SperlingViews - Bel_Air, Maryland

As a military wife, I've lived in several states. Maryland isn't the worst, and it isn't the best. There are lots of things I like about this area. It's very scenic, there's a lot of history, and in many ways it has a small town feel. The schools aren't bad (I taught in the area for 5 years), but they aren't fabulous. Special education in particular leaves a lot to be desired. Harford County is growing quickly and the infrastructure is having a hard time keeping up. Roads that were fine as country roads don't work as well with lots of traffic. Weekends and holidays you can plan on staying at certain stoplights for at least 2, maybe 4 changes of the light before it's your turn. There's still a lot of farmland in the county, which is very nice in some ways, and terrifying in others. Putting up a subdivision on what used to be a farm is a common occurrence. As a side note, I'm pretty sure there is some kind of pact between John Deere and the developers in this area. I have never seen such huge lawns in my life. The only way to survive with that much grass is to buy a riding mower/small tractor. Coincidence? :)[read more...]

Bel Air is an excellent place to live in MD. The county is primarily conservative, Republican, in a Democratic state. Interesting dynamics.[read more...]

The schools are excellent with very good teachers especially in the Bel Air, Fallston, C.Milton Wright areas. North Harford is also good.[read more...]

The two reviews that I saw for Bel Air were a little on the extreme side, just there to draw a reaction (teenagers, perhaps?). The school system for Harford County is considered one of the best in the state of Maryland. Teachers are well thought of. I would rather send my kid to a public school in Harford County than a private school, honestly. Naturally, as in any school system, there are many excellent teachers, and a few bad apples. Enough said. Bel Air is growing. On a Saturday, traffic on Route 1 through town is a bit on the ridiculous side. Restaurants are always crowded (do people ever eat at home anymore?). There are many places to shop. As a citizen who has lived in Bel Air since 1951, I have seen many changes, and it is disconcerting, to say the least. There are many developments that are popping up all over the place. If you haven't been down a country road in a while, be prepared to discover another development. With the realignment of federal installations around the country, we are expecting a veritable boom in jobs (BRAC), but also will come more housing, which I'm not looking forward to. But remember, I'm old Bel Air, and am set in my ways. For kids growing up here, it probably is a fairly decent place to live. There are still rural areas in Harford County, so you can still "get away from it all", by a trip to Rocks State Park in the upper part of the county, with Deer Creek and Eden Mill also to the north, as examples. Aberdeen, about 20 minutes away, is the hometown of Cal Ripken, and is home to Ripken Stadium, a minor league ballpark. We are about 25 miles northeast of Baltimore, so you have many city events close at hand (yes, Baltimore has dangerous neighborhoods, but it's mostly criminal-on-criminal crime. Just stay out of the bad neighborhoods). I hope you sense my sincerity; I do think Bel Air is a decent place to live.[read more...]

Small town currently experiencing the growing pains of over-development.[read more...]

This town is just another generic suburb with no character. The people here are either suburbanites living on a cul-de-sac in a house that was stamped out to look like every other house or they are white trash, hanging out in parking lots with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. Going out to eat at Applebees, or some other disgusting chain type restaurant, is the highlight of most people's weekends. There is a WaWA (convenience store) on every corner, tons of banks, car dealerships, and the crummiest mall I have ever seen, but there is no real vital downtown. The schools are so overcrowded, that even the so-called best elementary and middle schools have the kids out in portables. C.M. Wright High School, supposedly a great school, has over 30 kids in their honors classes alone and only slightly over half of those kids go to college (those stats include community colleges). Baltimore doesn't offer much, I mean how many times can you visit the Inner Harbor, and you are risking your life every time you go down there. It is truly an ugly, dirty and dangerous city. The Chesapeake is only a 20 minute drive to the East, but you'd never know it because nobody goes there. You have to cross over I-95 to a town called Edgewood which is a crime-ridden total hole...and the crime is slowly creeping over into Bel Air. There are some great places to live in Maryland, but Bel Air isn't one of them.[read more...]

pretty boring, but there are some good hiking trails in the area[read more...]

Harford County Maryland is a good place to escape the crime, bad government and horible school system of Baltimore City and much of Baltimore County. Lower in cost of living than the DC side of Baltimore it still offers a more rural lifestyle with easy access to Baltimore, Wilmington, as well as Philadelphi and Washington DC for culture and shopping[read more...]

I'm not sure why the other poster mentioned culture was a draw for Bel air because there really isn't any culture to speak of. It's a cute town but severe urban sprawl has sent house prices skyrocketing and traffic is enough to make you want to pull your hair out. If you ride a bike, forget it, this is a VERY unfriendly area for bikers. Schools are mediocre and overcrowded and the entire county only has one descent restaurant (unless you prefer chain establishments, in which case you're all set).[read more...]

Bel Air, MD is a gem tucked away in a rather densly populater state. Good schools, culture galore and close to major hospitals, entertainment, dining and the Inner Harbor in Baltimore City is only half an hour away. Real estate is still reasonable for the region, but probably not for long. Worth a close look.[read more...]