The ups and downs of Hagerstown...
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9/27/2007
Hagerstown definitely has its ups and downs and not a lot in between. My husband and I moved there with our 3 children a couple of years ago. On the upside, it IS a lot cheaper than the Frederick area where he was working. On the downside, we live in city limits and have an OUTRAGEOUS (I mean, WOW) property tax bill. It's hard to understand why considering there is only one nice street in downtown and the rest of it looks like a dirty,decaying ghetto complete with the fashion statements to boot. There is a lot to do in the surrounding areas-the county is ripe with history and outdoor activites. There is serious crime problem within city limits, but the surrounding rural areas are good. The public school system is populated with more underachieving schools than reputable ones, so you definitely have to do your homework if you send your kids there. A lot of my neighbors sent their kids into the surrounding areas for school, rather than the local ones. There are a lot of uneducated people and a lot of hypocrisy in the city offices. All in all, we found that the best way to live here is to find your niche in a church or in a good neighborhood-we made some of the best friends we've ever had there!
A.T. | Troutville, VA