Moving from South Carolina to Maryland, trying to figure out where to live?? (Baltimore: apartments, rentals)

[csimone]

I am graduating from Clemson University in May and got a job up in Maryland. I'll be doing construction and am told I will be working in the Baltimore/DC area on different job sites. I've heard more work is being done in DC but not 100% sure. I'd like to find somewhere to rent somewhere in the middle. I've been looking at places in Columbia, Silver Springs, Severn..etc (only online though) with that being said I am just graduating college so my budget isn't exactly huge, but I don't want to live in a dump. Any Suggestions??

[runnerguy45]

Columbia would be in the middle of both DC and Baltimore.
Annapolis has a fun City Dock area and very easy to get to Baltimore or DC..
Baltimore has Canton and a few other fun areas for younger people.

One question I would have for you is your job taking you into Northern Va ?
That matters because Baltimore might be a long commute and Northern Va traffic is a nightmare.

[csimone]

I won't know that for sure until later this year, I was told their is more work in the DC area because the Baltimore construction market is slow. So I'm guessing I'll be commuting more to DC but Baltimore needs to still be accessible.

[runnerguy45]

It is kind of tough giving you advice but I will try. The traffic is bad around DC so you will be getting up early if you commute from Annapolis. Having said that Annapolis has a nice party scene but Baltimore has more young people and lots of people commute from Baltimore to DC. Since you will be in DC often I would check out Alexandria and other spots in Northern Va. You will have to ask yourself, do you want to live the city life or suburbs ?

[lscalder]

I think it might be best to find rentals in DC.

[Marilyn Emery]

I am assuming you will not be using mass transit to get to construction sites so that won't need to be a factor except if you want to use it to get out at night and not have to drive. Columbia is fairly reasonable as far as rental prices. You will be able to get more for your money than DC. Silver Spring has some good rentals and there may be better social opportunities there. You also would have easy access to mass transit (metro). If you live in the Silver Spring area your commute to DC shouldn't be too bad and you will be going against traffic commuting to Baltimore. What do you like to do for recreation? That may also play are large role in where you decide to live.

[csimone]

I like outdoor activity in general, but I realize it might be tough up there. I'd like to be near a gym which should not be hard to find anywhere. Other than that I don't really need to have anything, but your right I won't be using mass transportation because of my field of work so I will need somewhere that I can park my car and be somewhat close to whatever main highways are up there.

[Marilyn Emery]

I think you may have more outdoor activities in Silver Spring. There are lots of hiking biking trails along Sligo Creek and Rock Creek Park. You are close to 495 which will take you to 95 north and the beltway or down surface streets into DC. There is a wide range of rentals.

[csimone]

That sounds good, do you have any ideas of what apartment's are good in that area.

[backinmd]

What do you like? Urban or rural?

I'd suggest looking in Laurel if you haven't already. We call it home. It's a nice central location, close to 95, 495, 695 and the BW Parkway. It's about as convenient as it gets if you'll be splitting your days between DC and Baltimore. It's growing but it's not overgrown. You have your choice of PG, Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.

Severn is a mixed bag. It's a little more rural. Lots of military with Ft. Meade close by. They're expecting a lot of growth in the coming years. If you're shopping for a home taxes are lower in Anne Arundel County than PG, Montgomery or Howard.

A little closer to Baltimore, it's hard not to like columbia. Very nice. It's a huge planned community. Almost anywhere in Howard County is nice. Lots of apartments to choose from.

Define Silver Spring..... lol It covers a huge area, filling-in between everything else north and west of DC. Most areas tend to be a bit congested. The closer you get to DC/Wheaton/Rockville the busier it gets. I grew up on the northern outskirts of Silver Spring in the Rt. 20 corridor. I wouldn't live west of Route 29 or south of Randolph Road. That's just my preference. Too crowded, too much traffic, too expensive. Once you get north of the Patuxent river into Howard County, though, the farther west you go the nicer it is. Nice and rural, that is. The problem living out that way is there's only so many roads into town so rush hour can be a bear. Of course, if you're on the jobsite at 6 or 7am you'd miss a lot of it.

In general, I like Howard County all the way around. Schools, taxes, county government, ammenities, services, everything. Anne Arundel would be my second choice but I'd shop around and compare areas. Montgomery and PG Counties are too crowded and expensive for me. Of course, it may be exactly what you're looking for.

I think you'll like it here. The area has a lot to offer. The mountains and the ocean are a short drive away. You can live close in or far out or comfortably in between. And, while the economy is slower than "usual" it's stronger than in many areas of the country.

We recently moved back to Maryland.......after I lost my job as a residential construction superintendent in Florida. lol

Good luck, my friend! And, welcome to Maryland.