Columbia or Odenton? (College Park, Laurel: apartments, neighborhood, college)

[mitomd]

Hi everyone,

My fiance and I are moving to Maryland from Michigan in July. I'll be working in Laurel and he'll (hopefully) be going to UMD in College Park. We recently made a visit for some apartment hunting and have narrowed it down to two choices: Fieldstone Farms in Odenton (in the Piney Orchard Community) and The Gramercy at Town Center in Columbia. Does anyone have any thoughts as to which would be better, both in regards to the location and the apartments? We are in our early 20s, and I realize Odenton and Columbia aren't necessarily "hot spots" for people our age, but we are just looking for a nice location that's not too urban, has lots of places to run, has some parks for basketball, volleyball, etc (we're both very active), and has some decent places to go for a night out here and there. We were there for less than a week so did not have much time to really get a feel for the area. Piney Orchard seemed to have more to offer as far as trails/open spaces, but seemed pretty dead as far as anything else to do. Columbia, on the other hand, seemed to have a lot to offer as far as restaurants, and I really liked the amenities that a Columbia Association membership would offer, but it seemed to be more crowded and I didn't really see any running paths, though I could easily have just missed them. Anyways, if anyone has any info on either of these two places, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[gumbo31]

Piney Orchard is a great little community, but there isn't much in Odenton once you get outside of Piney Orchard. Columbia has the best of everything, the best mall, the best gym Life Time Fitness - Feel good inside, plenty of walking and running trails, and great restaurants and bars.

[ChosenGSR]

There is absolutely NOTHING in Odenton.

[mitomd]

Originally Posted by gumbo31

Piney Orchard is a great little community, but there isn't much in Odenton once you get outside of Piney Orchard. Columbia has the best of everything, the best mall, the best gym Life Time Fitness - Feel good inside, plenty of walking and running trails, and great restaurants and bars.

Thanks for the info -- that gym looks really nice. Would you recommend joining a gym like that then and not joining the Columbia Association? When I was visiting, I went and got some info about the CA and it seems like you get a lot for your money with respect to health facilities, etc.

[gumbo31]

Originally Posted by mitomd

Thanks for the info -- that gym looks really nice. Would you recommend joining a gym like that then and not joining the Columbia Association? When I was visiting, I went and got some info about the CA and it seems like you get a lot for your money with respect to health facilities, etc.

I don't really know what the Columbia Association offers, but I do know that Lifetimefitness is the best gym that I've ever seen. You'll have to decide for yourself which offers the better deal.

[TheShuLady]

Colubmia is the better choice, so much more to do and see.

[manofsteel084]

Columbia....in a heartbeat....TRUST ME

[Tallybalt]

Columbia.

The CA runs its own gyms and the entire 14,000 acre community is laced with running trails, and there's Centennial Lake with its 2.4 mile loop just a mile north of downtown Columbia.

[KevMan]

Get ready to come to the richest county in America though. Hope you will be making good money!

[newhart]

Originally Posted by mitomd

Thanks for the info -- that gym looks really nice. Would you recommend joining a gym like that then and not joining the Columbia Association? When I was visiting, I went and got some info about the CA and it seems like you get a lot for your money with respect to health facilities, etc.

Your location might determine which you prefer. The CA also manages the Columbia neighborhood pools in case you might want something within walking distance. The same goes for the athletic facilities. Lifetime Fitness is great and is on my way to work, but it's not convenient for me to just go there from home. The CA Athletic Club and Supreme Sports are closer.