Is Frederick a cheaper Alexandria? Considering moving to Maryland. (Baltimore: apartments, rent)

[manitopiaaa]

I've lived in Alexandria, VA for 5 years but need to upgrade to a 3-bedroom apartment and all the Alexandria 3-bedrooms are in ghetto skyscrapers for $2,300 a month. It seems like I can get a really nice place in/near Frederick for less than $2,000, so why pay $300 extra for a far more grimy place?

I'm also saving up for a downpayment on a home and Alexandria is unaffordable, so I'm thinking of renting for a year to test drive a potential permanent home.

I really like Alexandria's progressivism and historic charm. I also like its safety and high quality of life.

I work in D.C. (Farragut Square area) and am assuming I'll be teleworking 3 days per week post COVID. I would prefer taking transit so MARC in Frederick is a huge bonus versus other colonial cities in Maryland.

I'm also a fan of the outdoors and Alexandria is somewhat lacking on that front.

I should add I've been to Frederick 4 times over the years and Frederick is my favorite city in the entire region since it's 30 minutes from Harpers Ferry and 15 minutes from the Appalachian Trail. I also love the city center which is very historic, affordable and vibrant. The surrounding area is also booming so I'd like to buy in before it prices me out as a 20something who wants to settle in the DC Metro Area long-term.

Of course, there are things you only pick up on when you live somewhere versus visiting. So for anyone who has lived in Frederick, is Frederick a cheaper Alexandria or is there some issue with the city that leads it to be so affordable (I'm an LGBT Latino, so don't want a conservative or intolerant city). Or is the entire price difference between Alexandria and Frederick simply distance from DC? Does anyone have any other feedback on the city? Is this a good place to settle down?

Or are there other historic cities in Maryland that are within DC commuting distance and you can still get a nice apartment for cheap (or a rowhome for <$500k - the amount I should be able to purchase a home for given my salary of $122,000). I know Annapolis and Ellicott City fit the bill, but both seemed harder to get to by transit. Also Ellicott City's historic core seems a bit small compared to Frederick.

Any other options? Thanks!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by manitopiaaa

............
Any other options? Thanks!

I think you should be OK in Frederick as an LGBT Latino. The population of Frederick City in 2019 was 18.5% Hispanic, according to the C-D main profile. Other C-D threads about diversity and politics suggest a liberal voting pattern compared to the surrounding county. The county did vote in favor of the gay marriage proposal. You might also check with this with the theFrederickcenter.org, the LGBTQ resource. Then there was this article:

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/ne...18e4cc98f.html

As far as other options, the Mount Royal neighborhood of Baltimore would put you near a train station, some nice 19th century buildings and compatible neighbors.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Alexandria, due to its location, is very expensive. Frederick is not, again due to location. I'm there a lot and I have yet to find a neighborhood I felt unsafe in. Now there are low rent apartments that I would not recommend but they are obvious when you see them.

Honestly given what you like I would highly recommend moving to Frederick. Its a wonderful place. I was stunned to hear from an old friend who is married to an Asian American when he said years ago they could not move to Frederick as they had experienced looks, being ignored in restaurants etc. But that's changed. I thought of his comment as I saw a mixed race couple on Market Street, those days are over as that sight is not uncommon.

[KelpJuice]

As a person of color who’s lived in Frederick for over a decade, I haven’t run into any problems in Frederick proper itself, the surrounding rural areas might be a different story.

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

I was stunned to hear from an old friend who is married to an Asian American when he said years ago they could not move to Frederick as they had experienced looks, being ignored in restaurants etc. But that's changed. I thought of his comment as I saw a mixed race couple on Market Street, those days are over as that sight is not uncommon.

Curious, how long ago was this?

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by KelpJuice

As a person of color who’s lived in Frederick for over a decade, I haven’t run into any problems in Frederick proper itself, the surrounding rural areas might be a different story.



Curious, how long ago was this?

I'm guessing 20 years ago.

[personone]

Growing up in MD, I heard rumors that there were lots of racism undertones in Frederick, although that's just hearsay. I am White so I may not have fully recognized it. But that was over 20 years ago when I was a teen.

The country has gotten a lot more diverse since then, so I'm sure Frederick has become more diverse and you should be fine. Those issues should be less likely to happen now.

I would say that Alexandria is a lot more diverse than Frederick though. The other big difference between the two is the obvious fact that Alexandria is anchored by DC for big city amenities (and close to other interesting cities in NOVA and Montgomery County) whereas Frederick doesn't have that. No metro or public transportation options either like you will find in Alexandria.

Overall, I'd chose Alexandria between the two, but you are right; because of the above, prices are likely much cheaper in Frederick (so you'll get more for your money).

[MidValleyDad]

There are a few parts of Frederick COUNTY that still have reputation for having 'racist overtones' but the area around Frederick City and down towards Urbana are not part of those areas

[Veritas Vincit]

Frederick like other towns that are still 'kinda' in D.C. commuting territory is being overrun by DC overflow a la OP i.e. "I want D.C. but can't afford it". I wouldn't worry about it being some rural backwater town full of rednecks, and more about what kind of D.C. suburb it's going to turn into.

[personone]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Frederick like other towns that are still 'kinda' in D.C. commuting territory is being overrun by DC overflow a la OP i.e. "I want D.C. but can't afford it". I wouldn't worry about it being some rural backwater town full of rednecks, and more about what kind of D.C. suburb it's going to turn into.

I'm not sure how many people really look to Frederick if they can't afford DC. Frederick is almost 50 miles from DC. In pre-pamdemic traffic, if someone drove, it would likely take over 2 hours to get into DC. Although there is a rail station in Frederick that goes into DC.

Frederick is further from DC than Columbia is (and Cokumnia is considered a Baltimore suburb). Gaithersburg/ Germantown is almost halfway between Frederick and DC, and Germantown IMO is pushing the limit of being in DC commuting territory, so doubling that makes Fredrick not really in the realm of DC IMO.

So I don't really think it's a city that would suffer from DC overflow. Gaithersburg is a city that did though. My dad used to work in Gaithersburg and even in the early 90's it had lots of land, greenery, and wasn't overdeveloped. I haven't been there in a while, but when I was back in town and drove through it a couple years ago, it is heavily developed in parts and a little run down in the portion closest to Rockville (although I understand that the more northern part is a little less dense and is better maintained).

But I think Frederick is way to far to ever become a "DC suburb."

[KelpJuice]

Originally Posted by personone

I'm not sure how many people really look to Frederick if they can't afford DC. Frederick is almost 50 miles from DC. In pre-pamdemic traffic, if someone drove, it would likely take over 2 hours to get into DC. Although there is a rail station in Frederick that goes into DC.

Frederick is further from DC than Columbia is (and Cokumnia is considered a Baltimore suburb). Gaithersburg/ Germantown is almost halfway between Frederick and DC, and Germantown IMO is pushing the limit of being in DC commuting territory, so doubling that makes Fredrick not really in the realm of DC IMO.

So I don't really think it's a city that would suffer from DC overflow. Gaithersburg is a city that did though. My dad used to work in Gaithersburg and even in the early 90's it had lots of land, greenery, and wasn't overdeveloped. I haven't been there in a while, but when I was back in town and drove through it a couple years ago, it is heavily developed in parts and a little run down in the portion closest to Rockville (although I understand that the more northern part is a little less dense and is better maintained).

But I think Frederick is way to far to ever become a "DC suburb."

Lol people literally do look to Frederick for lower costs, and have been for the last 20-30 years. If not a "suburb" Frederick is definitely a exurb/satellite city of the greater DC area.