Columbia, MD

Columbia, Maryland, has been called "America's Most Successful Planned Community." Built in 1962 by the Rouse Company, the city's design embodied developer James W. Rouse's dream of building an idyllic community that was not separated by income or other sociological factors.

With a population of more than 97,000, Columbia is the second-largest city in Maryland. It has prospered economically, with a number of government organizations and booming tech companies located in Columbia along with its proximity to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Though the city has developed into more of a contemporary suburb community than a utopian city, the work of Rouse has no doubt been a success.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Columbia is divided into nine separate villages, with individual village centers, shopping, and recreation parks all surrounding the Columbia Town Center. The city's homeowner association is responsible for maintaining the city's many recreational parks and buildings. Some of the CA's facilities include nearly 30 public pools, sports parks, a miniature golf course, batting cages, an ice rink, a roller skating rink, a skateboard park, and more. Lake Kittamaqundi, Wilde Lake, and Lake Elkhorn are used in the summer months for boating and fishing, while the surrounding trails are utilized for hiking, jogging, or biking.

Columbia's nine villages include:

• Harper's Choice: Once farmland, the village of Harper's Choice is comprised of three neighborhoods: Longfellow (named after the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), Hobbit's Glen (named after the fictional place in J.R.R. Tolkien's works), and the most populated neighborhood Swansfield (named after the paintings of artist James MacNeil Whistler). Kahler Hall is the community center in Harper's Choice and is used for community gatherings, business meetings, and formal weddings. The neighborhood of Longfellow is the location of one of Columbia's three athletic facilities, while Hobbit's Glen features an 18-hole golf course.
• Oakland Mills: East of Columbia's Town Center is the village of Oakland Mills off of U.S. Route 29. The community center was once part of Owings Dorsey Dairy Farm and has been nicknamed "The Other Barn." The Oakland Mills Community Association operates out of the community center as a nonprofit group that organizes efforts to improve the welfare of the village's three neighborhoods: Steven's Forest, Talbott Springs, and Thunder Hill.
• Wilde Lake: The first village that was built in Columbia in the late 1960s, Wilde Lake was constructed just northwest of Columbia's Town Center. The village neighborhood surrounds an artificial lake of the same name. The original village center designed by the Rouse Company featured restaurants, specialty shops, and small groceries, but it was announced in 2007 that the center was to be demolished to make way for condominiums. On the Wilde Lake Village Green, neighborhood functions are held the Slayton House Community Center. The Columbia Swim Center is in Wilde Park and contains three indoor pools and a water slide. Wilde Lake High School has a successful theater program and performs their productions at The Rouse Theater.
• The town's other villages are Long Reach, Owen Brown, Hickory Ridge, Dorsey's Search, Kings Contrivance, River Hill and Town Center.

SHOPPING

• The Mall in Columbia: The major retail center in the city, The Mall in Columbia, located in Columbia's Village Center, has five major department stores and over 200 restaurants and shops for residents to choose from. The mall also contains a movie theater that plays current films. Each of the nine village centers were built with shops, gas stations, and restaurants, but they were tucked within the communities, not visible to newcomers or town visitors. Contemporary strip malls and roadside shops have since opened, perhaps against James W. Rouse's original conceptions of Columbia.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

The driver of Columbia's economy has been the government organizations that have been on the land even before the city was built. The city's major government employers include:

• The National Security Agency (NSA): This government organization started in 1952 to specialize in cryptanalysis (code-breaking) of foreign signals as well as protecting U.S. intelligence efforts. The agency monitors foreign communication to determine threats and gathers intelligence.
• Fort George G. Meade: The U.S. Army base covers more than 5,000 acres of land and often works in association with the NSA on intelligence gathering operations. The Defense Information School, Defense Courier Service, and United States Environmental Facility are located on the base. The Fort George G. Meade Museum has exhibits on the history of the base and displays of historic military equipment.

The east side of Columbia has a vibrant commercial district that is home to many tech companies that have experienced extensive growth, such as Arbitron, Merkle, and Northrop Grumman. Since 2000, Columbia has experienced a 20 percent increase in its residents' median household income as well as a more than 10 percent increase in job growth.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Merriweather Post Pavilion: Considered to have outstanding acoustics for an outdoor pavilion, the Merriweather Post Pavilion has popular music concerts in the summer months and draws some of the biggest names in music. The pavilion can seat 16,500 people.
• Rep Stage: The small theater is the only professional theater company in the area, filling the artistic gap in the region between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. The theater productions have won seven Helen Hayes Awards, becoming nationally recognized for its excellence in theatrical media outlets. The 200-seat theater offers affordable ticket prices as well discounted ticket opportunities on a regular basis.

EDUCATION

• Howard Community College offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs. The school accommodates nearly 7,000 degree-seeking students, in addition to approximately 14,000 continuing education and workforce development students.