Ft Meade and Pentagon Commute (Bowie, Odenton: rent, home, transfer to)

[invictus2392]

Hi, and thanks in advance for your advice in adavance. We're a young (late 20's/early 30's) military couple, without children (yet) moving to the MD/DC area. One of us will be working at Ft Meade, MD and the other at the Pentagon and are looking for input on two things:

1. Recommendations of places to live. We're looking to purchase a SFH for ~$400K in the same area everyone else is: somewhere safe, fun, and nice. After checking out the threads, Piney Orchards, Crofton, and Bowie sound like potential places to live.

2. Commute distances from your recommendations to the Pentagon and Ft Meade. We're not adverse to living near a metro to the Pentagon and reverse commuting to Ft Meade, but have read that commutes are crazy and mapquest can't take that into effect...

Thanks again!

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by invictus2392

Hi, and thanks in advance for your advice in adavance. We're a young (late 20's/early 30's) military couple, without children (yet) moving to the MD/DC area. One of us will be working at Ft Meade, MD and the other at the Pentagon and are looking for input on two things:

1. Recommendations of places to live. We're looking to purchase a SFH for ~$400K in the same area everyone else is: somewhere safe, fun, and nice. After checking out the threads, Piney Orchards, Crofton, and Bowie sound like potential places to live.

2. Commute distances from your recommendations to the Pentagon and Ft Meade. We're not adverse to living near a metro to the Pentagon and reverse commuting to Ft Meade, but have read that commutes are crazy and mapquest can't take that into effect...

Thanks again!

The Metro is the subway. The MARC is the above ground train in Maryland.

The person who works at the Pentagon could drive (Rte 50) to the New Carrollton train station and take the Metro/subway to the Pentagon while the other drives directly to Ft Meade. Pentagon person would have one subway transfer. The orange line comes into New Carrollton and you would have to transfer to the Blue line or Yellow Line to go to the Pentagon. L'Enfant Plaza is a blue and yellow and orange line stop so that's a good place to transfer.

I've been gone from MD since May 2007 so I don't know if parking at the New Carrollton metro stop has improved. I lived in Crofton and did not work at the Pentagon but used both the Metro and MARC at the various locations where I worked in the DC area.

See subway map (can be enlarged to make it readable):

Metro - Rail - Maps - Rail/Google Map

NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Pentagon (Washington Metro)

The person going to the Pentagon could also take the MARC train from Bowie State or Odenton and get off at New Carrollton and ride the subway to the Pentagon. The only thing about the MARC train is that it doesn't run frequently so if you work late or want to come home when it's not rush hour, it could be a pain. Also, since it's an above the ground train, there are weather delays.

I don't recommend the MARC option. Too much time wasted waiting for the next train.

[Kensington]

How long will you be here? I'd rent if you are going to be moving in a few years.

I suggest renting near the Pentagon in Arlington and doing a reverse commute (395 to 295) out to Ft. Meade.

[Froggy_Jess]

I would recommend living in Piney Orchard. You would have a 5 min commute to Ft. Meade. The other one would take the MARC to Union Station and transfer to the metro to get to the Pentagon.