02-15-2024 Howard - Flipbook - Page 12
COMMUNITIES & HOUSING
H
oward County has a distinct and thriving collection of communities, old and
new, stable and growing. In Columbia,
nearly a quarter of the land is preserved
as open space. Woods, parkland, playgrounds
and other public spaces are required by covenant
to remain undeveloped.
Elsewhere in the county, a farmland preservation program designates certain areas for
housing and permanently protects others from
development. Newcomers to the county should
explore the status of the property in which they
are interested.
Here is a look at some of the communities
Howard Countians call home:
COLUMBIA
Begun in 1967 on 21 square miles of farmland, the planned community of Columbia has
grown to a town of around 105,400 people in 10
villages. Developer James W. Rouse’s vision for
this “new town” included racial diversity, religious sharing and environmentally conscious
development: Columbia’s residents are 48%
white, 28% Black, 13% Asian and 8% Hispanic.
Each neighborhood is built around a village
center, giving Columbia a small-town feel.
But the city also has
amenities small towns
AT A GLANCE
can’t match, such as
Typical home value:
downtown offices, a
$473,140
major shopping mall,
Population: 105,412
extensive recreFounded: 1967
ation facilities, an
award-winning dinner
Source: datausa.io, Zillow
theater and a large
concert pavilion.
The town center is
undergoing a 30-year, $5 billion renewal with
an eye toward health and fitness. Nearby sits
Merriweather Post Pavilion, an amphitheater
tucked among 40 woodsy acres and a throwback to the town’s beginnings. Opened in 2017,
the Chrysalis at Merriweather Park is a futuristic green open-air venue within the trees that
also hosts concerts and cultural events.
Open space is plentiful, even downtown
where, near the mall, Lake Kittamaqundi
draws hikers, bikers, anglers and boaters to
its shores. A 1.4-mile paved trail surrounds
the 27-acre lake. The larger Lake Elkhorn (37
acres), in the village of Owen Brown, offers
fishing and a walking trail.
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| Winter 2024 | howardmagazine.com