Your partner works in Frederick, and you in DC - Where to live? (Silver Spring: quality of life, living in)

[NorthernLad]

Hi All,
We're a couple relocating from NYC to the DC area to improve our quality of life. One of us got a job in Frederick, MD. The other (me) is looking for work, but would likely want to work closer to DC. I currently work in media (at HBO) but don't necessarily need to stay in that field.

We only have one car, so one of us will be taking mass transit.

If this were your situation:

-What would the best area to live be?
-What parts of the DC-ish area would you be willing to work in/commute to? Which ones wouldn't you?
-Would living in Silver Springs provide to much of a commute for the Frederick-bound half? It seems from what I read that it would be hell.

I don't really mind an overall commute of 1 hour each way, but I feel that anyone doing anything more than that has a right to complain.

On top of all that, we're a young couple (gay) with no children and want to be able to commute into DC and have fun on weekends without it being too much of a headache. Is this all do-able or are we crazy?

After a decade in NYC, I'm nervous about the huge relocation, but we both really want to have better living conditions.

Your help is GREATLY appreciated.

[jifie]

Gaithersburg, Rockville, Germantown, all acceptable choices within driving distance to Frederick and with ample transit oppurtunities to dc. Silver springs would be a farther drive, but wouldn't be "hell" as you'd be driving the opposite direction of traffic every day.

[NorthernLad]

Originally Posted by jifie

Gaithersburg, Rockville, Germantown, all acceptable choices within driving distance to Frederick and with ample transit oppurtunities to dc. Silver springs would be a farther drive, but wouldn't be "hell" as you'd be driving the opposite direction of traffic every day.

Thank you, that's actually encouraging. Would Silver Springs be much more urban than the others as well? I'd love to be able to walk many places, or take public transportation since I don't have a car.

Also, mapquest says Silver Spring to Frederick would be a 49 minute drive (without bad traffic). Does that sound about right to you?

[jifie]

The whole dc metro area is very urban and built up, you really won't notice too much of a difference between the cities I mentioned and silver spring, except silver spring is in the heart of the city. I don't know about walking, depending on where you live, but public transportation is pretty easy to find. That drive time sounds about right.

[HurricaneDC]

Silver Spring would not be fun in terms of getting to Frederick if you ask me. I'd recommend Rockville, although you'd have the tougher commute (traffic).

[Stephen 81]

Rockville is much less walkable than Silver Spring, and anecdotally I don't think there are nearly as many gays there. This is not to suggest that you and your partner will get strange looks in Rockville, or that people there are intolerant (far from it), but the community is smaller and DC gays will possibly refuse to go to Rockville to socialize (whereas Silver Spring is an acceptable distance).

On the other hand, there's no way your partner could get from Silver Spring to Rockville in an hour. Your best bet would probably be to live near the Rockville Metro Station. Rockville Town Center, while manufactured, has a lot of things within walking distance, and Metro's Red Line will give you easy access to the city. If you live in Gaithersburg or Germantown, as recommended above, you're going to have to drive to Metro (and to everything, really).

[westsideboy]

My advice would be to stay in the I-270 corridor as close to DC and a metro stop as you can afford. The "reverse commute" up to Frederick on I-270 will be fairly easy, and the train will take the other person into DC with minimal effort.

What to avoid is having to drive on I-270 TOWARDS DC in the morning, or having to use the beltway at all to get to Frederick if you don't have to.

[NorthernLad]

Thanks so much for your help - I really would prefer Silver Spring, but it seems too much to ask of my BF. Arrgh! Having been such a city guy for so long, I'm a bit nervous over moving to a suburban area (not my thing) but it's not that big of a deal in the big picture.

However, thanks for the info on Rockville vs. Germantown - you've brought up some really important points.

[jifie]

The whole corridor that westside was talking about all the way up to Germantown is so built up you won't even realize you are out of the city. You can drive on the highway from dc to Germantown and you won't know where one city ends and the other starts, so that shouldn't be a problem for wanting the city life.

[drs72]

Originally Posted by jifie

The whole corridor that westside was talking about all the way up to Germantown is so built up you won't even realize you are out of the city. You can drive on the highway from dc to Germantown and you won't know where one city ends and the other starts, so that shouldn't be a problem for wanting the city life.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that assessment. Sure, inside the beltway it is significantly more built up, but even places like Bethesda and Chevy Chase (although Bethesda does have a small core centered around it's metro stop) are still very suburban in nature. Outside the beltway, it's even more so. Car dependence, predominating upper middle class families, McMansions, enclosed and strip malls, and large corporations. If someone from NYC is coming to the DC area and is hoping for some sort of city life, they're really not gonna find it in the I-270 corridor. Obviously, DC has it. You might find a little in places like Downtown Silver Spring or Downtown Bethesda. Frederick largely developed as its own small city until it was absorbed into the ever-expanding DC area. It has a sizable downtown area with its own restaurants, nightlife, etc. and has increasingly become a hotspot for young professionals. The DC commuter could take the MARC train into the city and the Frederick commuter would already be there. That would be my suggestion to you. The train ride might be long, but you wouldn't be driving and could do anything you choose with your time on the train.