Moving to MD, where to live w/in 45min to Andrews, DC (Bowie: crime rate)

[fas77]

We are moving to the DC area this fall and are looking at homes in MD and N. Arlington, VA. Obviously we can get a lot more for our money in MD and I prefer the larger lots sizes that seem to come along with MD homes.

Can you please suggest areas/towns to live within a 45 min. commute to Andrews AFB and possibly D.C. (or with public transport to DC, Georgetown area).

We want good school systems, less reduced lunch rates (no PG cty), preferably a bit more rural, although that is not necessary. I have looked at Davidsonville and Edgewater a little bit, but there are dozens of towns on the map and I know nothing about the area. Where else should we look in AA county? Anywhere is Charles county? We would like to keep it below 600k, if possible.

Thanks for your suggestions and opinions.

[PenguinSix]

Calvert County has very good schools. Quite a few AAFB personnel commute from the Northern part of the county to the base (about a 20-30 minute drive), and there are commuter buses into DC from a few places. Quite rural (for MD) and you can get a pretty good plot of land.

Check the cities:

Dunkirk
Owings
Huntingtown
North Beach
Chesapeake Beach
Sunderland

[Robdunkfed]

We have lived in Dunkirk, MD, for 13 years and it has a lot to offer. The schools are highly rated. On the police reports in the local paper Dunkirk is rarely mentioned, and when it is, it's petty. Local shopping for daily living is nearby and convenient. But, for Christmas-type shopping, you have a 30 minute drive to either Annapolis or Bowie. In the Dunkirk town center there is the commuter bus stop (last stop on the inbound route), which makes it convenient for commuting into D.C., for work or for enjoyment. The return bus (first stop in Dunkirk) is one at 12:30 p.m., or every ten minutes starting at 3-3:30 starting from the gov't sector. That bus ride is one hour normally, or 90 mins on bad days. There are multiple choices for good pre-school centers, with Kids Campus in the town center being among the best. Many AAFB families have chosen Dunkirk because the commute (via Rt 4) is 20-30 minutes, and Calvert County provides the only choice for a "rural" environment full of bedroom communities / developments. PG County, which surrounds AAFB has poor schools, and the crime rate is significant. But Calvert offers the peaceful lifestyle, with many church-based social communities. Yes, when there is an accident on Rt. 4, the commute is longer, but otherwise it's a tree-lined road all the way from the base to Calvert County. Housing prices are representative of the entire metro area. By the way, the drive to DC is one hour, unless affected by bad weather or an accident - just like everywhere else. Hope this is helpful !