Reasonable DC Burbs (Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, College Park: townhomes, neighborhoods, college)

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by SethGrayson

University Park is a tree-laden zone of SFHs in a county where stores and "necessary services" are scattershot outside of the town's borders. Yes, there is PG Plaza nearby, a Whole foods, etc. But it is in a disorganized manner that sends you in multiple directions. It's also too expensive as there are no 500k or lower houses, at least on Redfin.

The property taxes can also be brutal if you don't qualify for tax credits, as the PG county taxes are high and they are double because the municipality charges their own tax.

Based on my travels(Craigslist free ads), Chesapeake Beach is a nice place aesthetically although it will be missing a few things because it is a tad far out.

No Whole Foods.
No Trader Joe's.
No ethnic cuisine except Italian and Mexican.
No constant festivals and events.
More Republicans than Democrats (which is a major change from 40 years ago).
Too many ugly workboats on the Bay.
No cutting edge boutiques.
Not enough deference paid to the important people moving here to uplift the area.

The last really pisses off a lot of people and they end up leaving within a few years.

[newcitynewme]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

No Whole Foods.
No Trader Joe's.
No ethnic cuisine except Italian and Mexican.
No constant festivals and events.
More Republicans than Democrats (which is a major change from 40 years ago).
Too many ugly workboats on the Bay.
No cutting edge boutiques.
Not enough deference paid to the important people moving here to uplift the area.

The last really pisses off a lot of people and they end up leaving within a few years.

Does everything you mentioned go for all of Calvert County? Or just for Chesapeake Beach?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by newcitynewme

Does everything you mentioned go for all of Calvert County? Or just for Chesapeake Beach?

Both Beaches, Solomon's, Dunkirk, Huntingtown, Prince Frederick. So yes. Calvert is still a rural County notwithstanding its inclusion in the DC MSA.

The big whine right now, and has been, that there's no Home Depot/Lowe's although there is one family with multiple hardware outlets as well as smaller independents. Neither will locate here because the County doesn't meet either company's profile even with the high median income.

That and "nothing to do" and "not enough restaurants". The latter was interpreted to mean, over the last couple decades to mean "bring in chains". Then people ***** about the chain restaurants but won't go to a locally owned one because-----it's not a chain.

[macalan]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Frederick City is far more diverse than Newburyport in population demographics, not sure about cosmopolitan though. How are you defining that term?

Frederick County has large rural sections, but Frederick City is its own animal, connected by interstates directly to other more populated areas closer in towards D.C. and Baltimore. The city itself doesn't have a rural feel, more exurban/suburban and isn't that far out. It is only 30 miles or so away from those "inner ring" suburbs that seem a bit out of your price range.

It won't take 2 hours to get to D.C. from Frederick, but it probably over an hour to get to any destination there though. I will let posters who do that commute more regularly answer that one.

Thanks for the info.

What I mean by cosmopolitan is people who have had exposure to a lot of different people and things, are educated and open to different ways and ideas of doing things. They are free from local and provincial ideas or prejudices and are at ease with all different kinds of people from many different places.

[macalan]

Originally Posted by kjg1963

I pulled up town homes for sale in Annapolis and I am seeing quite a few below $500,000 with most in the $300's. Unfortunately, there is a "good" Annapolis and a "bad" Annapolis so more research would be needed.


As for Frederick, it would probably have all the amenities you are looking for. My son just sold his town home (3 bed / 2.5 bath) in Frederick for $369,000. It was in a desirable area and was really quite a spacious, lovely, and fairly new home.



I think your purchasing price is doable but your rental cap might be a too low for what you are looking for. Even just two bedroom apartments are running around $1,800 (in nicer areas with more amenities).

Our rental budget is $2,000 for a 2BR apartment or even a larger 1BR apartment.

[newcitynewme]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Both Beaches, Solomon's, Dunkirk, Huntingtown, Prince Frederick. So yes. Calvert is still a rural County notwithstanding its inclusion in the DC MSA.

The big whine right now, and has been, that there's no Home Depot/Lowe's although there is one family with multiple hardware outlets as well as smaller independents. Neither will locate here because the County doesn't meet either company's profile even with the high median income.

That and "nothing to do" and "not enough restaurants". The latter was interpreted to mean, over the last couple decades to mean "bring in chains". Then people ***** about the chain restaurants but won't go to a locally owned one because-----it's not a chain.

That's interesting. Thanks for the info. Is that there's a lot of cheap housing down there like apartments and some houses? Also, I heard that crime has been picking up down there in Calvert County. Do you feel that is the case? For instance, there was a drive-by in Lusby last month and a home invasion in Dunkirk this past December.

Police Investigating Drive-By Shooting in Lusby:
https://southernmarylandchronicle.co...ting-in-lusby/

UPDATE: Video Added, Police Seeking Identity of Two Suspects After Home Invasion with Shooting in Dunkirk:
https://smnewsnet.com/archives/48491...ng-in-dunkirk/

There's also a petition for against these apartments being built in Lusby where there a couple of comments that mention high crime in southern md:
https://www.change.org/p/calvert-cou...d-lusby-villas

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by newcitynewme

That's interesting. Thanks for the info. Is that there's a lot of cheap housing down there like apartments and some houses? Also, I heard that crime has been picking up down there in Calvert County. Do you feel that is the case? For instance, there was a drive-by in Lusby last month and a home invasion in Dunkirk this past December.

Police Investigating Drive-By Shooting in Lusby:
https://southernmarylandchronicle.co...ting-in-lusby/

UPDATE: Video Added, Police Seeking Identity of Two Suspects After Home Invasion with Shooting in Dunkirk:
https://smnewsnet.com/archives/48491...ng-in-dunkirk/

There's also a petition for against these apartments being built in Lusby where there a couple of comments that mention high crime in southern md:
https://www.change.org/p/calvert-cou...d-lusby-villas

The first one was a neighborhood issue circling around drugs and a party.

The second was an attempted drug rip off done by known people.

The last is the reaction setting in from the current and previous Board of Commissioners trashing the managed growth plan the County has been operating under since the 1980s. Added to that is the development of "workforce" apartments in Prince Frederick which are slated to be heavily subsidized.

The "crime rate increase" is overstated by those people. In Lusby the crime is driven by locals. In Dunkirk and Prince Frederick much of it is committed by those who come down the Robber's Highway (Route 4) from closer in suburbs.

The major issue right now is people upset that the alligator living in the Ranch Club lakes was killed.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/maryland...chesapeake-bay

Then there was the outrage when Bobby Nutwell killed an emu a number of years ago.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Nqxzf37Kg

[newcitynewme]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

The first one was a neighborhood issue circling around drugs and a party.

The second was an attempted drug rip off done by known people.

The last is the reaction setting in from the current and previous Board of Commissioners trashing the managed growth plan the County has been operating under since the 1980s. Added to that is the development of "workforce" apartments in Prince Frederick which are slated to be heavily subsidized.

The "crime rate increase" is overstated by those people. In Lusby the crime is driven by locals. In Dunkirk and Prince Frederick much of it is committed by those who come down the Robber's Highway (Route 4) from closer in suburbs.

The major issue right now is people upset that the alligator living in the Ranch Club lakes was killed.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/maryland...chesapeake-bay

Then there was the outrage when Bobby Nutwell killed an emu a number of years ago.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Nqxzf37Kg

Thanks for the info. Again, it all seems very interesting. Calvert County seems charming yet a little backwoodsy. lol It's the one county that seems to be off doing it's thing in which you don't hear a lot that's going on compared to the other counties.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by macalan

What I mean by cosmopolitan is people who have had exposure to a lot of different people and things, are educated and open to different ways and ideas of doing things. They are free from local and provincial ideas or prejudices and are at ease with all different kinds of people from many different places.

I would say Montgomery and Howard Counties are the 2 most cosmopolitan in Maryland.

Home prices are somewhat expensive, but you should be able to find a 1500 square foot home for less than $500k outside of the most expensive suburbs. Townhomes are more likely, but there are ranches in many areas that were built 50+ years ago.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by macalan

Thanks for the info.

What I mean by cosmopolitan is people who have had exposure to a lot of different people and things, are educated and open to different ways and ideas of doing things. They are free from local and provincial ideas or prejudices and are at ease with all different kinds of people from many different places.

I'd recommend as close to D.C. as you can afford in Montgomery County if "no provincials" is the feel you are going for.