Should I move to MD? If so, where? (Baltimore, Silver Spring: apartments, to rent)

[dininebula]

Hi there! I just know you all can give me some good advice. I am a 27 yr old female, single, ready to get out of Columbus, OH. I have a lot of family all around the VA/DC/MD area, and would like to relocate there, if only I knew where! I guess I'll list the things that I'm preferring to find in a new home:

*Decent-sized city, with opportunities a city would typically provide
*Where the action is - as in, not the suburbs, but within the city itself, walking distance or short drive to nifty adventures
*Lots of stuff to do, good night-life, excellent cultural scene (I am a musician, so musical opportunities are a MUST - opera, symphony, theater, etc.)
*I assume I'll need somewhere fairly affordable, not too expensive
*Laid-back, even bohemian atmosphere would be great
*I would strongly prefer a place that has a predominantly liberal atmosphere
*Family-friendly is NOT necessarily important as I don't see myself marrying or starting a family in the immediate future
*Being fairly close to DC (but I don't want to live in DC itself) would be kind of cool, but is not essential
*I LOVE LOVE LOVE the water (this wouldn't be mandatory, but definitely an added bonus as I've always wanted to be near the ocean or a bay)


I've tried to read through a lot of stuff on here, and probably have some preconceived notions about places, but I'd like to hear your opinions - pros/cons, etc. Of course, one place I think about is Annapolis, but I'm not sure. And if you know of anywhere that hits the mark but isn't MD (VA, for example), go ahead and mention that too!

I'm such an indecisive person, and it's hard to really know what it's like to live somewhere, even if it's great to visit. I've been to Annapolis once, which was very nice. But to live there? Who knows! I'll let you guys inform me. I've heard Baltimore is probably not the place to go. I originally came from a very small town, but having been in Columbus for a decade, I've decided that I like being in the city (in an old, quaint little neighborhood, but it's right in the city itself, not the suburbs). So, thanks for any help I get, and if you need more info from me, just ask!

[dullnboring]

Except for not being located on the water, Takoma Park sounds like the absolute perfect location for you. Use the search button at the top, and search through the Maryland and DC boards to find older posts and threads on Takoma Park. Takoma Park border DC and has it's own Metro station to zip you around town, is renowned as a liberal mecca (some locals call it "Berkeley on the Potomac" although I personally think that's a bit of an exaggeration) that draws many aging hippies, progressives and a bohemian sort of crowd. It has a quaint downtown and unique homes and rents are fairly cheap for DC standards. While there is some nightlife and a bit of a cultural scene, the city is a bit laid-back and residential, so finding this in high volume may require a trip to DC or nearby Silver Spring (another recommended community if you want a more urban, less "neighborhoody" feel).

Annapolis is a great pick as well. The only drawback is that it is incredibly expensive to live in the more desirable parts of town.

[dininebula]

Thanks! I can't wait for more responses! I'll have to investigate Takoma Park. And to clarify my wide range of preferences a bit... fairly close cultural scene is good (short driving distance), more urban than suburban, but I don't want to be in the middle of crime central. Right now, I pay $400 a month on rent. I guess I expect to pay more there, but any more than $600 would be a struggle, at least currently.

[dullnboring]

Wow, $600/month?! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $600/month is not doable in the DC area unless you want to live in crime central, and even then, I'm not sure that $600/month would cut it. Coming from Columbus, you're going to go through a bit of sticker shock in seeing the prices here. Generally, one-bedroom apartments NOT in bad areas go for at the absolute least, $800/month and even these are chiefly in iffy areas or located in the far away suburbs where I'd doubt you'd want to live. Now, $600/month can definitely be doable if you're willing to rent out a room in someone's home or split a two-bedroom apartment with someone else (though that may be a bit more with utilities and all). I'd definitely check out Craig's List and plug in Silver Spring and Takoma Park so you can see the sorts of prices that pop up. For the record, there are areas that use the Silver Spring and Takoma Park mailing address and that advertise at being in those locales, that actually lie in communities outside of them, and there are quite a few "no go" areas on the outskirts of these cities (Langley Park in particular) so it's important to investigate where exactly any rooms/apartments you are searching for are exactly located to ensure you're in a safe community.

[claremarie]

When I read your post, my first thought was "Takoma Park." With your limited budget, I'd try sharing with some grad student/non-profit employee type roommates. Takoma Park is FULL of them.
Annapolis is lovely, but has a very limited employment base and the nice areas are quite expensive. You can get there in about an hour from the DC area, so it's very doable on weekends, especially if you're an earlybird. You don't need to LIVE there to take advantage of its amenities.
You didn't mention your profession -- where you can find a good job will greatly influence your housing choices.

[dininebula]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm beginning to get disheartened about cost of living stuff. It's already paycheck to paycheck with my current circumstances. As for career... Well, musician by training, but currently employed with a bookstore, although that will definitely be changing either soon or after relocation - although to what, I don't know. So it's not going to dictate my relocation necessarily.

[dininebula]

Here's another question to add to the list: What can you all tell me about Towson, MD? I have a cousin who lives there and goes to school at Gaucher, and is now trying to convince me to come share an apartment with her there, for a while. Anything there for a late-twenties something person? What's the town like? Pros/cons. College towns usually have something going for them to start with, but at this point I have no idea whether that's something to even consider... but am totally open to suggestions! Thanks again for all your help - I definitely can use as much as I can get!

[dullnboring]

Towson's alright. It's not really a college town though, at least not in the traditional sense. It's pretty much just standard suburbia. The schools located within it's borders have a large number of commuters which sort of diminishes any sort of collegiate "feel" within the community and the schools themselves. It's a nice enough place though; safe, quiet, your usual suburban shopping amenities, and a rather quick 20 minute hop from Baltimore. Personally, since you don't have a job locked down and are wary of ends meet, I would take your cousin up on her offer. Towson is a suburb of Baltimore and the Baltimore suburbs in general tend to be cheaper than the DC suburbs (although both area's suburbs overlap at points) and I would imagine that you would be able to find a two-bedroom apartment with your share coming to $600/month. Since Towson may not be the ideal environment for you, you may want to make an arrangement with your cousin, either telling her you are only going to stay for one year before looking for someplace in Takoma Park or another community that you'd prefer, or even sooner than that and agreeing to sublet.

[pwright1]

I 2nd Tacoma Park. I love the town. Plus it's a nice close in location to D.C. and the subway is close by. Nice established town with lots of trees. Not that typical boring suburban cookie cutter crap.

[RoadTripGurl]

Have to agree with the others. takoma park is great for your preference. But 1 bedrooms, even studios can go for over $1000! it's getting (I meant it is!) very expensive in Maryland in and around DC. Towson, there is no public transportation so I hope you have a car to get you around especially if you are working in DC. The Baltimore area and suburbs are great (I live past Baltimore) its' beyond affordable but some of the places are not desirable, especially in Baltimore City. Some parts of the city are OK especially for the nightlife, but I avoid B'more City personally as much as possible. You are a musician? Why wouldn't you want to move to New York if that is your passion profession? You would be in the same boat as here, having to get a roomie to afford a great place, that's safe and near the action?

V-