<p>I grew up in Lower (slower) Delaware and things seemed to have gotten better than when I was there. My small hometown actually looks like a cute little place to visit. Last time I went through, half of the downtown was shuttered and I felt pretty sad, but not now. Salisbury is the place we visited for bars when the drinking age was 18 in MD and 20 in Delaware. I thought it was a wonderful place to raise kids, a little slower paced but that’s not really a bad thing.</p>
<p>Kinda depends where on ES Md. Easton may be OK since its close to the Bay Bridge and a quick trip to DC, Anapolis, Baltimore. My wife and I were Westerners and it was a considerable cultural shock. Take up the offer of visitations to get a taste on how you like it. Do not buy a house there!!</p>
<p>I love the Eastern Shore. Lots of land…big (cheap compared to houses in MoCo and HoCo) houses, the beach. They have a few good schools over there too. I go to school in Atlanta and believe me, the Bay Bridge traffic…even on Memorial Day Friday…is nothing compared to 85 at rush hour. We still have lots of crabs, although they’re expensive now. You’re better off catching your own 
Salisbury and Easton are both nice. Waterfront property is expensive and if you’re looking at it remember that we get the occasional hurricane all the way up here. We get snow…and there’s quite a few rednecks over there too…lots of good duck hunting. Thats the end of my random facts.</p>
<p>A former governor of Maryland once called the Eastern Shore a “sh**house.” Then again, he was always kind of a nut case.</p>
<p>I live in the mountains of VA now after spending a significant time in public and private schools growing up in both Delaware (two times) and in Atlanta (four times).<br>
Frankly, I miss the big horizons that come with the flatlands of Eastern shore MD and DE…the big sunsets and the long vistas. I became attuned to the marshes, grasses, birds and shifting water. The mountains make me feel hemmed in. The high schools were pretty good where we lived.
Also, although Eastern shore area “interior” towns…Easton and Salisbury are quiet by Atlanta and DC standards…they are by no means really isolated and many people have connections to the DC area. You can jump over to the eastern sandy Atlantic beaches or west over the Bay Bridge and have the “good life” of the DC burbs in MD or the wide blue sea (and half of Philly and DC on weekends…but it is really beautiful to be there much of the year.)</p>
<p>Basically…it has a beauty of its own and seasons of quiet and lack of traffic. The Chesapeake has a proud history. We went out on a skipjack and immersed ourselves in the way things used to be last summer.</p>
<p>Recently we spent our family vacation in St. Michael’s, Oxford, and Cambridge areas…and we really felt at home there. Another local family traipsed up to quiet Eastern Shore MD for vacation recently as well. It is way less of a hassle than the ocean side beaches, yet has its own serenity and plenty of good food.</p>
<p>LongPrime - explain “Do not buy a house there.” Are you suggesting that we rent, or that we buy something else, or what?</p>
<p>Binx, pm me if you want some specifics. I just got back from there Sunday and have spent a good part of my summer there. We have been fixing my MIL’s old house so that she can stay a few more years there (hopefully).</p>
<p>The “house” comment is from a bad experience we had there because of an economic situation. Take no heed on my advice on this.</p>
<p>Faline2 is on the money (as usual). Neither Easton nor Salisbury should be considered isolated nor lacking in amenities. Salisbury has all the shopping basics covered, including coffeehouses, bookstores, etc. I wish I could say the same thing for Dover, with it’s one mall bookstore. </p>
<p>More extensive shopping and entertainment is available with a relatively short jaunt to DC or Baltimore (or Annapolis, which is even closer). Both the Rehoboth Beach area and the Wye Mills area are outlet meccas, including high-end outlets – Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, etc. But for true entertainment you can’t pass up the annual Punkin Chunkin (now in Bridgeville) or the completely-impossible-to-describe-without-people-thinking you’re-a-complete-loon Running of the Bull in Dewey Beach.
[Dewey</a> Beach Running of the Bull](<a href=“http://www.therunningofthebull.com/]Dewey”>http://www.therunningofthebull.com/)
[World</a> Championship PunkinChunkin](<a href=“http://www.punkinchunkin.com/main.htm]World”>http://www.punkinchunkin.com/main.htm)
[The</a> Fun Also Rises - washingtonpost.com](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070601743.html]The”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070601743.html)</p>