Shepherdstown vs. Ranson (Martinsburg, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry: home, college, move)

[UnitedFan]

Would someone please provide a quick comparison between Shepherdstown and Ranson in terms of which of these two locations would you prefer to live/own a home?

My initial impressions, and they're based on minimal exploration, is that Shepherdstown is a quaint college community and Ranson seems to be growing in terms of commerce, etc. and is also next to the race track.

I'm mainly concerned that I'll need to use the MARC to commute into DC so access to the MARC needs to be convenient. Any help would be appreciated.

[7th Direction]

I recently moved to Shepherdstown. It is only 10 minutes away from the Duffields MARC station. Ranson is also only about 10 minutes away from the Duffields MARC station (coming from the opposite direction on Flowing Springs Rd.). You also have closer access to the Harpers Ferry MARC station in Ranson, however Shepherdstown isn't nestled in the hustle bustle of the Charles Town/US 340 corridor. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. Ranson/Charles Town has a lot of convinient shopping and restaurants, but I could imagine the area getting very overcrowded, very fast. In Shepherdstown, one has to drive at least 10 miles to get to the nearest major shopping center (There is Maddex Square shopping center, which is good for staples- but I find myself going to Ranson, Martinsburg, Frederick or Hagerstown to do the majority of my shopping.)