Neighborhood for mixed race family (Baltimore, Columbia: crime, how much, home search)

[bv1]

We are planning to move somewhere in the Baltimore suburbs. We are a mixed race family and worried about getting the right area for our children (safe, not racist). In addition, our son is dyslexic and has ADHD so the quality of the public schools is very important to us. The only suburb we have visited is Towson which seemed nice, but it's impossible to judge from a short visit. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Bong477]

I don't think racism is a huge issue here, more so than anywhere else on the east coast at least. There is however a lot of inner city black poverty and the associated problems of crime and drugs. I don't think being a mixed race couple is all that relevant to your home search... the nice areas are still the nice areas. There's plenty of information on neighborhoods in this forum, depends on what you are looking for and most importantly how much money you've got to spend.

The public schools in the city are bad in general... that shouldn't come as a shock to anybody. From what I'm told there are good alternative options in the city like charter schools and private schools but I don't know details. Howard county schools are very well regarded in general. Ann Arundel County & Baltimore County have both good and not so good schools... much more of a mixed bag.

[SmokeyLisa]

You will be fine in most places but if you want a town that is use to mixed raced families then check out Howard County - Columbia and Ellicott City.