Car-free in College Park? (Annapolis, Beltsville: rental, home, neighborhoods)

[ogre]

This fall I will be applying to graduate school. I'm trying to shrink the long list of possibilities to a short list, and need to learn about everyday living in the areas where the schools I'm considering are located. One school on my list of possibilities is the University of Maryland. My student budget probably will be too tight for me to own a car, so I need to know whether it's possible to find, within walkable distance of the campus, decent housing at a price that is affordable on a typical student budget, and all the businesses needed for food, personal supplies, and basic entertainment.

I'm sure quite a few students do not have cars and manage just fine, but it's likely that a lot of them live either on campus or in rental property off campus in neighborhoods with many students. I'm older than even the typical graduate student, so I really need to live in a place that's free of a heavy student population and the nosiy parties that go with it. It would be very helpful to know whether there are quiet areas within walking distance of the campus. I'm pretty active physically, so for me, "walkable" can be more than a couple of blocks. The physical exertion of a long walk around town is not an issue. On the other hand, I don't want to have to walk such long distances everywhere I go that the time would add up and really cut into my day.

I'd appreciate hearing about anything people familiar with the area think it would be useful to know, but I'm especially interested in thoughts on the primary issue of having all the basic requirements within walking distance. Thanks.

[balto charlie]

Originally Posted by ogre

This fall I will be applying to graduate school. I'm trying to shrink the long list of possibilities to a short list, and need to learn about everyday living in the areas where the schools I'm considering are located. One school on my list of possibilities is the University of Maryland. My student budget probably will be too tight for me to own a car, so I need to know whether it's possible to find, within walkable distance of the campus, decent housing at a price that is affordable on a typical student budget, and all the businesses needed for food, personal supplies, and basic entertainment.

I'm sure quite a few students do not have cars and manage just fine, but it's likely that a lot of them live either on campus or in rental property off campus in neighborhoods with many students. I'm older than even the typical graduate student, so I really need to live in a place that's free of a heavy student population and the nosiy parties that go with it. It would be very helpful to know whether there are quiet areas within walking distance of the campus. I'm pretty active physically, so for me, "walkable" can be more than a couple of blocks. The physical exertion of a long walk around town is not an issue. On the other hand, I don't want to have to walk such long distances everywhere I go that the time would add up and really cut into my day.

I'd appreciate hearing about anything people familiar with the area think it would be useful to know, but I'm especially interested in thoughts on the primary issue of having all the basic requirements within walking distance. Thanks.

Hey I work in Beltsville, just N of CP. W/in CP you have access to the DC metro system and the MARC train(Balto-DC) so travel outside of the area is easy. The university runs a shuttle from campus to the station. There is also a semi-express bus at the greenbelt metro( 1 stop from cp) that goes to BWI airport. At the BWI airport you have the light rail to Annapolis and N Balto county.
So: mass transit is good at CP.
There are also lots of local bike trails and biking clubs that promote local bike commuting. There's a bike trail through campus that ties into a large dc trail system. This will take you to Northern Va or Pittsburgh PA(320 mile path). here's a link to the local biking website, excellent maps and such. Here's a link
Bike Washington
I have to say that CP is a great University(my Alma Mater), DC is a fun city and this is a great location for outdoor activities, white water paddling inside the DC beltway, climbing just outside the beltway, hiking and biking all over. If you are into outdoor sports here are links for local groups.
BikeWashingtonDC : Bike Washington
dcoutdoorrockclimbing : DC Outdoor Rock Climbing
Monocacy Canoe Club Homepage
If you need a place to rent, post on the websites I listed. You tend to get an older group of enthusiastic outdoors folks that follow those sites.
Good luck w/ your decision. Charlie

[emsgoof]

As a student of the Univ of MD, you're also eligible for the free Shuttle-UM transit service run by the university.
Department of Transportation Services - University of Maryland
It offers free transit to most of the surrounding area, a majority is weekday only, but there is some limited weekend service also.

[ogre]

Thank you for all the inside info! Balto, I don't know whether you're psychic or just guessed correctly from the fact that I described myelf as physically active, but yes, I do enjoy outoor activiites. Good links you've provided here. I'm surprised that there's whitewater paddling inside the beltway, but if there are as many possibilities for outdoor activities nearby as there seem to be, so much the better. It's great to hear of all the bike trails in the area, which would certainly be an option to consider. I'd still be interested in learning something of possible living/shopping/entertaining options within walking distance of campus, so that I know about various options that might be available for living arrangements, and for those times during the winter when I might feel that weather conditions were not particularly conducive to two-wheeled transport. (I've had the experience of riding a bike through fresh snow, spinning that rear wheel all the way as the bike inched forward, and it was, um, interesting. And, I've ridden on streets with ice and/or slick patches of packed snow, and found it exciting! Maybe a little too exciting.)

Thank you both for letting me know that public transit is good in this area, and Emsgoof, thanks for the inside tip. One possibility I've considered would be to live near a transit line without necessarily being really close to the university. Still, riding the bus everywhere for everything could get as time-consuming as walking all over the place, so it would work especially well if I had all the necessary basic collection of everyday businesses within walking distance of where I lived, and would need to take the bus only between home and campus. If anyone knows of areas along the transit lines that have housing a student can afford, with the everyday businesses needed to stay fed, scrubbed, and entertained in a basic kind of way, I'd appreciate info on these areas.

Balto and Emsgoof, thanks again for the information you've provided here. From what you tell me, I'm pretty sure that U. of Maryland would be very workable for someone in my circumstances. Thanks again, and take care.