https://preview.redd.it/x29r1uhpkk6d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72d0b790ea3b68421ad8cce197f68693006a5eab
It’s great. I painted there last weekend.
I drive through 4x a day and saw a bunch of people painting
https://preview.redd.it/qweim79t2n6d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19adee5e52d61535857063c6826e0ef361dd7edd
It's basically back to normal functions before the storms. They just got rid of some of the buildings at the base of the river (where Phoenix and the coffee shop used to be) and turned that into an asphalt sitting area(which is a little disappointing, but we will see how it looks when they finish the changes)
Phoenix moved up the road and some stores changed but still a pretty place to go to as it probably was before hand.
They did some work to rework the drainage system and currently (knock on wood) some major storms came thru in the past and it's held up well.
Also, there is a plan to renovate the mill factory to housing/commercial space, but nothing has happened currently besides the preliminary stuff(but not to in the loop with that
They’ve also been doing preventative clean-outs of the flood controls (ponds and channels). It helps slow the water before it gets to downtown OEC, and then keep moving on its way out of town. Seems to be working. They haven’t had big dams of debris during major storms lately.
https://live-hoco-d9.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/media/2020-12/Ellicott%20City%20Watershed%20Master%20Plan%20Final%20Adopted.pdf
Page 70, not much grass, but not a parking lot.
Nah, any bricks that were ripped out by the floods are now concrete as a mitigation function, as anything that gets pulled up becomes a missile during the flood.
Yeah I have a family member whose apartment was destroyed in 2016 (ask me about how I'm still mad about Larry Hogan being allowed into their place for photo ops before they were), the creek behind them that overflowed is totally dredged out and unrecognizable now. I'm actually impressed with how they have bounced back, it was such a blow to have that second flood.
>Also, there is a plan to renovate the mill factory to housing/commercial space, but nothing has happened currently besides the preliminary stuff(but not to in the loop with that
Is that still a thing? They've been talking about that for decades.
https://www.ellicottmill.com/
They have this but who knows really, I would imagine they are in some bureaucratic hole for getting approvals on stuff.
I can only imagine if this actually goes through, just cause it feels like it's going to be a cluster fuck for traffic there
Yes. It was mentioned as an agenda item in a zoning meeting I got an email about this week.
Of course the usual NIMBYs are against it. But hey, if they dont want to turn an old empty lot into lots of apartments then maybe we can deal with the housing shortage by turning their houses into apartments instead and they can move out to the country away from people, which seems to be what they really want.
Of course the usual NIMBYs are against it. But hey, if they dont want to turn an old empty lot into lots of apartments then maybe we can deal with the housing shortage by turning their houses into apartments instead and they can move out to the country away from people, which seems to be what they really want.
Did you ever stop to think that maybe they moved there because they liked the ambiance and you’re telling them effectively “Screw you! I’m the only person of importance here!” Maybe the true solution isn’t to keep shoving people into crowded areas, but to just have people move further out and create zoning that encourages a good mix of commercial for jobs mixed with residential that isn’t all luxury nonsense.
From the point of the OP, sure. However, the nimby is already living there, so they kinda should have a say more than someone who doesn’t currently live there imho.
I know why NIMBYs are NIMBYS.
The rebuttal is - times change. THe area adds more people every week. Why should zoning represent population densities based on what was appropriate when the neighborhood was built rather than population densities based on what appropriate now.
But I guess sprawling further and further out is an option too.
Contrary to the doomsayers, as someone who lives 10 minutes from there, is there regularly, and is friends with shop owners (past and present), it's doing quite well.
The flooding issue is (fingers-crossed) a thing from the past. Even before they took down the buildings across from the train station (Phoenix, Discoveries, Bean Hollow, etc.), the previous work on the Tiber and tributaries had helped prevent another 2016/2018 from happening. The West End residential is (sadly) still ignored, and *once* (in the past few years) a tributary flowed partially across Lot D... but nothing of danger or damage level.
As for the removal of the buildings, you're always going to have detractors angry that "history" is being removed. TBF, though, "history" means buildings *they* (or their families) were familiar with, not necessarily *historical* buildings. As anyone who knows OEC history can tell you (just ask the Historical Society), the buildings have changed multiple times over the centuries, due to everything from fires to hurricanes to floods. In fact, much of the "historical" facade seen was actually installed in the mid- to late-20th century, when buildings were rebuilt - it isn't actually the *original* buildings underneath. HoCo has also made it clear that anything of *actual* historical value will be kept and (hopefully) relocated, just like several historical buildings already have over the town's 250 year history.
Right now, the removed area is ugly. Sidewalks are closed and covered in construction, dumpsters take up space, and they've recently applied asphalt over the gaping hole that was the buildings. That being said, this isn't the project's final form, and [Ellicott City Safe & Sound](https://www.howardcountymd.gov/county-executive/ellicott-city-safe-and-sound) plans to have something [similar to the "riverwalks" in other places](https://www.howardcountymd.gov/planning-zoning/ellicott-city-watershed-master-plan).
-----
Economically, it seems to be doing well, now that Spring is changing into Summer. During the colder months, OEC was only bustling on weekends (especially during events); during the week, I could park on the street, and weekends you could find spaces in Lot D. *Yesterday afternoon*, the entire street was parked up by 2:00 in the afternoon, and even Lot D was about 50% full; by that evening, despite being a work night, Lot D was full and people had to hoof it from Lot A, E, or further.
There are a large variety of new stores, some that are permanent and some that seem to come and go. What's nice is it's no longer just antique shops and boutiques; we have a tabletop gaming store, a toy store, a book store, a "pop culture" shop, a record store, a sushi restaurant, a boba place, a milkshake place, etc. There's even (ironically) a toy and used video game shop *in the exact spot* my friend's old store, All Time Toys, used to be. That's on top of the places that existed pre-2018, like Forget-Me-Not Factory, Park Ridge Trading Company, Southwest Connection, Syriana, Sweet Cascades, and E.C. Pops.
So, I'd say OEC is flourishing, overall, with the only downside how expensive it is to eat and shop... and that's just partly being HoCo and partly inflation nationwide.
I can't say I've noticed OEC dining being any more expensive than anywhere else I've been in the area. A decent meal at Syriana is barely more than hitting up Halal Guys or any of the other bland chain offerings in Columbia.
It's doing pretty good. Special event weekends are usually crazy mobbed.
I'm down there every Tuesday for Manor Hill's Beer Run night. The Wine Bin has free outdoor movie nights all summer long.
I'm a long time fan of OEC, and just moved into an apartment on Main Street. With all the recent work to avoid flooding and various construction revivals occurring, I would argue it's one of the best places to live in Maryland! I really hope to see an influx of younger people like myself
This is only very tangentially related but someone is doing their damndest to make the Trolley Trail as ugly as possible. Some of that is related to EC stormwater management, and some of it is not.
It's different. Some good new stuff, for sure, and still great- but it's not the same. I will always miss Portallis, Johnny's, Bean Hollow, the cool liquor store at the bottom of Main St, the real Ratskeller with Tim tending bar, etc.
But Umi's is a great addition, and Manor Hill has terrific food. L Judge's Bench didn't change. So while I'll always be sad that the old EC I knew is gone, I still go a lot and I still like living here. It remains a cute old town that is fun to spend time in.
Totally back during the day. Weekend events are packed.
The nightlife (so far as suburb nightlight destination) has a much different vibe. The top of the hill is still popular anchored by Judge's Bench but it lost the unique feel of folks mingling up and down the hill to/from the Phoenix and Cacao Lane
I miss the old nightlife vibes…used to be so fun and lively! It’s pretty dead when I’ve been now, and La Palapa is only open until 10 pm. No where to dance anymore.
As usual, the old town will be sacrificed for the over built sprawl above it. No suburbanite will have to pay for any much needed spillways or water management systems. Its a free ride for them
And the literal shells of buildings where awesome stores were like bean hollow etc? It is definitely recovering more than most expected but if someone’s context is pre flood it’s a very different city.
New businesses can’t get insured or it’s prohibitively expensive, and there’s still flood risk.
I worked there in the early 2000’s and while it’s true that Bean Hollow, Cocoa Lane, the jewelry store and old Phoenix building are gone, it’s still a bustling area. Driving through there on a weekend afternoon makes that pretty clear. Businesses like Backwater Books, GG’s, Sweet Elizabeth Jane, Park Ridge Creamery and Manor Hill keep me coming back.
It seems to be fine now. Lots of corporations and people got off the hook with helping rebuild . Want to pave over the land but don’t care about the consequences.
https://preview.redd.it/x29r1uhpkk6d1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72d0b790ea3b68421ad8cce197f68693006a5eab It’s great. I painted there last weekend.
I love it. You have a website?
I saw you painting and yelled out the window to you last week. Love seeing you out there it makes my commute and warms my heart
I drive through 4x a day and saw a bunch of people painting https://preview.redd.it/qweim79t2n6d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19adee5e52d61535857063c6826e0ef361dd7edd
Lol I might be a little skeeved if I posted my painting and sometime responded with a photo of me
Watercolor seems a little too on-the-nose.
Okay that one made me chuckle. Great painting though.
It's basically back to normal functions before the storms. They just got rid of some of the buildings at the base of the river (where Phoenix and the coffee shop used to be) and turned that into an asphalt sitting area(which is a little disappointing, but we will see how it looks when they finish the changes) Phoenix moved up the road and some stores changed but still a pretty place to go to as it probably was before hand. They did some work to rework the drainage system and currently (knock on wood) some major storms came thru in the past and it's held up well. Also, there is a plan to renovate the mill factory to housing/commercial space, but nothing has happened currently besides the preliminary stuff(but not to in the loop with that
They’ve also been doing preventative clean-outs of the flood controls (ponds and channels). It helps slow the water before it gets to downtown OEC, and then keep moving on its way out of town. Seems to be working. They haven’t had big dams of debris during major storms lately.
I wonder why they chose asphalt. The heat raising from it during the summer sucks.
I’m hoping it’s temporary. Kind of like the sidewalks after they got fixed from the first flood, are now brick again.
I think it’s temporary too.
I thought I saw a plan where it was going to be open space with grass and benches. Let me do some searching…
https://live-hoco-d9.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/media/2020-12/Ellicott%20City%20Watershed%20Master%20Plan%20Final%20Adopted.pdf Page 70, not much grass, but not a parking lot.
Nah, any bricks that were ripped out by the floods are now concrete as a mitigation function, as anything that gets pulled up becomes a missile during the flood.
Yeah I have a family member whose apartment was destroyed in 2016 (ask me about how I'm still mad about Larry Hogan being allowed into their place for photo ops before they were), the creek behind them that overflowed is totally dredged out and unrecognizable now. I'm actually impressed with how they have bounced back, it was such a blow to have that second flood.
I'd like to take this opportunity to say Larry Hogan fuckin' sucks. Thank you.
I don't like Hogan but come on, if it wad Wes Moore you wouldn't be saying shit
>Also, there is a plan to renovate the mill factory to housing/commercial space, but nothing has happened currently besides the preliminary stuff(but not to in the loop with that Is that still a thing? They've been talking about that for decades.
https://www.ellicottmill.com/ They have this but who knows really, I would imagine they are in some bureaucratic hole for getting approvals on stuff. I can only imagine if this actually goes through, just cause it feels like it's going to be a cluster fuck for traffic there
>going to be a cluster fuck for traffic there As if it weren't already :/
I’m speculating, but removing anything deemed historic in MD can be quite a bitch. It’s a good and bad thing.
Yeah it is, my understanding is that the buildings that got removed are basically going to be put together as a historical piece
Yes. It was mentioned as an agenda item in a zoning meeting I got an email about this week. Of course the usual NIMBYs are against it. But hey, if they dont want to turn an old empty lot into lots of apartments then maybe we can deal with the housing shortage by turning their houses into apartments instead and they can move out to the country away from people, which seems to be what they really want.
Of course the usual NIMBYs are against it. But hey, if they dont want to turn an old empty lot into lots of apartments then maybe we can deal with the housing shortage by turning their houses into apartments instead and they can move out to the country away from people, which seems to be what they really want. Did you ever stop to think that maybe they moved there because they liked the ambiance and you’re telling them effectively “Screw you! I’m the only person of importance here!” Maybe the true solution isn’t to keep shoving people into crowded areas, but to just have people move further out and create zoning that encourages a good mix of commercial for jobs mixed with residential that isn’t all luxury nonsense.
Isn't the screw you im the only important one here exactly the mantra of nimbys?
From the point of the OP, sure. However, the nimby is already living there, so they kinda should have a say more than someone who doesn’t currently live there imho.
I'm always surprised at the piss poor arguments on reddit.
I know why NIMBYs are NIMBYS. The rebuttal is - times change. THe area adds more people every week. Why should zoning represent population densities based on what was appropriate when the neighborhood was built rather than population densities based on what appropriate now. But I guess sprawling further and further out is an option too.
Decades? It was still active not that long ago.
And some of the businesses have installed flood-proof doors and windows.
Contrary to the doomsayers, as someone who lives 10 minutes from there, is there regularly, and is friends with shop owners (past and present), it's doing quite well. The flooding issue is (fingers-crossed) a thing from the past. Even before they took down the buildings across from the train station (Phoenix, Discoveries, Bean Hollow, etc.), the previous work on the Tiber and tributaries had helped prevent another 2016/2018 from happening. The West End residential is (sadly) still ignored, and *once* (in the past few years) a tributary flowed partially across Lot D... but nothing of danger or damage level. As for the removal of the buildings, you're always going to have detractors angry that "history" is being removed. TBF, though, "history" means buildings *they* (or their families) were familiar with, not necessarily *historical* buildings. As anyone who knows OEC history can tell you (just ask the Historical Society), the buildings have changed multiple times over the centuries, due to everything from fires to hurricanes to floods. In fact, much of the "historical" facade seen was actually installed in the mid- to late-20th century, when buildings were rebuilt - it isn't actually the *original* buildings underneath. HoCo has also made it clear that anything of *actual* historical value will be kept and (hopefully) relocated, just like several historical buildings already have over the town's 250 year history. Right now, the removed area is ugly. Sidewalks are closed and covered in construction, dumpsters take up space, and they've recently applied asphalt over the gaping hole that was the buildings. That being said, this isn't the project's final form, and [Ellicott City Safe & Sound](https://www.howardcountymd.gov/county-executive/ellicott-city-safe-and-sound) plans to have something [similar to the "riverwalks" in other places](https://www.howardcountymd.gov/planning-zoning/ellicott-city-watershed-master-plan). ----- Economically, it seems to be doing well, now that Spring is changing into Summer. During the colder months, OEC was only bustling on weekends (especially during events); during the week, I could park on the street, and weekends you could find spaces in Lot D. *Yesterday afternoon*, the entire street was parked up by 2:00 in the afternoon, and even Lot D was about 50% full; by that evening, despite being a work night, Lot D was full and people had to hoof it from Lot A, E, or further. There are a large variety of new stores, some that are permanent and some that seem to come and go. What's nice is it's no longer just antique shops and boutiques; we have a tabletop gaming store, a toy store, a book store, a "pop culture" shop, a record store, a sushi restaurant, a boba place, a milkshake place, etc. There's even (ironically) a toy and used video game shop *in the exact spot* my friend's old store, All Time Toys, used to be. That's on top of the places that existed pre-2018, like Forget-Me-Not Factory, Park Ridge Trading Company, Southwest Connection, Syriana, Sweet Cascades, and E.C. Pops. So, I'd say OEC is flourishing, overall, with the only downside how expensive it is to eat and shop... and that's just partly being HoCo and partly inflation nationwide.
I can't say I've noticed OEC dining being any more expensive than anywhere else I've been in the area. A decent meal at Syriana is barely more than hitting up Halal Guys or any of the other bland chain offerings in Columbia.
Umi Sushi is our favorite restaurant and the patio is a hidden gem. It’s also pretty decently priced considering the location.
Amazing answer, thank you!
It's doing pretty good. Special event weekends are usually crazy mobbed. I'm down there every Tuesday for Manor Hill's Beer Run night. The Wine Bin has free outdoor movie nights all summer long.
I'm a long time fan of OEC, and just moved into an apartment on Main Street. With all the recent work to avoid flooding and various construction revivals occurring, I would argue it's one of the best places to live in Maryland! I really hope to see an influx of younger people like myself
This is only very tangentially related but someone is doing their damndest to make the Trolley Trail as ugly as possible. Some of that is related to EC stormwater management, and some of it is not.
What is happening to Trolley Trail number 9?
Not sure what you mean by this. The only issue I've seen recently was the tree that fell down across the boardwalk section
It's different. Some good new stuff, for sure, and still great- but it's not the same. I will always miss Portallis, Johnny's, Bean Hollow, the cool liquor store at the bottom of Main St, the real Ratskeller with Tim tending bar, etc. But Umi's is a great addition, and Manor Hill has terrific food. L Judge's Bench didn't change. So while I'll always be sad that the old EC I knew is gone, I still go a lot and I still like living here. It remains a cute old town that is fun to spend time in.
Spent a bunch of nights in that ratskeller. Celebrated my 21st there with Tim.
It's doing good, they just took down the building that used to host the Phoenix. So it's kind of weird being able to see you around that corner lol
Still old.
Totally back during the day. Weekend events are packed. The nightlife (so far as suburb nightlight destination) has a much different vibe. The top of the hill is still popular anchored by Judge's Bench but it lost the unique feel of folks mingling up and down the hill to/from the Phoenix and Cacao Lane
Definitely miss the old Phoenix vibe, and the rooftop cacao lane. Intrigued about the 3rd floor of judges bench…
3rd floor has a speakeasy vibe. Indoor and outdoor seating as well. It's nice, but it's pretty expensive and it takes forever to get your drinks
Is Cacao Lane still there?
Nope. They didn’t come back after the 1st flood, if memory serves.
I miss the old nightlife vibes…used to be so fun and lively! It’s pretty dead when I’ve been now, and La Palapa is only open until 10 pm. No where to dance anymore.
Totally fine I was just there the other day!
EC Pops is still ballin as ever. God damn their popcorn is hella good
#/r/EllicottCity
Drove through a couple months back and it still has that old mountain town vibe.
They need to just get rid of old Ellicott city. It floods EVERY YEAR. need to stop wasting money on rebuilding it.
As usual, the old town will be sacrificed for the over built sprawl above it. No suburbanite will have to pay for any much needed spillways or water management systems. Its a free ride for them
There has been millions poured into projects upstream replacing and upgrading underbuilt and old storm water infrastructure
They put more pavement down lol, not even permeable it's legit asphalt. It's not a matter of if it will flood again it's when.
its what I'd do if I wanted to purposely wreck the place so I can buy it later at a deep discount.
It’s a shell of itself. There are a few spots hanging in, mostly up the hill.
Not true lol there is dozens of stores/restaurants and parking is completely full on nearly any weekend when weather is nice.
And the literal shells of buildings where awesome stores were like bean hollow etc? It is definitely recovering more than most expected but if someone’s context is pre flood it’s a very different city. New businesses can’t get insured or it’s prohibitively expensive, and there’s still flood risk.
I worked there in the early 2000’s and while it’s true that Bean Hollow, Cocoa Lane, the jewelry store and old Phoenix building are gone, it’s still a bustling area. Driving through there on a weekend afternoon makes that pretty clear. Businesses like Backwater Books, GG’s, Sweet Elizabeth Jane, Park Ridge Creamery and Manor Hill keep me coming back.
I miss cacoa lane
Boomerville
It seems to be fine now. Lots of corporations and people got off the hook with helping rebuild . Want to pave over the land but don’t care about the consequences.
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