Saint Leonard

Saint Leonard is fairly rural neighborhood sandwiched between the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay, about 50 miles away from Washington, D.C. It’s an attractive area for homebuyers looking for lower prices on waterfront property or in a waterfront community in exchange for living in more of a remote area, according to Delaney Burgess, a Realtor with The Gail Nyman Group of RE/MAX United Real Estate who has sold numerous homes in the neighborhood. “Saint Leonard is very secluded, but it’s really just a twenty-minute drive to get to whatever you need,” Burgess says. “The price is a little bit better in that zip code because it is a little more rural.”

Most houses in the neighborhood are single-family homes, some in close-knit subdivisions and others spread out and set back on rural roads and farmland. Prices range from the mid-$200,000s to the mid-$800,000s depending on features like the amount of land, how new or updated the home is and whether it’s on the water. For house hunters looking for a water lifestyle without the waterfront price tag, water communities like Long Beach offer private beaches and other amenities.

Kids in New Post attend Calvert County Public Schools like St. Leonard Elementary School, rated B by Niche; Southern Middle School, also rated B; and Calvert High School, rated A-minus. Calvert High offers a Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program. The curriculum is designed to emphasize citizenship and leadership development, regardless of whether they pursue a military career, as well as the Navy’s maritime heritage.

Saint Leonard is light on commercial industry, so residents looking for big-box grocery stores can find a cluster of options in Prince Frederick including Walmart, Safeway and Giant. It’s also in Prince Frederick where residents can find the nearest hospital, CalvertHealth Medical Center, and a plethora of other health services.

Closer to home, locals shop independent stores like Chesapeake’s Bounty, which offers fresh produce, seafood and seasonal items. Horsman Farm, which has held a Harvest Festival for its neighbors for the last decade, also offers a seasonal subscription-based program for farm-fresh meats and produce delivered to your door. Around town are a handful of mom-and-pop places to eat and drink, like Gateway Restaurant and Lounge, an old haunt serving steaks and seafood that’s been family-owned and operated for 45 years. Vera’s Restaurant is on the water and offers a large deck where you can watch the sunset if timed right. For wine lovers, Perigeaux Winery offers vineyard views and live music.

Living in Saint Leonard means getting outside and enjoying the day. Multiple parks in the area aid in the endeavor; on the Patuxent River side of the peninsula, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum offers more than 500 scenic acres where you can explore the trails, launch a kayak or canoe, attend an event or learn about the area’s history. Flag Ponds Nature Park is closer to folks on the Chesapeake Bay side of the peninsula. This park is great for swimming and picnicking at the public beach. Residents can also head about 7 miles south down Solomons Island Road to Calvert Cliffs State Park to hike the Calvert Cliffs or fossil-hunt along the Chesapeake Bay.

On cold or rainy days, residents can head north on Solomons Island Road about 7 miles to Prince Frederick, where there’s a plethora of things to do inside like catch a movie at Flagship Cinemas, work up a sweat at Planet Fitness or take the little ones to Lets Play, an interactive indoor playground. Beyond that, according to Burgess, many residents are willing to travel to other neighborhoods and counties for activities, like Solomons, a large waterfront community with lots of boating, and St. Mary’s County, which tends to have more community events. For a bigger day out, Burgess says, sometimes residents will even head to Washington, D.C., and Annapolis.

Written By

Katelin Hill

Photography Contributed By

Jesse Snyder

Video By

Barry Ridgeway