Moving to MD from MI - One commute to Laurel, one to College Park (Baltimore: apartment complex, rental)

[mitomd]

I have just accepted a job in Laurel, MD and my fiance and I will be relocating to Maryland from Michigan next summer. He just finished his four-year active duty with the military and is hoping to enroll in the University of Maryland. We are both from Michigan but have both spent a lot of time living/working in Southern California (the military for him, internships for me), and while we loved the weather and the abundance of things to do (I will definiately miss the ocean and the mountains!) we couldn't stand the lifestyle. I turned down a job in Pasadena, CA and took the one in MD, hoping in the long run it would provide a much more stable and comfortable lifestyle.

So, we are currently looking for advice on where to live. Some considerations in our search:

-We are looking for a place where a young married couple (we are in our early 20s) would find plenty to see and do. In addition, we are both avid runners and therefore would like to find a place with nice trails/running paths.
-We are looking to rent a 2br/1-2ba place for ~$1,200 - $1,500.
-A SAFE neighborhood is a huge must. I would rather pay a few hundred more per month to live in a nice, safe area then to save money by living in a more shady area.
-When concerned with commute, I would rather give him the shorter commute time, because a college student's schedule is always unpredictable
-With that said, we do NOT want to live in College Park

Any advice is greatly appreciated -- we don't know anyone in Maryland, or on the east coast in general, so this is new territory for us!

[kjg1963]

Try Laurel. Lots of options here. Not a bad place overall. Probably can get a nice rental in your price range. The commute to U of M is easy. Not so much to see and do in Laurel, but its halfway between Baltimore and DC. We're within a 1 or 2 hour drive to the mountains or the ocean (Maryland's not that big). Laurel also is in 4 counties, PG, Howard, Anne Arundel, and a tiny piece of Montgomery. Some people prefer certain counties over others. Here, you can pick and choose which one all within the same town.

[mitomd]

Thanks for the advice...I was actually looking for awhile at Laurel and Columbia (both seem like really nice places), but after reading around at other posts, it seemed like people were saying that's a horrible commute to D.C., which I assumed meant it would be a horrible commute to College Park as well. How much time do you think a commute from Laurel or Columbia to College Park would be in the morning?

[newhart]

How much time do you think a commute from Laurel or Columbia to College Park would be in the morning?

I drove my son down to College Park every morning for a couple of months last summer and I live just north of Columbia. We would leave around 7:30 and usually took Rt 29 => Rt 32 => I-95. Depending on traffic, the drive took from 35 minutes to 1 hour, with the average being about 45 minutes. There might be one day a week with no traffic issues at all, and maybe 2 days with major delays. Keep in mind, I was just dropping him off at a door so there was no parking time involved. It's pretty common for traffic on southbound I-95 to be backed up a couple of miles from the I-495 split in the morning. Northbound afternoon traffic is usually better.

[kjg1963]

I commute to Silver Spring. I only work 14 miles from home. One day it may only take me 15 minutes another day it can be an hour. There seems to be no consistency in my commute time, so I can't give you a concrete answer. College Park is about the same distance and I do know that with no traffic, I can get to the University in about 15-20 minutes. I don't know how bad Route 1 is during rush hour since it leads into DC. There are lots of back ways you could go also. You might have to deal with a commute unless you want to live near College Park. I personally wouldn't want to live around there, but that's only my opinion. If you did, however, the reverse commute to Laurel would probably be a breeze.

[laurelengineer]

Why not choose to split the difference? Try greenbelt or beltsville. The neighborhoods differ greatly in terms of layout, housing types, zoning, safety levels, retail convenience, etc . So, you should be able to find a neighborhood that is what you are looking for. Best of all, both of you will have easy commutes, which translates into more family time and less stress (and less lbs around the waistline). Pretty tough to put a price on that!

[emsgoof]

Agree with Laurelengineer. I know you said you didn't want to live in College Park, but there are several communities just north of the University that are quiet, and very nice.
Berwyn Heights, Greenbelt, Beltsville, Glenn Dale are all nice.
Stay away from the apartments over in Springhill Lake. If you're interested in an apartment, try Westchester Park. There is even a university shuttle bus route that stops right at the apartment complex, so there's no need to drive to campus. A straight shot up 201 to Laurel within 15-20 minutes (depending on what part of Laurel and traffic lights, of course). Convenient access to both the Greenbelt and College Park metro stations, easy access to I-495 and I-95, MARC trains at College Park, there's a lot to offer there.

[lscalder]

I do agree with the other posters about Greenbelt,Beltsville area which are both close to college park and are both nice areas.

[drmarshall]

Dear Mitomd,
I am also originally from Michigan and currently reside in University Park, MD. I know that you indicated that you do not want to move to College Park; however, you may want to consider University Park (UP). The neighborhood is approximately 1 mile from campus and is easily accessible to Laurel. The nice part about commuting to Laurel from UP is that it is a reverse commute (all the traffic goes in the opposite direction assuming normal day time working hours). Most of the residents are Univ. of MD professors (including my husband) and other professionals. It really is a nice neighborhood nestled in Prince George's County. We have our own town mayor, municipal services and our own police department! I hope this helps.

By the way get ready for sticker shock coming from Michigan!

Best wishes on your move.

[mitomd]

Originally Posted by drmarshall

By the way get ready for sticker shock coming from Michigan!

drmarshall,

Thanks for the advice...I'm definitely used to sticker shock after living in Los Angeles for awhile! Part of the reason I turned down a job there. I figure I'd be spending way too much to live in either place, but at least I can get a yard and clean air to breathe in Maryland!

I will check out University Park...sounds like a nice place!