Halfway between Columbia and Baltimore

[mapmd]

Originally Posted by theducciano

Hi Folks!

So, I live in Boston, MA. I am applying to grad school in Maryland, and if accepted, I can start in January 2015. I could have a job lined up for me in downtown Baltimore. But the program I will be attending has a satellite campus located in Columbia. As I understand it, the distance between the two cities is about 30 miles. Is there a safe and affordable city/town/burg that is halfway between both?

Thanks!

My apologies if this sounds "mean" but sometimes it's better to know than to sugar coat things.

Everything you've stated sounds sketchy, and includes a lot of maybes at best. If you don't actually have a job lined up then don't simply count on one in this economy.

Will you be going to the "University" of Phoenix? That's the only school I know of in Columbia. If so...just run away now.

Also, very little is affordable, at least affordable and safe, even the ghetto will cost you $1,000/mo. in rent. Hope you have a plan lined up. Lots of people come here without a plan and then get sticker shock or are surprised to find such a populated area devoid of mass transit or are simply unaware of what to expect from the area.

[theducciano]

Originally Posted by mapmd

My apologies if this sounds "mean" but sometimes it's better to know than to sugar coat things.

Everything you've stated sounds sketchy, and includes a lot of maybes at best. If you don't actually have a job lined up then don't simply count on one in this economy.

Will you be going to the "University" of Phoenix? That's the only school I know of in Columbia. If so...just run away now.

Also, very little is affordable, at least affordable and safe, even the ghetto will cost you $1,000/mo. in rent. Hope you have a plan lined up. Lots of people come here without a plan and then get sticker shock or are surprised to find such a populated area devoid of mass transit or are simply unaware of what to expect from the area.

Mapmd, please consider my apology if this sounds "mean" but you do not need to know the exact particulars of my life and the root of my desire to move to the Baltimore metropolitan area (which, ironically, I provide in this very thread, so maybe you should read exhaustively before making a comment in which you preemptively apologize for coming across as "mean"?) in order to answer the question as to: what is an affordable and safe city between Columbia and Baltimore? But, here; here's some personal information which I hope removes some of the purposed opacity of my life that is featured in this thread: I moved to Boston from London, UK (of all places!) and grew up an Army brat. I kinda know how to move from one city/state/country/continent to the next; and how to do it well.

But thank you for not helping! And Catonsville, here I come!

[mapmd]

Affordable? Everything is expensive.

The BASE cost of housing around here is $1,000 if you rent and after that you get what you pay for. If you're buying then a proper down payment and good credit might get you a mortgage lower than that.

Boston is actually cheaper than Baltimore.

[theducciano]

Originally Posted by mapmd

Affordable? Everything is expensive.

The BASE cost of housing around here is $1,000 if you rent and after that you get what you pay for. If you're buying then a proper down payment and good credit might get you a mortgage lower than that.

Boston is actually cheaper than Baltimore.

I think you are being purposefully unhelpful - and you're probably being recalcitrant now out of spite. But that's okay; in my line of work, I deal with the obstinate every day! Catonsville, from all accounts I've read online, resembles a college town. No college town in this country, as far as I'm concerned and have experienced, is going to feature rent-able rooms at exorbitant prices that students could not afford. For this reason alone I asked about Catonsville, seeing that it is where UMBC is located while also noticing it rests in between Columbia, where Loyola University Maryland's graduate program in pastoral counseling is located, and Baltimore, where a job (if I want it in January 2015) is available per my choosing. But I am no fool; I will probably take it.

Everything is not expensive as what stands as being extortionate for one could be reasonable for another. This is why, after a quick Craigslist search for available rooms in Catonsville, I think the rooms there are certainly affordable. As for Boston being cheaper than Baltimore, I would like to know what sources this opinion; another quick Google search reveals that Boston is consistently ranked in the top ten most expensive USA cities. DC is similarly ranked, but Baltimore is not. Either way, Baltimore prices have no bearing in this conversation as I am electing to look for housing in Catonsville, and not Baltimore! Anyways, I'm not interested in a dick-measuring contest with you about whose cities is more expensive. I think I will kindly ask that if you are not going to contribute to this conversation in a more positive light, that you refrain from doing so altogether.

Thanks!