewhat mobile now. Granted, work is about to get pretty busy for me here, but I can probably spare a day or two over the next couple of weeks.

As far as getting help around here, when we first moved in 6 years ago, there were plenty of people that helped us. Had the guy behind me come by with his tractor to plow my driveway. He moved 2 years ago and we got some worthless neighbors back there now. Then, another neighbor brings us vegetables and I give him firewood. Another neighbor has plowed my driveway. Another neighbor brings my wife flowers. A guy at the end of the street, that I ride with, offered to help me install the new furnace. Then, ROBAR offered to drop off a load of firewood to me this fall when I told him about my achilles rupture. There are still some good people in this area, just not as many as there used to be.

You and ShafTed are the two people that are pulling me to PA. If I did not think it would be too far of a drive for my parents, I would be there in a heartbeat. My wife was actually talking about it the other day. She had been looking at houses in PA, and she was shocked at what we could get for the money. Hell, what you got shocked the crap out of me. When you had told me you bought a "farm", I thought it was like others on here that had 4 to 10 acres and they called it a "farm". Then, I visited, you showed me around, and damn did you buy a FARM. SOB

What you have, is what I want. Just not that far away from my parents. My parents talk about moving, but they have no idea when or where. Probably going to be like my grandmother in DC. She talked about it all the time until she fell down the stairs for the third time and she had to go to assisted living. My parents are never going to move, so I need to figure something out that is within an hour drive for them, which means I can add 30 minutes of drive time from where I am at now.

I might know of a "farm" that "might be getting sold for around 350k on Old Liberty Rd, near Mt. Pleasant, in Frederick County.

It even has enough land to shoot on from the back of the house.

DaemonAssassin said:

I might know of a "farm" that "might be getting sold for around 350k on Old Liberty Rd, near Mt. Pleasant, in Frederick County.

It even has enough land to shoot on from the back of the house.

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If that is the case, and you are not interested in it, let me know if/when it goes up for sale. Any chance that geese/ducks visit it? One place I was looking at in Carroll County was 100+ acres with part of it on the Monocacy and the vast majority of it tillable. Problem is that we don't have enough to put down on a $550k property such that we can afford the mortgage. $350k might be doable.

Growing up in Carroll my whole life I can say Carroll is a wonderful place to live. My biggest issue is neighbors moving up from more suburban areas of Maryland who complain some about gunfire. I've had interactions with the local county sheriff who have made contact about the complaints and told me we were within our legal rights, always pleasurable. Small town America still exists out here