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We are planning a move to Baltimore for 1-2 years beginning this summer. We are a family with two young kids (ages 3 and 5) and a 70 lb dog. I have started to narrow the list of possible neighborhoods/communities based on information I got on this forum. We are looking to lease a home (since we'll only be in Baltimore for 1-2 years) in a safe family-oriented neighborhood with good schools. Bonuses would be a place with a community spirit and preferably a bit of diversity/character. As I look further into some of the areas already mentionedto me, I'm wondering if anyone can suggest areas WITHIN each that are more vs. less desirable.
1) That is, are there particular elementary schools to seek vs. some to avoid within the communities listed below ? Are there particular zip codes to seek vs. some to avoid within the communities listed below ? Are there particular streets, subdivisions to see vs. some to avoid within the communities listed below ?
*Lutherville
*Towson (definitely some differences of opinion on this one)!
*Rodgers Forge
*Anneslie
*Stoneleigh
*Mt. Washington
*White Marsh
2) Also, what is the distinction/difference between Lutherville and Timonium ? it seems like most people mention them together as if they are one thing ?
3) In terms of traffic, which is worse - 83 or 95 into the city ? Lutherville is on the light rail, and that seems like a bonus. My husband is generally very comfortable using public transportation as we are originally from Boston and used to do it all the time. In Atlanta, we hardly every do, since it doesn't go most places we want to go and since I once got mugged on the subway here.
I'm so far thinking that Cockeysville, Hunt Valley, and Kingsville might be a bit too far into the burbs for my husband's commute. He really wants to keep it to a minimum! For the time being, I've ruled out Cedar Croft because on the map it looked like it was still within the city limits....when it was just the two of us, I might have gone for it, but with 4 of us, we've succumbed to more town/suburban living!
Thanks again for all the insight! The help I'm getting here is leading me to think I should log in to the forums on Atlanta and Boston and help others who are moving to those areas since I can lend insights there !
Mt Washington is in the city of Baltimore. However, there is a really good grade school in their neighborhood that many use. It is part of the Baltimore Public Schools and is consistently noted for being a great school. I have friends living there with three elementary aged children and they love the school. If you were to stay here longer, your middle school choices are not good in the city.
White Marsh is out 95 going northeast toward Philadelphia. It is a traffic nightmare. I don't know how folks do it but I avoid using it especially during rush hour.
I am not familiar with the other locations. I am pretty sure Lutherville is north of town. that entire area tends to blend in a bit with strip malls and lots of lights on York Road that can be a traffic nightmare at times. Being on the light rail line is great and many use it. So, if your husband is used to commuting, it will be fine. Our mass transit is nowhere near as nice as Bostons. I should warn you about that.
I have also heard mixed reviews about Towson. Some love it and some are disatisfied and want to move from it. I think it depends on what part of Towson you are looking in.
My own personal opinion would be that 83 would be easier than 95. If 83 gets jammed, a lot of folks take Falls Road.
Towson is great, but you definitely want to be in the 21204 zip code and not the 21286 zip code. 21286 schools are not nearly as good as there are some distressed areas that feed into its schools. Any of the neighborhoods you've identified in Towson are safe bets.
There isn't much of a difference between Lutherville, Timonium, or Lutherville-Timonium. They're all in the same zip, all have great schools and neighborhoods. The only ones who really care are the ones who have McMansions or other large estates, they are mostly in Lutherville proper. Timonium proper (as far as I know) is off York Road, and as other have probably pointed out to you, means traffic and more people and less open spaces. It borders up to 695 as well. Cockeysville is very hit or miss - there are some very exclusive parts and there are some areas where there is public housing. Unless you have an experienced realtor showing you around, I'd stay away.
If I were looking in 21093, I'd try to stay on the western side of I83 between 83 and Falls Road...less traffic, less apartments, and more convenient to 83 and 695. Check into the Mays Chapel area. There are lots of housing options thereabouts. It's as nice or nicer as the good parts of Cockeysville, Hunt Valley, and Kingsville, and it's closer to everything including the light rail.
If you're only going to be here 1-2 years, absolutely avoid White Marsh, Perry Hall, and Nottingham. 95 and 695 are going under major renovations and it's going to be getting worse the whole time you are here. Likewise, they are redistricting schools to accommodate growth and the county is in a battle over the new district lines because they're feeding all the lesser income, less pleasant areas into a single new school.
And on a final very subjective note, public transportation in Baltimore has its share of issues, especially lately. With the police under duress (working hard, not being compensated, etc etc etc do a search on the baltimore sun to read more) crime is on the uptick and there's not much that can be done about. There's been assaults and murders on city buses, and from anecdotal experience the light rail is no safer. I'd consider driving even if it means traffic.
I don't wonder about mass transit. I use mass transit in Baltimore and so do a lot of other people who commute to work. It has it's share of issues and it definitely has room for improvement. But, I use it DAILY and have never had an issue. I am a white guy who dresses up for work and have I repeat, never a problem. If some of you who wonder about it actually use it during the day, you will see that many people are on it. Now, with all that said, would I use it at night, let's say after 7 or so? The answer is no. I just don't. I hope I could someday but I must admit I am leary of it after the crowds leave town from work. It is probably silly of me to feel that way but I am being honest.
And.... for all of those naive folks who think Baltimore is the only city with issues regarding safety on mass transit, I have also lived in Boston and won't bother you with some of the problems that occured on it. I was also chased to my car while getting off the orange line in DC a few years back. So... all cities have issues with mass transit but using it during the day in Baltimore??? no biggy.
Well, i spent the first 10 years of my life in Anneslie. it was a fabulous place to live, very family oriented, we always felt safe there. plenty of families and my mom still keeps in touch with the moms of the kids i was in play group with 20 years later. and being in anneslie even today, it's a wonderful neighborhood. imo, very desireable but i'm a little biased . your kids would be zoned for stoneleigh elementary school - which is a very good school. obviously, if you choose to live in stoneleigh, you would also be zoned for that elementary school. stoneleigh is more expensive than anneslie usually but it's gorgeous. rodgers forge is across york rd from anneslie and stoneleigh, if you want to rent a house they'll probably be smaller (more townhomes there) but same feel as anneslie and stoneleigh. my brother went to middle school at dumbarton when we lived in anneslie (which is in rodgers forge). he walked there - no problems. we moved from there to towson in the 21286 zip code. i don't agree with trickymost telling you to stay out of that zip code, we lived in a great neighborhood, very private, all dead end streets. we could play in the streets all day with no problems whatsoever. check which school your kids would go to and then decide if that school is for you. when we moved i went to hampton elementary school, which was pretty good as well. i went to middle school in lutherville/timonium area - you are correct, they are basically the same area. you won't be able to tell when you go from one to the other. definitely more suburban, strip malls etc but a nice area. it will be family oriented, but as for character, i don't know if it will really fill the bill on that one. generally good schools. mt. washington is indeed in the city, but has a good school. and it pretty much straddles the county line, it's close to 83 (when i lived in towson i took 83 to work and it was pretty decent) and if you are close to the "center" of mt.washington there are a couple places to eat and shop - almost looks like a small town in baltimore city. whitemarsh is the only area i haven't lived and/or gone to school in so i can't tell you much about the area except what i know from the mall and avenue. there is definitely construction going on on 95/695 and every morning on the news it looks like a parking lot (not to say other parts don't look that way as well). check wbaltv.com and look at their traffic reports during the morning rush hour time and you'll see where it's bad. i would recommend any one of the places i have lived in as being a good, family oriented place.
I agree with the person above. There are wonderful neighborhoods in 21286, especially near Loch Raven Reservoir.
And if you are considering Mount Washington, there's no need to write off Cedarcroft. Cedarcroft feeds into the Roland Park elementary school, which is easily the best regarded elementary/middle school in the city and quite comparable to Stoneleigh/Dumbarton. In the heart of Cedarcroft, on Bellona Avenue, is a wonderful drugstore with a terribly old-fashioned lunch counter that prepares the classic grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, tuna salad, and flavored sodas and ice creams. Next to it is a good wine store. Cedarcroft houses are comparable to Stoneleigh and bigger than those in Anneslie.
However, I do need to emphasize this: you should plan to visit Baltimore. Once you have your travel arrangements ready, come back here and we'll give you directions and names of neighborhoods to consider.
Meanwhile, here's a quick snapshot of each neighborhood, courtesy of Windows local live.
For CEDARCROFT, type in 305 Cedarcroft Road, Baltimore, MD, 21212
Make sure you check on "Bird's eye view"
ANNESLIE-across York Road and north of Cedarcroft
500 Anneslie Road, Baltimore, MD, 21212
STONELEIGH-just to the north of Anneslie
600 Kingston Road, Baltimore, MD, 21212
RODGER'S FORGE: Across York Road from Stoneleigh
300 Murdoch Road, Baltimore, MD, 21212
WEST TOWSON:
600 WEST CHESAPEAKE AVENUE, TOWSON, MD, 21204
MOUNT WASHINGTON:
2206 South Road, Baltimore, MD, 21209
Quote:
Originally Posted by busymama
We are planning a move to Baltimore for 1-2 years beginning this summer. We are a family with two young kids (ages 3 and 5) and a 70 lb dog. I have started to narrow the list of possible neighborhoods/communities based on information I got on this forum. We are looking to lease a home (since we'll only be in Baltimore for 1-2 years) in a safe family-oriented neighborhood with good schools. Bonuses would be a place with a community spirit and preferably a bit of diversity/character. As I look further into some of the areas already mentionedto me, I'm wondering if anyone can suggest areas WITHIN each that are more vs. less desirable.
1) That is, are there particular elementary schools to seek vs. some to avoid within the communities listed below ? Are there particular zip codes to seek vs. some to avoid within the communities listed below ? Are there particular streets, subdivisions to see vs. some to avoid within the communities listed below ?
*Lutherville
*Towson (definitely some differences of opinion on this one)!
*Rodgers Forge
*Anneslie
*Stoneleigh
*Mt. Washington
*White Marsh
2) Also, what is the distinction/difference between Lutherville and Timonium ? it seems like most people mention them together as if they are one thing ?
3) In terms of traffic, which is worse - 83 or 95 into the city ? Lutherville is on the light rail, and that seems like a bonus. My husband is generally very comfortable using public transportation as we are originally from Boston and used to do it all the time. In Atlanta, we hardly every do, since it doesn't go most places we want to go and since I once got mugged on the subway here.
I'm so far thinking that Cockeysville, Hunt Valley, and Kingsville might be a bit too far into the burbs for my husband's commute. He really wants to keep it to a minimum! For the time being, I've ruled out Cedar Croft because on the map it looked like it was still within the city limits....when it was just the two of us, I might have gone for it, but with 4 of us, we've succumbed to more town/suburban living!
Thanks again for all the insight! The help I'm getting here is leading me to think I should log in to the forums on Atlanta and Boston and help others who are moving to those areas since I can lend insights there !
Location: Pigtown!! Washington Village Does NOT Exist.
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I think you would really enjoy Mt. Washington. It's in the city, but it has a quaint village feel. Lovely older homes, a great community pool, a few nice shops and restaurants (and a decent hair salon...so important!) -- and it's near the Whole Foods Market.
It's also a very walkable neighborhood...very pretty tree-lined streets, and there's a creek that runs behind where the Whole Foods is located, and a walking trail.
We live in Cheswolde, just north of Mount Washington. We love it here. But there is nothing wrong with Cedarcroft, or lesser known areas east of York Road along Belvedere etc. In fact, you might get a bigger bang for the buck there.
Fantastic - I love hearing about these intown neighborhoods and the character that they have. I lean in that direction, but we have found that, in Atlanta, we had to move to the burbs once we had little kids because we couldn't afford the spots intown that had not only character but also safety, closet space (!!), and great schools. We can afford the safety, closet space, and good schools in the burbs and have had to lose a bit of the character. So I'll definitely have to visit these areas of Baltimore this Spring and see how they feel to me - I know that without kids, I'd go for the intown areas, but Lutherville is at least a nice option to hear about in case we feel like we need to go for the burbs instead. Thanks for the specifics....when we get ready to visit, I'll check in again for more details on specific neighborhoods/streets to see.
And thanks for the input on the public transportation. I felt the same way in Boston, and I think that's true anywhere. There were certain lines that were generally safe and others that were not. There were times of day that I was more comfortable traveling than others. But the perk that Boston had was that the public transportation system went many places so it was quite convenient and also so that many people used it (including college students, families, businessmen, etc.) which contributed to the general safety of it. I know that in Atlanta, it just doesn't go as many places which makes it less convenient for me to use and, likewise, for other families and business people, hence contributing to the safety of the system. I'm glad to hear that it could be an option for us in Baltimore.
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. your kids would be zoned for stoneleigh elementary school - which is a very good school. obviously, if you choose to live in stoneleigh, you would also be zoned for that elementary school. stoneleigh is more expensive than anneslie usually but it's gorgeous. rodgers forge is across york rd from anneslie and stoneleigh, if you want to rent a house they'll probably be smaller (more townhomes there) but same feel as anneslie and stoneleigh. my brother went to middle school at dumbarton when we lived in anneslie (which is in rodgers forge). he walked there - no problems. we moved from there to towson in the 21286 zip code. i don't agree with trickymost telling you to stay out of that zip code, we lived in a great neighborhood, very private, all dead end streets. we could play in the streets all day with no problems whatsoever. check which school your kids would go to and then decide if that school is for you. when we moved i went to hampton elementary school, which was pretty good as well. i went to middle school in lutherville/timonium area - you are correct, they are basically the same area. you won't be able to tell when you go from one to the other. definitely more suburban, strip malls etc but a nice area. it will be family oriented, but as for character, i don't know if it will really fill the bill on that one. generally good schools. mt. washington is indeed in the city, but has a good school. and it pretty much straddles the county line, it's close to 83 (when i lived in towson i took 83 to work and it was pretty decent) and if you are close to the "center" of mt.washington there are a couple places to eat and shop - almost looks like a small town in baltimore city. whitemarsh is the only area i haven't lived and/or gone to school in so i can't tell you much about the area except what i know from the mall and avenue. there is definitely construction going on on 95/695 and every morning on the news it looks like a parking lot (not to say other parts don't look that way as well). check wbaltv.com and look at their traffic reports during the morning rush hour time and you'll see where it's bad. i would recommend any one of the places i have lived in as being a good, family oriented place.
