Working in Columbia - where should we live?

[cjmeck]

I think Columbia would make your life easier. The public transportation is pretty reliable and several areas of Columbia are "walkable". However (big however), what is your budget for housing? That will really determine where you need to be.

[bus man]

Originally Posted by marylandadvice24

Bus man, thank you so much! This is really helpful. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the system. As you eluded to, Frederick transit is pretty straight forward in comparison. Thank you so much for the links and the information!

Glad I could help. Unfortunately, the route network is pretty confusing, and they don't do anything to make it more easily comprehensible. Here is a link to the system route map:

http://marylandtransit.org/wp-conten...er_routes1.pdf

Personally, I find this map very hard to follow . . . and I am very familiar with where the routes go. What hope do the uninitiated have? It's drawn in "conceptual" style, so it looks all sleek and modern and cool. But it doesn't relate to the actual street network, which is crucial to understanding where the buses actually go. Oh, and you can ignore all the routes that start with the number "9" because those have all been changed. (They are the commuter bus routes that go to Silver Spring and Washington.) Maybe you can make heads or tails of this map. If so, I salute you.

The route-specific maps on the individual schedules are better, in that they are at least somewhat related to the actual street geography. So if you can narrow things down to the level of an individual bus route, those maps should be able to help you.

[marylandadvice24]

Originally Posted by cjmeck

However (big however), what is your budget for housing? That will really determine where you need to be.

Well, we are meeting with an agent to discuss that soon. We are a younger couple, and we've never bought a house before so we're not sure yet. I know for sure we can afford to rent if necessary, at least.

Bus man, bus routes make little sense to me in general. I'm embarrassed to admit that I rely completely on Google maps to navigate through the system. Anyone who can read and understand a bus map is pretty great in my book. Thanks again.

[macroy]

Agree with just living in Columbia (or as close as possible) if feasible. Traffic can be tricky. I live in Ellicott City and had to go to Laurel for a conference two days ago. I expected traffic in the AM. What I didn't expect was taking almost an hour to get back home in the early afternoon (driving through Columbia). Might have been an anomaly... but I was surprised.

Originally Posted by marylandadvice24

We don't have children, so no concerns about schools.

I'm sure your realtor will provide guidance. But schools are a HUGE factor in terms of property value and resale potential (especially in this area). So while you may not have kids yet, the people who may be buying your house down the road may. So just keep that in mind.

[Businessowner5]

Howard is nice place to live but it can be expensive. They need to have more regular time for busses.

[kinkytoes]

Originally Posted by marylandadvice24

Thank you both for the information!

Edit: To answer your question, we are looking to buy.

As long as Columbia has good public transportation, is safe, and has an easy drive to stores and such I think we'll be happy. I'm just curious what the lifestyle is like in Columbia vs the Frederick area, if anyone knows. Also, would Baltimore be doable? I've heard they have good public transportation.

IMO it is the same as Frederick is now, so you should be fine. Has anyone mentioned Clarksville? This is an are that used to be all country, next to Columbia. It is all built up now and full of new houses and stores and stuff. I'm not a fan of development, but it looks nice and the people are nice. You can try to look there as well. Not sure about public transportation.

[bus man]

Originally Posted by kinkytoes

IMO it is the same as Frederick is now, so you should be fine. Has anyone mentioned Clarksville? This is an are that used to be all country, next to Columbia. It is all built up now and full of new houses and stores and stuff. I'm not a fan of development, but it looks nice and the people are nice. You can try to look there as well. Not sure about public transportation.

Clarksville is a very nice place, but it's not the place to be if you're looking for public transportation. At present, the only thing that's there is the Route 335 bus, which is a peak-hour commuter bus to Washington, D.C. The transit study that I referenced in a previous post is looking at bus service countywide, so who knows? Maybe Clarksville will get something.