Life in Maryland

Hey, look at everything you're missing! Picture yourself in Maryland: here are some starting suggestions for having a good life here.

SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES (of the real-world variety)

College Sports

• Maryland Terrapins – Fear the Turtle!

Pro Sports

• Baltimore Ravens (NFL)
• Baltimore Orioles (MLB)
• Baltimore Blast (MISL)

Local Sports Leagues, Clubs, and Events

• Baltimore Fencing Center
• Baltimore Rowing Club
• Charm City Roller Girls
• Preakness: The second race of the Triple Crown is run in BreakAway’s back yard at Pimlico.

On Your Own

• Boating and Fishing: Down the road from BreakAway, Loch Raven Reservoir offers up plenty of opportunities for boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and generally lazing away a Sunday afternoon. To say nothing of Maryland’s dominant body of water, the Chesapeake Bay, where the waters beckon with endless opportunities for water recreation, including some of the best sailing in the country.
• Cycling: Baltimore and York Counties have plenty of excellent rural road networks, as well as popular trails like the NCR Trail. Further south, Anne Arundel County offers the BWI Trail and the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail
• Hiking: Head for the hills at Oregon Ridge Nature Center.
• Horseback Riding: They don’t call it Hunt Valley for nothing. Equestrian delights abound just minutes away, such as at Tranquility Manor Farms.
• Mountain Biking: The rolling hills that stretch north and west from BreakAway’s front door offer some of Maryland’s best mountain biking trails.
• Rock Climbing: Reach for new heights – and look out below – at the massive Earth Treks' Climbing Center.
• Snowboarding / Skiing: Three popular ski resorts are within easy reach of Baltimore - Liberty Mountain Resort & Conference Center, WhiteTail Resort, and Ski Roundtop.

BUFF UP ON HISTORY AND GET CULTURED

• B & O Railroad Museum
• Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
• Civil War Sites: Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry, and Manassas are all within easy day-trip driving distance of Baltimore.
• Edgar Allen Poe House
• Fort McHenry National Monument
• Maryland Science Center
• National Aquarium in Baltimore
• USS Constellation
• USS Torsk
• The Walters Art Museum
• Baltimore Museum of Art
• American Visionary Art Museum
• The Lyric Opera House
• The Baltimore Symphony at the Meyerhoff
• The Charles Theater
• The Senator Theater
• The Maryland Zoo

ROAD TRIP!

You can think of Maryland's central location as the beating heart of the East Coast - ok, we like to think of it that way. Situated as it is, though, Maryland puts you within easy reach of mountains, the ocean, and the thriving metropolises (metropolii?) of the Northeast.

Postcard-Perfect Escapes

• Annapolis, MD : Maryland's state capital and America's sailing capital, Annapolis is rich in maritime heritage and only 30 miles away from downtown Baltimore.
• Lancaster County, PA : Baltimore is within an hour and a half drive of Lancaster County, PA, home of Dutch Wonderland (remember to use your BreakAway employee discount), take a ride on the Strasburg Railroad, do something really twisted at the Sturgis Pretzel House, and stock up on fresh produce from Amish purveyors at The Central Market, America’s oldest operating farmer’s market.
• Williamsburg – Jamestown - Yorktown, VA: It’s a living-history adventure in some of America’s oldest settlements, perfectly restored and alive with guides, tours, and opportunities to explore, dine, and even stay in historic surroundings. Bonus: You can get back to the future fast at nearby Busch Gardens or Virginia Beach.

Summer Fun

• Hershey, PA: Get a sugar rush and adrenaline rush all at once by sampling kisses and Krackel bars at Chocolate World and then screaming through the coasters at Hersheypark. Another good reason to go (as if free chocolate weren’t enough)? Your BreakAway employee discount.
• Ocean City, MD: The “OC” offers warm sunshine, expansive beaches, and rolling waves in addition to a bustling boardwalk lined with eateries, bars, shops, arcades, and amusement rides.
• Assateague, MD: The anti-OC. For campers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts who want to watch the running of the wild horses in this famed beach preserve.
• Deep Creek Lake: Synonymous with the Great Outdoors for residents of Baltimore and Washington, Deep Creek is the heart of the mountain wilderness playgrounds of Western Maryland, Western Virginia, and Southwestern Pennsylvania – camping, cabins, rafting, hiking, biking, and more.

Urban Adventure

• Philadelphia, PA Just two hours away, you’ll find Cheesesteaks, the Phillies, and a chance to follow in Rocky’s footsteps in the City of Brotherly Love.
• Washington, DC Go monument-hopping, take in some first-class shopping, soak up the free museums of the Smithsonian Institutions, and cap the day with a night on the town at DC’s thriving bar and restaurant scene. The best part: you can still sleep in your own bed (if you want to) since DC is a mere hour’s drive away.
• New York, NY: Take a bite out of the Big Apple for the day or the weekend – only 3.5 hours away by train or car.

ENTERTAINMENT & NIGHTLIFE

• Fells Point Festival: A must-go event held in one of Baltimore’s most diverse, historic, and exciting neighborhoods.
• Virgin Festival: The summer concert event we look forward to all year, held down the street at Pimlico.
• Jazz Festival
• ArtScape: A staple of summer in Baltimore, when the arts come out to play.
• StarScape: where the music raves from dusk til dawn.
• RenFest: Party like it's 1299 at Maryland's Renaissance Festival
• Otakon: The wide world of Japanese anime comes to Baltimore every summer
• Baltimore’s Little Italy: Mangia, mangia, mangia! And enjoy year-round festivals and an outdoor summer movie series in one of Charm City’s most popular neighborhoods.
• Ram’s Head Live: When top acts in music and comedy come to town, they take the stage at Ram’s Head.
• Power Plant Live: A bastion of nightlife and live music venues at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
• Merriweather Post Pavillion: In nearby Columbia, MD – for arena-filling events and big ticket artists.

QUALITY OF LIFE

From the rolling hills of Baltimore County’s horse country, to diverse and exciting urban living in downtown Baltimore or DC; from the farms and wildernesses of Southern Pennsylvania to waterfront living in quaint, historic Annapolis – and an array of diverse communities in between – BreakAway employees have a kaleidoscope of options for finding a place to call home. And they can find those options within an hour’s drive of the office.

• The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development offers statistics on the economy and quality of life in Maryland’s diverse regions and counties.
• LiveBaltimore has detailed information on the Baltimore area.
• The rural beauty of York County, Pennsylvania makes it a popular place to call home for many BreakAway employees.

Health Care: Maryland hosts some of the greatest healthcare facilities in the world, including the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.

Education: Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College of Maryland, Maryland Institute College of Art, Towson University, and University of Maryland are just a few of the institutes of higher learning that call Maryland home.