LN

Okay - I can see your statistics on City Data and see that they do come from the city (as in the incorporated area) rather than the area that many of us consider Annapolis such as Severna Park, Crownsville, Edgewater.

You are correct but those stats are slightly skewed as they're based on a small area which incorporates a smaller area more prone to crime. Annapolis lies between Baltimore and Washington DC, both of which are synonymous with crime.

If you are considering transferring to the Annapolis Md area I can only highly recommend it as a great place to live and raise a family but it's fairly expensive too.

Sorry about my lengthiness but I did feel this crime bit needed more clarification.

wanderer1

I've been doing some reading on Chestertown, and it sounds like a great place also.

Of course we have to see the area for ourselves, but I'm curious to know, if you could live in either Easton or Chestertown, which would you pick to retire and why?

Vibrant community, nice downtown, safe, "quaint", historic, asthetically appealing, close to a good hospital, not really pricey for homes (we are looking in range of 350K - 400K).

Do either of these places fit?

bfrac

Wanderer, I grew up in Easton and now live in Chestertown. Chestertown is much smaller so offers less than Easton but that is what appeals to me. It has all the quaint,small town charm you could want, good restaurants, etc.

The real estate prices in Kent County where Chestertown is located are definitely in your budget and more affordable than Easton. You get more for your money here. It is centrally located so you are within good driving distance of either PHL or BWI airports. It is only a 45 minute drive to Easton or Annapolis. We don't have to fight the beach traffic every summer like in Easton.

Southern Living and Progressive Farmer magazines have both picked Chestertown as the best place to retire.

When you are in Easton you can take a drive to Chestertown and see what it is like and get a feel for it. It is very different from Easton. Now please understand that I love Easton too but I prefer to live here in quieter surroundings.

You may email me if you have other questions [email protected].

sprin2

We also love Chestertown and have a home there. As bfrac says it is smaller, quieter but has a wonderful feeling and with the college and the river it has a much warmer, welcoming, atmosphere with many activities. The downtown is still populated with wonderful local businesses and there are several good restaurants. If you can try to visit during the Saturday market.

It is a small town that retains its charm -- probably why Progressive Farmer and SL like it so much.

wanderer1

Does anyone know how I can get a copy of these articles? Tried searching on-line and cannot find them.

Located a development called The Village at Chestertown. Can anyone tell me about this development?

bfrac

Here are links to the Progressive Farmer article.


http://www.progressivefarmer.com/farmer/bestplaces/

http://www.progressivefarmer.com/far...es/01kent.html

wanderer1

Thank you!

My husband was curious how bad the bugs are, being so close to the water, and also the potential for flooding.

Are Easton, Chestertown in a flood plain?

wanderer1

We will be there for Friday - arrive in the afternoon, Sat, Sun (Easter) and fly out Monday.

Thinking we would arrive, check in and relax, hang out in Easton Sat, and then see Chestertown and St. Michaels Sunday.

Monday we have to leave fairly early to catch our flight.

I'm guessing not much will be open on Easter - will we even be able to find a place to eat?

Would we be better off switching our Easton and Chestertown/St. Michael's days?

sprin2

I can't speak for St. Michael's or Easton, but Chestertown will be quiet on Sunday. There is a wonderful coffeeshop - Play it Again Sam - but they might be closed on Easter. Some stores open on Sunday afternoon, but many do not and some might not because it is a holiday.

On Saturday mornings Chestertown has a great farmers' market downtown. I think this is really C'town at its best.

wanderer1

Will the Farmer's Market in Chestertown be going on when we are there? I thought I read it did not start until May, but maybe that was Easton.

sprin2

You might be right -- I keep forgetting Easter is so early this year. The C'town website says the market starts in April, although with Easter being so early maybe it'll open earlier. At any rate, downtown Chestertown is at its best on Saturday.

lolfn

easton's farmer's market usually opens in mid-april.

as for what to do which day, a lot depends on what you want to do and see. i can't recall what easter sunday is like. i assume most shops are closed but there are enough weekenders and people with family in town that some restaurants will probably be open.

if you really want to get a feel for both easton and chestertown, then i'd suggest checking out as much of easton as you can friday afternoon, spending saturday morning in chestertown and then back to easton in the afternoon.

sunday you can spend in st. michaels and oxford. the maritime museum in st. michaels might be open on sunday.

as for your earlier questions, mosquitos can be pesky in warm weather depending on how wet/dry it's been. but it really isn't any worse than most other places on the east coast.

and flooding really isn't an issue. hurricane isabel came through in '03 and some houses on the water did flood but easton didn't have any issues (easton isn't really on water, the edge of town is at the top of the tred avon river.) st. michaels harbor did flood (came up to 100 yr flood marks) but the town did not. we do not have/ are not required to have flood insurance.

wanderer1

Thanks for the suggestions on itinerary!

We had planned to see Rock Hall after Chestertown (worthwhile?) What about Betterton Beach?

I think we will skip Tilghman Island this visit, and also skip Annapolis, given our short timeframe.

Should we do St. Michaels same day as Chestertown (Sat) when the shops are open, or would they be open Sunday (Easter)?

Is Oxford worth seeing?

We really just want to get a flavor for the area, and in particular check out Easton and Chestertown as possible relocation (retirement) towns.

sprin2

Rock Hall has some interesting antique shops and if the weather is nice it's pleasant to walk around. Since it's on the Bay (and close to Annapolis by water) it has some good restaurants and a number of party bars on the water which get very crowded during the summer.

There's not much to Betterton these days except a sandy Bay beach and restaurant. It's a good place to swim because the nettles hardly ever get that far north in the summer. They have a great festival, Betterton Days in August, but in April it'll be really quiet. Unless you're going to look at it for relocation -- it is a nice community -- I wouldn't go so far in your short time.

lolfn

since you are only in town 2 full days (one of which is a holiday) and are considering easton and chestertown as retirement towns, i'd focus your energy on those two towns.

st. michaels is tiny, basically one main street about 1/2 mile long lined with shops and restaurants, the harbor area + museum and quiet streets of historic homes. it doesn't take that long to get the feel for town. since easter is in march this year, i don't know about shops being open. a lot of them close for the winter months and re-open anywhere from mar 1 to apr 1.

oxford is as tiny as st. michaels and is more residential. it has a few restaurants, a general store and not much else retail. it does have a nice town waterfront park and the beach area along the strand near the ferry stop. and it has beautiful historic homes. a lot of retirees like its more quiet residential atmosphere compared to st. michaels which gets more tourist activity.

i think both are worth a drive-through at the least if you are considering the area for retirement. they are each about 10 min from easton in opposite directions. you can take a ferry (holds up to 9 cars) between bellevue (the turn-off is halfway between easton and st. michaels and down a few miles from there) and oxford.

i think you could get a feel for both towns in just a couple hours.

ssvw27

Just outside the town of Chestertown,but with a Chestertown address is a charming inn The Great Oak Manor- right on the Chesapeake Bay and a lovely place a stay- my husband and I made the drive to Annapolis from there easily.

bfrac

Hi wanderer, I'm just back into town. I agree with other posters that Chestertown is best done on Saturday and Rock Hall as well. It too would be interesting for you to see since it is so close to Chestertown and would become part of your dining out experience if you decide to move here. Sunday, everything will be closed in both towns with the exception of one or two restaurants offering Easter brunch.

The farmer's market won't be in full force but the Amish baked goods will likely be there since it is the day before Thanksgiving.

wanderer1

Should we try and squeeze in St. Michaels either Sat or Friday when we arrive then since everything will be closed Sunday and we have to leave early Monday?

bfrac

What was I thinking? The day before Easter. Sure you could do St. Michaels Friday afternoon. I think it would be too much to try and squeeze it into Saturday.

wanderer1

Thanks.

So.... probably poor planning on our part, but the only time we could get of what these few days...

What should we do on Sunday (Easter)?? We obviously have to eat - lunch and dinner.

We most likely will drive around the area to just get a feel for it.

Any developments that people can mention would be a help.

What else should we do that day???