Moving to Maryland (Germantown, Frederick: zoning, land, island)

[westsideboy]

I say Frederick is a strong option because of the access to hiking and parks in the mountains. It is a good mix of both worlds. In 15-20 minutes you can go from being in Frederick's historic gentrified downtown to a trailhead in the mountains.

[Buck_Mulligan]

I say Frederick as well. For all the reasons mentioned, plus it's about equidistant from both BWI and Dulles airports. Dulles in Va, is the primary international airport for the region. It's a United hub, and the only option for Asia.

70% of flights at BWI are Southwest. Iceland Air is returning to BWI, which connects thru
Rekjavik (sp?) to lots of destinations in Europe. Adds 1-2 hours to flight time. A new icelandic "Play" will be undercutting them soon.

[MidValleyDad]

As a Frederick County resident I'll chime in.


There are several very good areas in and around Frederick. You might want to start looking at the online Frederick News Post ( https://www.fredericknewspost.com/ ) to get a feel for the area. Also every Saturday they list all the property transfers for the week and have a feature article on the most expensive property that sold that week.



Frederick City is the second largest city in Maryland. Wile it is the focus of the region there are several independent towns and cities in the county as well as some unincorporated areas that been developed which have walkable areas.


All three regional airports are a reasonable distance (35-60 minutes away except at the peak of rush hour) Depending on where you are coming from traffic could be a shock. As you get away from the DC Metro area it gets better but a lot of the Region commutes to the DC Metro Area or Northern Virginia near Dulles Airport.


Frederick County is the transition area from the Democratic Metro area and the Republican Rural area of Western MD. At the same time it was one of the 4 counties in MD that the majority voted for 'Gay Marriage' in the state referendum that passed. Our Clerk of the Court was a leader in explaining the process and making it straight forward for those looking to take advantage of the new law once it was enacted. For a while Frederick County was a 'destination' for gay couples to get married from less understanding areas. At the same time I see Trump signs on a regular basis. And we have a few areas in the county that are known for their intolerance based on race and lifestyle.


Good luck in your search

[Steed3003]

Thank you all for taking time to send me your recommendations and additional guidance, this is much appreciated. Frederick and its nearby area definitely appears as the best option for our criterias.

We will also have a look at the Harford County option recommended by BaltimoreBruiser.

[DXBtoFL]

I live in the Baltimore suburbs with some knowledge of both Frederick and Harford County. Based on what you want, Frederick is heads and shoulders above Harford. The latter is a county sharply divided between standard suburbia and farm country with little in between. There's not much in the way of parks. Even the Chesapeake Bay access is limited and not what the county is known for.

Frederick has easy access to the hills/"mountains" and state parks plus the most charming downtown in Maryland (except perhaps Annapolis). Frederick gives you easier access to both BWI and Dulles. And it's also easier to get to DC, which is a major employment market. Frederick also has its own identity that Harford doesn't, being primarily a drive-through county on I-95.

If I were looking for an alternative to Frederick, it would be Annapolis, not Harford, because of the charming downtown and the Chesapeake Bay access. It's not a place for long walks in the country or parks, but if you want waterfront and water activities, can't beat Annapolis/Anne Arundel County!

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Steed3003

Thank you all for taking time to send me your recommendations and additional guidance...

In that vein... the add'l guidance I offer to EVERYONE relocating:
Do NOT plan to buy immediately.

Don't even try to hit all the notes right out of the gate.
Plan to RENT "something comfortable and suitable" for the first year
and then use that time to look more deeply without any immediate pressure.

Learn enough about some of the MANY HUNDREDS of possible spots on your own
so that YOU can answer most of the questions from your own experience.

[Steed3003]

Originally Posted by DXBtoFL

I live in the Baltimore suburbs with some knowledge of both Frederick and Harford County. Based on what you want, Frederick is heads and shoulders above Harford. The latter is a county sharply divided between standard suburbia and farm country with little in between. There's not much in the way of parks. Even the Chesapeake Bay access is limited and not what the county is known for.

Frederick has easy access to the hills/"mountains" and state parks plus the most charming downtown in Maryland (except perhaps Annapolis). Frederick gives you easier access to both BWI and Dulles. And it's also easier to get to DC, which is a major employment market. Frederick also has its own identity that Harford doesn't, being primarily a drive-through county on I-95.

If I were looking for an alternative to Frederick, it would be Annapolis, not Harford, because of the charming downtown and the Chesapeake Bay access. It's not a place for long walks in the country or parks, but if you want waterfront and water activities, can't beat Annapolis/Anne Arundel County!

Yes, Frederick definitely appears as the top contender here ! Thank you !

[SethGrayson]

Leesburg, VA or Ashburn VA has a full suburban infrastructure but it becomes countryside real quick. NoVA has a gradient of civilization the closer and closer you get to DC while Frederick is a bit of an "island". NoVA has Metrorail that goes out further.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by SethGrayson

Leesburg, VA or Ashburn VA has a full suburban infrastructure but it becomes countryside real quick. NoVA has a gradient of civilization the closer and closer you get to DC while Frederick is a bit of an "island". NoVA has Metrorail that goes out further.

Frederick remains an island because of two things.

1. The protect land around Monocacy Battlefield that separates the city from Urbana
2. The semi-protected NW Montgomery County region that has strict zoning to keep it rural that separates Urbana from Germantown.

For what OP is looking for, these two features are probably benefits, not drawbacks, more open and protected land next to a vibrant urban core.

But really it is access to the Catoctin Mtns. that makes Frederick so attractive in this discussion, it is right on their foothills. Literally a historic and gentrified downtown to mountain trailheads in a 15 minute drive. That is hard, if not to impossible, to duplicate in the area.

[Steed3003]

Originally Posted by SethGrayson

Leesburg, VA or Ashburn VA has a full suburban infrastructure but it becomes countryside real quick. NoVA has a gradient of civilization the closer and closer you get to DC while Frederick is a bit of an "island". NoVA has Metrorail that goes out further.

Thank you Seth and thank you for these two suggestions, we will also include north Virginia in our search, so will definitely look into these two options.