Annapolis, Maryland Reviews

Annapolis, MD is a picturesque city known for its Colonial-era architecture and rich maritime history. It boasts a beautiful waterfront, many historic sites to explore, and plenty of outdoor activities ranging from hiking and biking to sailing and kayaking. Annapolis is a popular tourist destination that draws people from all over the world for its culture and charm. Reviews of Annapolis are overwhelmingly positive, with visitors praising the city's diverse array of attractions including its charming downtown area full of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. Many also note the friendly locals who make visitors feel welcome in their city. The waterfront is always alive with activity, from boat tours to festivals that celebrate local artisans and musicians. With so much to enjoy it's no wonder Annapolis is consistently rated as one of the best places to visit in Maryland!

based on 31 Reviews

Get to know Annapolis with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Annapolis

Areas of historic charm surrounded by ugly sprawl. - 11/3/2022
Annapolis has extremely charming areas (mostly old Annapolis neighborhood's)--
Those very old area near the water have Amazing charm. You can start with downtown West Street.

.....But unfortunately, a lot of Annapolis is ugly-to-charmless strip malls - one shopping center that runs into the next next shopping center - and on and on. So Annapolis charming areas are surrounded by a choking, sprawled out, and quite ugly uncontrolled endless strip shopping mall chaotic sprawl.

This is thanks to the same kind of corrupt and uncontrolled development practices that plagued Anne Arundel County's neighbor, Prince Georges County. You can thank corrupt and now retired county leaders for much of this. They sold their souls-- and much of Annapolis-- to greedy, half-hazard and very unimaginative developers. The damage will take 150 years to correct, if it ever is corrected.
Read More

Phil | Marlboro Village, MD | Reply | No Replies

Agree 32 Disagree 40

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Has its charms but a bit noisy and expensive - 4/22/2020
Well, I really would give living in Annapolis 3.5 stars.

I moved here by myself several years ago. One of the highs of this place is that there are a lot of terrific bars and restaurants here. It's Monday evening and you came home from work and don't feel like staying in? Then head downtown for pizza or a burger. OR be part of a CrossFit box and enjoy a tough workout with other likeminded individuals. The fitness community here is pretty vibrant and active--there are are many places to get a good workout in.

And you should see the downtown area during the holidays! It is gorgeous, and not only that, so much of the town is out and about shopping during Midnight Madness. For each of the first two Thursdays in the month of December, the stores downtown are open until midnight, and lay out cookies and cocoa.

If you want peace and quiet where you live, and you happen to be a renter on a middle-class budget, that can be harder to find here. The Read More

Mike | Annapolis, MD | Reply | No Replies

Agree 146 Disagree 118

Enjoyed Annapolis- But Chose Another City - 2/4/2019
When we were trying to decide where in the USA to relocate to, Annapolis had enough interest that it made our list. Ultimately, we found a different city that offered many of the same amenities at a fraction of the price. Here's what we found.

With an historic downtown, Annapolis shares many of the same amenities as Wilmington NC (where we happily chose!) in terms of walkability, being a port city, and any number of good restaurants.

The weather in Annapolis is decidedly colder than in Wilmington, where winters are far more mild. Against that, Annapolis will give access to all that the DC Metro Area has to offer- so proximity is a big plus, in terms of culture and six figure salaries.

But is it really worth it? We were looking for quality of life. Traffic in the DC Metro area is amongst the worst in the nation. There are no sandy beaches in easy reach- Wilmington offers several, only 15 minutes away. The cost of living in Annapolis is incredibly Read More

Samira | Wilmington, NC | Reply | 1 Reply

Agree 199 Disagree 175

Nap Town - 9/4/2016
Used to be "happening" in the 80's early 90's when home grown businesses were able to set up shop downtown. Now the state of MD has homogenized everything with big corporations and less local opportunities for small business. Hopefully Larry Hogan will change things. I grew up here but have moved to a more local Read More

jen | Colonial Beach, VA | Reply | No Replies

Agree 285 Disagree 286

Growing - 2/9/2016
Annapolis is a charming town that nestles on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, the largest Estuary in the lower 48. It is a paradise for boaters, seafood enthusiasts, had a thriving downtown area, the Naval Academy, places to shop, eat, entertain, and just look around. Unfortunately the cost of living is high and they are now overdeveloping the surrounding area with an avalanche of strip malls, medical buildings, car washes, and a plethora of unneeded eyesores. We have thoroughly enjoyed living here for the last 10 years but now a new adventure awaits in our new home in Santa Fe, NM. Stay tuned for Read More

Marc and Joanne | , | Reply | No Replies

Agree 236 Disagree 229

It's a great city - 2/5/2015
I like the employment opportunities, great if you know people like family out here, very nice people, solid church experiences, lot's growth potential and health potential as a person, fairly insulated from the economy. Close to D.C. and B-More, and lot's of energy though it has crazy drivers, a lot of escorts are here because of the very high crime in the local area, major drug hub between Baltimore and D.C. not very good public transportation, a strange recovery community, no full time jobs in the immediate area, the thinking is not very solid in local government. No sports culture other than boating. B+ experience at best even if your an Type A person.Thankfully, I am very young and can recover the experience, all the older rich retirees have moved Read More

Vincent | Annapolis, MD | Reply | No Replies

Agree 183 Disagree 197

Great place to live - 8/29/2014
Very nice people, educated, wealthy, high cost of living, great quality of life, very old fashioned and spiritual. High high crime rate. Tons of healthy people. Good schools, huge income disparity. Great if you have a college degree, the best support programs in the nation, be loyal , go to bat for these people and they will love you and open the door for you. It's becoming more corporate, Silicon Valleyish as well as like Northern Virginia which is good for the economy. Do not get caught in working retail and restaurants, it's like Read More

Vincent | Annapolis, MD | Reply | 1 Reply

Agree 125 Disagree 131

Housing Expensive - 7/9/2014
I moved back to the Maryland area after living in Georgia and was shocked at housing. I live in Annapolis for education/sports opportunities for my son, and spend one of the two checks I get from work on housing, NOT including utilities.

It's a very transient area, because of military families. I do have a nice group of neighbors, but it can change so quickly where all of the sudden there are 5 vacant apartments in my building.

Here is a comparison with housing to give you a feel for value. I lived in a similar demographic complex in Georgia in 2008. I paid $715/mo for a 3 bedroom, 2full 1 1/2 bath apartment with a pet fee for two dogs, and a washer and dryer included in my apartment. It was a two story townhouse with a fireplace and full living room and dining room. We had a fitness room and pool. I checked the current rent in same complex, and it's now $780 6 years later.

In Annapolis, I pay $1500 for a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment. I Read More

Tracy Ann | Annapolis, MD | Reply | No Replies

Agree 167 Disagree 148

Unparalleled quality of life! - 5/28/2012
Annapolis, Md is a place hidden in plane site. As if people not in the know are ignorant of it's value. Annapolis is host to many attractions, including the Naval Academy,the downtown Historic district and the bay. Truth is there are so many things to do here you'll not be bored much. Annapolis is the kind of place where you live your whole life, somewhere where you feel welcome whoever you are. We have a vast array of wealth and poverty, it's quite an odd mix for such a some town (population of around 40,000).
Here you'll find social elites and social misfits. It's all about what neighborhood you live in, although real estate is on the higher end (the average home is valued at $700,000)you'll find that there is some poverty, mostly due to many housing projects, there are exactly six government owned housing projects within the city of Annapolis. But anyways you'll find that Annapolians are a quite bespoke kind of people, were born and bread the play Lacrosse, were born with a Read More

Ross Enzo | Annapolis, MD | Reply | 1 Reply

Agree 147 Disagree 103

Running and Cycling - 6/5/2011
If you are a runner or a cyclist, Annapolis and its surrounding areas (mostly to the South like Harwood, Edgewater, etc) offer very good choices to enjoy the sports.
Drive south on MD Rt 2 a few miles (5 or 7) and you will find a network of roads set in a rural environment (I'm talking about just you, green farmland and the cows on a Summer morning...) where you can run or cycle till your heart is content. There is very little traffic and the drivers of the few cars that you encounter are courteous and mindful of your safety. Read More

Ed | Harwood, MD | Reply | No Replies

Agree 103 Disagree 137

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United States / Maryland / Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metro Area / Anne Arundel County / Annapolis / Zip Codes