What’s In a Name?

A commenter on this post named Ambermccann  noted that I identified our office project as being in Emerson instead of Laurel and wrote that she would “love your thoughts on the building being advertised as being located in Emerson, Maryland...which doesn't exist.”

I am more than happy to oblige.

The main reason for identifying the location as Emerson is that it is in fact in the planned community of Emerson and is subject to the HOA dues and covenants of that community. It is akin to the Village of River Hill which is in Clarksville but is identified as being in Columbia or Maple Lawn which is located in Fulton.

Also, Laurel is an incorporated town in Prince Georges County. Emerson is in HoCo. I will sometimes make the distinction by saying that Emerson is located in North Laurel.

She also wrote that "I have fellow parents at Gorman Crossing who tell people that they live in Columbia, despite Laurel addresses because it is "gross" to live in Laurel. It really makes me sad. Thoughts?"

I don’t think Laurel has anything to be ashamed of. If anything it is a community of growing importance in the Baltimore / Washington corridor. Three years ago, at another HoCo CoRE Tour,  the regional economist Anirban Basu identified Laurel as “an increasingly attractive market for homeowners and businesses in the coming years.”

In fact, when pointing out nearby amenities for our building I always include Laurel, where just today I enjoyed a nice lunch at Red Hot & Blue.