Reisterstown, Maryland

As with many suburbs of Maryland, Reisterstown is mixed ethnically, religiously and economically.  As discussed in the general overview, white ethnicities make up more than 4/5th of the population, African Americans make up approximately 1/10th of the population and the rest is mixed races: Hispanic, Indian, Asian, etc.   

As a byproduct of capitalism, there is a tri-structure of economic in the area; the richer professionals, the middle class and lower class.  If one views home prices in particular areas of Reisterstown, one will know where each class lives by the price of the homes.  There are colossal houses all the way to small colonials, townhomes, and apartment complexes. 

The religious sects are various.  Due to the large Jewish population that resides there, there are many synagogues.  As well as synagogues, there exist many church branches of Christianity: Protestantism and Catholicism.

GO TO THIS SITE TO SEE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF AGE AND POPULATION:  IT SHOWS THAT THE TWENTY SOMETHINGS MIGRATE OUTWARD IN SEARCH OF JOBS AND ENTERTAINMENT TOWARD BALTIMORE CITY.

(http://www.city-data.com/housing/houses-Reisterstown-Maryland.html)

Historic Reisterstown has mom and pop type stores that one can peruse on the weekends.  Locals seem to hang out at in the Java Mama's coffee shop.  This area offers more toward a grown crowd; for example, Harryman House—upscale to casual dining.  I used to date a girl who lived in Reisterstown.  We would go to an ice cream parlor called The Cow that has excellent ice cream.  In front of the business is a homage to the cow—a giant cow statue.    The Full moon Pub and grill has mediocre bar type food.  The bar has an outside volleyball setup within a sandpit.  The setting of the bar is mostly outdoors with a heated deck in the winter and a smoker’s deck.  It is extremely busy on Friday and Saturday evenings bringing out the 20 something’s with nothing to do. Another local favorite restaurant is North Star.  North Star has great food, billiards, volleyball, horse shoes and is rarely crowded.  Bill Batemans Bar and Grille (a chain) is generic; it offers the same as every other bar like it. Another restaurant that is worth trying is Maria's.  I have never been, but I constantly hear good things about it.  Do a Google search on these restaurants to find out specials or location/hours of operation.

One who pays higher rental prices will have a higher quality of living; the location, the newness of the home and the accomodations that the home offers will affect not only the price, but also the quality of living.

2008 cost of living index in Reisterstown: 94.8 (less than average, U.S. average is 100).

It is cheaper to live here than surrounding areas.  PEOPLE GET MORE FOR WHAT THEY PAY FOR IN REISTERSTOWN

Estimated median household income in 2007: $57,100 (it was $47,587 in 2000)
Reisterstown $57,100
Maryland: $68,080

Estimated median house/condo value in 2007: $268,700 (it was $123,700 in 2000)
Reisterstown $268,700
Maryland: $347,000

Work Cited (http://www.city-data.com/city/Reisterstown-Maryland.html)

What one can see from this is that Reisterstown--though behind the Maryland average of property appreciation--retains an upward potential for increased appreciation. It is a good place to live, to work, and for children to go to school. Property values will not decrease; therefore, it would be smarter to buy now and sit if one is planning on staying a while.
It is essential that one who invests in buying first search the school district information. The better the public schooling in the vicinity, the more the house will appreciate and retain value. There are definitely better schools than others in Reisterstown.
Rental units are a different story. There are multiple apartments and townhouses that can easily be rented. The prices vary to location and housing accommodation; as is the case anywhere. One could rent a new condominium, apartment, townhouse or house and expect to pay anywhere from $800 all the way to $3,200 range per month. Remember, when you are renting, you are essentially paying the owner the mortgage payment plus a couple hundred for his/her pocket. To see the varied living options, go to rent.com and search the area of Reisterstown.

Public transportation is offered through many bus stops that end at Chartly.  If one lives closer to Owings Mills, the bus stops become more frequent.  The metro system is great giving city-commuters a way to save money on gas and forget about parking (certain metro stations can be dangerous so carry your mace).  Below is a link for the metro and bus routes through the Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA).  The Metro can take one all throughout the city on their designated routes going all the way to Johns Hopkins University.  I-795 is within a five minute drive from almost every single neighborhood.  This connects to 1-695, I-95, I-70, I-97 and I-83 from almost anywhere; traffic rarely backs up. People also use Reisterstown road/Route 140 to go north toward Pennsylvania.  This route is slower than the other highways mentioned.  There are also traffic lights that can back up at certain times of day (mainly rush-hour).  It is better to find an alternate route during rush hours.

MTA INFORMATION

http://www.mtamaryland.com/ 

Do not jump on the first place that catches your eye.  In the wake of national foreclosures and an unstable housing crisis, one can find better living at cheaper prices when they rent or buy.  Make sure to check the school district prior to moving in because this could raise or lower the housing value. 

Google search the rental agencies and real estate market in Reisterstown as well as craigslist.com.

Mall/Movies: Owings Mills Mall and AMC Theater (large national theater complex) is about 10 min drive from the Reisterstown area. Owings Mills Mall is a colossal structure that has decent retail brands often pulling in many from surrounding suburbs to shop.

Outdoor Adventures: Soldiers Delight is a nice place to take an easy hike and has a nature center that people peruse through. More people use the nature center on weekends. Northeast Regional Park is good for soccer, baseball, and has a paved walking trail.

The town seems to be just another typical suburb that has felt the wrath of the age of "chainism." It possesses the Wal-Mart's, the Target's, the McDonald's, the Starbucks, etc; however, there is still evidence of the Ma and Pa type stores.

Most people looking for better entertainment options seem to head southward toward Baltimore City. (metromix.com)-entertainment website for the metropolis.

I would recommend Historic Reisterstown/Glyndon. It has that small town charm filled with historic houses. These quiet neighborhoods can keep one out of the limelight but still moments from things to do in the city. This area is close to such major roads as I-795 and Rte. 140/Reisterstown Rd.

If you are looking for a big newer house, go to Reisterstown, open your eyes and turn--they are building monolithic housing neighborhoods everywhere there is land.

Grocery Stores: Food Lion, Mars (sometimes has good deals but not a huge selection), and Giant.

Gym- There is a new huge Brick Bodies in the Chartley Shopping Center. I had to go there for physical therapy before and it seemed to not be too crowded.

Banks: They are everywhere. Most national banks have a few branches throughout town and a few local banks and FCU's.

The employment in the area is similar to many suburbs. The town has their lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc as well as food, entertainment, production and other hourly jobs. I think many people work within Baltimore City and commute. If one cannot find a job in their profession, all one has to do is drive fifteen to twenty minutes to the city like everyone else and it will be easy to find employment.

The unemployment statistics is below the national average: 4%

My old girlfriend had a poor experience at Franklin High. She complained about some gang activity and racial tension. She did say that they had good arts and math programs. I did not go to school in this area. I know this area has public and private schooling. The best thing to do when deciding on the school is research.

Chatsworth Elementary School is a good alternative learning school offering lots of freedom for students; no desks just tables. Sudbrook Magnet Middle School as well as Deer Park Middle School is good for children with interests in foreign language, math, science and the performing arts.

This site has recent parent satisfaction and school ratings of Reisterstown Public Schools. This may be a good indicator of where to place your children. It allows one to also check out each section of Reisterstown and their schools. http://www.greatschools.net/city/Reisterstown/MD

Housing here is cheaper than the surrounding suburbs.  If one buys and sits on a house for a while, it will increase regardless of outside influence.  Many new neighborhoods are being built as well as refurbished housing and rentals.  Drive through the area during the daytime and at night to see if the area is safe and fits your ideals of living. 

craigslist.com shows people pictures of houses sold by either individuals or agencies without having to physically see them.  This makes it quicker to weed out houses that one does not desire without wasting time. 

Baltimore weather is fickle. There will be sun shine one minute, rain the next. There is not a huge downpour of snow in the winter but a lot of ice. A good amount of accidents in the winter occur due to black ice; ice that is unnoticeable while driving. Once one hits a patch of black ice, one loses control of their car.

Our winters are cold--0-30 degrees
Our summers are moderate to hot--60-100

There is no real distinction between fall and winter or spring and summer. We do not have temperature variances of a traditional four season cycle as does many parts of the United States.