Crownsville

The nautical community of Herald Harbor has wide access to the Severn River, a few family-owned shops and restaurants and a neighborly atmosphere. “It’s just a really peaceful and very community-oriented place,” says Elizabeth Patterson, area resident and Realtor with Next Step Realty. “I’ve lived in other places where I didn’t even know my neighbors, but here, I have the best neighbors.” A variety of summer cottages and waterfront estates dot the neighborhood’s forested landscape. The average list price for homes is about $630,000, which is lower than in nearby Crownsville but higher than in Arden on the Severn. Families can gather at Herald Harbor Park or spend a day on the water. With local hotspots like Lure’s Bar and Grill or the Herald Harbor Hideaway restaurant, folks gather for a pint or karaoke night. Located on the widest part of the Severn River Sanctuary, Herald Harbor residents take advantage of the water throughout the warmer months. Whether boating, fishing, swimming or paddling around in kayaks, there is always something to do outside. For those without private docks, Smith's Marina on Ridgley Road provides boaters with a safe harbor for their watercraft. “While most suburbs feel like a blueprint, here the main roads don’t feel congested, and the open water makes everything feel more spacious. It’s like a breath of fresh air,” Patterson says. Herald Harbor Park on Kyle Road has a range of sports courts and a playground. As a DNR Program Open Space project, the park is supported by the Department of Natural Resources to provide playscapes and outdoor recreation to the local subdivision. Quiet streets wind through mature forests, leading to tightly packed summer cottages and sprawling properties with private docks and small beaches on the Severn River. “The area used to be marketed as a summer-home community,” Patterson says. In the 1920s, “You could buy lots of land by purchasing a newspaper subscription. People would buy multiple subscriptions to get multiple lots. So, you’ve got small lots, big lots, it’s not like a planned community.” Off-water, minimalist bungalows and family split-levels neighbor larger Colonial-inspired residences. Depending on their size and proximity to the water, Herald Harbor housing prices range from $400,000 to over $1 million. For those that need upgrades or complete renovations, a few properties can be found for around $250,000. Because of occasional high-rising water and heavy rainfall, some homeowners may be required to purchase flood insurance. Herald Harbor is minutes away from the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Visitors may spend an afternoon in their 16th-century English village every weekend from August to September. They can watch a blacksmith smelt iron, listen to music performances or cheer on their favorite knight in the jousting arena. Like many Renaissance fairs, guests will dine on a roast turkey leg, sip on some mead, and still be home in time to catch a shoreline sunset. The Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in nearby Crownsville hosts the County Fair, which features carnival rides, deep-fried foods, flea markets, tractor pulls and a rodeo. Herald Harbor Hideaway is a neighborhood staple with trivia on Thursdays, karaoke on Fridays and a long menu of classic bar food to go with a cold beer or cocktail. Plus, its Herald Harbor Minimart has non-perishable essentials, beer, wine and a few toiletries. On General’s Highway (Route 178), Lure’s Bar and Grill serves up seasonal fresh seafood under an impressive outdoor wooden pavilion, and every Sunday at 10 a.m., they offer brunch. Up the road, SK Pizza & Subs has a fast takeout menu with subs, pizzas and breakfast sandwiches. Nearby Annapolis, about 6 miles south, has a Safeway grocery store and the Westfield Annapolis Mall, which has over 200 retailers. Waugh Chapel Towne Center is about 8 miles west and has a Wegman’s grocery store, the Regal Waugh Chapel movie theater and plenty of chain restaurants and stores. Herald Harbor is part of the Old Mill school district in Anne Arundel County. Students in the area would start at South Shore Elementary School on Fairfield Loop Road, which teaches kindergarten through fifth grade and is rated a B-plus on Niche. Because of recent redistricting, students would then move on to Old Mill Middle School North, just off Stevenson Road in Millersville. Graded a B-minus, Old Mill Middle North has an Intro to High School Sports Club, as well as other programs and activities like dance, band and digital design. Old Mill High School, graded a B, offers a specialized program in International Economics and Finance. It is also an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. Although Herald Harbor feels tucked away from everything, “One thing I love is that it’s really accessible. You can get out and go anywhere,” Patterson says. “You’re thirty minutes from Baltimore, fifteen/twenty minutes from Annapolis, and you’re still living in a nice retreat in the woods, with a beach escape just minutes from your doorstep.” With access to Interstate 97, locals may head north to major amenities, such as Downtown Baltimore, which is about 24 miles north. The University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center is roughly 12 miles north, while the Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is about 18 miles north.