Will second Dan and AKC. Worked with them a few years ago and was overall a great experience. The most important was that Dan was very communicative.

Oh man. Sorry to hear that. I did see At Speed motors in Elk Ridge has recently begun offering PPF and ceramic. I might try them next time I need that done. They look very reputable and I saw them do a video with the Porsche Club of America folks who are based out of Columbia.

Atomic auto salon on Red Branch Road does good work. I got ceramic and PPF there. Perhaps on the pricier side though. They had a lot of high end cars while I was there too. I get my detailing done a Pro Wash Auto spa also on Red Branch road. They're great and offer PPF iirc.

That's shitty.

I have teenagers at another HoCo high school. They say vaping in the bathrooms is very common.

I wouldn't say despise but there are far better options in either direction on Route 40 within 5 minutes.

I haven't tried Mi Casa yet but I was pretty disappointed with Ernesto's.

https://pollofeliztaqueria.com/ - Route 40, Ellicott City.

Food is fantastic, it's the best I've found so far. I've had trouble w/ the pick up option on Door Dash or maybe it was Uber Eats. So, if you're doing a pick up it's best to call instead.

>It's also important to know that if you buy within Columbia city limits, you'll have steep HOA fees.

I want expand on this a bit more since it's important to understand. The Columbia Association (CA) is essentially a large HOA with some unique features.

The CA sets all the usual HOA rules like the external look of the homes, yard maintenance, fence rules, etc. But, they also maintain a large portion of the trail network, the lakes, operate fitness centers and pools, and organize events. If your home is within a CA boundary then you have to pay an additional HOA fee, very rough ballpark I'd say is about $1000/yr for a townhome or single-family. As a result of being a CA member you receive improved pricing on the amenities as shown here.

You may see people referring to the CA as something like a "quasi government". I disagree with that characterization since they don't provide anything resembling basic government services. I tend to think of them as if a YMCA merged with an HOA.

There are also homes and whole communities in Columbia which do not fall under the CA umbrella and thus not charged the annual CA dues. These are referred to as "out parcels". Sewells Orchard is one example. Realtors will often highlight this fact in their listings, for example and another.

I'm personally biased towards Sewells Orchard since I lived there for awhile (now in western Howard County). It has nice balance, no CA fee, direct trail access, it's own (albeit small) lake park, no through streets, and otherwise easy access to everything Columbia has to offer. If you are able to come and explore I'd recommend checking it out. I'd also recommend checking out at least one of the other lakes (Wilde Lake, Kittamaqundi, or Elkhorn), the new downtown Merriweather district for a bite to eat, Blandair or Centennial Parks, and downtown Ellicott City.

Take my upvote you fellow late 30s/early 40s sob.

This isn't germane to the overall issue at hand, which is serious, but this statement in the article isn't correct and paints an inaccurate picture to people who aren't familiar with Columbia or Howard County: "effectively governed like a huge homeowners association with more than 100,000 resident"

The CA is not really like a full government. They manage the HOA rules for homes and businesses while maintaining large swaths of recreational infrastructure. But, they are not effectively governing Columbia. The county manages emergency services, the school system, local building codes, the courts, parks, roads, waste management, and more. That statement also neglects the thousands of people who live in Columbia's "out parcels" (that is, those areas not under the CA umbrella).

Could stop collectively paying CA fees. But, I realize that would take some significant level of organization.

Yep. Just one reading of her thinly veiled Republican dog whistles gave away her false claims at being independent.