Can anyone tell me more about Towson? (Baltimore, Catonsville: rentals, how much)

[Mom-of-two-tots]

I'm in the beginning stages of researching suburbs of Baltimore, and heard that Towson is a nice place to live if you have a family with small children. (I have two toddlers).

We will be relocating there this summer for my husband's job at Johns Hopkins hospital. We've never lived in the city and are more comfortable in a suburb-type of community with lots of kid-friendly places, grassy parks, playgrounds, and shopping centers.

We will only be there a year or two, so we're not looking to buy a home, just rent.

If you live or know about Towson or other areas within roughly 15 miles from the hospital, I'd love to hear your input! (Likes/dislikes, is it kid-friendly, do we need a gated community, commute/traffic, safety issues...)

Thank you!!

[jonjj]

It's a typical suburb. You will be fine.

[davecj]

It's a nice area but is pretty pricey. Homes on average start in the mid 200s and rentals can get pretty steep as well. The nightlife is great and there's lots of shopping however depending on where you are off York Rd, Towson University is there and the kids are pretty loud.

You may want to look in the adjoining areas as well in Catonsville, Timonium, Lutherville and the Dulaney area.

[Tallybalt]

I am not sure what Jonjii means when he calls Towson a typical suburb. Towson is different from Owings Mills and White Marsh, although all three are established Baltimore suburbs, and all three are types of suburbs found across America.

I don't know where you are coming from so I can't compare Towson to a specific suburb in your home city, but this is what I will say about Towson:

Towson is an established, older Baltimore city suburb with the original core of the historic town of Towson at its nucleus. Neighborhoods range from Ruxton with multi-million dollar properties to the modest rowhouses of East Towson and Loch Raven village. Most of the housing stock will have been built before the 1960s and range from graceful prewar colonials to split levels on tree-lined streets.

In general, Towson is an affluent region and the Towsontown Mall is the largest and most upscale mall in the Baltimore vicinity. Towson has a Trader Joe's a few designer boutiques and most of the large big-box retailers can be found in Towson or a few minutes further afield along the York Road corridor (which begins in Towson).

Towson is a largely white area although it has a large minority population of both African Americans and Asians. The political tone is moderately Democratic, with most residents having a college degree or advanced degrees.

The Towson schools are among the best in Baltimore County, particularly Stoneleigh Elementary, Dumbarton Middle and Towson High. Despite this many people still send their children to private prep and Catholic schools.

To answer your question, Towson is a pleasant place to live. Neighborhoods in Towson I can recommend are Stoneleigh, Rodgers Forge, West Towson and Anneslie. These are found between the Towson core and the Baltimore city border, alongside the city's most expensive neighborhoods. Ruxton is very high-end and really forms its own community although it does have a Towson mailing address.

North of Towson are numerous 1950s split level neighborhoods that flow into Timonium/Lutherville. The schools are also excellent, and depending on where you live, feed into Towson High or Dulaney Valley High.

If you are looking for a newer house, say a typical five-bedroom colonial on a 1/3 acre lot, you will need to look into Cockeysville, Timonium and Hunt Valley, all north of Towson.

[jonjj]

You wrote exactly what I meant. Thank you!

"I am not sure what Jonjii means when he calls Towson a typical suburb. Towson is different from Owings Mills and White Marsh, although all three are established Baltimore suburbs, and all three are types of suburbs found across America."

[eatyourmakeup]

I lived in Towson for four years during college. I'm normally not one for suburban life (i was born and raised in nyc) but I was surprised by how much Towson had to offer. Most everything I wanted was either within walking distance or a five minute drive. Towson has a couple of book stores, a comic book store, cd stores, a nice sized mall, funky clothing stores, trader joes AND a health food collective, great places to eat etc. So in terms of shopping, you are set. Loch Raven Reservoir is beautiful and very close. During the warmer seasons lots of families go there to play, fish etc. The only real problem I had with Towson was that it was not bike or pedestrian friendly, but I guess that comes with suburb living.