Annapolis, MD vs Doylestown, PA (living, state, better, rates)
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Curious how these two towns compare. Both seem to fit the general criteria of small area (in sq miles), population under 50K, dense, within an hour of a major city, and fairly easy to get into the city (I would be looking at DC in the case of Annapolis, not Baltimore, though if I had to, Johns Hopkins would be where I was going).
Other than that, probably because I grew up in New England, I'm partial to places that have a walkable downtown, i.e., drive there, park your car, walk to eat and shop, get an ice cream, etc. for an afternoon out. Not saying I want to live downtown, but want to be able to drive there easily, park and get out and walk.
I love an "artsy" vibe, and I like a place that has things going on - festivals, concerts, theatre.
Also looking for a place that has other places near to go - Doylestown has New Hope and Lambertville, NJ, and I think a bunch of other smallish cute towns in Bucks County like Newtown, etc.
Not sure what is near to Annapolis. I've been to Annapolis once, but it was LONG ago, so I don't remember it well, just remember liking it. And I used to live in Allentown, PA so have been to Doylestown a few times as well as New Hope and remember liking both but don't remember the particulars of either, and I'm sure all of these have changed, as it was well over 25 years ago.
Just for a general sense of the types of places I like, that - to me - are similar in feel. None of this is based on COL.
Newport, RI
Sonoma, CA
Portsmouth, NH
Newburyport, MA (where I used to live)
Nantucket, MA
Marblehead, MA
Which do you like better and why, and which do you think would be a better fit? Any other suggestions are welcome! Want to stay on the east coast, and avoid New England due to the 52"/year of snow.
Both beautiful areas that I've enjoyed throughout the years. Although based on what you're looking for and your New England upbringing I would say that you'll find Doylestown a rather seamless transition.
Checks all the boxes you're looking for in a smaller bucolic Northeastern suburban area with access to all that Bucks has to offer and Philly and nearby NJ.
Doylestown is very historic and quaint, with the famed 3 cement-constructed Mercer castle/museums, as well as the James Michener home and museum plus several 18th-century inns. Doylestown also has the advantage over Annapolis -- which I also love btw -- in that it is the northern-most terminal of direct SEPTA regional/commuter rail service from Center City Philadelphia (about 30 miles away) and connecting suburbs and farmlands.
One small point in Doylestown's favor, with a couple of caveats:
If you feel like visiting the big city, you won't have to drive there if you don't want to.
SEPTA Regional Rail has a branch that operates between Doylestown and Philadephia, seven days a week.
The caveats: The trip from Doylestown to Center City takes 1:20; add another 9 minutes to get to 30th Street Station in University City. And only every other train on that branch runs to/from Doylestown, which means the trains operate to/from Doylestown only every other hour off-peak. There's hourly service to Lansdale, about a 25-minute drive from Doylestown; subtract 23 minutes from the time above for train travel between Lansdale and Center City.
(Actually, the same applies for travel between Annapolis and either Baltimore or Washington, depending on when you wanted to go, but in these cases, you'd be taking buses. MDOT MTA runs commuter buses to both cities and a local bus between downtown Annapolis and a station on the Central Light Rail Line in suburban Anne Arundel County, where you would transfer to continue to downtown Baltimore. The commuter buses take ~1:15 to get to either downtown but only run at peak commuting hours in the peak commuting direction. The local bus to Patapsco Station takes about 1:15 to get there, then you add the wait and travel time on the Light Rail Link. So it's not as convenient as taking SEPTA Regional Rail.)
Just curious: Why only Johns Hopkins for Baltimore? And are you referring to the campus or the hospital complexr?
Just curious: Why only Johns Hopkins for Baltimore? And are you referring to the campus or the hospital complexr?
Thank you so much!
Johns Hopkins Hospital - if I had to go. I am a breast cancer patient,
and also if anything really serious cropped up (I may need eventual surgery on my spine) then I'd go to Johns Hopkins vs the local hospital in Annapolis.
One small point in Doylestown's favor, with a couple of caveats:
If you feel like visiting the big city, you won't have to drive there if you don't want to.
SEPTA Regional Rail has a branch that operates between Doylestown and Philadephia, seven days a week.
The caveats: The trip from Doylestown to Center City takes 1:20; add another 9 minutes to get to 30th Street Station in University City. And only every other train on that branch runs to/from Doylestown, which means the trains operate to/from Doylestown only every other hour off-peak. There's hourly service to Lansdale, about a 25-minute drive from Doylestown; subtract 23 minutes from the time above for train travel between Lansdale and Center City.
(Actually, the same applies for travel between Annapolis and either Baltimore or Washington, depending on when you wanted to go, but in these cases, you'd be taking buses. MDOT MTA runs commuter buses to both cities and a local bus between downtown Annapolis and a station on the Central Light Rail Line in suburban Anne Arundel County, where you would transfer to continue to downtown Baltimore. The commuter buses take ~1:15 to get to either downtown but only run at peak commuting hours in the peak commuting direction. The local bus to Patapsco Station takes about 1:15 to get there, then you add the wait and travel time on the Light Rail Link. So it's not as convenient as taking SEPTA Regional Rail.)
Just curious: Why only Johns Hopkins for Baltimore? And are you referring to the campus or the hospital complexr?
Johns Hopkins Hospital - if I had to go. I am a breast cancer patient,
and also if anything really serious cropped up (I may need eventual surgery on my spine) then I'd go to Johns Hopkins vs the local hospital in Annapolis.
As an FYI from Doylestown you'd have the Einstein Medical Center or Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center in Philadelphia, or not much further to NYU Langone Medical Center or Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Center in NYC.
It is disappointing that Annapolis, a great, historic, unique (narrow streets/highly walkable in the old quarter), and beautiful tourist city -- the Maryland State capital no less, is not connected to nearby DC or slightly more distant Baltimore by rail, esp given the huge Metro Rail network of DC and the fact that both DC and Balto are on Amtrak's electrified Northeast Corridor of high-speed trains (including Acela), in addition to the 2 MARC commuter rail lines connecting the 2 cities.
Annapolis represents a major hole in Maryland's otherwise comprehensive rail transit network.
Yes, both seem like great fits to me. Both are small to small-ish cities with walkable, charming downtowns.
I think given that fact, you'd want to consider some other criteria: Is waterfront and/or access to water recreation a top priority? Are you really into fresh seafood and the famous cuisine of the Chesapeake Bay? In which case, Annapolis area would be ideal. Annapolis also has a more substantial city core than does Doylestown, New Hope, etc. It still feels small enough, but the downtown is more robust, which may appeal to you.
In my opinion, Doylestown offers a better balance of amenities. The area has an abundance of bucolic, rolling hill rural beauty. Much of Upper Bucks County hits a sweet spot of access to large metro amenities, while maintaining the charm and beauty of semi-rural living. From what I understand, the Annapolis area is by no means sprawling, but I do believe it is more densely populated than Upper Bucks County.
You'd also want to consider Doylestown's superb access to Center City Philadelphia, about an hour by train or car. NYC is a 1.5 to 2.5 hour drive. Annapolis of course has good access to Baltimore and DC, but as noted by a previous poster, public transit options are not as optimal.
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