possibly moving to fort meade, md....honest opinions (Baltimore, Annapolis: job market, schools)

[carolina_80]

Hello,
My boyfriend is being stationed in Fort Meade, MD and has asked me to join him. I live in sunny California and am nervous about all of it. I want to know if there are any good but inexpensive places to live and if there are jobs there. I am an administrative assistant and have alot of experience in customer service. I am scared that with this recession the wonderful job that I have here, will not be found over there....I won't find a job to help my boyfriend out.
Please, please, please help me. Are there nearby cities that have job opportunities?
Anything that you can answer is a huge help!
Thank you for your time in reading this and hope to get replies.

Respectfully,
me

[kessaris]

Dear Carolina,

The area right next to Fort Meade / Odenton is a little spotty, although you can read in the archives on this forum for where the best "pockets" are. Just type in "Fort Meade" and then "Odenton" into the search option, and you'll see all the old threads. If you already have children, you will probably want to look elsewhere for schools; if not, you can probably get away with living quite close to the base (or on the base? depends on your housing situation).

If schools are not a concern, and if your boyfriend has a car / does not mind a longish commute on train and shuttle, I would personally consider living in Baltimore proper - Charles Village perhaps, or Fells Point by the water. The rents will not be dramatically different (if anything, you can do a little better in the city), but the quality of your evenings will be superior.

As for job availability, I am not the best person to help, but you can start looking and only move if you get a couple of "nibbles" - maybe not a full job offer, but at least a couple of phone interviews to help you get a sense of the job market. Unless you are expecting your company to pay for your relocation, I would consider getting a local Baltimore cell phone number and listing your boyfriend's address in the process. Generally speaking, the area is not depressed, so it seems to me you should be able to find a position.

[Froggy_Jess]

It is unlikely that you will find a job in the Ft. Meade area. However, the surrounding area includes Baltimore, Washington DC, and Annapolis. When I moved to the Ft. Meade area, I communted to DC every day via the MARC train, which was not fun. My next job was in Annapolis, which required a 20-30 min drive. I am currently commuting to downtown Baltimore, which also takes a 20 min drive. So, I would suggest looking into jobs in both Baltimore and Annapolis. Annapolis is a nice little sailing/harbor town, which I really enjoyed. Check it out! : )