Parkville Real Estate Agent

Baltimore County Restaurant Week 2012 Winter

Baltimore County Restaurant Week Winter 2012 is actually more than a week, and is January 12-21, 2012.

This time 36 Baltimore County restaurants are participating!

Lunch and Dinner Prices will be  $10.12, $15.12, $20.12, $25.12, $30.12, or $35.12. You will need to check with the individual restaurants as to their pricing.

Participating Towson restaurants are 7West, Cafe Troia, The Melting Pot, and Razorbacks.

Parkville restaurants include Pappas and McAvoys.

There are a number of Timonium restaurants involved, including Basta Pasta, The Charred Rib, Christopher Daniel, Liberatore’s (as well as their location in Perry Hall), Michael’s Cafe, Pasta Blitz, The Peppermill, and Tark’s Grill.

Cockeysville and Hunt Valley restaurants are represented by Barrett’s Grill, The Oregon Grille, and Patrick’s Restaurant and Pub.

Northern Baltimore County showcases the Milton Inn in Sparks, who first began Baltimore County Restaurant Week in summer 2010, Friendly Farm in Upperco, and the Grille at Peerce’s in Phoenix.

There is a great group from East Baltimore County in Dundalk, Essex, Perry Hall, and White Marsh.

There are a number also from the West Side of Baltimore County, with those in Owings Mills, Catonsville and Pikesville, as well as Randallstown, Glyndon, and Randallstown.

Here is a full list of the participating restaurants.

Baltimore Restaurant Week Winter 2012 is January 20-29, so they overlap for two days. So enjoy good eats in Baltimore County and then head to Downtown Baltimore for more!

Halloween Weekend in Baltimore 2011

Halloween Weekend is always a fun-filled weekend in Baltimore.

Though technically it isn’t until Monday, there are plenty of things to do this weekend for Baltimore Halloween fun!

• At Hunt Valley Towne Centre, kids can trick-or-treat on Friday evening from 4-6pm. Children can come in costume and get some treats at the shops on Main Street off Shawan Road in Hunt Valley!
• The Towson Town Center mall will have a festive Halloween celebration on Saturday the 29th at 11am at the Level 1 Grand Court. They will also have mall-wide trick-or-treating on Monday the 31st from 6-8pm at participating stores for children aged 12 & under. More details on their site.
• ZooBOO! at the Baltimore Zoo / Maryland Zoo in Baltimore — 10 am – 4 pm Friday 10/28 – Sunday 10/30. Come in costume, visit the animals, plus free trick-or-treating, carnival games, inflatable slides, crafts, and live entertainment, including magic, mini-theatre, and costume contests! The event comes with your Zoo admission. Costume contests are at 11:30 & 2:30 for kids under the age of 12. There are special events with many of the animals throughout the day, so make sure to visit their website for more details.
• Port Discovery is celebrating Baltimore City’s Kids Month on Saturday from 10am-5pm for FALL-O-WEEN Festival. Activities include making your own tutu or mummy, wildlife adventure, Halloween drum jam, a moon bounce, performances and more! Visit their site for more details.
• Hallowmarine is at the National Aquarium in Baltimore from 10am-4pm on Saturday. Come in costume, there are many spooky events, including a Haunted Classroom! Aqua.org for more info.
• The Great Lantern Parade in Patterson Park is *NOW SUNDAY, 10/30 due to weather!* Saturday October 29 at 7pm. There is a pre-parade Great Lantern Parade Fall Festival from 3-6:30pm. Here is their blog with more details.
• Weber’s Farm in Parkville — Really fun Hillside Slide, pumpkin picking, scarecrow making, hay maze, “Boo Barn”, farm animals, hay ride & more. $7 admission for children, $5 for adults on weekends. Open from 9:30am-6:30pm!
• Valley View Farms in Hunt Valley is open from 7am-9pm and has its’ fantastic Halloween Display, a free haunted house, and straw maze for the younger children. We did this last weekend, and our son had a blast. They even have facepainting inside — and the main building is already their Christmas wonderland!
• Huber’s Farm in Kingsville is open 9am – 5pm and has pumpkin picking, a kids area for $5 per hour, and at night from 7:30-10pm, Creepywoods, a scary haunted wooded attraction, which is supposed to be very intense, and was named one of “America’s Best Haunts.”
• Hampden HalloweenFest — 5pm-7pm on Sunday, October 30– Trick or Treating at participating stores on the Avenue, Chestnut Avenue, and Falls Rd. 6:30 is a costume contest in front of Ma Petite Shoe on 36th St. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hampden.
• Kim’s Krypt is in a new location in 2011 on Eastern Avenue in Essex. It is open from 7-10:30pm Saturday through Monday — another haunted adventure. The “krypt” is indoors, while the line is outside.

So, as you can see, there is plenty to do for Halloween in Baltimore. I am sure there are many more — what events do YOU know of & can share?

Have a safe and Happy Halloween in Baltimore!

Baltimore County Restaurant Week Summer 2011

The third Baltimore County Restaurant Week will be August 12-26, 2011.

Many different restaurants are participating — a lot of new ones since January’s Winter edition!

Many new additions from the West Side of Baltimore County, with a number in Owings Mills, Catonsville and Pikesville, as well as Randallstown, Glyndon, and Randallstown.

On the East Side, a good showing from Parkville and Perry Hall, as well as one each in Essex and Dundalk.

Northern Baltimore County showcases the Milton Inn, who first began Baltimore County Restaurant Week last summer, Friendly Farm in Upperco, and the Grille at Peerce’s in Phoenix.

In Hunt Valley/Cockeysville: Barrett’s Grill NEW in Hunt Valley Towne Centre, Ristorante Lil’ Tony’s, The Oregon Grille, Patrick’s Restaurant and Pub, and Vito’s Cafe are participating.

Timonium restaurants have a good showing, with Basta Pasta, Christopher Daniel, Liberatore’s Ristorante (the Perry Hall one will be participating as well), Michael’s Café, and The Peppermill.

Here is the full list of participating restaurants.

Lunches and dinners will be $10.11, $15.11, $20.11, $25.11, $30.11, $35.11. Reservations are highly recommended!

Baltimore County Restaurant Week overlaps with Baltimore Restaurant Week this year by two days.

Baltimore Restaurant Week is August 5-14. So dine out in the City then go out to the County for some fantastic specialty menus!

Baltimore Halloween 2010

With Halloween falling on Sunday this year, many Baltimore Halloween events were happening on Saturday, October 30.

But there are still a number of things to do on Halloween Day, October 31, in & around Baltimore — so check them out!

• Weber’s Farm in Parkville — Fantastic Hillside Slide, pumpkin picking, scarecrow making, hay maze, “Boo Barn”, farm animals, hay ride & more. $7 admission for children, $5 for adults. Open from 9 am until dusk!
• ZooBOO! at the Baltimore Zoo / Maryland Zoo in Baltimore — 10 am – 4 pm. Come in costume, visit the animals, plus free trick-or-treating, carnival games, inflatable slides, crafts, and live entertainment, including magic, mini-theatre, and costume contests! Admission at the gate is $16 for adults, and $11 for children.
• Valley View Farms in Hunt Valley is open from 7am-9pm and has its’ fantastic Halloween Display, a free haunted house, and straw maze for the younger children. You can also take a guess at how many pumpkin seeds are in the Giant Pumpkin, named Rolling Thunder (weighing in at 1540 pounds!) to win a gift card.
• Huber’s Farm in Kingsville is open 9am – 5pm and has pumpkin picking, a kids area for $5 per hour, and at night from 7:30-10pm, Creepywoods, a scary haunted wooded attraction, which is very intense, and named one of America’s Best Haunts.
• Hampden HalloweenFest — 5pm-7pm — Trick or Treating at participating stores on the Avenue, Chestnut Avenue, and Falls Rd. 6:30 is a costume contest in front of Ma Petite Shoe on 36th St. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hampden. (Meanwhile, you can drive, ride or walk by my new listing at 911 38th Street while you are there!)
• Hauntington Avenue 2010 Block Party in Remington from 6-8 pm. Located in the 2900 Block of Huntington Avenue, this is part of Free Fall Baltimore. The Black Cherry Puppet Theatre will be providing walking street puppets, there will be stilt walking from Paco Fish, and local musicians Ricky and Lennon La Ricci.
• Annual Halloween Tour at Westminster Burying Ground at Fayette and Greene Street in Downtown Baltimore from 6-9 pm. There are many Edgar Allan Poe themed readings and events, spooky music played while you tour Westminster Hall. There will be cider, popcorn, and a haunting good time.
• Kim’s Krypt in Dundalk is open from 7-10:30pm — another haunted adventure. The “krypt” is indoors, while the line is outside.
• Cox’s Point Haunted Mansion in Essex 7-10pm — at Cox’s Point Park on Riverside Drive, called “Maryland’s Oldest Haunted Attraction.”

Sunday should be a fun day full of fun & spooks. Enjoy what Baltimore has to offer!

8702 School Rd – Parkville Summit Colonial
Parkville, Maryland 21234 – Offered at $249,900. {UPDATE: Withdrawn from the market.}

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Explore this wonderful Parkville home for sale at $249,900…

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Baltimore 4th of July Events

Baltimore has many 4th of July events for people to enjoy.

The largest one is in Downtown Baltimore called “Ports of America Chesapeake Fourth of July Celebration”. Entertainment begins at 2 pm with the jazz band Lovecraft, and at 8 pm the Naval Academy’s Electric Brigade begins at 8 pm.

Fireworks are scheduled to go off at 9:30 pm and can be seen from the Inner Harbor, Fell’s Point, Federal Hill, and other places around the harbor. The music and entertainment is located in the Inner Harbor at Harborplace Amphitheater located at 401 Light Street.

Friday and Saturday, the 2nd & 3rd, Harborplace celebrates its’ 30th Anniversary. Since it was opened in 1980, they are having 80′s themed Anniversary fun, so you can join in and hopefully have a blast!

In Baltimore County, at Oregon Ridge in Cockeysville, the BSO Start Spangled Spectacular happens both July 3rd & 4th! Gates open at 5 pm and the concert begins at 8 pm. Tickets are available online now. It culminates in a huge fireworks display accompanied by the Orchestra.

There are a number of places in Baltimore County where fireworks are scheduled on the 3rd, 4th and 5th, so you can enjoy three nights in a row! Baltimore County’s website lists:

July 3, 2010

Baltimore Country Club (rain date July 4)
11500 Mays Chapel Road

Catonsville High School (rain date July 4)
421 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville

Eastern Yacht Club (no rain date)
918 Seneca Road, The Barge

Grange Elementary School (rain date July 5)
2000 Church Road, Dundalk

Oregon Ridge Park (no rain date)
13401 Beaver Dam Road

The Suburban Club (rain date July 5)
7600 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, 21209

Woodholme Country Club (rain date July 5)
300 Woodholme Avenue

July 4, 2010

Fullerton Park (rain date July 5)
4208 Fullerton Avenue

Loch Raven Academy (rain date July 5)
8101 LaSalle Road

Oregon Ridge Park (no rain date)
13401 Beaver Dam Road

July 5, 2010

Hereford High School (rain date July 6)
17220 York Road, Hereford

For parades and more daytime fun, the Baltimore County website shows quite a few from Kingsville to Towson to Catonsville!

Saturday, July 3

Arbutus Recreation Council
Begin: 12:30 p.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Tom Day Boulevard Route: Tom Day Boulevard to Carville Avenue to East Drive. (Super Fresh store parking lot)

Catonsville Celebrations Committee
Begin: 3 p.m.
End: 5:30 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Montrose Avenue; Bloomingdale Avenue; Route: Starting at Montrose Avenue and Frederick Road, proceed east on Frederick Road to Bloomsbury Avenue, turn right on Bloomingdale.

Dundalk Heritage Parade Committee
Begin: 8 a.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation Area: Logan Village Shopping Center. Route: North on Dundalk Avenue, east on Belcare, north on Liberty Parkway, west on Dunglow Road, west on Dunmanway, north on Shipping Place, east on Shipway, north on Admiral Boulevard, south on Liberty Parkway to Dunmanway.

Glyndon Community Association, Inc
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: noon
Route: Formation area: Albright Avenue. Route: Albright Avenue east to Central Avenue, north onto Central to Chatsworth Avenue, west onto Chatsworth to Railroad Avenue, south onto Railroad to Albright Avenue.

Hampton Improvement Association
Begin: 8:45 a.m.
End: 9 a.m.
Route: Formation: Dead end court Gateshead & Seminary Ave; Start north end of Gateshead Rd, down to St Francis Road left onto Valley View Drive, quick right in to Hampton Mansion farmhouse grounds.

Greater Kingsville Civic Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Kingsville Fire Hall, Bradshaw Road and St. Stephen’s Church lot for fire trucks and large vehicles. Route: from Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department grounds, down Bradshaw Road, right on Jerusalem Road, at judges viewing stand to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Street parking lot.

Pine Valley / Valleywood Community Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 10:45 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Pine Valley Drive and Presway Road; Start at Pine Valley Drive and Presway Road-South to Sandee Road left  then left on Rickswood Road into school (Pinewood Elementary) parking lot.

Towson Area Fourth of July Parade
Begin: 10:30 a.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation: Towson University (Burke & Bosley) disperse at Burke & Washington Avenue.

Wilson Point Civic Association
Begin: 9 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Route: Formation Area: Middle River Vol. Fire Co & Beech Drive-Route: Right onto Wilson Point Road-right onto Dogwood Drive, left onto Shore Road, left onto Hazel Drive, left onto Wilson Point Road, to the Middle River Vol. Fire Company’s lot for disbursement. Distance total 1.6 miles.

Sunday, July 4

Sudbrook Park Inc.
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Triangle at Adana Road, Kingston Road and Windsor Road. Dispersal area: Playground McHenry Road. Route: Parade travels up Adana Road, turns right into Carysbrook Road, turns right onto Olmstead Road, turns left onto McHenry and ends at playground on McHenry Road.

Coachford / Springlake Community Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Galewood Circle-Timonium; Route: Galewood Road, right on Tregarone, right on Hartfell, left on Fallsbrook Road, left on Springlake Drive, left into Pot Spring School parking lot.

Colonial Village Neighborhood Association
Begin: 9:30 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Route: Formation: Lowell Drive at Deerfield Road / Lowell Drive; Route: east at Plymouth Road, south at Concord Road, west on Concord Ending at Salem Court.

Monday, July 5

Hereford Optimist Club
Begin: 5:30 p.m.
End: 8 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Hereford SHA lot; beginning at Hereford Shopping Center, start east on Mt. Carmel Rd to North onto York Road (Rte 45) end at Hereford High School.

Some culminate in the fireworks displays in the area.

So enjoy 4th of July in Baltimore. There is plenty to do!

Photo courtesy of Sam Howzit via Flickr CC

Baltimore Real Estate Sales Down in May 2010

Baltimore real estate sales were down in May 2010, a noted amount after the Homebuyer Tax Credit ended.

As noted from MRIS, the local Multiple Listing Service, pending sales decreased 13.7% compared to May 2009. April 2010 had 16,089 contracts written. May had only 9,527, which is 6,562 less!

The good news is that the homes that are on the market took less time to sell on average.

The continuation of the not-so-good-news is that for the most part, prices were lower.

View the full 13 page May 2010 Baltimore real estate Market Indicators report.

I will have more detailed information on Baltimore County real estate and Baltimore City market trend indicators coming soon.

Erickson Communities’ New Ownership Poised for Growth

Erickson Communities’ new ownership is poised for growth as they take over this month.

Redwood Capital Investments bought Erickson at auction in late December, and the closing happened this month.

Erickson filed for bankruptcy late last year, which wiped out most of their debt, making them financially sound for the upcoming planned projects.

The projects include about 12 communities that were begun but unfinished due to the falling Baltimore real estate market and ensuing bankruptcy.

Jim Davis, the new owner of Erickson, and now also its’ Chief Executive, plans to continue to run the Erickson Retirement Communities in the same spirit as the Erickson family envisioned when they began 26 years ago, getting the places up and then selling to not-for-profit companies to run them, and provide a welcoming place for seniors to live.

The Baltimore Sun reported that:

Long-term demographic trends also bode well for the company. Company officials point out that the population of seniors age 65 and older is projected to grow 60 percent, to 63.9 million people, in the next 15 years, when that segment of older Americans will make up nearly 18 percent of the population.

With these trends, it appears that Erickson would have a great future ahead of them.

If you are considering a move to a retirement home and would need to sell your Baltimore County home, please contact me today. I would be happy to help!

New Baltimore County Recycling Begins February 1, 2010

On December 10, 2009, I announced the new Baltimore County Single Stream Recycling being implemented on February 1, 2010.

Well, here we are in late January, and it is coming very soon!

Here are the details — it’s SO easy — now everyone in Baltimore County can recycle without having to think too much about it!

What’s new & easy?

• It all goes into the same container! LIDS, CAPS, LABELS & RINGS are accepted now. No throwing the cap of the milk jug or soda bottle away anymore.
• Juice cartons, aluminium pans, AEROSOL cans, frozen food boxes — ALL NOW ACCEPTED!

The changes you need to make:

• NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS. They will not be accepting plastics/glass/etc in grocery bags anymore. (So now is the time to start using those reusable bags you may have for your groceries!)
• You can put your recyclables in small cardboard boxes, in 34 gallon or less recycling containers, or 34 gallon or less trash containers marked with an “X” or “RECYCLE”.

Click here for the Baltimore County Single Stream Recycling website for all of the details.

I am thrilled that Baltimore County is implementing this new recycling system as the ease should help more residents to be involved in the program! Join in!

Erickson Communities Bought by Hanover Based Redwood Capital Investments LLC

On Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 after an 18 hour auction, Erickson Communities chose Maryland based Redwood Capital Investments LLC to pull itself out of bankruptcy, of which it filed for Chapter 11 protection in October.

Redwood successfully outbid a New York company, Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts & Co. to get Erickson’s assets, including the non-profit groups Erickson operates.

Erickson says that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing nor its sale will affect its residents such as those in Erickson’s Oak Crest Community in Parkville and Charlestown Community located in Catonsville, both in Baltimore County. Refundable deposits and living arrangements will remain the same for those currently living in those communities.

It is a great thing that Erickson is able to keep this sale within Maryland, as our state has had a recent number of large companies being bought or headquarters moved out of state, like Towson based Black & Decker ’s buy out by Stanley Works in Connecticut.

Erickson began to have trouble when the real estate market began to drop after 2005′s boom. The large refundable deposits new residents put down (up to around $400,000) were usually paid from proceeds of the new resident’s sale of their prior home. With homes not selling for the amount needed for the downpayment, less people were moving into the retirement communities.

Fore more details on the Erickson Communities sale, read Baltimore Sun reporter Jamie Hopkins Smith’s article.

This is great news for Erickson Communities, their residents in Parkville’s Oak Crest and Catonsville’s Charlestown, Redwood Capital, and especially the State of Maryland!

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