You've likely heard the 1970's era soft rock song, "Horse with No Name," by the band America? Well Riverside, MD is a place with two names - Riverside - and Belcamp, the government designated name for it's zip code address.
Riverside is a community of 2.4 square miles in coastal Maryland, a census designated place in Harford County, Maryland with a population of just over 6,400 as of the 2010 census. It's located in a coastal area where Route 40 and I-95 connect, 35 minutes from the metropolitan city of Baltimore, and just an hour and 15 minutes from the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
Moving to Riverside
When you're ready to look for 3 bedroom apartments, home rentals, or rental property in Riverside, MD of any kind, you'll need to make a careful search. Vacancies in this pleasant, quiet coastal community with river views and plenty of green space, are usually low. Check out apartment complexes like Arborview or Perkins Place to find a 1 bedroom apartment. With a short commute location to Baltimore and a bucolic feeling to this area, you'll be able to see first hand why homes here are a coveted item. Along with looking in person -- word of mouth and 'for rent' signs on a property can only be accessed if you visit yourself -- you can view online listings, and check out the local area newspapers such as the Prime Times of Harford County, and the real estate listings in the Baltimore Sun, particularly in the Sunday paper classified section. Vacancies are low in the area, rarely over 6 percent, so be sure to allow more than a month for your home search. What should you bring when you come to look? You should bring information about your work and rental history, your ID, and be able to access your credit report. Some landlords may ask to see your W2s or bank statements, as well. And when you actually move? Bring your boating shoes, your hiking boots, and sure, a winter jacket - but this is a fairly mild climate, you won't have billowing drifts of snow here come winter time. As David Bowie sang, you will see "changes" in Riverside, specifically the change of all four seasons, including the colorful autumn leaves and the warm, pleasant summers.
Neighborhoods in Riverside
The names of Belcamp and Riverside are interchangeable here, although Riverside can also be used to specifically refer to just the area within Belcamp located adjacent to Route 543.
Belcamp Town Center: This is a suburban neighborhood with many properties along the waters of Bush River and Long Bar Harbor. You'll also find pretty Leigh Park here, and the Otter Point Yacht Club - happy sailing! With vacancies at a low 5.9 percent, be sure to look carefully. And what will you find here? Primarily town homes and single family homes, many occupied by owners, and built between 1970 and the present.
Riverside Parkway/ Philadelphia Rd / Baneberry Dr: Located off Riverside Parkway, rents are reasonable in this quiet suburban neighborhood. You'll find medium sized to small townhomes, single family homes, and apartments here, occupied by both owners and renters. You'll also find the tasty Riverside Pizzeria here. Nature lovers take note of the Bush Declaration National Resources Management area, a stellar location for wildlife watching.
Life in Riverside
With views of the river, estuaries, and harbor, this pretty community of mostly modern homes and apartments is busy with commerce. With a location that connects several major transportation routes, the area of town near Route 543 in particular has a variety of commercial businesses geared for commuters and other drivers, from hotels to gas stations and fast food. Outside of this area, you'll find many pleasant shops and eateries such as the cozy Bliss Coffee and Wine Bar, Wye Knot Crabs - referring to the he honorary state tree of Maryland, the Wye Oak. Or you may want to check out another local eatery, McShanes Bistro, for handcrafted sandwiches, beer and wine, and other light, fun fare. When you want to eat in, the area is served by grocery store ShopRite. There are also many national restaurant chains, and many business parks that house companies like Northrop and SafeNet. This means convenient work locations for many residents, cutting down on commute times!Yes, you'll need a car here - over 90 percent of residents drive to work, but commute times are short, under thirty minutes, and in many cases under 15 minutes. Like getting your feet wet - or all of you? Well this is the right place. A community swimming pool is a major spring and summer draw, with activities for kids and adults planned at the location. Every June there's an annual event that will have you splashing away - for seventeen years, the Wade In takes place at Otter Point Creek. It's a way to measure water quality, begun by a Maryland State Senator named Bernie Fowler 26 years ago. But now it's not just about making sure the waters in the area are clean. The event is a major happening that includes music, games, crafts, decoy carving, free pontoon boat rides, canoeing, and of course, fish seining - a type of fishing that involves the use of a vertical drag net or seine. In case you can't tell, water activities - like boating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming are major pasttimes here. This great community was once the home of the Bata Shoe Company, which operated the area as a company town, replete with its own hotel. The company is gone now, but the site is being developed into a modern mixed use, business and residential, development. You'll find more history to be had here, too, with a community that began as early as 1900. Check out exhibits and information at the Harford County Historical Society. Belcamp was named for a "good camp" spot surveyed off the river in 1683. As to the Riverside name, well that origin is pretty obvious - the area is along the riverside!Also in Riverside is Sophia's Dairy. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1768 Georgian Mansion once served as the private resident of the Bata Shoe Company's CEO. Plans are in the works to open this special place to the public.Looking for healthy greens? There are a bevy of local produce purveyors around Riverside, with farmers markets located in nearby Edgewood, Bel Air - including a mega market on Sundays, Havre de Grace, and Boordy Vineyards Good Life Thursday Farmers Market. If you're looking for local wines to compliment your foodie finds, Boordy has them. If you're looking for some active nightlife, a quick drive into Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Fells Point, or Federal Hill neighborhoods will find you many pubs, restaurants, and much live music from jazz and blues to Irish ballads. The delicious pastries and pastas of Little Italy also await.