Monrovia

In a hilly, sprawling landscape dotted with golf greens and rich in farmland, Holly Hills is home to the Holly Hills Country Club and luxury developments such as The Manor, Spring Hollow and Fairwinds. It's nestled within Ijamsville, which originated in the late 1780s when Plummer Ijams began growing barley here. Centuries later, you still don’t live in Holly Hills for a quick walk to the grocery store, or to buzz through a thriving commercial corridor, but you do if you’re seeking your dream home near private golfing within acres of forest and fields. This rural-residential terrain maintains a small-town charm with wedding venues, a petting farm and a Historic Landmark church. Designed as a haven away from the hustle, you’ll notice a neighborly ambiance, and home styles to suit a variety of tastes. Generational treasures such as the 100-acre Rights of Man Farm still pattern much of Holly Hills, though it's now considered more suburban than it was in its agrarian past. Several communities grew up around the Holly Hills Country Club, offering homes that average $550,000. In the Fairwinds community, you can find large contemporary brick homes on an acre of land for around $725,000, and 4,000-square-foot brick Colonial homes with soaring foyer windows for closer to $800,000. Farther south in the Holly Hills area, you’ll also see historic 1900s homes for under $400,000. In the heart of Holly Hills, Colonial styles with a mix of brick and siding ask around $600,000. Angela Kinna, Realtor with Redfin, says, “In Holly Hills, you have Montgomery County to the east and Howard County to the west, which both tend to be more expensive than living here in Frederick. So, if you’re working in Baltimore, you could get more house for your money in Holly Hills. Plus, it’s less populated while being right along a major highway. You’re close to conveniences here, yet it still feels like you’re living out in the country.” It’s the kind of place where children play together in immense yards and neighbors know each other. And surrounding this lush green locale graced with high-end homes, you'll find abundant amenities at several golf courses. Says Kinna, “Residents of Holly Hills can join the private Holly Hills Country Club, or they can play the public Whiskey Ridge Golf Course.” At Holly Hills, paid members enjoy swim lessons, camps, private events and tennis, and golf purists who want to simply enjoy a highly rated golf facility can pay the day rate at Whiskey Ridge. Depending on which part of Holly Hills you call home, public-school students may begin their education at either Urbana or Oakdale elementary schools, before heading to either Oakdale or Urbana middle schools. Older students move on to Oakdale High School which earns an A grade from Niche, or Urbana High School which Niche gives an overall A+ grade. Kinna adds, “The school systems here are really strong. If you look at the reports, you’ll see the schools here are earning top marks. They’re known for having high academic standards. Yes, people do move here for the large and beautiful homes, but the schools really do stand out.” And although there’s not an all-night restaurant row or major destination mall in the community, says Kinna, “There are a lot of little restaurants and pizza places within a short drive. The Derby in downtown Newmarket is a local favorite.” The Derby is owned by a husband-and-wife team of Culinary Institute of America chefs with decades of experience who focus on crafting meals from regional produce. Daily specials such as Build-Your-Own Derby Burger on Tuesdays or $13 Thursday Pizzas are a hit, as are the live music performances Wednesday through Saturday. For groceries, residents head north to Weis in the Spring Ridge Shopping Center, or make the 5- to 8-mile trek to the Giant near Urbana High School. Residents do mostly rely on car transportation, as the closest Maryland Area Regional Commuter train station is about 7 miles away in Frederick. However, you'll enjoy immediate access to Interstate 70 which connects Holly Hills to Frederick and Baltimore. From 70, residents can merge onto Interstate 270 to reach the greater Washington area. A sought-after location offering privacy and luxury, Holly Hills is far removed from commotion or congestion, while still being close to major routes and city amenities.

Green Valley's name tells you everything you need to know about the suburb south of Frederick. "The Green Valley area has lovely scenery with rolling hills and meadows and many wooded areas," says Realtor Jim Bass of Real Estate Teams LLC, who grew up in Green Valley and has sold homes there for over 31 years. Just south of Interstate 70, Green Valley first saw a wave of development in the 1970s and 80s that left behind a healthy mix of ranch-style homes, split-levels and Colonial revivals on lots that are usually one or more acres. Since the 90s, the area has seen several new builds in subdivisions containing neo-colonial single-family homes and townhomes on lots of less than an acre. The median single-family home price of $615,000 is a bit higher than the surrounding area and significantly above the national median. However, the actual price range can vary widely. Some sell from as low as $400,000 or as high as $875,000. Without a doubt, Green Valley's selection of high-achieving schools is a major attraction for some home buyers. Frederick County Public Schools receives an overall grade of A-minus from Niche, which ranks the district as the 7th best in all of Maryland and the 4th best in the state for student athletes. When they begin elementary school, students attend Centreville, Green Valley or Kemptown Elementary Schools. All three schools earn an A-minus or higher from Niche. Next comes either Urbana or Windsor Knolls Middle Schools, which both score an A-minus from Niche. Finally, there's either Linganore or Urbana High Schools, which both offer AP classes. Linganore earns an A-minus score from Niche, while Urbana earns an A-plus and even has a girls varsity flag football team started by students in 2020. Sports and recreation are a big community touchpoint in the area. "The Green Valley communities are very friendly, and the Linganore Oakdale Urbana Youth Athletic Association teams are a huge draw for youth sports," says Bass. If you live in one of Green Valley's subdivisions, such as Windsor Knolls, you can practice for the big game at the community's basketball hoop or swim laps in the pool. If you don't live in a subdivision, Kemptown Park offers several unique amenities, including a small amphitheater and pits for a game of horseshoes. But there are also plenty of sports amenities to practice on, such as baseball diamonds and tennis courts. Suppose you need a place to practice your short game or take a business client to. In that case, Rattlewood Golf Course is a public facility on the southern side of Green Valley that offers lessons on its challenging par 72 course and even offers both afterschool and summer camps for youth players. The area's northernmost boundary abuts Interstate 70's eastbound lanes, offering envied access to major commuter routes. "One of the biggest benefits is the commutability to Montgomery County, Washington DC and Northern Virginia without having to go through traffic in the Frederick area," says Bass. A trip to the grocery store or doctor's office will require a drive of roughly 6 miles to Mt Airy on the other side of Interstate 70, or further. Green Valley needs more retail, but there is a small shopping area near the neighborhood's center. It offers a place to fill up your car's gas tank before perusing aisle after aisle of coriander, cumin and cardamom at Spice Basket, an Indian grocery store. Before heading home or to the office, swing into the Buzz Bakery for either a complete breakfast or just a blueberry scone for the road. For more of a sit-down option, or when you need an event space that will impress, the Mount Airy Inn is just across Interstate 70 and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options as well as an extensive menu of craft beer.