I became convinced to come live in Annapolis after spending time with my boss and his wife one evening, whilst "trawling" along in Spa Creek in his little river boat, dubbed "Luv Tub II." We ate shrimp, and drank Coronas, and discussed my future at the company I had just been hired to work for. It was fascinating being on the water again. Slipping through the brackish spray; sliding past the gorgeous water-front homes; the piers, slips, and sailboats tied to their moorings. I felt as though someday I might become a part of that. We docked at Pusser's Landing, a local bar/restaurant located in the famed "Ego Alley" of Annapolis Harbor, and had a lovely dinner on the pier, while watching the boats come and go. The concert of Sea-Rays and Four-Winns, doing their elaborate pirouettes as they were paraded past the people, who gawk and stare, and comment to their families, "now that's a big boat!" It was an intriguing evening, one which initially put the thought in my head.
When I initially moved back to Maryland, nearly five years ago now, I chose to begin again in Columbia, where I had spent a good portion of my youth. It so happens that the apartment I chose to live in was a mere street away (and in the same development) from the townhouse my parents had started off in, when I was just an infant. It was affordable for the time, and despite the "planned community" that the rest of Columbia coexisted in, Hannibal Grove (now called the Berkshires) was not a nice place to live. I never quite felt safe there (and now knowing that recently, someone had been shot at the 7-Eleven across the street two months ago, I know why.)
Needless to say, I only lived there for a year before finding a similarly affordable place in Annapolis. Now, when I say affordable, I mean by Annapolis standards. Nothing in Annapolis (aside from the subsidized homes in designated areas -- yes, there is subsidized housing in one of the most expensive cities on the east coast) is affordable. Regardless, I lived at Harbour Gates Apartments for two years. Admittedly the apartment was a nice one. But, things got rocky with the girl I was living with, and I subsequently moved to Shipwright St., and have been there since, renting part of a house on the water... For LESS than the Harbour Gates place, which is no where near the water.
I will attest to the allure of living in a waterfront place, in a town that has so much to offer. Part of the attraction to Annapolis is the nightlife. There is a plethora of above-average pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs. For someone who lives in the heart of it, it's all a mere walk away. This was a definite plus at a time when I was going out constantly, trying to meet people, and just keep myself occupied. I don't know how many times I've stumbled home after a night of heavy imbibing. Probably not a good thing, but that was before finally meeting someone worth staying home for (and so much more). Again, I will reiterate that affordability is dwindling in this place. In terms of food and drinks, it hasn't gotten out of hand (yet!), like perhaps DC (where you can easily pay $10 for a rail rum-n-coke). Annapolis is also well known for its seafood joints. There are a few gems, like Cantler's, or Mike's Crab House (definitely not Buddy's right in the heart of town, seriously, don't waste your time). The Ram's Head Tavern is a personal favorite, serving Fordham beer from the brewery just next door, and also hosting a unique music scene weekly. There are some more upscale establishments up and down Main Street, as well as some trendier bars and eateries along West Street.
Aside from the drinking and eating, Annapolis has a host of historical sites to visit, and most of them are involved in local historical tours of one sort or another. This can be cool for the history buffs out there. A lot of it deals with early American aristocracy and government, some dealing with slavery (after all, City Dock is host to the Kunta-Kinte Memorial). You've got the Naval Academy, the State House, City Dock, West Street (which is now referred to as the "uptown district???"), Severn River, Spa Creek, South River, St. John's College (the no-curriculum trust-fund-kid school), King George St., Maryland Ave., St. Mary's Church, The Carroll House, J-World Sailing School, the new Bestgate Mall, and way too much more to mention.
Next to Spa Creek and prior to the Eastport Bridge, sits the Annapolis Yacht Club and Marina. This is an elite bunch who proudly bear their parking stickers on SUVs and Mercedes. I had the privilege of knowing some people who crewed a 50-some foot yacht berthed in this marina, and whose owners were only there a minimal amount of time. They would take guests out to private islands for weekend retreats, or take week-long journeys up-and-down the coast. If you are fortunate enough to become friendly with people who have access to such amenities, it's well worth it. Across the Eastport Bridge lies, of course, Eastport, a once-questionable area that has now become probably one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Eastport is known also for its dining, but more known for some of the business that calls it home, such as major name sail manufacturers and yacht brokers.
Some might say that Annapolis is also conveniently located between Baltimore and DC. This is nice if you live in Annapolis, accessing either city is (relatively) easy. But because of all the wonder that Annapolis brings, there are quite a few issues associated with it, and they are getting worse as I write this. I say this because accessing either city can be quite frustrating at times. I feel especially bad for the folks who call this place home, and commute to work in either of these places on a daily basis. True, traffic in Maryland in general is getting atrocious, but sometimes even getting into and out of this town can be nerve-wracking. The entire 3 mile stretch of West Street can take up to 45 mins. to traverse, depending on the time of day, and this is a major artery to the town. The lack of traffic lights in the commercial portion of this drive make it worse, with traffic stopping just for people waiting to turn left, waiting for a break in oncoming traffic. If you're fortunate enough to live in one of the downtown districts, not only do you have to cope with the heavier traffic, but most of the side streets (being that they are historical, and having been paved is the only change since being originally constructed) are narrow, with cars parked along both sides. I can't illustrate this easily, but try driving a pickup truck around State Circle at around 1:00pm on a Thursday, and you'll understand what I mean. This will be exacerbated by the fact that there are several new condo complexes going up along West St., Cathedral St., and over by Riva. When people being living in these developments, traffic is going to become a nightmare.
Also, if you've been blessed with the extreme fortune of living near St. Mary's Parish Church or School, you have to be extremely precise about when you're coming or going, even if it's to your own home. During the school year, it is inadvisable to leave for work anytime between 7:30 and 8:30am, because you will be fighting a never-ceasing torrent of vehicles (most of them unnecessarily large) on most of the roads west of Duke of Gloucester St. And don't expect to find parking near your house during mass.
Which brings up a good point, parking is probably the biggest problem in Annapolis. You would assume that you would be able to park in front of your own house for a good majority of the time, but this isn't necessarily the case. Each district has a designated parking number and sticker, for which you have to apply every year (at a cost of $30-50 per vehicle), and for which you have to present a host of extraneous information: proof of tenancy, proof of insurance, proof of ownership, proof of existence, etc. Some families have multiple vehicles and don't always have off-street parking available to them, which is nice for them, but makes it more difficult for the rest of us. Even with the sticker, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to park anywhere near your own house. At the height of tourist season, people will look for places to park anywhere, no matter if they are taking a spot from a resident. They will get ticketed, however, and parking fines here are a hefty $25 ea.
These are small prices to pay for such a wonderful place to live, correct? Then factor in the average home cost for Annapolis, which Truila reports for Mar-May of this year is a whopping $550,325. This is quite steep, and also happens to be the starting cost of some of the new condos being constructed. There are people who can afford it, and they generally commute 1hr+ to work every day. Is that really worth the effort? Wouldn't people much rather be able to spend more time with their families than having a home that they don't get to enjoy? The current homes on the market in the Annapolis ZIP codes run the gamut from $214,000 for a 1br. 1ba. in a not-so-nice area of Annapolis, to a $7.9M estate overlooking the Severn River. My better half just made the remark, "That's probably someone's effing summer home." Which is probably spot-on. There are actually several new, large condominium complexes being built currently, which are touted as being luxury, and also come at a steep cost. I can't imagine who would want to live in them. There are TONS of homes on the market now in Annapolis; single-family detached homes, going for similar prices. Given the choice, I think the homes are a better buy.
Sure, it's a sailing town, and people here have nice boats. But have you ever looked at the Chesapeake water in these harbors and tributaries? It really is disgusting. I see folks out kayaking in Spa Creek every day. I would require some intense cleaning after that. The water is heavily polluted with trash, diesel fuel, oil, runoff and other chemicals. I actually saw a bloated, hairless, small dog (or large cat), floating dead down by my pier one afternoon. Who could say whether the things died before it made it into the water... People swim in that. Sure they don't do it in the harbor, they go further out, but it can't be that much cleaner. I did it once and got stung by several river jellies on my legs. Not a big deal, but they have their season too.
My jellyfish stings aside, Annapolis is a nice place, and definitely has its perks. But they come at such high costs, of inconvenience, and of frustration. I foresee it getting worse or crashing in the coming years. Such is growth. Needless to say, I'm looking at homes in other areas now, and the luster of living here has definitely dwindled.
The only people who still swim in the Severn or Magothy are those who haven't lived here for long; long-standing residents who were around when it was cleaner don't go near it unless they're cruising in a large vessel where odds of coming into contact with the water are slim to none.
I don't live in DTA, but driving down there for the nightlife gets crazy. The drunken teenagers at Pusser's and Dock Street grow old rather quickly and the quality of life could be greatly improved if they passed a smoking ban. Parking isn't usually too bad if you arrive during the dinner hour, but is a nightmare from 9pm onward.
As a homeowner, I could never live downtown. There are far too many ordanances and covenants that restrict what you can do with your home. While I agree with preserving the historial integrity of the city, I couldn't do it.
Posted by: Alex | Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 11:09 AM