Commute from Calvert County to DC (Baltimore, Frederick: power lines, crime rate, neighborhoods)

[gregt94]

Hi there,
I am moving with my family to take a job in Washington, DC.
I've looked around for great schools and affordable housing and as much as I started in Montgomery County, I ended up finding Calvert County (especially Huntington HS and Northern HS).

Two questions:
1. What is the commute like into and out of DC? I've seen people say they do it but I need a larger sample size.

2. What are the activities teenagers get to do for fun in that area?

3. Are there other comparable areas (schools and housing costs) that I haven't found yet?

Thank you!

[spencgr]

Terrible commute.

Where in DC is the job? Also what are you looking to pay for housing, and what do you expect to get for that amount?

[gregt94]

The job is downtown DC, near the white house.

400K +/- for the housing.

[G1..]

Originally Posted by gregt94

Hi there,
I am moving with my family to take a job in Washington, DC.
I've looked around for great schools and affordable housing and as much as I started in Montgomery County, I ended up finding Calvert County (especially Huntington HS and Northern HS).

Two questions:
1. What is the commute like into and out of DC? I've seen people say they do it but I need a larger sample size.

2. What are the activities teenagers get to do for fun in that area?

3. Are there other comparable areas (schools and housing costs) that I haven't found yet?

Thank you!

You might want to send a PM to this poster,he is a former Teacher and knows all about the County.

North Beach Person

[Violet654]

Originally Posted by gregt94

Hi there,
I am moving with my family to take a job in Washington, DC.
I've looked around for great schools and affordable housing and as much as I started in Montgomery County, I ended up finding Calvert County (especially Huntington HS and Northern HS).

Two questions:
1. What is the commute like into and out of DC? I've seen people say they do it but I need a larger sample size.

2. What are the activities teenagers get to do for fun in that area?

3. Are there other comparable areas (schools and housing costs) that I haven't found yet?

Thank you!

I've done the commute and it doable but very draining after a while. They have a reliable bus system (Keller Transportation) that has pickups/drop-offs in the Dunkirk and Sunderland areas which are close to both Northern and Huntington. This will take you close to where you work as they have several drop-off locations in DC especially around where you work as that's a very popular destination. I advise taking the bus if possible just so you don't have to deal with the terrible traffic behind the wheel yourself. You could drive to Suitland and take the metro but that takes just as long as driving and the metro is unreliable, though it has gotten better in recent years I will admit. Driving in on Fridays isn't as bad because due to some government employees schedules but regardless it is an exhausting commute if you drive or metro which is why I am very pro-bus. They also have a wide variety of hours they leave so just check out the website to see if it is conducive to your work schedule.

Northern HS and Huntington HS both have excellent reputations and are great schools with great surrounding neighborhoods so you can't go wrong with either. The Dunkirk area is getting a little bit built up and I imagine to be a little more expensive than the Huntington area but this is just speculation. You can't go wrong with either IMO. As far as activities for teenagers to do, admittedly since these are more rural areas, most teenagers go outside of th County to do things such as going to Bowie and Annapolis for their malls etc. Waldorf isn't too far and DC, Baltimore, aren't either. As I said, Dunkirk is growing so there are some more stores there now. Huntington is minutes away from Prince Frederick which also offers a bit more to do but I advise against living down there because traffic can be a pain especially with all of the latest construction their doing. Although, the construction, should ultimately alleviate the traffic in the long run. To be honest, there isn't a whole heck of a lot of things to do for teenagers but if you like the outdoors then you can check out some great parks such as Calvert Cliffs or Jefferson Patterson or head down to Solomons which is beautiful and offers a lot. Chesapeake and North Beach are also very nice to explore as well.

As far as other comparable areas, I really like the Southern part of Calvert such as St. Leonard, Broomes Island, Port Republic, Solomons etc but that does make your commute longer which isn't ideal. The schools are still good, they don't have as strong of a reputation as they do at the Northern end of the County but they are definitely still good. St. Mary's is lovely but again, that's getting farther away from DC. Anne Arundel County has some really nice areas worth looking into especially outside of Annapolis and the schools are good there as well. Certain areas are cheaper than others but I'd recommend Anne Arundel as well. I'd avoid Waldorf and most of Charles County to be honest. Unfortunately, its gone downhill and while there are still some nice parts such as La Plata and Hughesville, I think most of the County has gotten to built up and has gotten very overcrowded. I'd also avoid PG County for similar reasons though every County as its positives and negatives.

I hope that helped a little bit. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

[North Beach Person]

Hundreds (thousands?) of Calvert residents drive into or take the bus to DC and its environs daily (roughly 2/3 of County residents work outside it so it is a bedroom community). As mentioned, the commute can be draining, especially if something ties up RTE 4, the only road into the County, or the weather is bad.

The County is still fairly rural so you will still run into farm equipment, dust, smells, etc. that tie into agriculture, especially off the main roads. The County does have a Right to Farm law which you have to acknowledge as part of your closing if you buy a house.

Hunting is also a fairly common activity so you'll see people with guns and camouflage occasionally (early goose season starts this Saturday). If you live near the Bay or Patuxent you'll also see watermen pulling crab pots or trotlining in the summer and oystering now. Also pound nets for fishing.

Like most places teen activities circle around the schools. There is a fairly defined "party culture" for teens in Calvert.

The crime rate is low but there are problems with opioids that mirrors the nation. Much of the theft issues are centered in Dunkirk and Prince Frederick and the retail stores there. Many of the perpetrators come down RTE 4 from elsewhere and beat feet out of the County when finished.

Outside the Towns and Town Centers you will be on a well and septic. Actually that's most of the County. Even Dunkirk is on well and septic. The residents are afraid central water and sewer, even though their wells and septic systems have begun to fail, will bring in the "wrong people". That's translated as Blacks and Hispanics, by the way.

[slowlane3]

The MD commuter busses from Calvert County are much more doable if your job is near Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, or L'Enfant Plaza.

On the other hand, if your job is near the White House, your commute will be MUCH longer, due to all the additional red lights and stops the bus makes.

The schedules are on this website https://mta.maryland.gov/commuter-bus-route-listing , with Calvert County routes being 830, 840, and 850, listed at the bottom. Last week, I was able to click on the name of each route and see the detailed timetable with exact times. However, today I don't seem able to do that - can you??

You can also register, for free, for ride-sharing carpools or vanpools on this site http://www.commuterconnections.org

[Violet654]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

The MD commuter busses from Calvert County are much more doable if your job is near Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, or L'Enfant Plaza.

On the other hand, if your job is near the White House, your commute will be MUCH longer, due to all the additional red lights and stops the bus makes.

The schedules are on this website https://mta.maryland.gov/commuter-bus-route-listing , with Calvert County routes being 830, 840, and 850, listed at the bottom. Last week, I was able to click on the name of each route and see the detailed timetable with exact times. However, today I don't seem able to do that - can you??

You can also register, for free, for ride-sharing carpools or vanpools on this site Commuter Connections

Here are the specific timetables for the bus routes you might be interested in: http://kellerbus.com/schedules/850.pdf
http://kellerbus.com/schedules/830.pdf and http://kellerbus.com/schedules/840.pdf

[North Beach Person]

Traffic example from today:
RTE 4 was closed below Dunkirk in both directions due to downed power lines. That meant that northbound traffic had to divert to mostly back roads which, except for RTE 2, are narrow, winding and unable to carry the traffic load.

Fortunately the northbound lanes reopened just before the main clot of commuters were leaving but there were still miles long back ups and slow traffic.

[bus man]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

The residents are afraid central water and sewer, even though their wells and septic systems have begun to fail, will bring in the "wrong people". That's translated as Blacks and Hispanics, by the way.

I must admit, this is the first time I have ever heard any correlation between the provision of public water and sewer service with the drawing in of the "wrong people."