Wegmans has some and you can often find Fortnum and Mason loose tea at Williams Sonoma.

Sherwood Crossing. It’s technically in Elkridge but almost literally across the street from Columbia.

I would think they'd do it at the Columbia Ice Rink.

Yes, they'll be called JAM after the renovation and will reopen in March. Some menu changes and probably a decor refresh. They're apparently breaking away from the Canadian restaurants.

ETA: I heard it was just the Ellicott City location that's rebranding.

I've adopted through BARCS and they were great to work with.

Almost 100% that one or more will go on the market this spring.

For real? It's disgusting, and I am a dog owner. It takes literally seconds to clean up and if you do it right, you won't get any poop on your hand when you clean up.

Very true. Many of the 70's-built homes in the older villages are still occupied by their original owners.

It is specific, but that doesn't sound unreasonable. Ask someone there if you don't see something you like. I have a dining set from them and it's ah-maz-ing. Heirloom quality and I was able to decide what wood, chair style, and features I wanted. I would think if you see something there that you like that they'd offer you some options.

Gish's has some really good stuff. You can customize most of the furniture you see in their showroom.

Rita's? There are at least 4 of them in the Columbia/EC/Elkridge area.

Came to say Nalley Fresh. The one in Columbia is better than the one in downtown Baltimore was. The one in Hunt Valley is the best, but I haven't had a bad experience at the Columbia location.

That's a really good point--there are homes in Columbia and EC that already have fences. If you find a house with a fence, either the fence has already approved or it will be the seller's problem to get it approved.

This. My first home in Columbia had three different HOAs and one was so detailed they got down to the off-brand paint color that they wanted me to paint my front step railings.

(Thank you Columbia Home Depot employee who color matched the HOA demanded paint to a Behr paint)

You have to look at each HOA’s architectural guidelines. Some are stricter than others. Pain, I know.

There's some buzz being generated in other SM forums. In the past, I'd only seen a passing comment in the village newsletter. Seems like people are getting involved now--individuals rather than organizations.

The one upside to all of this is that people are actually starting to pay attention to what's going on with the CA and in at least one village (OM), someone is running against the longtime CA rep.

Can’t wait to see the CA Board go after the next CA President. /s

Seriously, people, when the board elections come up, vote.

There are plenty of people in the neighborhoods that have lights up (there’s even a map out there that shows some of the more elaborate displays) and Merriweather is hosting Symphony of Lights.

It will get a little colder than it is now, but the super cold temps (20s) don’t usually last too long. We natives hate the really cold weather too.

It can snow anytime from now until late March, but usually the big snows are in late Jan into early March.

Columbia itself is very diverse and relatively laid back. The aforementioned trails are great and there are plenty of thing to do in the area or not far in the DC/Baltimore metro areas.

There are some restaurant gems in Columbia and Ellicott City, so please don't limit yourself to chain restaurants. Ditto for other small businesses.

Snow and cold weather come with the territory, but spring and fall are absolutely glorious. We tough out the 1-2 months of really cold weather and 1-2 months of really hot weather and make the most of the rest of the time when the weather is really nice. There's plenty to do inside, too, so if you have a hobby, whether it's pickleball, basketball, watercolor painting, or origami, there's bound to be a group here that does it or class that teaches it.

People are generally friendly and you can stick to yourself or find your people.

Stay Pet Resort is a bit further away near BWI, but I've boarded my cat there a few times and he loves it there.

Columbia deer aren't afraid of anything, including people on trails and my large dog.

What a waste. What exactly does the CA do these days besides maintain the walking paths and argue amongst themselves?

Hi neighbor! Yeah, the free concerts are a bonus. :D You're right that it's not too loud outside of the Merriweather district, but it's probably the only part of Columbia where noise (aside from BWI takeoffs/landings) that there's even a noticeable amount of noise at night.