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Let's say I wanted to move to Maryland

QuidQuid Definitely not a bananaRegistered User regular
edited April 2012 in Help / Advice Forum
Odenton specifically. Well, not move there necessarily. That's where the job would be assuming I go there. My wife works for Lush cosmetics and I'd like to move to the mainland to help advance her career. The biggest question is where we would live. I personally would like to see us rent a house, if not buy, with a yard for our dog close to one or the other's place of work. But I'm entirely unfamiliar (And mildly antagonistic with) the east coast. What would be the relatively affordable places to live? Is rail an option going East-West rather than North-South? Also general knowledge to be aware of given she has almost never lived north of Florida and I have only limited experience in Washington state's winter.

Quid on

Posts

  • MalgarasMalgaras Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    I would take a look at Crofton. It's a pretty good area, reasonably priced, and is only about 15 mins from Odenton.

    Winter's aren't much of an issue here. It can get pretty cold, but not TOO bad. We get the occasional foot of snow (and by Occasional, I mean like once ever 5-6 years), but in general Winter is pretty much a non-event. I live in Columbia and this year we probably got all of two inches of snow the entire year and half the winter it was in the high 40s or higher.

    As for rail, are you talking about commuting? If so, then FYI: Unless you live and work in DC, public transportation around here is pretty useless as we just don't have enough infrastructure to make it worth while.

    Malgaras on
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  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    Ugh. Lack of public transit is disappointing. It's good to hear that's what the winter is like. My wife is terrified of the snow. And though I've dealt with it some in Dallas and Washington, I'm not eager to drive on it again. I'll ask her to look up Crofton when she gets home to see how it relates to where she works.

  • schattenjaegerschattenjaeger Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    I actually just moved to Maryland from Texas, just down the road from where Odenton is, in Laurel, off of highway 1.

    As a Texan, the winter wasn't a big deal (though this one was apparently very mild). Nothing worse than Dallas so far, though Dallas does get colder than people might think.

    When I posted my moving to Maryland topic here, I was advised to steer clear of Prince George's county. I did not heed that advice, and after a couple of months it's safe to say a large portion of PG county is a bit of a hole. Still, there are nice parts of Laurel (though Laurel is tucked right next to Howard and Anne Arundel County. Also it appears to cover a lot of area because a few surrounding cities have Laurel ZIP codes, or something. Like Scaggsville). I work in Greenbelt though, and it's...uninspiring, let's say.

    I'm new here too so I don't know the details. There are some houses near me that are brand new and are from the 290s, in what appears to be a nicer part of Laurel, and they're pretty nice looking houses. Maybe that gives you some idea of price range, though I mean literally new, the development isn't even completely finished.

    There's the Russett neighborhood, just west of Ft. Meade and near the border between PG and Anne Arundel counties that I drive though to get to my Wal-Mart, and it's really nice.

    I do some work at APL in north Laurel, what is really Scaggsville (yah it's confusing), just inside Howard county. That area seems quite pleasant too, but is possibly too far. However, I have a coworker who used to live in Odenton (liked it well enough, actually moved there after living in a less-good part of Laurel) who made the commute to Greenbelt, and it wasn't too onerous, which I think would bode well for that commute, being off the main highways and interstates.

    I don't know anything about east of Odenton, towards Annapolis, but I know people who live around there and prefer it to being closer to DC.

    schattenjaeger on
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    Just an FYI, because I happen to know this about Maryland, but they have pretty much the 3rd most restrictive gun laws of any state. If you are a gun owner, you should look into it, carefully, because it can be very tricky to maintain compliance, and you can get in a lot of trouble if you're found not in compliance.

    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • MalgarasMalgaras Registered User regular
    Just keep in mind with Howard County, that it is one of the richest counties in the U.S. (like #4 I think) so while it definitely has some very nice areas, housing prices tend to be a bit more expensive on average. Crofton isn't incredibly cheap either, but it's a nice area and I know my sister managed well enough there when she wasn't making that much.

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  • radroadkillradroadkill MDRegistered User regular
    I guess for a bit more info or advice I can throw a few more things in and maybe Quid will add it into the OP. I'm not sure how transferring with my company will go since we don't know if we're moving yet but there are four potential shops in the area: Annapolis, Bethesda, DC, and Towson.

    Annapolis would be the closest shop since Quid would be in Ft Meade regardless of anything else. We don't really know what the transit and traffic are like and living areas so we would like to get as much info as possible. Ideally we'd like to live closer to one of the jobs so only one person really has to deal with commuting and we're not sure what the best way to go about this is. It's helpful to know about the lack of public transit options outside of DC. I was wondering why Google maps was suddenly tacking on hours to the commute times!

    The reason we'd like to consider a house or townhouse type of deal is the dog. I know apartments are more readily available and accessible but I'd love to have an actual (even if it's small) closed back yard for him. We live in a townhouse deal now but there's no fence so he requires constant walking and supervision which gets really time consuming between everything else. While it's part of owning a pet I'd love to have a yard option for those times when the walks aren't practical or for him to hang out in with nice weather and get some exercise. I don't really want to buy a house since I know for a fact we won't be planning to stay there and I don't know why Quid keeps saying it's an option!

    However, we're used to living in pricey areas courtesy of Monterey and Hawaii in general.

  • EggyToastEggyToast Jersey CityRegistered User regular
    If one of you has to be in Ft Meade, then yes, living around the Odenton area between there and Annapolis makes the most sense. You don't want to travel across 95 if you can help it, nor live north of Baltimore, simply due to the commute. Both beltways get very bad during rush hour.

    I lived in Baltimore for about 9 years. There are a lot of rowhouses in the midatlantic, and most of them have a yard -- especially out in the burbs like Odenton. Depending on your dog, though, you may not have much success just leaving him outside during the day, as the neighborhoods in general are pretty dense and if he barks a lot or appears big, you may get a neighbor who reports you for a) leaving poop on the yard or b) leaving your dog unattended for long periods during the day. Still, it is nice for when you want to hang around outside yourself and let your pup stay with you.

    Anyway, Glen Burnie, Odenton, and the general area between Ft Meade and Annapolis is suburby and nice. The commute into Annapolis is going to suck since there's relatively limited access to the area, but the other areas convenient to a LUSH are no better since you have to go to Ft Meade.

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  • MalgarasMalgaras Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    I guess for a bit more info or advice I can throw a few more things in and maybe Quid will add it into the OP. I'm not sure how transferring with my company will go since we don't know if we're moving yet but there are four potential shops in the area: Annapolis, Bethesda, DC, and Towson.

    Annapolis would be the closest shop since Quid would be in Ft Meade regardless of anything else. We don't really know what the transit and traffic are like and living areas so we would like to get as much info as possible. Ideally we'd like to live closer to one of the jobs so only one person really has to deal with commuting and we're not sure what the best way to go about this is. It's helpful to know about the lack of public transit options outside of DC. I was wondering why Google maps was suddenly tacking on hours to the commute times!

    The reason we'd like to consider a house or townhouse type of deal is the dog. I know apartments are more readily available and accessible but I'd love to have an actual (even if it's small) closed back yard for him. We live in a townhouse deal now but there's no fence so he requires constant walking and supervision which gets really time consuming between everything else. While it's part of owning a pet I'd love to have a yard option for those times when the walks aren't practical or for him to hang out in with nice weather and get some exercise. I don't really want to buy a house since I know for a fact we won't be planning to stay there and I don't know why Quid keeps saying it's an option!

    However, we're used to living in pricey areas courtesy of Monterey and Hawaii in general.

    If those are your options, I would go with Annapolis and Ft. Meade, and DEFINITELY check out Crofton. It's pretty ideally placed for that. You can hit the fort in about 15-20 mins and Annapolis in 20-25. Give or take 5/10 mins for traffic, but traffic shouldn't be THAT much of an issue. The beltways and the corridor between Baltimore and DC is where traffic really starts to be an issue.

    As for the others:
    Commuting to DC pretty much universally sucks. 95 to DC is usually OK-ish, but avoid 295(A.K.A the BW Parking Lot Way. Both can be a nightmare once you start getting really close to DC though, there's not really a great way around the traffic entirely outside of working odd hours. You might also want to consider taking the Metro for the last leg as parking in DC can be a nightmare. Unfortunately, the metro doesn't extend very far past DC, so you probably will have to take a car part of the way regardless. Either way, it will probably be a pretty nasty commute for someone.

    If you go with Towson, no matter where you live, one of you is going to wind up on the wrong side of Baltimore, and 695 (the Baltimore Beltway) is ALWAYS backed up.

    Bethesda is pretty much the same story as DC, minus actually having to go into/park in DC. You're only real option there is to take 95 to 495 (The Capitol Beltway) so prepare for some traffic once you get down towards DC.

    Malgaras on
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  • AndorienAndorien Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    As someone who lives in PG county and commutes to Ft Meade:

    1. 295 does tend to turn into a parking lot during the crazy hours, and at all other times people treat it as a race track (and it's usually only two lanes).

    2. PG county isn't going to win any awards for awesomeness, but it's not THAT bad in my experience. Then again, I do live on the NW edge of it (Calverton/Beltsville), so it might be worse closer to Greenbelt.

    Andorien on
  • schattenjaegerschattenjaeger Registered User regular
    I drive on 295 every day during rush hour, both directions, and it really isn't too bad. People complain about the traffic, but you're from Dallas (as was I once, and Houston after that) and it's nothing you're not used to UNLESS you get too close to DC (like on the Beltways or inside DC) or Baltimore. I've had to drive across DC to Arlington at like 4 PM a couple of times now. After the second time I realized that was the worst idea in the world, and switched to using the metro. If you're commuting into DC I'd just park at one of the commuter metro stations and ride the metro in. Be warned that Bethesda is one of the most expensive places in the country (I think...it might be THE most, actually, at least sometimes). However, if you're on that side of DC, your more suburban options are probably nicer, all up in Montgomery county.

  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    EggyToast wrote: »
    I lived in Baltimore for about 9 years. There are a lot of rowhouses in the midatlantic, and most of them have a yard -- especially out in the burbs like Odenton. Depending on your dog, though, you may not have much success just leaving him outside during the day, as the neighborhoods in general are pretty dense and if he barks a lot or appears big, you may get a neighbor who reports you for a) leaving poop on the yard or b) leaving your dog unattended for long periods during the day. Still, it is nice for when you want to hang around outside yourself and let your pup stay with you.

    He's just a 25 pound terrier. Currently when not walking him we'll let him out on a chain in the front yard. We always clean up after him regardless and barking might be an issue at first but he calms down and tends to ignore other animals once they become familiar. And we never just leave him unsupervised for long periods. But a fenced in yard would be much nicer for him than eight feet of chain since he's clearly in love with being outside on sunny days.

    No worries about gun laws since while we do eventually want one, we do not currently own any nor is it a pressing matter.

    Terrible traffic, while annoying, is something we deal with already in Hawaii. But it's also why we're trying to limit dealing with it to at least just one person.

  • KiplingKipling Registered User regular
    If you are moving to Ft. Meade because of BRAC, they have expanded shuttles from the MARC stops tried to make it slightly better.

    Quick search results in:
    http://www.ftmeadesoundoff.com/news/9300/t-partnerships-make-transportation-options-possible/

    They will reimburse you for transit, so it is mainly a question of your like of transit and whether any of the options actually work.

    3DS Friends: 1693-1781-7023
  • radroadkillradroadkill MDRegistered User regular
    Also we apparently just opened a shop in Columbia. I'm still thinking that trying to get to the Annapolis shop seems like the least amount of headache involved. We really appreciate all the insights! It'll be much easier to have a potential game plan coming from so far away and having zero idea of anything up there.

  • MalgarasMalgaras Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Also we apparently just opened a shop in Columbia. I'm still thinking that trying to get to the Annapolis shop seems like the least amount of headache involved. We really appreciate all the insights! It'll be much easier to have a potential game plan coming from so far away and having zero idea of anything up there.
    Well, I live in Columbia, so I might not be the most unbiased source, but I would say that most of Columbia is a nice area to live in. It has its not-so-nice pockets here and there, but the majority of Columbia is great.

    As for the commute I've made my way down to the fort on multiple occasions and the drive is not bad at all. A quick shot down 29 and 32 and you're there, and neither road is particularly bad for commuting. Probably only 15-20 mins depending on traffic and what part of the fort you are going to. The other commute would be incredibly short for obvious reasons.

    So I'd say that'd be another good choice alongside living somewhere over by Odenton or Crofton and working in Annapolis. Probably a toss-up between the two. I would definitely go one of those two routes though. DC, Bethesda, and Towson are all going to be much more headache.

    Malgaras on
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  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    It depends on what you define as affordable, pretty much anything south of Baltimore is going to be a bit high compared to where you are, around Odenton is going to be cheaper than DC or NOVA. A smarter me would be living in Silver Spring. I like Alexandria, but Silver Spring is cheaper, and closer to my work. But For the Odenton Crofton area, your looking to spend 1500-2000 to rent a house depending on number of bedrooms and square footage, it gets more expensive the closer to DC you get, and a bit more the closer to Baltimore you get, however until you get to know the area I would avoid the DC area, and I would avoid the Baltimore area, because a good deal in DC may end you up in Anacostia, and you do not want to live in Anacostia, and really Maryland near that area too, yeah you can find houses for 600-800 a month in Oxen Hill, but you don't want to live there either. However, Odenton is nice, Crofton is nice. Plan to spend 1500-2000 on rent. And 300k-500k if you want to purchase. Apartments/condos are going to be cheaper.

    If you are going to work in DC Drive to the closest metro station and train it in, unless your working earlier than 7 am or go in later than 11 am. Driving into dc after 11 or before 7 is actually pretty fast.

    zepherin on
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