Possible Move to Frederick, MD (Baltimore, Bethesda: appointed, ski resorts, sales)

[SciFiNerd1]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

You will love Frederick, every visitor I have taken from out of town does. It is a beautiful town with lots of old buildings, the surrounding area with the mountains and farmland is just gorgeous. Yet it's only an hour to 2 different airports and to 2 major cities. Just last week we were dining outside on Market Street and saw a gay couple holding hands. It was refreshing, in the old days it was called Fredneck for a reason but that has totally changed. I would not have any concerns about being gay in Frederick.


As mentioned there are a lot of outdoor activities. One thing that was mentioned is the C&O Canal that followed the upper Potomac River. It's 20 minutes to the river from Frederick and the path is now a park for hiking/biking and swimming in the river. I'm headed that way this week, one of my favorite summer activities is strapping a fishing rod to my bike and spending the day playing on the river.

We need to know where the job is located. If it's in or around Frederick you will be fine, if you need to commute south, as most do, be aware Interstate 270 is a pain in the ass during rush hour.

There is a dog park right in downtown and another much bigger one in Ballenger Creek Park on the south side of town. This is a very dog friendly community, most people I have met are really nice. I have to drive 25 minutes from Mt Airy to Ballenger because I know there will always be dogs at that park at 11 AM on a Tuesday. There is also a public pool and free concerts at Baker Park right in downtown.

I am happy to hear that about Frederick, MD. If hired, my job would put me around Market Square near Monocacy River. Unless I am wrong, it is near Wormans Mill Industrial Park. Is that considered North Frederick?

Are there specific bad areas in Frederick I should avoid when looking for rentals? We are most likely to rent an affordable basic apartment by Frederick's standard for one or two years so we can get to know the area before we even consider buying a home.

[SciFiNerd1]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

Although Frederick is more conservative than much of the semi-urban central part of the state. It was one of 4 counties who was over 50% in favor of Gay marriage when it was on the ballot a few years back. The County clerk of the court (a Republican) was one of the first to clarify the process to do gay marriages and had a reputation among gay communities in states south of here of being a place that it was straight forward to get married without prejudice. I know because a family member was one of the very first to get marries and had several conversations with Sandy Dalton (Clerk of the Court) to work out the wording of the standard vows used (changing 'man and wife', etc). They actually lived in Montgomery County and had problems with the 'Liberal' Clerk of the Courts office down there. They wanted to get married on New Years day that year so that IF a court put some kind of injunction in place when courts opened on Jan 2 they would have 'standing' to fight it. Sandy performed the ceremony herself at a family members house on New years day afternoon.


On other subjects - A lot will depend on where your job is located. Commuting into the DC Metro area can be a real pain. There is some availability of Mass Transit but that works best if you are on a fixed schedule into certain higher density employment areas. I'm curious what career field you are in


Lots of 'outdoor activities' in the area The Appalachian trail runs on the western edge of the county, The C&O Canal along the Potomac River. Lots of Civil War History in the area

My job would be a state job in the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) through Maryland State Department of Education. We help people with disabilities to obtain employment or provide academic training so they can move up in their careers or just simply to develop work skills.

If hired, my job would put me around Market Square near Monocacy River. It looks like it is near Wormans Mill Industrial Park. Any comments about this area in what it seems to be North Frederick?

[ion475]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

I am happy to hear that about Frederick, MD. If hired, my job would put me around Market Square near Monocacy River. Unless I am wrong, it is near Wormans Mill Industrial Park. Is that considered North Frederick?

Are there specific bad areas in Frederick I should avoid when looking for rentals? We are most likely to rent an affordable basic apartment by Frederick's standard for one or two years so we can get to know the area before we even consider buying a home.

The apartments/old townhouses near Golden Mile (US-40 west of US-15) is usually consider the worst area of Frederick. Wouldn't say it is dangerous, more like that's where most poorer Hispanic migrants/immigrants live. TBH most people will tell you that Frederick doesn't really have areas where you truly don't want to go to like some of the rundown areas in Baltimore.

I would start my search around Market Square if you are working there. That's a fairly nice (and new) area and you have shoppings right there including the Wegman's. That area is not exactly cheap afaik, though.

Downtown including the area northwest of downtown near Hood College is also good.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by ion475

The apartments/old townhouses near Golden Mile (US-40 west of US-15) is usually consider the worst area of Frederick. Wouldn't say it is dangerous, more like that's where most poorer Hispanic migrants/immigrants live. TBH most people will tell you that Frederick doesn't really have areas where you truly don't want to go to like some of the rundown areas in Baltimore.

I would start my search around Market Square if you are working there. That's a fairly nice (and new) area and you have shoppings right there including the Wegman's. That area is not exactly cheap afaik, though.

Downtown including the area northwest of downtown near Hood College is also good.

OP thanks for returning, so often a poster drops a thread like this and we spend a lot of time answering and they are never seen again. If you do get the job and are considering some apartments feel free to share it here and we will offer to help.

This is a good answer, I was about to say the same thing. I drove an Uber in retirement in Frederick for a couple of years. My impression was it was really safe. But that area, on both sides of route 40, was an area I would never move to. The entire Wormer's Mill area appears to be very good, and close to restaurants. The apartments there would work great. But if you can find one in downtown near Market Street, now THAT would be a great place to live. Ballenger Creek area may not be my recommendation but there is an apartment complex just south of town off Jefferson Pike (route 180) that are new and nice, there are plenty of good safe apartment options but they are expensive.

OP the good thing about Frederick is it's so small you can live on one side of town and work on another and it's 15 minutes. The only real traffic is on 15 and they are adding another lane, and Interstate 70 going west at afternoon rush hour.

[North Beach Person]

I hope all have noticed that I have refrained from stating how nice not only Frederick but all of Western Maryland is.

Traffic at the 70/270 merge is much better now although it can get interesting past that when the lanes compress down to two. I haven't been on 15 for several years but it also can get interesting at times.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

My job would be a state job in the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) through Maryland State Department of Education. We help people with disabilities to obtain employment or provide academic training so they can move up in their careers or just simply to develop work skills.

If hired, my job would put me around Market Square near Monocacy River. It looks like it is near Wormans Mill Industrial Park. Any comments about this area in what it seems to be North Frederick?

I just happened to pass those offices today just on my way to the grocery store. Nice area of town, lots of nice places around there. You are on the far side of Frederick from I-270 so traffic is starting to fan out by there. By the way, if you drive a Honda you are very close to a fantastic Honda repair shop that has had an excellent reputation for many years (Triangle Motors).

[akm4]

Stopped in Frederick while on the way to Gettysburg last month. What a charming place!

Looks like you've gotten a lot of good info from helpful posters. All I have to add is, good luck!

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I hope all have noticed that I have refrained from stating how nice not only Frederick but all of Western Maryland is.

Traffic at the 70/270 merge is much better now although it can get interesting past that when the lanes compress down to two. I haven't been on 15 for several years but it also can get interesting at times.

I had to commute from one side of Frederick to another back 15 years ago, and it was not always smooth sailing. The biggest issue is choke points coming out of developments and the use of US-15 to "puddle jump" from one part of the city to another. Basically, if I got out the door "on time" I could get to work in 10 minutes. If I was 5 minutes later, it took 30 minutes, and I had to either pull over with the other commuters on the shoulder of US-15 to get off my exit ramp (not fun) or not us US-15 at all (much longer.)

Again, road improvements may have helped this somewhat, but looking at maps I can see that the suburban ring has completely enclosed the urban core now, so I can't really say.

[ion475]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

I had to commute from one side of Frederick to another back 15 years ago, and it was not always smooth sailing. The biggest issue is choke points coming out of developments and the use of US-15 to "puddle jump" from one part of the city to another. Basically, if I got out the door "on time" I could get to work in 10 minutes. If I was 5 minutes later, it took 30 minutes, and I had to either pull over with the other commuters on the shoulder of US-15 to get off my exit ramp (not fun) or not us US-15 at all (much longer.)

Again, road improvements may have helped this somewhat, but looking at maps I can see that the suburban ring has completely enclosed the urban core now, so I can't really say.

US-15 is just a bad road overall - short distances between ramp + short merge area are what's really causing the congestion anyway. That and the fact that Frederick area only keep growing...

I guess there's always Monocacy Blvd on the other side of town going north-south, but some of the lights closer to I-70 on the southern end are a pain...

[SciFiNerd1]

Originally Posted by ion475

The apartments/old townhouses near Golden Mile (US-40 west of US-15) is usually consider the worst area of Frederick. Wouldn't say it is dangerous, more like that's where most poorer Hispanic migrants/immigrants live. TBH most people will tell you that Frederick doesn't really have areas where you truly don't want to go to like some of the rundown areas in Baltimore.

I would start my search around Market Square if you are working there. That's a fairly nice (and new) area and you have shoppings right there including the Wegman's. That area is not exactly cheap afaik, though.

Downtown including the area northwest of downtown near Hood College is also good.

Thank you for your information. I am glad to hear that Frederick is relatively safe even with its undesirable areas not necessarily being dangerous.

I have only been through Baltimore once. I saw the harbor and the downtown skyline from the freeway while I was driving from Texas to Maine one summer. I thought it was beautiful but I didn't drive through neighborhoods though.