Where are the decent suburbs close to the train to D.C. in Maryland? (Baltimore: for sale, crime)

[kawinn]

My husband and I are moving from Georgia and looking to move to the Maryland area and commute to D.C. (he works around Union Station)and it looks like Virginia is unaffordable for us (we have a $325,000 limit). We've looked at a couple of single family homes in Baltimore City (Lauraville, Parkville, Hamilton) but needless to say, I was shocked at the grunginess and dangerous looking area. It seems that there are a couple of nice rows of houses then it's crack alley. We have 2 large dogs, so we need a backyard, and we need something very close to the train so he can commute in. Where are the nice suburban areas that I can feel safe in with decent shopping (grocery), walk the dogs at night, and be within 15 minutes of a train into D.C.? Please help!

Kelly

[Mike from back east]

I'd recommend looking around the Dorsey Station on MARCs Camden Line. Parts of Elkridge are quite nice. Columbia even better.

If prices there are too high for your $325k budget, go further north, it only adds 10 minutes to the train trip. Look at zip 21227 in Baltimore County and consider using the Halethorpe stop on MARCs Penn Line. I've lived in that area. Lots of big old houses that have character, within walking distance of the train line. The Camden Line also stops at St Denis, where I once lived and went to school (okay, in 1960) and it too has lots of huge old houses that were often summer homes for city folks who rode the trains long ago. I'm surprised that Relay-St Denis hasn't been made an "historical district" yet, IMHO it should be.

Let us know how you do!
s/Mike from back east

PS: For more info, quickly, use the Forum Search Tool, keywords like: MARC, Elkridge, Arbutus, Halepthorpe, Columbia and so on.

[relocating2]

I am also looking for an easy commute into D.C. I was thinking from Brunswick or Frederick. What is your opinion of this?

[Mike from back east]

MARC's Brunswick Line runs from Frederick and Brunswick, MD (as well as points west of Brunswick, as far west as Martinsburg, WV).

Taking the train is the ONLY way to fly as far as commuting into DC from out that way.

MARC has special cars on some trains; a "quiet car" for snoozers and an armchair car for those who want to ride in comfort.

Frederick is a huge bedroom community of DC, I-270 is pitifully clogged and very unfriendly, as is most long commuting in the DC area. It has an old downtown and miles of suburbs. People live way up north of Frederick, on into PA even, to find more affordable housing. East and West of Frederick on I-70 is also popular, and expensive.

Brunswick isn't as fully focused on DC as Frederick. An old RR town with active RR yards, on the main line. Housing in-town is old, but walkable to the train station. At Brunswick you get: the C&O canal towpath, a well-loved trail used by cyclists, walkers, horse people and fisherman; a boat ramp; access to the Potomac River; some decent scenery; etc.

Also consider Point of Rocks, MD, a bit closer in. POR gets trains coming from two directions, the spur that goes to/from Frederick as well as the main line coming down from Brunswick.

There are VA towns across the river from both POR and Brunswick, especially Brunswick (Lovettsville, VA).

s/Mike

[youscaid]

frederick bruswick to dc. hell no. silver spring and burtonsville will be fine. you wont even have to drive. taking the bus and subway is faster and easier. the other benefit of living in either of those two are the lack of rednecks like in frederick county.

[kawinn]

I've found a couple of townhomes in this area. Seems that it is close to the train for the commute into D.C. Is this a nice community with decent grocery stores, etc.?

[youscaid]

absolutely. you should go to yellowpages.com, click on maps, type under city silver spring, burtonsville or wherever, and then look at an ariel map of the city. you can also see a birds eye view of neighborhoods, schools and shopping centers.

[jessy0780]

Originally Posted by kawinn

I've found a couple of townhomes in this area. Seems that it is close to the train for the commute into D.C. Is this a nice community with decent grocery stores, etc.?

Some areas of Odenton are really nice- some are sketchy. I think your best bet would be a townhouse in Columbia. The housing market is on your side right now, so you'd probably be able to get a pretty nice townhome for $325,000- especially since houses are staying on the market for awhile, and sellers will often take less than the listing price.

[spleen]

Bowie is a great little town with more affordable housing and less crime than the average town around here. Population 50,000 but has a very small-town feel, the roads are friendly, lots of stores and convenience, and pretty safe. In addition, they have just gathered funding to put together their own police dept so it will get even safer.

There is no metro access (that's probably one of the reasons it is nice) but there is a MARC train you can take to DC. The problem with MARC is that it doesn't run as often as the metro. If you drive to DC though the commute isn't that bad. It's 13 miles outside of DC but will likely take you 45 minutes to drive in depending on traffic.

Schools in Bowie are good for elementary & middle-school, the high school is ok. It's on the border of Anne Arundel cty so has less problems than most Prince George's County areas.

To see houses for sale, go to: www.homesdatabase.com and select "maryland" and "prince george's county" and then select "bowie" (hold the 'control' key down to select the multiple zip codes). You can find houses for $325 on up. Ignore anything that has an "N" for the first letter of the street name -- that's around the Bowie Town Center and that's where the little bit of crime there is seems to be concentrated. Also stay away from Pointer Ridge area, also seem to see that in the police blotter. Everything else is good.

[kawinn]

I did do a house search in Bowie and it appears there are ALOT of nice single family homes. What is the closest station in Bowie to ride the train into D.C.? I know you said stay away from the mall area and Pointer Ridge at Collington? It looks like it's a very nice subdivision, maybe why there is a lot of crime? What about Rockledge at Belair? Any subdivisions that you can recommend us looking into?