Anybody in the central Maryland area (i.e. between Baltimore and D.C.) around to play tomorrow night? I will be passing through the area to look at apartments and my evening is free. I wouldn't mind seeing a local poolroom. PM me and we can exchange cell phone numbers. I have played at VIP (Ellicott City) and Side Pockets (Laurel) so if there are other suggestions/preferences, I am listening.
In Maryland Tomorrow - Looking to Spar
- Thread starter pool
- Start date
pool said:
Good luck on the apartment hunting. If you are over 50, there is an EXCELLENT senior citizen housing development in Laurel called Central Parke at Victoria Falls. They even have a pool table room! It is right down the street from the horse track, too. In fact, I am seriously considering getting me a condo there for future living quarters! It is absolutely gorgeous. The prices are reasonable, too, and the neighborhood is safe, brand new, and comfortable with walking trails, et cetera.
Here's the link: http://www.centralparke.com/vf/the_homes.htm
If you're under 50, then be careful when apartment shopping. You really should find a local to take you around. There are some wonderful neighborhoods, but then there are some pockets of bad and unsafe neighborhoods. Of course, as you might imagine, these are the cheapest.
My best friend lives in Laurel, and I am familiar with the area. Be prepared that wherever you live, you should consider the traffic problems. Laurel is right off of I-95 on Route 198. There are some nice apartments in this area. They have an Amish market that has the best food in town, all fresh and homemade. Side Pockets ain't what I call a pool room. It's more of a bar, but that's about as good as it gets in that area, sad to say.
There's a new pool room in Baltimore I keep hearing talk about, Big Daddy's, I think it is. Maybe somebody on here can provide some more info about it.
Columbia is pretty, but unless you work very near there, I would not choose Columbia to live in, again, because of the traffic problems. I can't stand gridlock.
Today, the D.C. area is ranked number one in the country for gridlock and traffic congestion. On a good note, the Virginia side is worse than the Maryland side.
JAM
JAM,
Thanks for the info. I am under 50, so I need to navigate the shark tank. It seems like everybody and their brother advertises their properties as "most prestigious" or some such. I agree that Side Pockets is not a true poolroom, but compared to similar places here, their equipment is in good shape and plentiful. Truth be told, I liked VIP a whole bunch more even though the environment was more austere. Their equipment was immaculate.
I will have to check out Big Daddy's if it is easy to get to. I hate traffic as well, but I won't have to be driving on the beltways so maybe it won't be too bad. I sent a PM with phone number in case you want to play tonight. I should be free by 7 or 8pm.
Thanks for the info. I am under 50, so I need to navigate the shark tank. It seems like everybody and their brother advertises their properties as "most prestigious" or some such. I agree that Side Pockets is not a true poolroom, but compared to similar places here, their equipment is in good shape and plentiful. Truth be told, I liked VIP a whole bunch more even though the environment was more austere. Their equipment was immaculate.
I will have to check out Big Daddy's if it is easy to get to. I hate traffic as well, but I won't have to be driving on the beltways so maybe it won't be too bad. I sent a PM with phone number in case you want to play tonight. I should be free by 7 or 8pm.
pool said:
I'll play if you don't mind playing at my house. I've got a 9' Olhausen with big but tough pockets. I'm, at best, a low B player, who has an A game once in a blue moon!
I'm at the corner of Darnestown Road and Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg/North Potomac. I'll be around all evening. The closest poolroom to me is Orange Ball, but I only go there for tournaments.
Wrong coast depending on perspective
I'm free and on the West Coast. Take beetle up on his offer unless you get tons of offers from the Pool Room of your dreams. I was stuck in some suburb of Seattle and I would have started walking if someone would have said which way to go. You know....Landmarks?? Moving can be ...Oh never mind.
beetle said:
I'm free and on the West Coast. Take beetle up on his offer unless you get tons of offers from the Pool Room of your dreams. I was stuck in some suburb of Seattle and I would have started walking if someone would have said which way to go. You know....Landmarks?? Moving can be ...Oh never mind.
Hey there pool - not sure if you are out and about yet, but I am in Columbia. Not sure what JAM was talking about in the way of traffic cause I never run into any - guess it helps that I work from home 
if you don't find someone to spar with, drop me a line.
if you don't find someone to spar with, drop me a line.Awe, thanks for all the responses...but happenstance intervened and I was not back to my laptop before playing at Big Daddy's...alone...tonight. I was already in the neighborhood and decided to just drop in there. It was somewhat busy for a short time, but dead empty when I left. Rick (the owner) said it was very slow for them. We played some ugly 14.1 and now I am ready to catch some sleep. Maybe next time!
i live in the columbia/baltimore area, and would love to play with some AZBers, although I'm not that great, I'd say I'm definitely improving and would love to play some really skilled people.
been at VIP a lot, and the other ones that have closed down.. mostly play up at my college UMBC for some $4(student ID)/hour pool
been at VIP a lot, and the other ones that have closed down.. mostly play up at my college UMBC for some $4(student ID)/hour pool
9balllvr said:Hey there pool - not sure if you are out and about yet, but I am in Columbia. Not sure what JAM was talking about in the way of traffic cause I never run into any - guess it helps that I work from home
You're lucky you work at home. I have two girlfriends, court reporters, who live in Columbia and have to make the commute to downtown D.C., the Federal Prettyman building. They seem to always encounter traffic gridlock, either coming or going. A transcriptionist, who used to work with me on the Hill, lives in Columbia. She is now working at home and doesn't have to commute. She is loving it, loving it, loving it.
Since the D.C. metro area is number one in traffic congestion, one lady is disgusted with this whole scene here and has decided to move back to Texas at the end of the summer, where she is from.
Maryland, though, IMHO, is not as bad as Virginia. The thing I like the best about Route 29 is the Amish market. The thing I like best about Columbia is Clydes, but it's not as nice as the one in Chevy Chase. Same food, different atmosphere!
The Clydes in Georgetown was the orignial Clydes, and it has a bar atmosphere. It is hard to believe the Clydes movement all started at this joint in Georgetown, but it did. It was their famous chili that got them going. Today, my favorite menu item is the rainbow trout. OMG, you must try it.
JAM
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Rich R. said:
I agree. I live about 5 minutes from Silver Spring.
I-95 is what I am referring to, more than Route 29, Rich.
And sometimes Route 29 ain't no picnic either, during rush hour.
It doesn't matter what time of day it is either. Many times, I have taken I-95 to Baltimore from D.C., and as soon as you get near Laurel area, the gridlock appears.
I used to advise my friend who fly to use BWI airport, as opposed to Reagan National, but no more. I-95 is just too brutal and unpredictable. What used to be a 20-minute drive for me sometimes can turn into 3 hours.
JAM
JAM said:
Speaking of the Amish, I love the work they do. I've purchased 3 spectator chairs for my poolroom, and the construction is excellent and solid. I also have a very nice storage shed that looks like a little house that I purchased from one of their outlets in rural Maryland.
beetle said:
clop, clop, clop, clop, clop, clop, clop, clop, clop, clop BANG ! clop, clop, clop, clop, clop, clop.......
Doug
(an Amish drive-by shooting)
Traveling south, from Columbia, during rush time, it doesn't seem to matter what road you take. The closer you get to DC, the more congestion you will find.JAM said:I agree. I live about 5 minutes from Silver Spring.
I-95 is what I am referring to, more than Route 29, Rich.
And sometimes Route 29 ain't no picnic either, during rush hour.
It doesn't matter what time of day it is either. Many times, I have taken I-95 to Baltimore from D.C., and as soon as you get near Laurel area, the gridlock appears.
I used to advise my friend who fly to use BWI airport, as opposed to Reagan National, but no more. I-95 is just too brutal and unpredictable. What used to be a 20-minute drive for me sometimes can turn into 3 hours.
JAM
I-95 is totally crazy. You never know when it will be backed up and when it will be clear. For some reason, the north bound side seems to back up from Laurel to Jessup. I never see any reason for the backup. Once your past Jessup, it eases up some. Most nights, I can get on I-95, at Rte 100 and be at Oriole Park in 20 minutes. On my league night, I rarely have any delay going south from Rte 100 to Laurel.