Moving back to MD: Where to live?

[august1410]

I was born & raised in Harford County, considered Bel Air but was just outside of Bel Air (Creswell, not that anyone has heard of that, LOL). My wife and I lived in Bel Air when we got married in 2001 in a nice, albeit small cape cod. We moved to Havre de Grace and stayed there for four years and left because we didn't like and and the school the kids were in for elementary school was okay but the middle & high schools were not appealing to us. We started looking in Bel Air again but couldn't afford the size house we needed in the Bel Air area so we started looking out in the Northern areas: Street, Whiteford, Darlington. We ended up just over the state line in Delta, PA. We like it there. Any of the areas around there in HarCo are nice too we just stumbled across a new development that was priced right and basically put us in a new, bigger home than what the same $$ would have gotten us in Bel Air.

If you don't have kids then school districts aren't much of a concern. Each time we have moved it has been to make it better for the kids: 1st to a bigger house and then to a better school area.

Delta is about 40 minutes from Hunt Valley/Towson/Timonium area, 30 min from Bel Air, Havre de Grace, 50 to 60 min from Baltimore City. If you head a little north into PA, around Stewartstown/Shrewsbury you are close to 83 for heading south to Baltimore locations.

It's close enough to being rural for me and still keeps you somewhat close to more suburb & city locales. With BRAC in the area I would think contractor type positions should be better than other areas but that's just a guesstimate.

I've heard of it....grew up on Schucks Rd, right off of 136.

 

[Garand1957]

Lot's of nice locations over on the Eastern shore still.
But if you work in the B-more D.C. area the long commute may not be woth it to some people including me.
I remember back in the early 1970's when parts of PG county were still nice.
There are still parts of Anne Arundel county like Davidsonville that are nice but the prices in those area's are way outside my price range.

 

[Maverick0313]

If you need help finding a place to buy or rent I can hook you up with people I know and trust depending on where you look (for the rentals). Just an offer, good luck on your move either way.

+1 Righteous offer. God Bless.

 

[carryaglock]

Frederick county North or West of Frederick city out in farm country. What area will you be working in?

 

[pilotguy]

Having been an officer in Howard County, I can tell you that if you can afford to live in Columbia on construction wages, then it's not a place you want to live. There are a few spots, but they get smaller and smaller. Eldersburg (in Carroll Co.), Ellicott City west of Route 29, and the western end of the county are better.

 

[randyho]

Having been an officer in Howard County, I can tell you that if you can afford to live in Columbia on construction wages, then it's not a place you want to live.

This ^

I moved out of Columbia 2 years ago. No offense to any one here. But, my wife and I really don't miss it. Multiple family single family homes were becoming far too normal where we were.

 

[HoCoShooter]

I'm kinda surprised at the recommendations for Columbia - Columbia is going downhill so fast it's not even funny. It still has nice parts but if there was ever an area that shows why cramming low income next to higher incomes doesn't work, Columbia is that place. There's a couple good schools left but even that is changing drastically.

As far as the OP, the economy sucks everywhere - I can't imagine moving from almost anywhere to Maryland unless it was literally the last option. I can't wait to GTFO when my stepdaughter starts college.

 

[randyho]

I can't imagine moving from almost anywhere to Maryland unless it was literally the last option. I can't wait to GTFO when my stepdaughter starts college.

Agreed. I like the eastern shore. But, if I moved there, I'd take the extra hop to DE. And, my stepdaughter moved back to stay with her dad's family thanks to Howard County's wonderful schools

 

[64Post]

I can't imagine moving from almost anywhere to Maryland unless it was literally the last option.

Without getting too personal, you're kind of on to something. The idea was to get my wife back near her family. What happens to me is irrelevant at this point.

 

[Maverick0313]

I give up...you convinced me....I'm leaving Howard County when I can sell my condo at a profit....but that's not gonna happen any time soon (for reasons cited here)......:-)

 

[64Post]

If you need help finding a place to buy or rent I can hook you up with people I know and trust depending on where you look (for the rentals). Just an offer, good luck on your move either way.

PM sent...

 

[Fox Mike]

Churchville, Dublin, Jarrettsville, Jacksonville all are relatively close to Whitemarsh and still far enough away from the 'thug' areas.

 

[mbz300sdl]

But in reality... I like Frederick Co and West.

Exactly, once I go east of Frederick they can keep it. IMO somewhere between Frederick and Hancock is the best places in MD Boonsboro is great I grew up there excellent schools good people for the most part. Sharpsburg, Keedysville, Funkstown if you need to be closer to a larger city, Brunswick has a train station if you have to commute daily and don't like driving. ClearSpring is a nice area. Thurmont or Emmitsburg maybe Cascade area. Hancock maybe farther west than you really want to go since you put this in central MD section.

Middletown and so is Myersville both are real close to 70 if you have to commute.

 

[Minuteman]

Northern Maryland, can't go wrong with Pennsylvania. Southern Maryland, I like Virginia. Eastern Maryland I'm partial to Delaware. Western Maryland I like West Virginia.

Us folks in Central Maryland aren't so lucky to have such great places to move to (escape).

Here's some census data, interesting that they have a category called "Americans" living in America.

 

[Minuteman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.svg

Forgot the link ;-)

 

[Hyper-W]

I gotta be honest, I really like Catonsville. Its all about what you are looking for in a house and area.

Do you want to be five minutes from the grocery store, hardware store, and WalMart? If so, skip the rural areas.
I live behind the Toys-R-Us on Rt 40 and I live in a quiet neighborhood that backs up to the state park. My wife can be at work in downtown Baltimore in 20 minutes. I can be at work in Columbia in 15 minutes and on days when I need to be in DC I'm only 40 minutes (depending on time of day).
The best part is that I'm within a mile of Home Depot, Giant, Walmart, Petsmart, and a State Park. For us it is perfect but each person looks for different things in a home.

What is important to you in a neighborhood?

 

[MDPOLICE]

This ^

I moved out of Columbia 2 years ago. No offense to any one here. But, my wife and I really don't miss it. Multiple family single family homes were becoming far too normal where we were.

You moved out of Columbia and moved to Bowie and like it better??? Interesting. Where abouts in Bowie do you live?

 

[ClarkM]

Any suggestions out there (other than to stay here)?

PA. VA. WV. But if it has to be MD, Frederick is nice. 2nd largest city in MD, growing, but still great neighborhoods (if your away from rt 40). 1< hour to DC, Baltimore. Nice downtown, and plenty of ranges around or 20 minutes and your in farmland.

 

[AKbythebay]

Christ some of the people on this board are negative.

There are tons of nice, low crime, places to live in Maryland. If you want to live to the north, Harford County is great (Bel Air) or Carroll County (Westminster) also a good place to live. I live on the eastern shore and absolutely love it. We average 0-1 murders per year in my county and virtually no violent crime. Also mid to southern Anne Arundel County is a great place to live (Severna Park, Annapolis, Edgewater).

Don't let these folks here scare you. MD's gun laws suck, but there are lots lf places in Maryland that are terrific places to live. Good luck.

 

[randyho]

You moved out of Columbia and moved to Bowie and like it better??? Interesting. Where abouts in Bowie do you live?

I know. It's not what even I expected, and it may be atypical. It's a bunch of little things that add up.

I'm in one of the original Levitt houses, in Belair. It is a much better-built place than what I had in Columbia. Gas heat: so, in the winter, we can get, you know, warm. I gained a bathroom and a garage for the same $.

I have a retired navy chief on one side of me and a network engineer on the other. Across the street are other families with similar backgrounds. We all helped each other shovel out of the snow, together. In Columbia, I had thug wannabes and more and more multi-multi-family houses surrounding me. And Columbia's wonderful system of paths provided ideal escape routes for the increasing vandalism and other petty crime.

In Bowie, I can put a fridge or a sofa bed or nearly any other combination of stuff out on the curb for twice a week pickup, not including recyclables and yard waste... which have their own dedicated weekly pickups. In Columbia, I could put out 3 bags a week that couldn't weigh more than whatever they felt like picking up, based on whim.

Groceries and gas are cheaper. I found an honest mechanic that does good work at sane prices. Berwyn and PG Trap and Skeet are nearby. Annapolis shopping smokes Columbia's and takes no longer to get there.

Closer to the beach. No Columbia Association (I get to pick where I build my shed--shocking). I can do something whacky/crazy like... grow vegetables... in my yard.

I've met and like the mayor and the police chief. The Bowie police have been courteous, responsive, and professional whenever I've dealt with them. I have more wildlife runnin' through the back yard (which is, imo, cool).

#1 reason: No one is baiting me to strangle them for their "Choose Civility in Bowie" bumper sticker.

Like I said, lots of little things make it preferable to where we were (notice I never claimed it to be a great place to be and/or raise a family). I will say that the public schools are inexcusable, but much of Columbia's are as well. And there are parts of it where I really don't need to go... which isn't odd considering how big Bowie is.

If I was moving here fresh, I'd really try for the Eastern Shore as I think that's about as good as MD gets.