Quickly Relo' to Baltimore Area, need 411 asap PLEASE. (Columbia, Ellicott City: budget, apartment complex)

[DavidSKi]

I will be taking a job in the middle of Baltimore starting within the month and I am getting super mixed signals from the PA and MD crowd.

1st thing I realize, Baltimore has really bad spots. I am from Jacksonville FL, and we have one of the highest Homicide rates in the US.

People in PA suggest a 45-60 min commute from across the PA boarder to Baltimore.

Since the housing market blows down here in FL, I plan my condo being on the market for at least 6-12 months. So I would like to rent for now.

With that said, I am looking for a safe, inexpensive place between Baltimore and YORK. (As everyone else does here)

I am currently reading dozens of threads with opinions reaching left to right, and honestly I don't have time to sift through 100+ threads to see what the best place is.

My budget is Less than 1000$ a month and I do not mind living in the boonies between Balt and the state line.

Please Help if you can. Ask me questions if you need more info from me. Thanks!

[sobo16]

Check out Hunt Valley, Cockeysville, Lutherville, Towson areas. It's definitely a good idea to rent first anyway before you decide on a place. Best of luck.

[carolott]

Unfortunately, the area you want to live in is also smack in the middle of horse country, and housing there is expensive unless you live in an iffy part of town. (Yes, even small towns have an iffy part!) I would look in Timonium, as well as the places sobo16 mentioned.

[westsideboy]

I wouldn't call any part of Baltimore County "the boonies". The rural parts are nice and scenic, but Carolott is right when she calls in horse country. It is rural because the residents have enough money to keep it that way.

[DavidSKi]

Ok so these are the burbs I have so far:

• Cockeysville
• Hunt Valley
• Lutherville
• Towson
• Timonium

Now my next question is that I was told a lot of MD burrows and burbs have area taxes, are any of the above listed have that burrow living tax?

I am sorry for the silly questions, I come from a Income tax and city tax free state, this is all new to me.

[barante]

You cannot avoid taxes if you live in Maryland, so get over with it. The tax structure in Pennsylvania is different. By the time you master it, let us know.
BTW there are no "burrows" (boroughs) in Maryland, nor townships. Pennsylvania may have them.
Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City impose a personal income tax which is administered and collected by the state. This is in addition to the state income tax and is applied to state taxable income. For the majority of counties, the rate is between 2 and 3 percent.

Local Personal Income Tax Rates for 2008
Jurisdiction Rate
Allegany County 3.05%
Anne Arundel County 2.56%
Baltimore City 3.05%
Baltimore County 2.83%
Calvert County 2.80%
Caroline County 2.63%
Carroll County 3.05%
Cecil County 2.80%
Charles County 2.90%
Dorchester County 2.62%
Frederick County 2.96%
Garrett County 2.65%
Harford County 3.06%
Howard County 3.20%
Kent County 2.85%
Montgomery County 3.20%
Prince George's County 3.10%
Queen Anne's County 2.85%
St. Mary's County 3.00%
Somerset County 3.15%
Talbot County 2.25%
Washington County 2.80%
Wicomico County 3.10%
Worcester County 1.25%
Source: Comptroller of Maryland.

The bottom line: The taxman is going to get you regardless of where you live. If you choose to commute from Pennsylvania, he's also going to hit you for lots of gasoline taxes. If you are on a limited budget, burning gas for a long commute would seem foolish. But, hey, what do we know.

[cmacf1]

I just answered somebody else about my suburb of Catonsville which is a little southwest of the city. The commute into downtown Baltimore would most likely be shorter than from the northern 'burbs (we've lived there, too, and moved here for the closer commute and proximity to the airport and Washington DC.) Here's what I wrote:

I live in Catonsville and we LOVE it here!! It's like a smaller town, but very close to the city. Hubby works in downtown baltimore and when he leaves in the morning (early, like at 7 am,) he gets to work in 20 minutes or slightly less. Afternoon commute isn't as easy, but he's generally leaving at the worst traffic times. This town has a great community feel, moreso than any other suburb of a large city I've ever lived in. There's a GREAT 4th of July parade (one of the biggest in the Baltimore area.) There are gorgeous houses and some apartment complexes. As in many areas, there are areas to avoid. A previous poster is correct that there aren't a lot of sit-down places to eat, but several have opened recently and are quite good (reportedly.) We generally head to Ellicott City or Columbia for more ethnic kinds of restaurants. One of the best things about this town is that it's right next to one of the most gorgeous state parks: Patapsco Valley State Park. We can walk to it from our house. Great hiking and biking trails.

If you want more information, let me know!

Catonsville is in Baltimore County, by the way.

oops -- just saw that you want to live between Baltimore and York. Catonsville isn't, but it is a great place!!!

[DavidSKi]

i was told by the PA forums to stay away from west and south Balt, that's where most of the crap is. grrrr this is frustrating. =(

[cmacf1]

Originally Posted by DavidSKi

i was told by the PA forums to stay away from west and south Balt, that's where most of the crap is. grrrr this is frustrating. =(

Did those people live in Baltimore and that's how they know that's where most of the crap is??? Did they mean inside the Baltimore City limits? For the most part, I would agree with that (though there are certainly some good neighborhoods in those areas.) I don't agree with them (for the most part) about the suburbs. Catonsville is a wonderful place to live. If those PA people have lived here and said it's where the crap is, let me know. I'd love to set them straight .

[carolott]

Oh good grief, I live in S. Baltimore, and frankly, I'm getting a little sick and tired of hearing about how bad it is here ad nauseum. No matter where you live in the world, you're going to have crime, trash, people you don't like, etc. - unless you're one of the lucky few who manages to live in some sort of isolation tank/bubble/shack on a deserted island.

Baltimore is no worse than parts of Harrisburg, York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Altoona, etc - despite what the "PA forums" people may think.

My advice to you would be this: Get in your car or hop a train/plane and come down here so you can see for yourself what this area has to offer. If you want to spend all that money on gas every day commuting from PA to Baltimore, or the Baltimore 'burbs to downtown -- be my guest. But at least have a look around the city before trusting a bunch of strangers on the internet to make this decision for you.

You mentioned that your budget is less than $1000 a month -- that isn't going to go far, as housing prices aren't cheap in this area. My advice would be to either not take the job here and look for one where you live now, or move as close to your new job as you can so you can save on commuting and other expenses.