Transferring to Ft. Detrick/ Relo Help Please :) (Germantown, Bethesda: housing, condos)

[carolina_guy]

Hi all,

I have interviewed for a position in Ft. Detrick and they are flying me up next week to visit the campus and meet more people. My tentative schedule is to fly up early Wednesday and come back late Friday. Wed. and Fri. will be open for me to tour the area, with Thurs. dedicated to business. I know two days isn't much, but it will be good for a preliminary search of the area. I have pasted below what we are looking for in a place to live (from a previous Aberdeen thread), and would greatly appreciate any advice you can give for the Frederick area.

For starters, is anyone familiar with Charlotte, NC, and if so do you know of Huntersville/Cornelius/Davidson? Frederick seems to be much like these suburb towns of Charlotte.

We are young in mid/late 20s looking to be close to entertainment, shopping, trendy restaurants, and nightlife. We love art and great music venues.

We will likely wish to rent (townhome, condo, single family) at first until we get to know the area better. Our budget is probably between $1200 - $2,000. We would love a fenced yard for our dogs. Are there any rentals in Frederick that would fit our budget?

Safe areas are obviously desired.

Are there "work, live, and play" communities near Frederick?

We have 2 dogs and a cat, so something close to a pet friendly park would be nice.

We love the water, so that's always a plus.

We don't mind a commute and traffic is not a big deal, up to an hour would be fine in one direction.

If we can't afford the town we are looking for, we don't mind living on the outskirts as long as we have easy access to everything.

Lake Linganore in New Market seems like a very active community. Is this so and is it convenient to Frederick or other entertainment areas?

What about Hagerstowne and Germantowne, do they come close to fit our lifestyle, or are they at least convenient to Frederick?

I know it's a lot of info, but that's key for us city-data folks!

Thanks all for the help!!!

[carolina_guy]

Also, any recommendations for hotel that's convenient to Ft. Detrick? Clean, comfortable, and easy access to happenings please.

[carolina_guy]

The Hampton Inn and Suites looks like a good choice. What say ye?

[histmaj]

the hampton inn on opposumtown pike is a nice hotel only a year or two old. As far as places to rent, there are plenty of places. If you want a house with a big yard then the Lake Linganore and New Market areas would be good. But, if you want to be able to walk to bars, restaurants, churches, theaters, then downtown Frederick would be ideal. They are gentrifying many areas, and alot of new condos and townhouses are up or set to go up very soon. Hagerstown is about 25 minutes from frederick and will be much cheaper, but also more isolated from large cities. Germantown is closer to D.C. but is kind of hit or miss as far as good areas go. The picture is of some new condos along Carroll Creek in Downtown Frederick.

[Nober]

As I am not familiar with the Frederick area, I would recommend taking a look at the Gaithersburg area; south of Germantown. It is about 25 miles south of Frederick and would be a reverse commute along I-270 during the morning and evening rush hours. Washington, DC is about 25 miles to the south.

The Kentlands section of Gaithersburg seems to be what you described above. It is a planned mixed community with apartments, condos, townhomes and single family homes with dining, entertainment, and shopping within walking distance. The community is home to the Gaithersburg Arts Barn and within a short drive to numerous other art and cultural venues. One disadvantage is that many of the homes do not have large yards since many lots are smaller compared to homes further from the city. However, Green Park is an open-leash park about a mile away.

More mixed-use communities/neighborhoods are located further south on I-270 in Rockville and Bethesda and are accessible to the DC Metro subway system. Good luck on your search next week!

[GoTerps!]

Germantown is about a 20-minute drive to Ft. Detrick - and you'd be going in the opposite direction of rush hour traffic!

Germantown is a great location - 20 minutes from Bethesda and 35 minutes from DC.

Germantown has grown up considerably in the 10-years that we've been here. There's a new library, and a new arts center (Black Rock) in the town center. Lots of restaurants, retail shops, and there are seasonal family/outdoor activities. There's a fairly new splash park that's located near the Soccerplex. There are also several State Parks (at least one of them has a lake) within 5-minutes.

There is a variety of housing options in all price ranges. We live in Fountain Hills and there are a few townhomes for rent. It's been very safe. The neighbors are friendly.

Let us know if you need more info. Good luck with your interview!

[carolina_guy]

Originally Posted by histmaj

the hampton inn on opposumtown pike is a nice hotel only a year or two old. As far as places to rent, there are plenty of places. If you want a house with a big yard then the Lake Linganore and New Market areas would be good. But, if you want to be able to walk to bars, restaurants, churches, theaters, then downtown Frederick would be ideal. They are gentrifying many areas, and alot of new condos and townhouses are up or set to go up very soon. Hagerstown is about 25 minutes from frederick and will be much cheaper, but also more isolated from large cities. Germantown is closer to D.C. but is kind of hit or miss as far as good areas go. The picture is of some new condos along Carroll Creek in Downtown Frederick.

Thanks, hismaj. I will be booking at Hampton Inn. How far away during rush and non-rush hours is Lake Linganore in New Market? Are there other neighborhoods in New Market worth checking out? I'd like to fit New Market on my itinerary if time permits.

The Carroll Creek condos look really nice. It seems that area will be the "work, live, play" atmosphere I was hoping for? What do you current residents of Frederick think about this project? Will it bring "life" to the town and offer lots more to do?

When I say a fenced yard, we really don't need anything large. I'd say .15 acres ++ would be nice. Are there homes to rent in Frederick with some acreage? We'd love a quaint bungalow with welcoming front porch.

[carolina_guy]

Originally Posted by Nober

As I am not familiar with the Frederick area, I would recommend taking a look at the Gaithersburg area; south of Germantown. It is about 25 miles south of Frederick and would be a reverse commute along I-270 during the morning and evening rush hours. Washington, DC is about 25 miles to the south.

The Kentlands section of Gaithersburg seems to be what you described above. It is a planned mixed community with apartments, condos, townhomes and single family homes with dining, entertainment, and shopping within walking distance. The community is home to the Gaithersburg Arts Barn and within a short drive to numerous other art and cultural venues. One disadvantage is that many of the homes do not have large yards since many lots are smaller compared to homes further from the city. However, Green Park is an open-leash park about a mile away.

More mixed-use communities/neighborhoods are located further south on I-270 in Rockville and Bethesda and are accessible to the DC Metro subway system. Good luck on your search next week!

Thanks, nober. Gaithersburg seems like a very nice, safe and quaint town. I also liked the Kentlands. It looks like the neighborhood has plenty of activities. As far as entertainment/dining is concerned, which do you think offers more--Gaithersburg or Frederick?

Thanks!

[carolina_guy]

How is Mount Airy for rental homes? Is it pretty much a suburb of Frederick?

[carolina_guy]

histmaj,

I read from one of your other posts that you live in the northern part of Frederick. You also mentioned the east side. Would you say the most desirable places to live in Frederick are the norther and eastern ends in addition to the town's center?

If we can afford it, it's starting to seem like Frederick is the place to be for us.

In this light, what are the nicest and most convenient outskirts of Frederick in case we can't find anything in our budget? i.e. adjacent towns within 10 minutes from the action.

Thanks!