How is the Falling Waters area to live?

[steveh326]

trying to get my ducks lined up for eventual retirement outside of MD. Does anyone know how the Falling Waters area is? I plan to ride down and check it out at some point but personal perspectives would be appreciated. I can't go too far from Frederick due to children/grandchildren but real estate seems to be more reasonable in that area. Love Mt. Airy but don't think I can afford to retire here and get the land I want.

 

[Reptile]

trying to get my ducks lined up for eventual retirement outside of MD. Does anyone know how the Falling Waters area is? I plan to ride down and check it out at some point but personal perspectives would be appreciated. I can't go too far from Frederick due to children/grandchildren but real estate seems to be more reasonable in that area. Love Mt. Airy but don't think I can afford to retire here and get the land I want.

I've had an RV in a seasonal campground there for 14 years and have watched it grow in terms of housing and shopping. You're close to Hagerstown and Martinsburg and about 40 minutes from Frederick. Lots of land available if you want to build, great scenery with the river and mountains, slower pace of living, and some good shooting ranges and firearms dealers close by. Fire and ambulance services are paid for by an annual billing that's under $100 for both. Property taxes are much less than Maryland. I'm not familiar with the rest of the state and local tax structure or the schools.

 

[steveh326]

I've had an RV in a seasonal campground there for 14 years and have watched it grow in terms of housing and shopping. You're close to Hagerstown and Martinsburg and about 40 minutes from Frederick. Lots of land available if you want to build, great scenery with the river and mountains, slower pace of living, and some good shooting ranges and firearms dealers close by. Fire and ambulance services are paid for by an annual billing that's under $100 for both. Property taxes are much less than Maryland. I'm not familiar with the rest of the state and local tax structure or the schools.

thanks Reptile. what campground? did not think of it till you mentioned it but the wife and I could haul our camper down there for a week or so for base camp to explore the area. have been looking on Zillow, etc. and property taxes on a house with 3-5 acres are less than half of what I am paying now. wife likes the fact that it's close to Hagerstown. Our kids are in Frederick, and all our other family are in Hancock and Berkeley Springs WV so Falling Waters seems to be semi-centrally located.

 

[Reptile]

thanks Reptile. what campground? did not think of it till you mentioned it but the wife and I could haul our camper down there for a week or so for base camp to explore the area. have been looking on Zillow, etc. and property taxes on a house with 3-5 acres are less than half of what I am paying now. wife likes the fact that it's close to Hagerstown. Our kids are in Frederick, and all our other family are in Hancock and Berkeley Springs WV so Falling Waters seems to be semi-centrally located.

The campground is called River Bend RV Park (www.riverbendrvpark.org). It is a private park in which everyone owns their lot, but there are some short term rental pull through spaces near the entrance. Unfortunately it is only open from April through November, except to owners. In the off-season there is no water or electricity.

Just down the road from it on Route 11 is the Falling Waters Campground, which is public and is open year 'round.

Both can be reached off I-81 Exit 23 (Falling Waters/Marlowe). The public campground is to the left at the bottom of the exit.

They have just recently opened a nice "strip mall" which you will see if you are going to the public campground. It offers a Food Lion grocery store, which is a welcome addition, because the 7/11 was the only nearby food store.

Just down I-81 about three miles is a large mall with a relatively new Wal Mart super store.

If you're a shooter, there is the Tango Down Range about five miles away which is associated with Tannerman's Outfitters, a firearms and accessories dealer.

From my perspective it is a very good retirement location.

 

[swinokur]

Ray Davis who was a fixture on WAMU's Bluegrass Country radio retired to Falling Waters, WV. He must be on to something.

 

[ten75ice]

Do NOT stay at Riverbend park. I live in Falling Waters, and I recommend anywhere, but there. Stay at Yogi Bear campground, just on the other side of the Potomac in MD.

 

[ten75ice]

And Peacemaker National Training Center is 30 minutes south of Falling Waters, nothing against Tango Down. But Peacemaker is a full shooting complex.

 

[CrabbyMcNab]

Ray Davis who was a fixture on WAMU's Bluegrass Country radio retired to Falling Waters, WV. He must be on to something.

Ray Davis who sadly passed away on Wednesday. Loved his show, wonder they'll play archived shows.

 

[swinokur]

wow-didn't know that. RIP Ray. he had so many stories about Bluegrass it felt like he was interfering with the music sometimes

He produced alot of records as well.

RIP

 

[bean93x]

Falling waters is okay. A lot of drunk drivers and also the white trash paradise of river bend but I tend to think it's better than MD..

 

[ten75ice]

How do you know there are lots of drunk drivers? Just an odd statement

 

[bean93x]

How do you know there are lots of drunk drivers? Just an odd statement

Think of all of the people coming out of river bend.. And the empty bottles on the side of the road.. One could draw conclusions pretty quick given those circumstances.

 

[Reptile]

Think of all of the people coming out of river bend.. And the empty bottles on the side of the road.. One could draw conclusions pretty quick given those circumstances.

I've been going in and out of River Bend for 15 years. No doubt there's a lot of drinking going on, but most of the folks I know keep it in the park. I have a place on the water and the few problems I've had were caused by non-members coming in off the river looking for something to steal and turn into drug money.

 

[platekiller]

I live in martinsburg and I like it a lot. I can bring my gun with me almost anywhere I go. I'm a member at peacemaker and like shooting there. The cost of most things is less except for gas.

 

[Reptile]

I live in martinsburg and I like it a lot. I can bring my gun with me almost anywhere I go. I'm a member at peacemaker and like shooting there. The cost of most things is less except for gas.

I shoot at Tango Down Range when my place is open at River Bend. Late last year a new gun shop opened on Grade Road between 81 and River Bend Park, which made it even more convenient to shop for things I can't buy in Maryland...not firearms, just mags and a changing selection of consignment firearms.

 

[platekiller]

I shoot at Tango Down Range when my place is open at River Bend. Late last year a new gun shop opened on Grade Road between 81 and River Bend Park, which made it even more convenient to shop for things I can't buy in Maryland...not firearms, just mags and a changing selection of consignment firearms.

I'll have to look it up, what's the name?

 

[Reptile]

I'll have to look it up, what's the name?

I don't remember the name, but it's in a little strip mall off Grade Road. I believe the street address would be Forevergreen Drive.

 

[afree1]

The name is RSP gunshop. The place is open Wednesday-Saturday. The phone number is (301) 988-1967, if you want to make any inquiries. I have done business there several times, and Scott is a good guy to work with - no BS.

 

[afree1]

With regard to the original question about living in Falling Waters - I moved there from MD about 25 years ago, and have never been sorry. There are upscale communities in Falling Waters as well as typical West Virginia type areas, and pretty much everything in between. It's close enough to Maryland to take advantage of what that state has to offer, while also offering a much more friendly environment for gun owners, and lower taxes.

 

[Reptile]

With regard to the original question about living in Falling Waters - I moved there from MD about 25 years ago, and have never been sorry. There are upscale communities in Falling Waters as well as typical West Virginia type areas, and pretty much everything in between. It's close enough to Maryland to take advantage of what that state has to offer, while also offering a much more friendly environment for gun owners, and lower taxes.

The immediate area around Falling Waters (WV RT11/I-81) has "modernized" considerably in the last few years. It's literally on the MD/WV border with Williamsport on the MD side. You're only one real interstate exit inside WV (the first is a rest stop). Hagerstown is a few minutes up I-81 and Martinsburg is a few minutes south. It lives up to the "wild and wonderful" hype and your housing dollar goes a long way.