Frederick

At first glance, East Frederick might seem like nothing more than warehouses and a municipal airport. As the home of car rental chains, marble and granite companies and auto repair shops, the neighborhood is not exactly packed with trendy establishments that come alive on the weekends. But look a little closer and it's clear that East Frederick is one of the fastest-growing residential parts of town. Sleek townhouses, condominiums and stone-outfitted contemporary homes are under construction in an enclosed residential area touching the municipal airport. A distillery, car rental services and a doggy daycare operate from nondescript warehouse structures with little foot traffic. In the fall, everyone heads to this side of town to ride the Ferris wheel and pet baby farm animals at the storied Great Frederick Fair. Neighbors can drive to biotechnology companies in Riverside Corporate Park in minutes. “The East Frederick dynamic is this: North and west of town is established. There’s Baker Park and Hood College north of downtown, and there’s a great community there, whereas east is a little bit industrial. The idea is as Frederick grows, where is it going to grow? It can only grow east,” says Drew Hopley, operator at Live Frederick Group with Keller Williams Realty Centre. In East Frederick, along Carroll Creek, is a new community called Renn Quarter. Developed by homebuilder D.R. Horton, Renn Quarter is a residential neighborhood of traditional homes and townhouses under construction as of early 2024. It’s an extension of the effort to extend downtown eastward. “Renn Quarter is popular because it’s new. The more established East Church is across the street,” says Hopley. “The eastern development is an opportunity zone for developers and builders, but there’s a lot of debate about whether we have the appropriate infrastructure and roads, and what that means.” A paved pathway will eventually connect Renn Quarter with downtown via Church Street, and 32,000 square feet of commercial space will come online. Townhouses can cost upwards of $500,000 and traditional single-family homes can cost more than $700,000. On the south side of the neighborhood – the area below Interstate 70 – midcentury single-family homes sit next to each other on grassy streets, some behind chain link fences. Ramblers from the 1960s can go for $387,000, and with renovations, they can cost more than $500,000. Besides the new residential developments, East Frederick has the Frederick Municipal Airport, an aircraft service and repair operation, plus a flight school. Every year, the neighborhood’s Frederick Fairgrounds host the Great Frederick Fair, a weeklong, family-friendly agricultural fair and Frederick tradition since before the Civil War. Every year at the fair has a different theme – 2023’s was “Cowboy Boots & Downhome Roots, let’s stirrup some fun!” The theme for 2024 has yet to be revealed, but kid-friendly shows, livestock racing, baby chicks and live music are always part of the fun. East Frederick is residential and industrial as it currently stands, but it does have some fun places to check out. Inside a warehouse near the airport is the Garage, a popular restaurant where people eat pizza and wings at wooden picnic tables. Next door is Dragon Distillery, where locals sip Basilisk Bourbon and lemon meringue moonshine inside the tasting room. Juicy burgers, thick-cut French fries and onion rings are served at Beef ‘n Buns ‘n Paradise, where the bright yellow trim and alligator statue would not be out of place across from a beach in Florida. Doughnuts in flavors like French toast, lemonade and caramel sundae are served hot at the Fractured Prune. Breweries like RAK Brewing and Attaboy Beer sit along Carroll Creek near Patrick Street. Retailers like Costco and Walmart Supercenter sit along Interstate 70, a drive of about 10 minutes. Downtown Frederick and its restaurants featuring Thai, Japanese, Spanish and new American cuisine are less than 5 minutes away by car. Frederick County Public Schools are well-regarded, with an A-minus grade from Niche. Public schools serving East Frederick include Spring Ridge Elementary School, Governor Thomas Johnson Middle School and Governor Thomas Johnson High School. All three schools have a B-plus rating from Niche, and high school students can study dance, music and theater through the district’s Academy for the Fine Arts. Many locals work in town, including at major biotechnology companies at Riverside Corporate Park. But some locals commute into cities like Washington D.C. and Baltimore, which are an hour away by car. Interstates 70 and 270 cut through town.

Homes and townhouses built in the 1970s line the residential streets of Amber Meadows, a Frederick neighborhood within walking distance of schools, a community park and dozens of medical offices along Thomas Johnson Drive. Ricardo Diaz, a Realtor at TGP Homes and former Amber Meadows resident, describes the area as a settled, working-class neighborhood where people tend to keep to themselves. "If you were to drive your car through there on a Saturday, there's a lot of parked contractors, carpenters and work vans," he says. "A lot of people that live there have been there for quite a long time." Most homes come in split-level and bi-level styles and sell for between $350,000 and $450,000. "Home values are a bit lower [than the Frederick average] because of the age of the homes," Diaz says. "But it's exploded in the last five or six years. You could get a townhouse for $150,000 to $170,000 as late as 2018, and now they're selling for over $300,000." Townhouses in Amber Meadows were mostly built in the 1970s and come with two or three bedrooms and brick or wood siding. Fresh coats of paint and trimmed lawns and landscaping give the neighborhood a well-maintained look, despite the age of the homes. Some houses have one- or two-car garages, while others have street or driveway parking. Frederick’s largest employer, Fort Detrick, sits across the street from Amber Meadows. The Fort is an army base and biomedical research facility with nearly 11,000 employees. Route 15 also borders Amber Meadows on the east, connecting drivers to Interstate 270 heading southeast into Washington, D.C. and Interstate 70 heading east into Baltimore. D.C. is about 50 miles from Amber Meadows, and Baltimore is about 55 miles. "There's no public transportation from Frederick to Baltimore, but there's hardly any traffic on 70. Whereas, if you're going on 270 [towards D.C.], you're sitting in traffic and hating your life," Diaz says. Commuters from Frederick to D.C. often prefer to travel to the District on the light rail from the Frederick MARC Train Station. The 515 bus also departs from Monocacy MARC train station at the Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick to the Shady Grove Metro Station, which takes riders into D.C. on the Red Line. Amber Meadows' CAP Index crime score is a 4, which is on par with the national average. ZiPani, near the neighborhood's southern tip, is a former franchise restaurant turned local institution. "[It] was an old franchise that went defunct. The guy who owned that location bought out the rights and kept his little coffee shops," Diaz says. "He's owned it now for 30 years, and he's made his own menu." The restaurant serves breakfast bagels, coffee, sandwiches and salads. Vocelli Pizza serves pasta dishes, stromboli and subs in addition to pizza. Many local restaurants in the area shut down during COVID, but Diaz says some businesses have started to return. Que Chivo Pupuseria & Restaurant is a family-owned Salvadorian eatery off Amber Drive. For groceries, Weis Markets is off Thomas Jefferson Drive, which has over three dozen dental and medical offices. Frederick Health Hospital is also about 2 miles south. Amber Meadows Park is within walking distance of many residents and has tennis and basketball courts, a softball field and playground equipment that was replaced in 2017. The Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Frederick offer more recreation opportunities, including the Appalachian Trail, which borders Frederick on the west and spans over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine. Nearby Gambrill State Park has 16 miles of trails and expansive mountain views. "It's a huge mountain biking destination," Diaz says. "People travel here from all over." Students in Amber Meadows typically attend Monocacy Elementary School and Monocacy Middle School, which earned B and B-minus grades from Niche, respectively. Both schools are within walking or biking distance for many residents in Amber Meadows. Older students usually attend B-plus-rated Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, just south of Amber Meadows off North Market Street. Any student in the county attending Frederick County Public Schools can audition to join TJ High School's Academy for the Fine Arts. This magnet program offers courses in dance, music, theater and visual arts. Students in the program have opportunities to earn college credit, work with industry professionals, and travel to experience and learn more about various art forms. Amber Meadows does not have a homeowners association, and Diaz explains that the community doesn't typically hold neighborhood events. However, residents are close to annual events such as The Great Frederick Fair in September and the Maryland Craft Beer Festival each May in Carroll Creek Park. Downtown Frederick also hosts First Saturdays, where locals can pop into art galleries and boutiques, enjoy live music on the streets and browse local vendors.

Grassy fields, trails and a lake: you might think of a small rural town, not Frederick, Maryland. Cradled to the south by a crescent-shaped park of the same name, Baker Park is Frederick’s snapshot of nature just west of downtown. This planned community’s streets fan out from central Frederick into a grid structure, where most homes have green space between them. Yards host the occasional European Beech or Scarlet Oak tree. Narrow, concrete sidewalks are well-maintained and easily walkable. You won’t find many cul de sacs here because the streets and sidewalks are grid-like. Depending on the street, you’ll see single-car driveways or street parking, but don’t worry about the latter: it’s not cramped, by any means. <br><br>Homes in Baker Park take inspiration from their European ancestors. Pitched roofs, window shutters and brick are all present with these colonial, Italian and Spanish revivals, whose facades are slightly obscured by mature trees. For homes slightly elevated above street level, tiny staircases branching off the sidewalk lead to porches whose stairs follow suit. Here and there, you can see a chimney peeking out from the tree line. The number of bedrooms in each home varies widely, as does the year built. “There’s lots of pre-war homes with great character, lots, and scale,” Drew Hopley, owner of LIVE Frederick Group at Keller Williams Realty Center, explains. Some of the more antiquated-looking revivals were constructed in the early twentieth century, with others from the 1950s or 1970s. The longer-standing revivals average from $500,000 to $700,000, while smaller, compact town homes go for slightly less than $500,000.<br><br>Kids in Baker Park attend Parkway Elementary, one of Frederick’s oldest schools, later moving on to West Frederick Middle. Both schools are Niche rated B or better. Frederick High ranks as the 5th most diverse public high school in Maryland, according to Niche, with an overall rating of A-minus. These Cadets haven’t stopped marching since 1913, as their band is the longest performing in the state! Parents stay involved with their young musicians, attending monthly band booster meetings. Cadet faculty partner with Frederick Community College, offering dual enrollment courses. At the center of Baker Park and academia is Hood College, ranked #6 in 2023 for best undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report. <br><br>Busy students need a break, and Baker Park’s amenities make it the ideal spot. The park itself is a mile from end to end and hosts concerts in the band shell. You don’t want to miss the view of the July 4th fireworks, either. All can make use of multiple baseball fields and playground. On the northwestern tip sits a cluster of trees hugging the winding Carroll Creek Path. “In the summer, people go to the Alive @ Five on Thursdays at Carroll Creek,” Hopley says, referring to the fundraiser that offers drinks and music. Follow the path south and you will find Culler Lake, whose still waters are gently interrupted by fountains at its center. Reach the path’s end and see the creek dividing homes from the park like a natural barrier. <br><br>After the park, head to one of the local spots a few blocks away for some grub. 7th Street Sandwich Shop, located at the College Park Shopping Center, features twists on classics with names as wacky as the recipes (like Godfather and Pea Island, for example). If a quick slice is more your speed, check out Rosati’s, serving Chicago style pizza as well as breaded mushrooms and ravioli. Before heading home, snag a few things for the house at the Common Market, located next door. <br><br>Grab some takeout, spend an evening supporting the Blazers soccer team in their seasonal efforts or hit the creek path; any way you want it, life here is a walk in the park.

With the Catoctin Mountains in the distance on one side and the charming city of Frederick beckoning on the other, the Clover Hill neighborhood’s allure is a mixture of seclusion and accessibility. “People come to Clover Hill for the lot sizes and for the park community association,” John Heydon, a Realtor with Betsy Cain Properties at Mackintosh Inc. and the President of the Clover Hill Civic Association says. “Clover Hill residents are right next to Downtown Frederick but don’t have to pay city taxes, which is also a draw.” The advent of a regional commuter rail line in the past few decades made traveling the roughly 50 miles to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., quick and easy. This newfound commuter option brought continued growth to a once rural, detached area of Frederick County. Developers responded with concentrated, high-density planned subdivisions. Many developments within Clover Hill offer builds with new traditional designs with a range of floorplans. Uniform lots and cul-de-sacs feature in many of these densely populated subdivisions. For environmentally-conscious homebuyers, some homes include ultra-modern, green touches like solar-paneled roofs. These homes sell for between $500,000 and $825,000. Closer to Clover Hill Park, established subdivisions with spacious lots, older ranch-style and split-level houses line the streets. Garages and driveways sporting basketball hoops for after-school and weekend dribbling practice. These ranch and split-level homes go for between $400,000 and $625,000. Some developments also include three-story townhouses that sell for between $350,000 and $500,000. Residents in Clover Hill may send their children to Frederick County Public Schools. For Pre-K through 5th grade, students may attend Yellow Springs Elementary School before moving on to West Frederick Middle School, both of which earned a B grade or better from Niche. For high school, students may move on to Frederick High School, which earned an A-minus grade from Niche. Frederick High School was named the 4th-Most Diverse Public High School in Maryland according to Niche. As for private school options, some students attend St. John Regional Catholic School for Pre-K through 8th grade, an institution that earned an A-plus grade from Niche. For commuters, Downtown Frederick is a 4-mile commute from Clover Hill. For those looking to use public transportation to and from downtown, Frederick County offers transit services that Clover Park residents can take from the Frederick Community College stop, 1 mile from the neighborhood. For those looking to make the commute to Washington D.C., the MARC Commuter Rail runs from Downtown Frederick Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a 54-mile drive, while the nearest hospital, Frederick Health (ER), is 3 miles away. On one side of Yellow Springs Road, residents can still find farmland and wide-open spaces. A Dunkin’ Donuts and a McDonald's on the other side of the neighborhood reflect the area’s development. Because Clover Hill is exclusively a residential neighborhood, it is necessary to travel outside the neighborhood for retail and dining opportunities. Downtown Frederick, which is known for its boutiques, craft breweries and food scene, is a few miles away. “There are 40-plus restaurants that people enjoy in Downtown Frederick,” Heydon says. One of the favorites is The Wine Kitchen on the Creek, which serves up steak, seafood and vegetarian dishes with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Another popular spot is Thacher and Rye, which has been featured in the Washington Post for its Mid-Atlantic Cuisine and its Chef Bryan Voltaggio. A Food Lion located farther down Yellow Springs Road is available for grocery shopping. Clover Hill Civic Association maintains a private, 13-acre park in the eastern part of the neighborhood. The park has typical recreational amenities like basketball courts and baseball fields and a quirky attraction in the form of a “fairy tree." Legend has it that a sprite spirit makes its home there. To those considering harvesting a neighboring Hawthorn or ash tree with its thick, twisted trunks, "beware." Cutting down one will result in the sprite unleashing a torrent of bad luck. Even novice nature lovers will take notice of the neighborhood’s abundant beauty in all its forms. Ruby-hued Japanese maples populate many front yards, especially stunning in early spring. The Little Tuscarora Creek provides a pleasant score with the chirping of native birds and communing of other wildlife as the creek winds through Clover Hill. Nearby natural recreational areas include the almost 6,000-acre Catoctin Mountain Park and the 1,200-acre ridgeline Gambrill State Park a few miles away. Visitors to Catoctin Mountains Park, be warned. While the park offers much, this former WPA project is the site of Camp David and access is restricted during presidential visits. Gambrill State Park is loved for its 16 miles of trails – visitors should bring their hiking boots, mountain bike or even horse. “People really enjoy our annual holiday party in the part and subsequent Santa event,” Heydon says. The active residents’ group also hosts activities and events like Rocks and Reels, a Kite Flying Day, an Easter egg hunt and Doggie Swim Day – when pooches can jump on the park pool at the end of the season. The eastern part of the neighborhood also borders the campus of Frederick Community College, offering residents educational, recreational and even entertainment opportunities. The elegant melodies of classical music often envelop the campus, thanks to the live music program held at the Jack B. Kussmaul Theater.

Carrollton offers suburban atmospheres between Downtown Frederick's breweries, an upbeat restaurant scene, and Interstates 270 and 70 commuter routes leading to D.C. and Baltimore. Carrollton can be an active community for residents who seek to hike or ride bikes through the Maryland wilderness, while history buffs can feel immersed in the city of Frederick’s Civil War history or explore battlefields from Antietam and Monocacy to landmarks like Harper’s Ferry just a drive away. Carrollton Park is the closest green space in the neighborhood’s south end, featuring a playground for kids. Carroll Creek Park stretches east to west across Downtown and has brick-paved footpaths for folks to stroll beside a slow-churning canal. A stone’s throw west is Baker Park, Frederick’s central green space, just a couple blocks north of Carrollton. The park features several courts for tennis or bocce ball, a walking trail beside Carroll Creek, and the historic “Swinging Bridge,” a landmark suspension bridge originally built in 1885 and is the only suspension bridge in Frederick County. Baker Park has a bandstand where locals can picnic in the warmer months or enjoy a concert or festival that the town hosts. Catoctin Mountain Park is 20 miles north; it’s a National Park with over 25 miles of hiking trails and campgrounds and offers cross-country skiing in the winter. “If you’re coming for the history, Gettysburg, Antietam and Harper’s Ferry are within driving distance,” says Jennifer Grove, a Frederick local and broker/owner at Bach Real Estate, “while Monocacy Battlefield is in Frederick and has hiking paths.”   These flashpoint Civil War locations are all National Parks that host reenactments of the battles, typically on the anniversary of the events. Carrollton residents have access to Downtown Frederick activities in their free time. “It’s an amazing arts and restaurant district with great community events and activities; [there’s] something for everyone,” says Grove. Frederick Social is a neighborhood hangout on the bank of Carroll Creek. It’s a brewpub with board games for adults, a play area for kids, a menu of small bites and flatbread pizzas, and a wall with almost 40 self-pour beer taps. Locals can also rent the space for private events or sip and socialize on the dog-friendly patio overlooking the creek. Pistarro’s serves authentic Italian dishes and has a brick oven built in Naples for its wood-fired pizzas. Several art centers are in Downtown Frederick, like the Weinberg Center for Performing Arts, Art Collective, a boutique selling handcrafted art pieces, and Gaslight Gallery, where local artists can put their works on public display. Homes here are priced lower than denser counties in Maryland. “It’s more affordable than Montgomery County, [while] still being a DC suburb with a commutable distance,” says Grove. Homes are priced from $225,000 to $875,000, varying by age and square footage. Townhouse and condo subdivisions, like Jefferson Chase, are available, offering options with three to four bedrooms and attached garages. Single-family Cape Cod, Queen Anne and American Foursquares sit beside ranch-style homes, split levels and custom-builds from the last fifteen years. Most of the development in Carrollton dates back to the 1940s through the 1990s, but original neighborhood homes from the 1860s are still around. Frederick has significant historical ties to the Civil War. After the Battle of Antietam, Frederick became a medical center for the Union’s wounded; as Grove says, “A lot of the churches in Frederick were used as hospitals during the Civil War.” The National Museum of Civil War Medicine also offers in-depth exhibits about this history. Many soldiers who didn’t recover were buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, east of Carrollton, also the final resting place of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the National Anthem. From November through March, Carroll Creek Park hosts Sailing Through the Winter Solstice, a unique event where Fredericktonians can see sailboats decorated with neon lights drifting out on the creek, ideally after sunset. Grove lists the town’s many gatherings throughout the year, “We have Celebrate Frederick, which coordinates 4th of July events, free summer concerts in the park from May to August, an arts festival in June, a happy hour on the creek hosted by Downtown Frederick Partnership, [with] music and local brews.” The Baker Park Bandshell hosts Concerts in the Park during the summer and live music performances for the 4th of July Celebration, which also involves carnival rides for kids, food and drink vendors, and a fireworks show from Parkway Elementary. It is the biggest Independence Day celebration in Frederick County. Frederick County Public Schools serve Carrollton for education. Students here are zoned for Lincoln Elementary, with an overall B-rating on Niche, Crestwood Middle, with a B-minus and Tuscarora High rated an A-minus. Niche ranks Frederick County Public Schools as the No. 4 best school district in Maryland for athletics. Tuscarora High hosts the annual Clash on the Creek, a wrestling tournament between schools from different states. Driving is the most common method of commuting in town. Carrollton is bordered to the south by I-270 and I-70, which lead south to D.C. or east to Baltimore, both in an hour. For rail access, locals can reach the Frederick train station and take the Amtrak or MARC train. Locals can also walk or bike a few blocks north from home to Downtown Frederick’s restaurants, bars and art studios.

With its brick sidewalks, townhouses with black shuttered windows and Greek-style government buildings, downtown Frederick looks like a piece of Revolutionary War-era America frozen in time. People live in townhouses and early 20th-century colonials and walk down their front steps to Neapolitan pizza restaurants, microbreweries and wine bars along Carroll Creek. Figures like George Washington and Frederick Douglass passed through here during the early years of the U.S. It’s also the center of a rapidly growing city expanding eastward as demand for housing and access to its public school system grows. “It has a ton going for it. It has a vibrant downtown, shops, restaurants, breweries and distilleries. That kind of walkability is super hard to find in some areas. People call it Alexandria lite,” says Drew Hopley, operator at Live Frederick Group with Keller Williams Realty Centre. “Whether you’re in the city of Frederick, or in the suburbs, people come to downtown for entertainment.” Neighbors living downtown can walk to shops, restaurants, bars and government buildings. Lining the southern border of downtown is Carroll Creek Park, a floodplain surrounded by brick footpaths and merchants. People love the Wine Kitchen on the Creek, where they can sample flights of wine while eating steak and red curry mussels. They sit on the Creekside patio on warm days, and after eating, they can stroll along the water underneath shady trees and sit on a bench. Away from the creek, Brewer’s Alley is a downtown staple for upscale pub grub and fresh beers, and the Asian fusion Bloom Asian Haus serves specialty dumplings and Asian tapas like a Saigon spring roll. People come from all over to check out music and comedy shows at the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Every month, downtown businesses celebrate First Saturday. New gallery openings, tastings and art exhibitions are typical First Saturday events. “I’ve lived in every nook and cranny of D.C. and the surrounding area, and the community feel and the pride of living here is unparalleled,” says Hopley. “It really has a great community feel.” Downtown’s brick townhouses and two-family colonials have an early American vibe. Some Federal-style townhouses came online in the late 19th century, and other all-brick colonials developed in 2014. Residential areas are tightly packed, with one townhouse lined up next to another, and they sit directly behind brick sidewalks. It’s an urban living experience in a city of about 82,000. Prices can range from $226,000 to $1.4 million. “It’s relatively affordable compared to the D.C. metro area,” says Hopley. Directly west of downtown is Baker Park, a scenic green space within walking distance of the city center. People jog and ride their bikes on pathways, kids play on the playgrounds and locals walk underneath a covered bridge. Baker Park is home to the city’s summer concert series, where people dance to oldies and bluegrass, and its annual Fourth of July celebration. The festival includes food trucks, beer gardens and, of course, fireworks. Neighbors in a pinch for a loaf of bread can swing by Firestone’s Market on Market, which sells wine, cheese and freshly made sandwiches. Weis Markets is a 5-minute drive from downtown, and Giant Eagle Supermarket is about 10 minutes away. Frederick has a highly rated school system, the Frederick County Public Schools. The district has an A-minus rating from Niche. Kids living downtown can attend North Frederick Elementary School, Governor Thomas Johnson Middle School and Governor Thomas Johnson High School. All three schools are rated B-plus by Niche, and the high school has the Academy for the Fine Arts, where kids can study dance, music and theater. Frederick sits along Interstates 270 and 70. I-270 links the city with Washington D.C., and I-70 connects to Baltimore. Both are an hour away by car. The MARC Commuter Rail Train connects Frederick and D.C. via the Brunswick-Washington line, and locals can take the MARC to access Amtrak service at Union Station in Washington.