Rentals in Clarksville (Columbia, Ellicott City, Sykesville: condos, townhouse, elementary school)

[jassis]

Hello. My wife and I are considering moving to Clarksville, MD, and are wondering if there are any townhomes or condos available for rent there. We're coming from Los Angeles, and prefer to not be in a single family home right away. We'd like to stay below $1,500/mo if possible. Is there anything like that in Clarksville?

Also, my wife has researched schools in that area (via greatschools.org), and we'd like to get our son into one of the public schools there. So finding rentals in 21029 zip code is what we're aiming for.

Lastly, does Clarksville have a downtown area? Does it have local and accessible shops, restaurants, entertainment? Is it a kid-friendly and family-orientated area?

Thanks a lot for all your input!

[newhart]

Lastly, does Clarksville have a downtown area? Does it have local and accessible shops, restaurants, entertainment? Is it a kid-friendly and family-orientated area?

Yes, it's very kid- and family-oriented. There's no real downtown. Rt. 108 through Clarksville is a commercial strip for a few blocks, and that's where the restaurants and shops are. The village center has a grocery store and the usual small stores, and a medical building nearby. There are several other strip shopping centers with a variety of restaurants, as well as a popular health food market. There's a large auto park with several dealers. For the larger chain stores and most entertainment, you have to go to Columbia. The same thing goes for the dance studios, gymnastics and such.

There are townhouse and condo communities there, so I'm sure there must be rentals available. My guess is that a townhouse would rent for more than $1500, maybe even a lot more. A realtor should be able to help you.

[sandkrab]

Yes, I believe Clarksville has some of the highest ranked public schools in the state, but so do a lot of areas in Maryland. Ellicott City is less rural than Clarksville but has all the conveniences. Sykesville, just across the line into Carroll County (actually shares the same exit off I-70 as Clarksville) is similar to Clarksville but much more affordable. Both EC and Sykesville have outstanding schools. I live in Sykesville and my kids attend a National Blue Ribbon Elementary school and the high school is in the top 5% of the country. I think you could easily rent a 2BR townhouse here for 1500, perhaps a little more for a 3BR (up to 1800ish). Message me if you want any more specific info about Carroll County or Sykesville.