Who knew Towson is "quiet, gentle and sophisticated?"

Who knew the Chestnut Hill neighborhood in West Towson is "artsy-funky," full of "urban sophisticates" and "a fabulous location that will surprise you with its grace, quality and convenience?"

Apparently, America Online knew.

The online company last week named Chestnut Hill the No. 1 dream retirement area in the United States.

Chestnut Hill is bordered by North Charles Street, Towsontown Boulevard, West Joppa Road and Charles Street Avenue.

Some Towson movers and shakers were puzzled with the AOL accolade.

Asked whether the neighborhood is called "Chestnut Hill" or "Chestnut Hills," Towson Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nancy Hafford said she didn't know.

"I never heard of it," she said.

The AOL honor came as a welcome surprise to the administration of County Executive Jim Smith, which historically has had to invest considerable time and effort to earn recognition for Baltimore County's neighborhoods.

This one fell in their laps.

The county quickly arranged a celebration at Blakehurst retirement community on March 25 to make the announcement -- Blakehurst and Pickersgill retirement communities are two of Chestnut Hill's most attractive assets for seniors.

"It's easy to take for granted what seems ordinary to us," Smith told the small crowd. "Sometimes it takes others to remind us of what we have."

Others might have known all along.

Blakehurst resident Dick Smith, a retired manufacturing manager, said he wasn't surprised by the announcement.

"This neighborhood and Blakehurst are the best of all I've seen," he said.

Grace Lyons lived on West Joppa Road, just six blocks away, since 1959 before moving to Blakehurst in January.

Having lived in the area most of her life, she was pleased with the recognition.

"It's a wonderful place," Lyons said.

NeighborhoodScout, an independent firm that analyzes statistical data for AOL, ranked Chestnut Hill above 61,000 other neighborhoods.

Also-rans included Santa Barbara, Calif., Naples, Fla., and Sedona, Ariz., in this year's survey -- based on data from federal agencies, the U.S. Census Bureau and 63 other sources.

Determining factors in the survey include the number of residents over age 65, concentration of highly-educated residents, low incidences of crime and diverse housing options.

"In the rolling hills of Maryland, within easy distance to Baltimore and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay," Towson "mixes the best of the north and the south," NeighborhoodSearch stated in the announcement.

"A lovely four-season climate, mixed with upscale homes and trees, the Chestnut Hill neighborhood is walkable, quiet and full of college-educated seniors.

"Just minutes from Johns Hopkins Medical Center with its world-class health care, this is ... a wonderful retirement choice."

It may be a great place in which to retire, but it's not cheap. The median house value is $550,746, the survey showed, and rental prices are high relative to the rest of the state and nation.

Barbara Hawks, who coordinates volunteer programs at Pickersgill, was familiar with Chestnut Hill not only because of her employment, but because she lived on Picadilly Road for years.

However, her daughter attended college in California, and she's not sure how the Towson neighborhood edged it out.

"I love Pickersgill and I love this neighborhood," she said. "It's very pretty here -- but it's not Santa Barbara."

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