02-16-2023 Howard Mag - 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
B
egun in 1967 on 21 square miles of farmland, the
planned community of Columbia has grown to
a town of around 105,000 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 46% white, 27% Black, 13% Asian and 6%
Hispanic.
AT A GLANCE
Each neighborhood is built around a village
center, giving Columbia a small-town feel. But
Typical home
the community also has amenities small towns
value: $465,618
can’t match, such as downtown offices, a major
Population:
shopping mall, extensive recreation facilities,
105,412
an award-winning dinner theater and a large
Founded: 1967
concert pavilion.
Source: datausa.
The town center is undergoing a 30-year,
io, Zillow
$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.
Just across from the mall is Lake Kittamaqundi, which offers
activities for hikers, bikers and anglers.
PHOTO BY KEVIN RICHARDSON
12
| Winter 2023 | howardmagazine.com