Why Ellicott City is the greatest place to live

JMU is obviously the best university ever and Harrisonburg, VA is a magical place, but my true loyalties lie a little further North.

I come from Ellicott City, a relatively suburban town right smack in the middle of Maryland. I have lived here my entire 20 years of life, so I don’t know much else, but I do know that I love this city and I am privileged to have been born and raised here. Here’s 10 reasons why Ellicott City is a great place to live:

Crabs!!!!! Maryland people just can’t get enough of ’em. We crave them every second of every day. 

We even have an Old Ellicott City…how cool is that?! This historic downtown (and my favorite place in the world) includes shopping, restaurants, cafe’s, the B&O Railroad Museum, historical attractions, and much more. 

Summer days are spent at the pool…literally every. single. day. Shout out to Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club for teaching me how to swim and consuming my childhood summers.

Ellicott City is a great place to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Home to many parks such as Patapsco Valley State Park, there are many activities to do like hiking, fishing, swimming, canoeing, camping, and more. Shout out to Centennial Park for being my running home. The high education systems. Quick shout out to Howard High School, go Lions!

Charm City Puppies. If you’re a cynomaniac like me, you know what I’m talking about. This place is my second home. Who doesn’t love playing with an endless amount of adorable pups?!Ellicott City is 15 minutes from the city of Baltimore. Baltimore is home to the Ravens, Orioles, Inner Harbor, National Aquarium, Fort McHenry, many museums, and so much more! 

Merriweather Post Pavilion. That is all. This outside concert venue, only 15 minutes away, is the highlight of any music lover’s summer. It never fails to be a good time!

The foooooooood! There are so many options when it comes to dining out and any choice is guaranteed a good one. Some of my favorites are: The Bean Hollow, Pasta Blitz, Clyde’s, and Eggspectation.

College makes you miss it. I love JMU and never want to leave, but I do love coming home for breaks! There really is no place like home.