Nothing says “summer” in Maryland quite like fresh steamed crabs from the Chesapeake. Shipley’s Grant is here to offer you the local resources to get your Maryland crab feast going this summer with tips on where to buy them and how to pick them!

Get your crabs right near your new Ellicott City home, with fresh bushels at:

- Sea King Seafood Market, in Ellicott City http://www.seaking.com/

– Frank’s Seafood, in Jessup, MD at Route 1 and 175 http://franksseafood.com/

Keep the mess out of your new home and at the restaurant, try:

- Ellicott City’s Crab Shanty http://www.crabshanty.com/

– Laurel’s Bottom of the Bay Seafood (http://www.bottomofthebay.com/

– Catonsville’s Sea Hut Inn http://www.seahutinn.com

Just looking for some nice lump crab meat? Try: Timbuktu in Hanover for award winning crab cakes , Laurel Meat Market in Laurel, MD or Today’s Catch at Wilde Lake Village Center in Columbia.

Whether it’s in your new backyard at Shipley’s Grant Townhomes or in the kitchen, lay out the newspaper and get cracking! Get started by:

Step 1: Picking up a hefty steamed crab. Preferably one with plenty of Old Bay seasoning.

Step 2: Rip the claws off and eat any of the meat that comes off with them.

Step 3: Use a knife, mallet, or fingers to crack open the claws. The best part!

Step 4: Locate the apron. This is the monument-shaped area on the underside of the crab. Pull the apron off and discard.

Step 5: Pull the top of the shell off, starting from the top.  Remove the insides you wouldn’t want to eat (gills (the devil’s fingers to locals), etc.).

Step 6: Break the crab in half.  Use a knife to cut the half again.

Step 7:Eat the white meat, and enjoy!

If that sounds a bit complicated, watch this demo from the premier crab seasoning Old Bay, and enjoy those crabs!

Shipley’s Grant isn’t just the name of our community of Howard County homes. It is, in fact, a name rich in history, stretching all the way back to 1687 when Lord Baltimore gave Adam Shipley the first large land grant in what became known as Howard County.

The 500 acres given to Shipley sat close to where Captain John Smith landed in 1608 after seeing how far up the Patapsco River he could navigate. Once Shipley had his grant, settlers began arriving in the area where they found land they could farm. They used John Smith’s landing site in what is now Elkridge to ship hogsheads of tobacco to other docks and ports in the colonies. Over time, industry sprang up and the land changed uses and owners, eventually becoming a great location for new homes in Howard County.

Nevertheless, the legacy of Adam Shipley lives on, not just in the name of our community of Howard County homes, but in Shipley’s descendants, who refer to Adam Shipley as Adam the First and count among his descendants none other than Abraham Lincoln.

You can even see a bit of this history yourself. Not far from the entrance to Shipley’s Grant is an old Shipley family cemetery. It’s a great reminder of the rich history of this land and just one more aspect that makes these Howard County townhomes so special.

Welcome to the new Shipley’s Grant blog where we’ll be posting regularly about a variety of topics of interest to our community residents and to those considering buying a home here. And we wanted to kick things off with some exciting news.

As you know, Shipley’s Grant already has some of the best homes in Howard County. Now we’re proud to say things have gotten even better.

We’re giving our incredible Howard County homes what they so richly deserve: a spectacular space for community residents to hangout and relax with family and neighbors.

We hope you’ll have a moment to come by and check out the gorgeous pool and sundeck that are sure to be hits come warm weather. But don’t think you have to wait to use the outdoor spaces. We’ve also included an outdoor fireplace perfect for gathering together on a chilly night.

We also hope you have an opportunity to take a look at our all new Carriage Townhomes, an exceptional series of homes expanding the offerings of our community. When it comes to new homes in Howard County, few communities have as much going on as Shipley’s Grant. It’s always enjoyable to be here.