Relocating to Maryland (Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring: home, safest area, construction)

[Griffin88]

Hello. I have a possible opportunity to relocate to the Maryland area from New Jersey to manage construction operations from Baltimore thru DC. I have 3 young children and am looking for the safest area with great schools. I would prefer to be no more then an hour or so to the big cities, but would be willing to travel more if thats what it takes. I have a budget of about 450k and am looking for the best areas to raise a family, (where I can leave my door unlocked and go for a walk through the neighborhood type areas, if they still exist.) Thank you in advance!

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Griffin88

....construction operations from Baltimore thru DC.
I have 3 young children and am looking for the safest area with great schools.
about 450k and am looking for the best areas to raise a family

You'll want the Baltimore end of that corridor with easy access to 95.
Catonsville and Elkridge are the obvious choices.

There are others to look at as well but there are cost/convenience tradeoffs.
More information about what ELSE you want/need will get more specific suggestions
(like maybe easy bay access for your fishing boat)

[cjmeck]

Since you have kids, I'll just throw this out there... Public school districts are divided by county and currently, Howard County Public Schools is the #1 ranked district in the state. So in that county, I'd look at Columbia and Elkridge for example. If being somewhere in between D.C. and Baltimore and more centrally located is important, then Anne Arundel County may work for you. Areas such as Gambrills and Crofton may work for you and your budget. Although frankly speaking, your budget is going to be a little tough in certain school districts. Its doable though. Aside from asking people here, I'd go on GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community and research school districts first.

[MDaaCo]

I like the convenience of Columbia and it's amenities, but some people hate the layout. I suggest looking at property tax rates by county as you will notice big differences from Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George's, and Baltimore.

As an Anne Arundel resident, I'll offer you a few communities-

Broadneck/Cape (Arnold or Annapolis/21409 areas) - good schools; biggest con is traffic towards Bay Bridge (summers) and Severn River Bridge
Gambrills/Crofton/Odenton - depending on your desired home size, budget may be difficult with 3 children, but good amenities and relatively safe
Annapolis (Hillsmere/Bay Ridge) - check out 21403; good access to downtown Annapolis but schools may not be to your liking and issues with traffic and limited back roads if there is an accident or construction

You may also look into Silver Spring (20905) and absolutely Columbia/Ellicott City/Eikridge, but I am less familiar with these. If I had to choose based on your situation I'd go with 21045 area in Columbia, but provide more details if you can regarding what you prioritize in a neighborhood, schools, grocery stores, etc.