I work in Baltimore, my wife in DC (Columbia, Silver Spring: to rent, condo)

[Huxtable]

I searched this entire forum and read all the posts on living between DC and Baltimore. I wanted to ask the question again and see if anyone would be kind enough to reply. Here's our situation:

I am going to be working at Johns Hopkins Hospital in downtown Baltimore (600 N wolfe street) as a resident. My hours are going to be rough, but I will be driving in the morning before traffic starts. I will be coming home around rush hour.

My wife is going to be working as a law associate in downtown DC. Her hours are going to be probably as bad as mine (60-70 hour weeks). She is likely to go into and out of work during rush hour. However, she will also be working late many days, well past the time the last MARC train leaves. She is willing to drive to the nearest metro station and hop on that to get to and from work. She could also drive the whole commute.

So as you can see, we are two very busy people with demanding schedules. We are in our mid-20's and would like to live somewhere that young professionals would enjoy. I've know of a few residents in my program that live in Laurel, but one says the commute is too much for her. No one lives in Silver Spring. We are considering buying a townhouse or single family home, but only after we "test" the location out for a while. Renting an apt or condo would likely do fine.

Any thoughts or recommendations on where we should consider would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Oldiebutgoodie26]

Laurel is smack in the middle of the two. Columbia is more upscale, but a wee bit farther north, farther from DC. There are tons of places to rent in Laurel, so you can see if you like it. It sounds like the two of you will be on the road/at work most of the time. Laurel, right off 95, is a very convenient place to live, mid-way between the two cities. Good luck!

[tmorrisn]

Welcome to Hopkins - my fiance is an OR nurse in Weinburg. No matter where you live, one of you is going to have a horrible commute.
Since most people travel to DC, I would suggest living as close to a metro stop as possible, and for you to make the drive to Baltimore everyday.

There is a stop in Laurel. We have friends that live there - and it's nice but there's really not much there. I would look further south - Bethesda/Rockville? Or would you consider living in DC? 295 to 50 is pretty much a straight shot into the city (DC I mean). If you live in Laurel, you will have an 45 minute commute, and she will have 1 hour commute. If you live in DC, you will have a 1+ hour commute, and she will have a <15 minute commute. If you live further north (Columbia), you will still probably have a 45 minute commute, and she will have a 1 hour commute.
Best of luck with moving.