Laurel, MD

Located halfway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Laurel, Maryland is a vibrant community that spans across three Counties - Prince George's County, Howard County and Anne Arundel County. The city was incorporated in 1870 and has a population of more than 21,000.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

The leading industries in Laurel are educational, health, social services, administrative, waste management services and retail. Major employers from the city include Laurel Park, Greenhorne & O'Mara Inc., Laurel Regional Hospital, ARS of Laurel, Wal-Mart and Lowe's.

Laurel is near Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, the Fort Meade Army base, and the National Security Agency (NSA). It is also adjacent to Laurel Park Racecourse, a horse racetrack in Anne Arundel County.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• Historic Main Street is anchored by the Train Station and the Laurel Museum and Visit includes antique and gift shops and restaurants.
• West Laurel is an unincorporated community comprised of nearly 1700 homes in northern Prince George's and eastern Montgomery counties. West Laurel was established in the 1940s and has grown to be a vibrant and well known community.
• Other nearby neighborhoods include Montpelier/South Laurel, North Laurel, Maryland City, and Russett.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The state of Maryland is steeped in history, and the city of Laurel is no exception. A mill workers' home from the 1840s was restored and reopened as the Laurel Museum. Other historic spots include:

• Laurel Railroad Station: Built in 1884, this Queen Anne style brick depot underwent a series of renovations in the 1990s. Walking tours are available.
• Snow Hill Mansion: This Georgian-style brick mansion was built in 1755. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the home is available for meetings and events year round, with a patio area available for use from April through November.
• MontpelierMansion: Another Georgian mansion built in the mid-1700s, Montpelier offers tours, concerts, historical reenactments, lectures, and exhibits. It is also available for meetings and events year round. Mementos are available in the Little Teapot Gift Shop, located on the first floor of the building.

The performing arts are alive and well in Laurel. The WSSC Art Gallery has been in operation since 1997. The gallery promotes the work of local artists, as well as public awareness of the role of art in the life of the community. Each month, the gallery features a new artist or art group. Artists from throughout Prince George's and Montgomery counties are invited to apply to exhibit their works.

The Laurel Mill Playhouse got its start 35 years ago as the Burtonsville Players. The playhouse puts on community productions in a renovated 100-year-old home in Laurel. The annual schedule of events includes theater productions and readings, art, dance, and music, and involves everyone from local youth to senior citizens.

Other local performing arts venues include:

• Central Maryland Chorale: A non-profit, all-volunteer singing group offering performances throughout the year.
• Montpelier Arts Center: Located on the site of Montpelier Mansion, the Arts Center provides galleries, studios, and classrooms for local artists.

FAMILY FUN

Numerous special events take place in Laurel on an annual basis, including the annual LakeFest. Held at the Granville Gude Park & Lake House, LakeFest includes dance and cheerleading demonstrations, food, rides, K-9 demonstrations, hay-rides, fishing, boat rentals, and much more.

The Laurel Arts League sponsors Day in the Park. The festival has been held in Laurel's Mason Park for the past 25 years and features a 5K race, juried art exhibits and competitions, children's activities, and much more.

The Main Street Festival is held in Historic Downtown Laurel. Cooking contests, music, children's activities and other family fun fill the day.

Other events include:

• The Montpelier Annual Spring Festival: Includes local arts and crafts, food vendors, and performers on the grounds of Montpelier Mansion every May.
• Laurel Jam Sessions: Offered throughout the year, local musicians, amateur and professional alike, are invited to join in a group jam session.
• Hooked on Fishin' Fishing Derby: Held every June at the Granville-Gude Park and Lake House.

Laurel is also home to the nation's first wildlife experiment center, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Since 1936, it has been an international research institute for wildlife and environmental research.

There are a number of smaller parks in the area, including:

• Laurel Lake
• Bear Branch

EDUCATION

Laurel students seeking higher education have the benefit of nearby colleges and universities in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Other local options include:

• Capitol College: The only independent college in Maryland dedicated to engineering, computer sciences, and information technology. Offers associates, bachelor's, and master's degrees.
• Prince George's Community College: Located in the unincorporated community of Largo just northwest of Laurel, PGCC offers associates degrees and distance-learning courses.
• Howard Community College: Offers certificates and associate degrees in a variety of subjects at the Laurel College Center and three other campuses in Howard County.
• The Anne Arundel County section of Laurel, hosts the Woodland Job Corps Center. The center offers free vocational programs to 16- to 24-year-olds through the U.S. Department of Labor.

LOCAL MEDIA

Radio and television in Laurel is dominated by stations from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

There are two local newspapers in the city, Laurel Leader and The Laurel Gazette.

One radio station is based in Laurel, WILC 900 AM, which carries Spanish language programming.