Milano Dezign is proud to offer its services to the city of Columbia, Maryland. We thought you might like to know a bit more about this interesting and vibrant community.

History Columbia, Maryland

James W. Rouse, an Easton Maryland native, founded the city.  He got a job in Baltimore for the Federal Housing Administration, whose purpose is to promote new home construction and ownership.  This allowed Rouse exposure to all phases of the housing market.  By the early 60’s he began plans to develop a new model city.  During the unveiling on June 21, 1967, he described Columbia as a planned new city, which can prevent the leapfrog and spot development beginning to threaten the county.  Columbia has not incorporated but there is some governance provided by the nonprofit Columbia Association that manages common areas and acts as a homeowner association.

Demographics

• The average age in the city is 2% lower than Maryland
• 70% of the population is Caucasian
• 15% of the population is African-American
• 62% of the population is Asian

Cost of Living

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.

Schools in Columbia, MD

The Howard County Public School System operates the schools in the city.  As of the 2007-2008 school year, the following schools serve some part of Columbia:

• Altholton
• Centennial
• Howard
• Long Beach
• Oakland Hills
• River Hill
• Wilde Lake

Some college level programs are being offered by:

• Howard Community College

Places of Worship

Here are some of the churches in the city:

• Abiding Savior Lutheran Church
• Alberta Gary Memorial United Methodist Church
• Calvary Community Church
• Chesapeake Conference Seventh Day Adventist
• Christ Episcopal Church
• Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church
• Locust United Methodist Church
• New Hope Lutheran Church
• Saint John Lutheran Church
• South Columbia Baptist Church

Businesses

When it comes to jobs, the US Federal Government is a major employer. There are several large Department of Defense installations including R&D facilities that surround the city. The biggest is the National Security Agency at Fort George G. Meade and the Applied Physics Lab, south of Columbia.

Other companies that call the city home are:

• WR Grace and Company
• Sourcefire
• PetMeds
• MICROS Systems
• Martek Biosciences
• Integral Systems
• Corporate Office Properties Trust

Restaurants & Nightlife

Royal Taj – Everything is perfect from the moment you step into the restaurant until the moment you leave it. Service is superb and the food is exceptionally delicious. They make every diner feel special.  Do try the chicken masala and the chicken curry.  Place is always packed so be prepared to wait.

Stanford Grill – Food is made from scratch, with very friendly wait staff and excellent management. Let’s customers create any dish they want.  The appetizers including the eggrolls, spinach dips and sandwiches are amazing and plenty. Portions are pretty big too.

Mission BBQ – They serve the best-smoked salmon with a dash of Memphis BBQ sauce on top.  Do also try the brisket and pulled pork sandwich with corn on the cob, coleslaw and green beans on the sides.  The mac and cheese is also quite delicious.

Fun Things to Do in Columbia

The homeowners association operates most of the recreational facilities in the city. There are 23 outdoor swimming pools, six indoor pools; two water slides, ice and roller-skating rinks and an equestrian center.  There is also a sports park with miniature gold, a skateboard park, batting cages, picnic, clubhouse and playground. There are also three athletic clubs and a 24/7 Supreme Sport Club that features indoor and outdoor tennis, volleyball, squash and basketball.

Top Local Homebuilders

Here are the top local homebuilders in Columbia

• McWhorter Construction
• Battaglia Homes LLC
• Viking Custom Homes
• Goodier Builders
• JBL Constructions LLC
• Opal LLC
• Keswick Homes
• Zander Homes
• Cloud IX Homes, LLC
• Alair Homes Arlington
• Perry Homes

Top Local Landscapers

The top local landscapers in the city are:

• Amy’s Garden Design
• Schusslers Brooke Valley
• Juan Martinez and Sons Landscaping Inc.

Top Local Realtors

The top realtors are:

• Tony Zowd – Coldwell Banker
• Jenette Taylor
• Peggy Palmer Realtor
• David Park Realtor
• John Young & The Metro DC for Sale Team
• Genevieve Concannon, EcoBroker
• Michelle Gordon Realtor – Long & Foster

Columbia, Maryland truly is a great place to live. If you are interested to know more about our remodeling design services, give us a call. We can’t wait to meet you.