Laurel

Winding suburban streets, late 20th-century architecture and grassy lawns shaded by oak and pine trees are hallmarks of West Laurel, an unincorporated village hugging the south side of the Patuxent River. Situated at the halfway point between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., West Laurel is a mixture of subdivisions and typical suburban residential streets, plus tons of parks and riverside activities. Locals grill hot dogs and hamburgers, canoe in the river and enjoy easy access to major highways. “The location makes it a great choice because you’re close to major transportation routes,” says Rose Ogbonna, owner and broker at CitiWide Realtors, Inc. and a 34-year resident of the area. “You have the Baltimore-Washington Parkway down the street and the [Baltimore] airport about 20 minutes away. You have Interstate 95, which routes you into I-495 within 10 minutes of everywhere you are in Laurel.” Above all else, West Laurel is a residential area of home styles typical of late 20th-century American suburbia. Colonials, ranch-style houses and a handful of Tudors sit within closely packed neighborhoods, behind sidewalks that show their age. Most houses have either driveways or carports, though people do park on the street, and houses have touches like brick exteriors and shuttered windows. Home prices range from $450,000 to $1.3 million. The Patuxent River sits on the northern edge of West Laurel, providing locals with spots for waterside recreation. The riverside Supplee Lane Recreation Area has wooden picnic tables, boat launches and fishing areas, and away from the river, kids play on the playground at West Laurel Park. People walk through the woods on dirt trails at Fairland Recreational Park and kids play games on the nearby athletic fields. Gunpowder Golf Course, designed to reflect the landscape of Scottish golf courses with its streams and valleys, is a walk-in course operating on a first-come, first-served system. Kids learn to skate and play hockey inside the Gardens Ice House. The eastern border of West Laurel is Interstate 95. The Intercounty Connector runs near the neighborhood, connecting it with Montgomery County. Baltimore and Washington are about 30 minutes away by car. Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is about 20 minutes away. “It’s a really well-located city,” says Ogbonna. West Laurel is mostly residential, but it’s right next to shops, restaurants and nightlife in Laurel. Grocery stores like Giant Food, Harris Teeter and Aldi are 10 minutes away. People shop for clothes at Ross Dress for Less and craft supplies at Michaels at the Laurel Lakes Centre shopping mall and eat at Chick-fil-A in the Centre at Laurel. The city has chain restaurants like LongHorn Steakhouse, plus local eateries like the relaxed Three Brothers Italian Restaurant and Indian buffet Amber Spice. People eat burgers and drink beers at the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille and drink margaritas at Luchador Bar & Eats. Several watering holes sit along U.S. Route 1 in Laurel, including Nuzback’s Bar, where people drink cocktails on the patio. West Laurel is served by the Prince George’s County public school district. Some kids in the area attend Bond Mill Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School and Laurel High School. Bond Mill is rated B-minus by Niche, the middle school is rated C-minus and the high school is rated C. Laurel High has an international baccalaureate program for high-performing students.

North Laurel offers quiet, suburban living with residential streets tucked amongst parcels of farmland and woodlands. “What keeps people in the area generation after generation is the beauty of nature,” says Patty Smallwood, a Broker with the Smallwood Team at Maryland Real Estate Network who has been selling homes in the area since 1985. “We have a mixture of water and beautiful terrain; it’s just a great place to grow up and live.” The broader Laurel region spans four counties: Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. Homeowners in North Laurel reside in Howard County, just north of Patuxent River and midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Homebuyers will find traditional, single-family homes built from the mid-1900s to the early 2020s on many of North Laurel's tree-lined streets. Architectural styles range from minimalist split-level and ranch-style homes to more prominent Colonial Revival and New Traditional designs. “Over the last 20 years, luxury homes have been plentiful,” Smallwood says. Most homes feature attached garages, mature landscaping and modest lots with an average size of about 7,840 acres. Prices range from around $450,000 for a three-bedroom ranch-style home to $1.3 million for new construction. Homebuyers will also find several townhome communities in North Laurel, ranging from about $230,000 for a two-bedroom to $700,000 for a newer, four-bedroom unit. Children attend the Howard County Public School District, which earned an A-plus from Niche and was ranked the best school district in Maryland. The district has an average student-teacher ratio of 13-to-1. Most kids attend Hammond Elementary School, Hammond Middle School and Reservoir High School. All three schools are within minutes of residents in North Laurel and earned an A from Niche. Teens may enroll in the Reservoir High School Scholars Program, a rigorous course of study that incentivizes learning by requiring students to complete a minimum of five Advanced Placement courses. Private school options include St. Vincent Pallotti High School, rated an A-minus by Niche. Next to Laurel Woods Elementary School, North Laurel Park has ballfields, basketball courts, a playground and an expansive concrete skatepark. The green space is also home to the North Laurel Community Center, where members enjoy access to a fitness room and meeting spaces. Further south along the bank of Rocky Gorge Reservoir is Scott’s Cove Recreation Area. “That’s a very popular spot for fishing, kayaking and canoeing,” Smallwood says. Residents can head to the Laurel Roller Skating Center off Route 1 for year-round entertainment. Scaggsville Road bisects the southern half of North Laurel, and residents can pick up groceries at Food Lion or head to the country-style Pepperjacks Subs and order sandwiches from the deli counter. “That’s also a local favorite for ice cream,” Smallwood says. “Everyone walks there.” Further east along Route 1, Jailbreak Brewing Company serves craft beverages and sharable plates in an industrial-style taproom. From the outside, Kake Korner appears to be a charming pink and white house, but the bakery is a community staple known for its custom cakes and sweet treats. Locals can also catch the latest game at the laid-back sports bar The Hideout. Interstate 95 bisects North Laurel, and residents are about 20 miles from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. “The location is so convenient, people pick it on a map,” Smallwood says. Locals can also travel 3 miles east to the Laurel MARC Train Station, where the Camden Line provides service between the district and Baltimore. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is about 17 miles north. Next to Hammond Elementary and Middle School, Hammond Park features a community pool that hosts events throughout the summer. Popular festivities include food truck pop-ups, movie nights and the annual Hammond Park Crab Feast. Residents in North Laurel enjoy proximity to major employers. “The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab is our largest attraction, and now we have the National Security Agency right off I-95,” Smallwood says.

Situated right between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland City’s commuter-friendly location is unsurprisingly the number one draw that brings homeowners to the area, according to Tanika Belfield-Martin, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Centre who lives and works in the area. The second? “A lot of military come from the Fort Meade army base,” she says. “I work with a lot of people in the military and they find it very convenient because they’re not too close and not too far from the base.” And though being close to everything might make one feel like there’s no place to — well, get away from everything — the area is close to a wildlife refuge that’s not just great for exploring, it prevents the south side of the neighborhood from further development. The neighborhood is also home to the Laurel Park racetrack, which, according to Belfield-Martin, doesn’t have much of an effect on the community one way or the other. House hunters can find condos, townhouses, and single-family homes in Maryland City. While townhouse prices start in the $300,000s for those communities built in the 1980s and 1990s, many communities, like Watershed, offer brand-new construction that can sell for as high as the upper-$600,000s. Single-family homes, which include a mix of styles like ranches, split-levels, and Colonial Revivals, are typically on winding suburban streets lined with sidewalks, trees, light posts, and tidy lawns. As far as pricing, "It’s on the higher end of prices for Maryland homes, but there are some more affordable areas,” Belfield-Martin says. “Maryland City does have smaller single-family homes that have around three bedrooms and one bathroom, so they’re in the $350,000 to $425,000 range, which isn’t extremely high.” Homes on the higher end of things can go as high as $700,000, which can afford a Colonial Revival in the popular Russett subdivision, a planned community with winding neighborhood streets, multiple cul-de-sacs, and a host of community amenities like walking trails, tot lots, and a pool. Shopping and dining options in the neighborhood are primarily concentrated along Fort Meade Road. Residents can take their pick of grocery stores with options like Sam’s Club, Walmart Superstore, or Dutch Country Farmers Market. Other conveniences include Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx, Target, and The Home Depot. Restaurants range from chains like Burger King, Chipotle, Bob Evans, and Chick-fil-A, to mom-and-pop outposts for pho, Mexican, Halal food, and more. Notos is one locally-owned concept that combines Southern Mediterranean flavors and familiar Southern comfort foods. The Bank Shot Bar and Grill offers a nighttime hangout with pool tables and TVs to watch the game. Kids in Maryland City attend Anne Arundel County Public Schools, like Maryland City Elementary School, Meade Middle School, and Meade High School. All three schools receive a C-plus grade from Niche. Meade High is a Purple Star School, meaning they have been recognized for their commitment to military students and families. The school offers programs such as Leade4Meade, a student ambassador program to help the transition for new students as seamless as possible, and the Military BRATs Club, where military students can relax, play games, and decompress. Maryland City residents have two parks to choose from in the neighborhood. Bacontown Park offers baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, a playground, and walking trails. Maryland City Park has baseball fields, a playground, walking trails, and a dog park. Laurel Golf Center is also close by, where residents can work on their swing at the driving range or batting cages or bring family and friends for a game of mini golf. The Patuxent Research Refuge also borders the neighborhood, and residents can access 25 miles of trails and take in the area’s natural beauty at the North Tract entrance. The Baltimore-Washington Parkway runs through the neighborhood, making commutes convenient to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis. All three destinations are within 25 miles of Maryland City. The Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) train makes three stops in the neighborhood and gets residents to D.C. within about 45 minutes. Homeowners in Maryland City are also convenient to some of the area’s major airports, like Baltimore-Washington International Airport, about 15 miles away, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, within 25 miles.