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Hello everyone,
I am a single mom of a 6 year old and considering a job in Baltimore, MD. We currently live in Fairfax County, VA ( Del Ray). The job that I am considering will be in downtown Baltimore, but from all I am reading, it would be better to live outside of the city because of the schools. A little bit about me, I am 32 years old, African and I love quaint little towns that have an urban feel. My preferences would be to be somewhere that has great walkability ( i hate driving), very safe ( i have zero street smarts), and with great schools & a short commute to Downtown Baltimore. I also would like the area to be somewhat diverse, a healthy mix of different races is what I am looking for, in other world not predominantly white or black but a good mix of each. What would you recommend? The main reason why I am entertaining this is I am planning to buy something in a few years and my budget is no more than $250-300K for a 2 bedroom and that doesn't go far in the VA market. The job that I am considering is the same pay than what I am getting now, it would be a transfer within the company. Also if you've made the move from the DC metro area to Baltimore. How do you like it? Do you regret it? Anything you miss? Thank you again ~
Stay in Virginia. Look at condos in Alexandria (Landmark), or maybe townhouses in Woodbridge (Lake Ridge). Both are mixed areas, but cleaner, better schools, better organized, etc. than in Maryland. Not to bash Baltimore or Maryland--but I lived in VA/DC for about 12 years before moving to Baltimore, so I think I'm more accustomed to that area. This area has its good things (i.e., cheaper housing); however, there is much more I miss about VA (i.e., cleaner, better schools and services, more organized, better ethnic food variety, etc.) which is why I'll probably rent my place I bought here and move back to VA or likely DC.
Thank you, but for buying purposes i need an area that has good elementary/middle & high schools as it would be for the long haul. If we are just renting then good elementary schools would work for now, but i haven't seen any area or no one pointed me to areas with good middle/high schools in the city. I think the county would work best for us with everything that Im reading
Okay, I promised I'd reply to this with school names when I wasn't on my phone.
Here's the deal with Baltimore City Schools:
There are 3 public high schools generally thought to be good. City College High School and Baltimore Polytechic (often referred to as City and Poly respectively) and Baltimore School of the Arts (a performing arts school). Both City and Poly offer good educations... ifyou are IB/honors track (City) and especially if you test into Ingenuity (Poly). Western is an all girls high school also well regarded in some circles, thought of as just okay in others. The main advantage of graduating from a Baltimore City public high school is you qualify for free tuition at Johns Hopkins if you get in. Well, that and it's a free education. LOL
The key to going public in the city is to position your child to test into either City or Poly or Poly/Ingenuity (there is an admission test involved for all 3 options) and have them prepared to take an IB/honors track once they get there. Kids that do that exist in a different world than the rest of the school.
But doing THAT means going to a good elementary/middle school.
Honestly there are 2 neighborhood schools in city where you can send a kid from kindergarten straight through to the end of middle school and they will very likely be fine... Roland Park and Mt Washington. Mt Washington is near Roland Park and it flies a little under the radar, but the school is very good. They have an IB middle school that's only a few years old it sends kids straight into whatever they want (City, Poly, Western, Private School) because they test well upon leaving. It's safe, diverse and the neighborhood has that urban/suburban feel you are looking for. If you live on the end of the neighborhood near the school it is walkable. Its a fast ride down 83 to downtown or you can take the light rail. You should probably investigate the area as an option.
Outside of that Hamilton Elementary/Middle is thought to be decent. Not fantastic mind you, but decent. Middle schools in Baltimore generally suck wind outside those choices, unless your kid tests into the Ingenuity Project, a math/science program housed in 3 middle schools (Roland Park, Mt Royal and Hamilton).
Most of the counties are good bets on the school front. I would second Catonsville and Rodgers Forge as options to consider. I would proceed with caution on Woodlawn. It can be fine but I think you have to choose where in the area to live carefully.
There are some more decent options within city limits on the elementary school level but I did not go into those because you seem to be looking past just elementary.
Stay in Virginia. Look at condos in Alexandria (Landmark), or maybe townhouses in Woodbridge (Lake Ridge). Both are mixed areas, but cleaner, better schools, better organized, etc. than in Maryland. Not to bash Baltimore or Maryland--but I lived in VA/DC for about 12 years before moving to Baltimore, so I think I'm more accustomed to that area. This area has its good things (i.e., cheaper housing); however, there is much more I miss about VA (i.e., cleaner, better schools and services, more organized, better ethnic food variety, etc.) which is why I'll probably rent my place I bought here and move back to VA or likely DC.
Woodbridge would be far for my commute to Mclean. You said the Baltimore area has its good things i-e housing, I'd supposed it would offer more than that? What are the main things that are making you itch to move back to VA? I am interested in your perspective since you've lived in both areas.
Okay, I promised I'd reply to this with school names when I wasn't on my phone.
Here's the deal with Baltimore City Schools:
There are 3 public high schools generally thought to be good. City College High School and Baltimore Polytechic (often referred to as City and Poly respectively) and Baltimore School of the Arts (a performing arts school). Both City and Poly offer good educations... ifyou are IB/honors track (City) and especially if you test into Ingenuity (Poly). Western is an all girls high school also well regarded in some circles, thought of as just okay in others. The main advantage of graduating from a Baltimore City public high school is you qualify for free tuition at Johns Hopkins if you get in. Well, that and it's a free education. LOL
The key to going public in the city is to position your child to test into either City or Poly or Poly/Ingenuity (there is an admission test involved for all 3 options) and have them prepared to take an IB/honors track once they get there. Kids that do that exist in a different world than the rest of the school.
But doing THAT means going to a good elementary/middle school.
Honestly there are 2 neighborhood schools in city where you can send a kid from kindergarten straight through to the end of middle school and they will very likely be fine... Roland Park and Mt Washington. Mt Washington is near Roland Park and it flies a little under the radar, but the school is very good. They have an IB middle school that's only a few years old it sends kids straight into whatever they want (City, Poly, Western, Private School) because they test well upon leaving. It's safe, diverse and the neighborhood has that urban/suburban feel you are looking for. If you live on the end of the neighborhood near the school it is walkable. Its a fast ride down 83 to downtown or you can take the light rail. You should probably investigate the area as an option.
Outside of that Hamilton Elementary/Middle is thought to be decent. Not fantastic mind you, but decent. Middle schools in Baltimore generally suck wind outside those choices, unless your kid tests into the Ingenuity Project, a math/science program housed in 3 middle schools (Roland Park, Mt Royal and Hamilton).
Most of the counties are good bets on the school front. I would second Catonsville and Rodgers Forge as options to consider. I would proceed with caution on Woodlawn. It can be fine but I think you have to choose where in the area to live carefully.
There are some more decent options within city limits on the elementary school level but I did not go into those because you seem to be looking past just elementary.
Good luck!
Wow, this is great info. I did not know kids who graduate from a City HS get free tuition at Hopkins, that is definitely a big plus. Now as far as the 2 elementary schools you mentioned, Roland & Mount Washington, do they function like charters or is admission guaranteed if you live within the neighborhood limits? Would you consider those neighborhoods safe for a single woman?
Frequent poster IH77 can be a bit of an alarmist.
However, he may be well intentioned this time around.
Baltimore can be a very dangerous city in which to live. Particularly for a single woman from another culture unfamiliar with our urban landscape- (you describe yourself as "African,.. and I have zero street smarts").
Diversity is something you will not find much of in Baltimore City Public schools (or Baltimore City in general, for that matter). One thing you will not have to worry about is your child being the only black face at a school function. Just the opposite. City schools enroll an overwhelmingly high majority of black students. Most white parents (and black parents who care about their children's education) would rather beg, borrow or steal to send their kids to private or Catholic schools, than have them go to most City elementary or middle schools. It is not uncommon for other city residents to claim a residence for their children with a relative living in the county, so as to take advantage of their far superior public schools. This is such an open "secret" and so widespread that there are buses from County schools that come in to the inner city everyday to pick up and drop off city kids at county schools.
As mentioned, there are exactly two well-regarded public high schools in the City. City and Poly. That's it.
There are a scant few well-regarded elementary schools, and even fewer middle schools.
If your requirements are:
"....quaint little towns that have an urban feel.... preferences would be to be somewhere that has great walkability ( i hate driving), very safe ( i have zero street smarts), and with great schools & a short commute to Downtown Baltimore. I also would like the area to be somewhat diverse, a healthy mix of different races is what I am looking for, in other world not predominantly white or black but a good mix of each."
I honestly don't know if you are going to find such a place anywhere close to here.
You have a relatively tall order. Safe but walkable environment, great schools and a short commute to downtown, within your budget and diverse.
There are two areas I can recommend that meet most or all of your requirements.
1. Catonsville. Catonsville is a lovely neighborhood with a small town feel on the southwestern side of Baltimore County. It has a main street with a mixture of businesses. It's a mixed neighborhood in every sense, socioeconomically and racially and has pretty good schools. The high school is very well regarded, but you may want to be a little careful where you're placed for the elementary level. Your budget should get you a modest 1950s rowhouse or even perhaps a small rambler.
2. Towson, particularly the stretch between Towson and the Baltimore City border. A number of neighborhoods make up this area and it's close enough to downtown, plus you have the shopping and dining in Towson itself just up the street, it's an older and more established area with excellent schools, among the best in Baltimore County. Your budget should get you a modest 1950s rowhouse in Rodger's Forge, which is perennially popular with young families starting out. However, and this is a big however, while this is a solidly Democratic area, it's not necessarily "diverse." Towson High school has a first rate reputation and seems to be diverse enough with a 22% African American population and 62% White population, as the high school attracts students from areas outside Towson, but on the elementary levels the schools tend to be very White, including Rodger's Forge. But the schools are excellent.
Another place to consider is Columbia, in Howard County. Very diverse, schools are pretty good overall, large and established professional African American population. But it's resolutely suburban and not that close to downtown Baltimore. You may struggle to find a house on your budget but should be able to find a modest condo.
Woodbridge would be far for my commute to Mclean. You said the Baltimore area has its good things i-e housing, I'd supposed it would offer more than that? What are the main things that are making you itch to move back to VA? I am interested in your perspective since you've lived in both areas.
Areas around Baltimore (with the exception of MAYBE of Howard County) are not as diverse as Northern Virginia. Honestly, that is one of the first things I noticed. I'm used to seeing more people of different ethnicities and having diverse neighbors. I could walk out of my door in VA and find ethnic food and shops within a 2-mile distance. Not so much here. Second, the area is not as new as NOVA. It's a little older and doesn't have the same amenities as I was used to like newer facilities, libraries, DMV, etc.
Third, I live in Baltimore City--it is a completely. different. world. It's NOTHING like NOVA or even DC for that matter. City services aren't the best, the streets are dirty and there's so much trash (no matter how much I pick up around my neighborhood), too many hoodrats (sorry, being honest, and I'm black), and the general attitude and vibe of the city is not as vibrant as the DC area unfortunately.
Northern Virginia also has more jobs, which brings more to the economy and actual attitude of the area. It feels more cultured than here. I like order, diversity, and a general feeling of prosperity, I don't feel that much around Baltimore with the exception of Columbia. I definitely like that area.
As for the good things, Baltimore has low cost housing. I bought my house two years ago and it was a great deal with a ton of space and renovated. Only problem is, I find myself commuting to DC/VA more often than I thought I would, only because Baltimore doesn't have the variety or access like I'm used to. My neighbors are nice, which is another good thing. There are some good restaurants here, but not to the scale I'm used to. Other than that, I can't see any other reasons to move from VA to Baltimore.
Again, I live in the city and your experience could be totally different in Howard County or maybe another neighborhood of Baltimore City. But in the city where I live, there's hardly any grocery stores (the closest decent one is Safeway; and even closer to me is Shoppers, but Shoppers is not great anywhere, even when I was in NOVA). Like I said, the city is dirty and honestly I get kinda sad driving through the city to get to the highway in the morning with the trash filled streets, vacant houses, people everywhere on the streets for no reason--honestly Baltimore was a culture shock for me. And this is from someone who's lived out of the country and other states-- I'm from Short Pump, VA, and I've lived in Orange County, CA, so I know what nice suburbs should look like; and I've lived in the downtown areas of LA, NY, Philadelphia, and Miami, so I know cities. Baltimore is a different world, and sadly, it's not one I'm hyper-enthused about living in at the moment.
I know Woodbridge is a little farther out to McLean, but it's a straight shot on 123, and much more preferable than Baltimore. The schools are much better K-12 and you have more options for in-state tuition/preference to the better colleges in Virginia, so even long term it's a better option if you have kids. You could also try looking at Manassas, which could still have a bit of a crazy commute to McLean, but there are nice properties there. Burke is nice though, and you could probably find a nice condo or older townhouse. Alexandria is an option as well (Landmark side or Little River TPK side; Franconia, maybe Kingstowne, but I'd avoid Route 1). Also you might change jobs. There is much more variety of jobs in DC/VA than here, so even though it can be more expensive, you have more freedom to possibly switch jobs and make more money in the long run.
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