Wow, again? What will it take to get this place shut down?

Nice try, Frank Smith. My Place is not in Jessup. It's right here in the hood we call Odenton...at least over in that part of town on the "other side of the tracks"...literally...that whole area needs to be imploded and the people in it sent back to PG County.

Ouch Mary! I purchased a home in Seven Oaks two years ago...we came from White Marsh. Needless to say, I WAS quite unhappy about My Place and wish I had taken more notice of it because I may not have purchased a home here. Too late now! I hope to move in Piney Orchard when the market improves. That whole strip from the Dunkin Donuts down to the 295N Entrance is run down and awful!

its a bad area,

Mary, i agree....That process in 2011 was a joke and the AA liquor board is one of the seediest organizations in the county. They found every administrative excuse possible to invalidate hundreds of local community signatures on pages and pages of petitions then validated that by saying there was a lack of turnout during the hearing that happened at around 5:00 on a weeknight. I don't know about anyone else, but no way I'm getting to downtown Annapolis that time of day after work....I guess going to the local community board meeting and expressing concern then signing the petition is meaningless involvement.

Listen to yall... you can't blame the building or the owners for actions of the patrons. I don't see anyone trying to shut down these church's where young children r being raped and taken advantage of. Nor do I hear of anyone shutting down Catholic schools for molesting the students.. I'm just saying things like this happen all over the world. Did they shut the the movie theater after the shooting during the Batman Movie?

Pardon me, but you absolutely CAN hold the owners or renters of a commercial space responsible for the type of crowd they attract. Dirtbag people hang out at dirtbag bars, plain and simple. I really hope that the residents of the surrounding area are successful in shuttering this place for good. That area, 10 years ago, was a great place to live and raise a family, but a very shady element has moved in with the large amount of subsidized housing in the area. You have to hold the businesses and residents of your community to a high standard or else you wind up living in a ghetto before you know it.

Woah, hope you have proof on that caim.

That said I do believe that its the owners responsibility. My place has no place in the community any longer. Why wait until someone else dies.

Its not just My Place. Its the nasty motel, liquor store, and sex shop too! Birds of a feather... ugh!

Decent people pay good money to live in this area. We don't need places like this within walking distance of where our neighbors' children get on their school buses, especially when there is nothing anywhere nearby where teenagers or twenty-somethings can safely congregate to enjoy themselves. Odenton has no bakery--no jewelry store--no candy store or stationery or soda shoppe or non-racist hair salon (I walked into Hair on You just once, without knowing it was a "blacks only" establishment, and was immediately made to feel so uncomfortable that I never went back again). Odenton has none of the any of the kinds of places that small towns usually promulgate for family entertainment or services. Why do we have so many bars and liquor stores--and since we have no legitimate bookstores, why do we need "adult" movie stores? They want to put yet another "convenience" store at Bluewater and 175--because the 7 Elevens and Royal Farms aren't enough?

Is the county's argument that we have all these seedy stores and strip clubs and rundown motels for the pleasure of the soldiers at Ft. Meade? Fine--then move those things on base.I will sell my house as soon as I can break even on it, and would've done so not long after I moved in, if the bubble hadn't burst. This area gets worse instead of better every day.

Agreed Carol!

At the end of the day, the bigger issue is that socioeconomic status is equal to the kind of neighborhood and school u get. My husband and i dont make alot of money. So we could only afford housing in this area. We looked everywhere. Now i make 20K more and i pray its enough to get us out of this terrible neighborhood.

I bought at the peak of the housing bubble, when a garage would've cost me $50K more, and if you didn't offer the owner more than the advertised price of the house, you had no hope of being the successful offeror. Piney Orchard was untouchable. What I didn't know then was that it was a development--not a neighborhood--and that the character of the complex would change so rapidly that I would very soon feel neither safe nor welcome here.

I'm interested in getting heavily involved in this community and the surrounding areas. Does anyone know where I could start? I've lived in Odenton since 2006 and unfortunately have seen too many of these stories for me to sit around and expect something to be done without my involvement. Any ideas would be much appreciated. I'm utterly sick to my stomach that a community with hard working, clue color citizens has to constantly read these articles and see this type of unacceptable behavior in the area. Call me old-school, even though I'm only 33, but this community needs to really get together on these topics and start putting up more than petitions. Action is REQUIRED, and I for one intend to start today.

Andre, that's part of the problem. I was involved in the effort to refuse renewal of the liquor license to the establishment mentioned (as were some of the others who posted above). The county declined to hold the bar accountable for the actions of its patrons. You have only to look to that sterling example of Anne Arundel County leadership, John Leopold, to figure out why that might be so. I applaud your sense of initiative, but I think you will have an incredibly tough row to hoe. We couldn't even get them to give us a doggie park . . . though Crofton and other more affluent communities have them.

Case in point. I have two dogs. I also regularly clean up after them (and have a can full of proof to show anyone who doubts it). I just went out to find a deposit on my front walk--probably from the heavyset young woman who lives elsewhere, but brings her mottled pit bull to this area to do his business near our mailboxes, and leaves it where it lies. I've picked it up a number of times, so that my neighbors wouldn't step in it. Yesterday, I caught her at it, and asked her to clean up after her dog. The "present" probably came from her--everyone here knows whatever droppings they found were not from my animals. Why should I have to tolerate such behavior???

Why would someone buy here based on his/her real estate agent's advice? Clearly the agent had a monetary stake in your decision. Why not do your OWN research? It is NOT your real estate agent's fault. This is *not* a "bad" neighborhood. Try living in Baltimore City.
The establishment in question attracts an element, and should be shuttered. But the whole Seven Oaks neighborhood hasn't gone to crap due to it, or due to the strip on 175, or due to Pioneer City. They were ALL there long before Seven Oaks!

If you saw the strip, and bought anyway, ignoring your own doubts, because your real estate agent told you to, and you are unhappy, it is your OWN fault!

How quick some of us are to pass judgment. I had three days to find a house (living approximately 700 miles away) and a very pregnant dog at home to worry about. I had no *choice* but to rely on my agent's knowledge of the area--because I was going to new position not terribly far from here in mileage (but far more commute than he said it would be nonetheless). I'm glad you can be so persistently smug in your persistent self-righteousness, Calique. I don't respond to your posts; please do me the courtesy of not responding to mine.

It doesnt matter whose fault it is. The neighborhood is shoddy. I take responsibility bcuz I did research and even spoke to someone i thought i could trust. However, their idea of a nice neighborhhod i quickly found was different than mine. I have learned- buy a home where the demographic is more diverse, people own and not rent, and pay close attn to the neighbors!

Calique- I agree with you that the neighborhood itself is NOT bad. I have the privilege of living next to very good neighbors. The people on my block are quite respectful and a pleasure to live near. As you mentioned, places such as "My Place" attract suspect people. These same people wander into our neighborhoods, or drive through spilling everything and anything into the streets. I've seen puke, McDonalds-Popeyes-KFC etc bags all over the neighborhood. One may ask how I know its them doing this. Well, for one, I've seen people driving home, many times, leave the establishment and take routes through my neighborhood. It's only a matter of time until one day, someone decides to stop inside of one of these streets, and go after innocent bystanders. Actually, I believe this has already happened. Comparing any neighborhood to Baltimore City is just plain dumb. If that is your opinion of a city we should compare our neighborhoods to, then every neighborhood outside of the city is upstanding, which you know is NOT true. There are ignorant people all over, but having these establishments in our neighborhood WILL cause this area to go downhill. No way around it.

7OaksMom and Andre, I think you both recognize that "safe" is a relative thing. Seven Oaks is not dangerous--for the most part--though if you ask the people whose windows were smashed and tires were stolen (the car left up on cement blocks), they might have a different opinion--as do I, having had my car "keyed" three times (with $6,000 worth of damage, all told), my Christmas lights cut through twice, been threatened by a renter with a criminal record who was subsequently evicted, heard the ex-husband of another renter kicking her sliding doors in, had someone on my front doorstep screaming obscenities (without provocation) one Saturday afternoon, and so on. In my estimation, that does not constitute a "good" neighborhood. Any area can be infiltrated by whatever surrounds it, but good neighbors look out for one another, and that doesn't seem to happen here either. I've let people know that they have flats or left their car doors open, etc. (I see it when I walk my dogs) without so much as a "thank you." I've tried to encourage people I see gardening with compliments on their work, and given presents to some of the children around here. No one could say I haven't tried. It's not a community. It's a number of families sharing similar addresses.

I kind of agree. Do u live on the Kids Ink side? I feel like i have heard similar tales from friends over there. Shameful. I can relate though, because my neighbors car was broken into and my friends motorcycle stolen.. Now i dont feel as safe. Its crazy how i see people running at night or walking their dogs at 5 am despite the crime!

No, I'm nowhere near Bluewater--but we've had a rash of vandalisms here, and I likewise worry for the people I see jogging before sun-up, and the little ones who are outside playing on their own (often in the parking lot) when the race-car drivers come tearing through here at all hours. I remind the kids I know to watch out for cars, and to play on the sidewalk, but I'm hesitant to say anything to the others (having been regaled by a series of four-letter words from a group of girls no older than 7 or 8 who were singing a rather raunchy song, for telling them the lyrics weren't very nice--something about "I want to be your whore" and worse). Where I come from, if an adult in the neighborhood tells a child anything for his or her own good or safety, the appropriate response is "Yes, sir/ma'am," or "I'm sorry, sir/ma'am"--not "eff you." There are, thank heaven, some nice people here, and maybe things will change because of them. But with every other house occupied by transient renters who in many cases have been subjected to nothing even resembling a background check, positive change is difficult to promote. One rule of good neighborship is that you don't sell to the first person who makes an offer, regardless of his or her character, and stick your old friends with a problem--but that doesn't seem to operate here.

Carol.... calique is kinda right tho. Unless you knew your Realtor on a personal level....you shouldn't take their word as gospel. The could be just trying to make a sale. I grew up in pioneer city. Im 36 now. We moved to Columbia in the early 90s. That area near reece road and 175 has always had a bad rep. Even back when I lived there. But everything is relative. Compared to most places in bmore city...the reece road and 175 corridor is like beverly hills. Me personally....if i moved 800 miles away for a new job I might be inclined to maybe rent something for 6 months or a year before buying if I had suspicions about the area. Before buying my first home in columbia...I had lived in areas in columbia that supposedly had a bad "rep" too. The irony of it is...the crime rate in these areas was miniscule. Just goes to show everything is relative.

to you dumbazz folks that don't know... crimes will thrive in the best of communitys... some just more low key.... but to shut down a bar is just pointless.... i can tell you from living in the area and knowing most that's involved in these crime's That the problem starts way before they get to that bar.... also it's been plenty of times i been in there and the so called security performed no pat downs for known locals and i seen pistols first hand.... pcp......weed ...and crack deals.... becuz its allowed..... so of course it would get out of hand...... the only person that's at fault is the owner..... communitys around the bar has its own problem .... severn oaks been a place of drugs among kids.... and literally everyother community around.... but its been like this way before the bar.... lmao...alot of you are green.....

Tony, the realtor was recommended to me by a friend (also a realtor) with whom I'd worked before he went into that business. John--my friend--had helped me buy & sell four houses (two and two) & the recommendee worked for the same firm . . . so I naively believed that they knew one another & trusted him. John was horrified when I told him what I'd gone through with this young man (for example, not only didn't I receive a copy of the covenants before closing--he had to run from the settlement office to get them, & made the rest of us wait around while he did). I have no idea where "Pioneer City" is, nor did I even know what "Boom Town" was, until people started talking about it. Since I've worked in & near DC since I moved here, I don't have a lot of time for exploring--I only found out about the area off Jacob's Path because a fellow MARC rider (who lives there) told me that Domino's won't even deliver pizza to her house at night, it's that dangerous. I've lived in houses for all of my adult life, & as such, have rooms full of furniture & so on--it gets very expensive to keep paying to have them moved, & I didn't want the hassle of having to wait for a landlord to get a "round tuit." If I were younger & had less to transport, I'd have done exactly as you suggested, & rented for a while. But during the housing boom, rentals weren't easy to come by, either--so a number of things conspired to make me purchase the best of what I saw, in the time I had available. Never again!

All of u are hilarious. I work in the bar and never once seen a drug transaction or a gun. There r cameras all around the establishment for security and the police walk through during the weekend n make their presence known. Unfortunately seven oaks is Not the only community around there and majority of the patrons come from the neighborhoods in the area including seven oaks. Nobody can control what a person is going to do and you can't blame an establishment or its owner. The coach at penn state raped dozens of boys. Did they close down the college??? No because then all the good white folk would lose all the money n grants put into it. Sadly we live in a violent world n theres not much we can do about it. Shit happens no matter where u live. If u dont like it move. Everywhere u go ur going to have problems. Look at the tragedy in Connecticut. They did not live in a bad neighborhood or down the street from the bar or sex shop. Get over it n spend ur time focusing on landscaping ur neighborhood. From the sounds of u all complaining it needs some work done to it.

Ummm, "funny" - cameras all around the bar and police walking around on weekends don't really make the bar sound like an upstanding or safe place.

Also - your comparison to Penn State is completely illegitimate - if things were handled the same way as there - everyone who works for your bar would be fired, even if the place wasn't closed down. And it's not the fact that there's been a shooting there - it's the fact that there's been MULTIPLE shootings on separate occasions - after a while when you connect the data points - the problem is obviously the bar.

I don't want to see the bar closed, per se, just moved. Maybe one of the other neighborhoods in the area you draw patrons from would welcome you.

Excellent points, B. Big, Carol B., and Brian.

An excellent point is that there are 2 other bars on each side of My Place, Kim's Lounge and the New Starr Inn. There has been as much violence in the New Starr Inn as has been in My Place, but never a word about shutting its doors...If one is shut down, shut them all down....

Anyone interested in trying once again to block the liquor license renewal for this eye sore of a place!!! I'm not sure where to begin, so I'm online researching. I have to do something instead of what I've been doing which was complain.

70aksowner, you'd probably have to start where we ended, if you want to get anywhere: with the Anne Arundel County Liquor Licensing Board. Tim can probably help you with the names of the people on the Odenton Planning Commission, but I'm not sure that they have much to do with it. You might want to start with Halle, the owner of the Seven Oaks complex (check your sewer and water line bill for their contact information)--but fair warning: you need to be determined, tenacious, and not easily frustrated. And you also need to be prepared to do most of their legwork for them, once you show any kind of interest. I wrote one (count them--one) letter of complaint, on my own initiative, and all of a sudden they wanted me to spearhead the campaign. I have an impossible commute, and little enough "free" time as it is. I'll be glad to help as much as I can, but I already have more than one full-time job.

Little do any of you people know the owner try's his Best to keep the nonsense out the bar I have seen with my own eyes the owner calling the cops on people who are starting trouble ... I just think it hilarious when A black person try to start a business in this neighbor it's always a problem but no one gives the owners at star inn any problem or any other ethnicity a problem but I guess that the world we live in !!!!!!!!