Moving to Timonium from NJ - advice? (Baltimore, Towson: apartment complex, to rent)

[jsaph]

Hello all,

A move to Timonium, MD may be in my near future. This will be my first time moving out of my hometown and I could really use some advice to one main question: If I were your daughter, where would you advise I live and why?

This will be my first time renting. My two main concerns are proximity to work (I will be working in Timonium) and safety. If I live 15 minutes from Timonium, am I looking at long commute times because of traffic? Where is safe? Can anyone recommend any good apartment complexes that actually take care of their tenants?

If you do recommend a place, an approximate price would be great so I can determine if it is in my range. I should be able to afford something decent and am willing to pay for safety and convenience, but ultimately am frugal. If I were your daughter, where would you advise me to live?

For what it's worth: I'm a 25 year old single female from NJ, so I'm used to a fast paced, high pressure life style. Nightlife and the quality of other singles and young professionals I'll meet is important to me, as well as nice places to go out (mom and pop coffee shop? I'm there!).

Thanks in advance for your help and I can't wait to read your responses!

[quaintpancake]

Timonium is a safe area.

Mays Chapel has a lot of retired people, and is thus ridiculously safe (and boring). I think you can find a 1BR for around 900-1200 there. Mays Chapel is west on Padonia Road.

I had friends that used to live east on Padonia because it's cheaper. I think for a 3BR they were paying like 1000-1200, a 1BR these days could be like 800. There might be a stronger Mexican element over there these days, but they have never given me any trouble.

As far as night life, there are a few bars on York Rd. Hightopps has a huge deck that is fun in the summer.

Towson has a little more night life, and is very safe too. It's going to be a ton of college kids, though. Complex 1BR is going to be 1000-1300, i think.

After that, you've got Baltimore with the most night life, and it being a city it's less safe. But, if you can afford to live in an apartment complex you're as safe as anywhere else. With parking, you're looking at $1200+ for studio, and then around $1500 for 1BR.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by quaintpancake

With parking, you're looking at $1200+ for studio, and then around $1500 for 1BR.

You can find much, much cheaper.

[Paav8tor]

You'll like the Hunt Valley, Tiomonium area! It is reasonably safe and there is so much RIGHT there. We sneak back to MD to shop and eat there.

Padonia Station has some good bands. Hightopps is another good location when the weather is a bit warmer.

Friends of ours lived in the apartments up York Rd in the Sparks, MD area. Still a very nice commute if you don't want to be right in the thick of it.

[janetvj]

There are a lot of apartment complexes in Cockeysville, which is adjacent to Timonium (3-4 miles north). As others have mentioned, this is a very safe area - lots of shopping and restaurants - although not as trendy right now as some areas in Baltimore City (Harbor East, Canton, Fells Point, Federal Hill). But living in those areas is more expensive, parking is a headache, and it's not as safe, not to mention being a pretty good distance to Timonium. Although if you live in the city and work in the county your commute would probably be the reverse of the heavy traffic.

[ceilinglamp]

Originally Posted by jsaph

Hello all,

A move to Timonium, MD may be in my near future. This will be my first time moving out of my hometown and I could really use some advice to one main question: If I were your daughter, where would you advise I live and why?

This will be my first time renting. My two main concerns are proximity to work (I will be working in Timonium) and safety. If I live 15 minutes from Timonium, am I looking at long commute times because of traffic? Where is safe? Can anyone recommend any good apartment complexes that actually take care of their tenants?

If you do recommend a place, an approximate price would be great so I can determine if it is in my range. I should be able to afford something decent and am willing to pay for safety and convenience, but ultimately am frugal. If I were your daughter, where would you advise me to live?

For what it's worth: I'm a 25 year old single female from NJ, so I'm used to a fast paced, high pressure life style. Nightlife and the quality of other singles and young professionals I'll meet is important to me, as well as nice places to go out (mom and pop coffee shop? I'm there!).

Thanks in advance for your help and I can't wait to read your responses!

Timonium is very safe. I think some apartments around here are Padonia Village, Seminary Roundtop, Cardiff Charles, Whispering Hills, and Reflection Knoll. Alot of alot of the shopping is on or close to York Road. There is more nightlife and more shopping in Towson (inside the beltway.) This is also a very safe area but Timonium is probably a little quiter.

[quaintpancake]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

You can find much, much cheaper.

Is this a troll job or are you going to give advice?

The price is accurate for everything I've seen in Harbor East, Fells Point (Henderson's & Thames Point), and Canton (Tindeco).

From what I remember, Mt Vernon prices are similar too.

Maybe you could find a slightly better deal in a condo that someone is personally renting out. That's luck of the draw, though.

We're talking about desirable Baltimore City apartment complexes with parking.

[GoPhils]

Originally Posted by quaintpancake

Is this a troll job or are you going to give advice?

The price is accurate for everything I've seen in Harbor East, Fells Point (Henderson's & Thames Point), and Canton (Tindeco).

From what I remember, Mt Vernon prices are similar too.

Maybe you could find a slightly better deal in a condo that someone is personally renting out. That's luck of the draw, though.

We're talking about desirable Baltimore City apartment complexes with parking.

Yeah as far as apartment complexes with parking, your number was pretty accurate. You can maybe find a 1BR for a little less than $1500, but not by much.

Baltimore City is probably the best bet for nightlife and such, but for a single female isn't as safe as the suburbs. The commute wouldn't be awful since you'd be going against traffic for the most part, but you can definitely find closer.

Timonium and Cockeysville are safe, but in my opinion the best combination of safety, nightlife and easy commute would be Towson, although of course it's also a college town. Not familiar with all the apartment complexes there, but about a year ago I looked at that brand new complex right across from the mall and they were asking about $1350 for a 1BR. It didn't seem very full though so the prices may have gone down since then.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by quaintpancake

Is this a troll job or are you going to give advice?

The price is accurate for everything I've seen in Harbor East, Fells Point (Henderson's & Thames Point), and Canton (Tindeco).

From what I remember, Mt Vernon prices are similar too.

Maybe you could find a slightly better deal in a condo that someone is personally renting out. That's luck of the draw, though.

We're talking about desirable Baltimore City apartment complexes with parking.

No, I've lived in three apartments in "Desirable" areas of Baltimore (Hampden, Charles Village, Ednor Gardens) and never paid that much. Myself and two roommates paid $1050 for a really nice, massive 3 BR apartment in a "desirable " area.

I guess i just don't subscribe to the notion that the only "desirable areas" are the trendy new places in Harbor East, Canton or Fells. The commute would be better from N. Baltimore, anyway.

I didn't see the OP's point that she specifically wanted to live in an apartment "complex." If this is true, and she means higher-end stuff, she should check out Clipper Mill in Woodberry.

[GoPhils]

Well she did use the word complex in her original post. And that was suggested as the safer alternative to renting a condo or rowhouse.