Cross Keys? (Baltimore, Towson: to rent, neighborhoods, buying)

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Bry3Bob

My job is very secure and I am looking to buy.

You should have started with that

Which roads do you suggest?

Nuh-uh. Far too open ended.

In your case though, I'll say the basic the question is limited some:
how far out along those arterial roads do you want to go before you start to look?, (and)
how far out is too far (for other reasons) to keep looking?

Dig out a compass and paper map; then use your work location
and the answers to those two questions....
to create a band with two circumference lines.

If you don't know those areas then take a weekend to drive out along those main roads
and note the hundred block where your opinion of the surroundings you experience will change.
Adjust the map to reflect these realities (and takes some pictures too!).

Depending on about twenty other basic home owning variables...
I'm certain you'll be able to find something in that space to suit.

You can ask others for THEIR opinion in advance of this effort...
(and plenty will pop up with their favorites too)
but I'll suggest that you wait and get those opinions only after you have the revised map
and by that have something resembling an opinion of your own to balance these against.

hth

[Woodlands]

I would suggest Towson if you want to be in the County... and if you want to be in the City.. what about Coldspring Newtown? Its not far from Cross Keys.. Its actually just across 83 as the Crow (Raven) Flies

Its a nice mix of older and younger folks.. in a surburban setting. The community is literally in the middle of a former City Park. Check out their website at www.coldspringnewtown.com Right now the condos are selling anywhere from $80k to $120k though they are about 30 years old. Target is 10 minutes away at Mondawmin Mall, grocery stores include Giant and Fresh Greens in Hampden. CVS on Falls Road or Rite Aid on Falls Road or 41st Street. You are 10 minutes from Downtown.. The Coldspring Light rail Station is nearby though its about a 15 minute walk from the heart of the community to the station.. through the urban forest.

Other areas that could be of interest could be Mt. Washington.. which has Mt Washington Village Commercial area with a few restaurants, laid back bars, and shops( whole foods is also nearby) and a light rail station as well. THe homes are larger craftsman style and four squares.. but its a really nice and tree friendly area. There are a few older town homes in Greenwoods.. just off of Northern Parkway at 83 near the hospital. Also check out Woodbury.. which has a light rail station and an interesting mix of modern homes, condos in a historic warehouse, and townhomes. All of these areas are along the Jones Falls Bike Trail if you want to cycle to and from Downtown. New Walmart is coming to 25 st in Remington (lower Hampden/ upper Chalres Village) sometime in the near future.. we hope.

[Cheapskate Bay]

I find Baltimore to be a little tough sometimes if you are young, single, and NOT into the whole drunken bar scene in Fells/Federal Hill/Canton, etc. I am really past that stage of my life. But it's hard meeting people, I think, if you are young and that's not your cup of tea.

That's how I felt when I came to town, too. Maybe Rodgers Forge? That was my solution 12 years ago as a mid-20s person who moved to town - granted, I was a newlywed, but you'd have the opportunity to meet far more people your age there than you would in Cross Keys. You'd be in the county but in close proximity to the city and also to the big box retailers.

If you're committed to the city, I agree with other posters that Tuscany-Canterbury might be nice. Beautiful older housing stock and proximity to JHU and Charles Village, without actually being in Charles Village, are nice amenities of that area. It wouldn't be appreciably closer to the retail options that you like than Hampden was for you when you lived there, though.

Baltimore's great for the bar-loving crowd, less so for those not into that scene... good luck!

[KLynch10]

If you are into places like Vienna or Fairfax, I think it is safe to say that Baltimore is not your place. I'd check Hunt Valley, Towson, Ellicott City, Columbia, Catonsville and Owings Mills.

[Bry3Bob]

I've looked at Towson and Hunt Valley and there really are not any affordably priced condos in either area (condos, as a whole, are rare in both places).

I started to look a bit at Columbia. I will check out some of the other areas, but, again, this gets to my other problem with this, which is that when you get to Owings Mills, Catonsville, etc. you are basically talking about families, not young professional types anymore. That's what was different, in my mind, about Fairfax/Vienna -- they had an interesting mixture of people, but a lot of younger types as well.

At least that's my view after living here for six months.

I will check out Rodgers Forge and Tuscany -- though I should clarify that when I lived here last year, I did not live in Hampden -- I lived basically near Charles Village/Tuscany off Stony Run Lane and I was not that impressed with it. It seemed like the only people I met were very old or JHU students.

[KLynch10]

The homes can be pretty expensive, but maybe Butchers Hill or Bolton Hill? Both seemed to have a little bit older crowds. Bolton Hill is a nice mix of families, yups, and artsy. Otterbein is worth checking out, even Fells point isn't quite the rowdy population that Fed Hill or Canton are. Locust Point is often looked at as the quiet part of Federal Hill.

I live in Fed Hill, and the bar population on a Friday night doesn't really represent the neighborhood. I'm 30, and there is a lot of people older than me, and a lot of people younger. It really is pretty mixed, there are people right out of college, young professionals, empy nestors, young families and more. While there is a lot of meat markets, there is also a ton of great restaurants.

[Bry3Bob]

Yeah I think those areas are too urban too.

These boards actually freaked me out about Columbia -- I originally thought that would be the type of place I wanted to be, but then I started reading about crime and section 8 housing in Columbia and decided, well, maybe not. I should say that safety is a huge issue for me -- probably one of my absolute highest priorities.

I am not really trying to knock Baltimore in any of my posts -- overall, I like the city a lot. I am here primarily because of a job I love and is unique to this area -- but I like the area itself as well. I am just struggling in trying to find the right area to live and make friends. I am in my early 30s, recently divorced, and, when I moved here, I knew absolutely nobody. When I first started looking at living arrangements in Baltimore, I thought that roomates would be best. I looked at four different places and they were not even close to what I wanted -- you could tell from the people that drinking/partying was a big part of the social fabric. The places themselves were also.... not very clean. I guess some recently divorced people would want that, but not me -- I just feel like I have outgrown that lifestyle. That's why its frustrating because when I ask anyone how I can meet more people my age, the automatic response is "well move to fells/canton/fed hill" -- even though 1.) I really don't want an atomosphere that urban; 2.) I don't want roomates; and 3.) I am just not into going out to bars much. I just feel like DC was different in this respect.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Bry3Bob

crime and section 8 housing in Columbia and decided, well, maybe not. I should say that safety is a huge issue for me -- probably one of my absolute highest priorities. .

I'd check the crime stats of any place you'd want to move to instead of listening to folks on this board. I don't think crime or section 8 housing is nearly as prevelant in Columbia as many places in the United States. I'm not too familiar with the area but it always seemed exceptionally safe on my visits. Still, check the stats.

Originally Posted by Bry3Bob

I am not really trying to knock Baltimore in any of my posts -- overall, I like the city a lot. .

Hey it's cool! We're not for everyone. You have to have a high tolerance to BS to live here, for sure. Even those who love it will tell you that.

Originally Posted by Bry3Bob

1.) I really don't want an atomosphere that urban; 2.) I don't want roomates; and 3.) I am just not into going out to bars much. I just feel like DC was different in this respect.

DC is different in many respects, quantifiably, the excessive wealth it has in place of our poverty. That brings with it many more entertainment options. If you're into music and art Baltimore offers lots of non-bar things to do. If not, well, not as much.

You don't want urban, and you aren't into most of Baltimore suburbs. Hmm. Do you like rural? There are some places within commuting distance that could still be characterized as such. Check the areas west of Baltimore near the Patapsco River valley. The community of Relay, near Catonsville and Elkridge, is a nice quiet place also.

My other suggestion would be to look at Frederick. It is a small city but offers a lot of things to do. Depending on where your job is in Baltimore, the commute might be doable.

[Bry3Bob]

It's not that I necessarily dislike the Baltimore suburbs, I just think they are very different from the DC suburbs. Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Bethesda -- all of these areas still have a very heavy concentration of young professionals, condos, etc. But it does not seem that the Baltimore suburbs have that same mixture. It looks like most of the Baltimore suburbs are families and that's it. I think that's my major complaint. I'd be happy to hear about a suburb though that is not that way! That's why I posted here.

I also do not necessarily mind urban if it is sort of urban-lite shall we say -- which, getting back to my original post is why I liked Cross Keys, in that it is technically in the city and quasi-urban but between the gated entrance, tons of green space, pools, cute shops, etc., does not feel or look like you are actually in the city.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Baltimore does not have a robust enough economy to generate suburbs chock full of young professionals. Also, it is cheaper for young professionals to live in the city, so they tend to cluster there. In DC the economy is terrific and housing prices in the city center are simply astronomical. So it's basically the inverse of Baltimore's situation.

So you see, this is why you are having trouble finding what you seek.

Someone suggested Rodgers Forge or Towson. Probably going to be the closest you can get around here. Otherwise live in the DC burbs and commute.