Considering moving from Berkeley to MD- Can i find diversity?

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by Merc63

I beg to differ. Spent the first 36 years in the Seattle area, and for the last 11 years have been here. I like both, even though they are decidedly not the same.

Do you really like these places equally? I think it's possible, but atypical.

For the record, I've been to the west coast (California) and found it very scenic and all. But as far as living goes, I prefer the east coast. I just find it to be a more interesting region overall. Then again, if I got fired from my current job with no other prospects here and got offered a great position in the Bay Area, I would certainly consider moving there. But that isn't happening anytime soon, so ...

[linz77]

Merc63 can you recommend a place to move to in Maryland? Is there an area that offers diversity and a family friendly neighborhood?
I was targeting the Rockville area but i'm not too familar with it.

[linz77]

When i mentioned diversity I was referring to all of the above but more importantly racial/ethnic. And my family is in Baltimore which i totally dislike- too much crime. I would love to have the close access to DC but still be in a suburb area.

[BigCityDreamer]

Rockville and Silver Spring are diverse suburbs. Metro access, lots of restaurants and decent walkability in some areas are pluses as well.

[carroll4628]

My sister-in-law went to college and lived in Berkeley for 10 years, then moved to Seattle (Vashon Island) for 5 years and moved to DC last spring. Her family looked out in Rockville and Silver Spring, but wanted the 'walk to the library, coffee shop, park'. She works in DC, so being close to a metro was important as well because they try to live without a car. They decided on DC (and found a pretty good, small school for their elementary aged kids), just south of Silver Spring (north of Walter Reed). They can walk to Rock Creek Park (which has a great trail system into DC) and in the summer she rides her bike to work (DuPont Circle area).

That being said, I live out in suburbia in Ellicott City and love it here. My community is somewhat economically diverse (not as much as Columbia, but we have 200k homes and 800k+ homes at the same elementary school, but no apartments), culturally diverse (65% white, 25% asian (which includes Indian/MiddleEastern), and 10% AA/Hisp), and religiously diverse (christian, muslim, jewish, etc.). [The next close school is 35%W, 40%A, and 25%AA/H]. If you're looking in a particular area, I would suggest (even if you don't have kids) looking up the make-up of the schools in the area, it will give you the race data, as we'll as the economic data (to a point) since the schools report FARM (free and reduced meal) information.

[slowlane]

Rockville covers a large area, and includes a Community College, the U.S. Public Health Service, the County Courthouse, and the Jewish Community Center of greater Washington.

[carroll4628]

[East... I couldn't reply to you because you don't accept direct messages.]

[Merc63]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

Do you really like these places equally? I think it's possible, but atypical.

How do you measure/quantify "equally?" I like both areas for different reasons, and like living in both for different reasons. It'd be like asking a parent if they love all theri children equally.

Originally Posted by linz77

Merc63 can you recommend a place to move to in Maryland? Is there an area that offers diversity and a family friendly neighborhood?
I was targeting the Rockville area but i'm not too familar with it.

I'm actually up inside the beltway in Pikesville. Diversity? Yeah, definitely. Family friendly? Looks like it, and the schools are pretty good right in this area. Crime? Very little of the sort that anyone shodl be worried about (walking around even after dark is safe enough for most of us), and the cost of housing is much lower than anything that could be considered a DC suburb.