Reviews & Comments
Bel Air town (Harford County), MD
Nice area; growing too fast -
10/1/2010As 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? :)