Moving to Frederick - don't drive. Where to live? (Baltimore: for sale, mortgage)

[barisarius]

My wife, 3 year old son and I are moving to the Frederick area for a job transfer. My wife cannot and does not drive. Is there a decent neighborhood (house price between $350k and $500k) that's not too far from shopping, parks, schools, etc that you can walk to? Public transportation? Any suggestions on neighborhoods? We're also looking for good Montessori schools.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[poisonchild]

I haven't been to Frederick lately but compared to DC and Balto. it's country....lol It's not a bad place to live,much more quiet then the city (Baltimore) and you'll definately find houses in the range you're looking for. If you're looking for a nice house with some land,sort of by itself my brother is going to be putting his on the market in the next few days in Mt Airey not far from Frederick... =)

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

I know someone will have specifics eventually, but most of downtown Frederick seems pretty walkable. The city seems to have done a good job even connecting the big box retailers outisde of town with sidewalks and I know there is a bus - I have seen it.

However since I've only experienced Frederick as a visitor I don't know the details.

[LittleBlackDogs]

Hi! I've lived in the Frederick area for 16 years and I really like it. I hope you do too.

While the public transportation system (bus only) is very basic compared to larger cities, I think you will be able to find something that works for most of the time. Here's a link to the Transit website, which lists the different bus routes. Frederick County, MD - Official Website - TransIT

You should definitely be able to find a nice house in that price range. Downtown Frederick's historic district is charming and within walking distance to Baker Park, shopping, great restaurants, some schools, etc. The main bus transfer area is there, too, so it would be fairly simple to find a bus that goes wherever your wife needs to go.

The Baker Park & Hood College area has lovely homes, just a couple blocks from downtown.

Some other newer neighborhoods a little farther out to consider:
Whittier & other developments off Rosemont Ave.
Spring Ridge
Dearbought
Villages of Urbana, but not sure about how often the bus goes there
(These are all within walking distance to grocery stores and other shopping, and seem kid-friendly).

There is at least one Montesorri school in Frederick but I don't know anything about it.

Good luck with your move!

[htownterp]

I would look downtown or in some of the surrounding neighborhoods.

[cgordon]

Downtown Frederick and most of the areas nearby are eminently walkable. Decent bus lines, though some are a bit convoluted.

Housing prices here are lowest they've been for a while, but some are pointing to a trend that they'll be rising soon.

cg

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by cgordon

Housing prices here are lowest they've been for a while, but some are pointing to a trend that they'll be rising soon.

Don't let this rush you. House prices are still going to fall for a while. Then you'll see a very long period of mediocre price growth. The only people that think they're going to go up are those that make money when they do. It's more of a wish in one hand and sh.. in the other type of thing. See which hand gets filled first.

[sephiro499]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

Don't let this rush you. House prices are still going to fall for a while. Then you'll see a very long period of mediocre price growth. The only people that think they're going to go up are those that make money when they do. It's more of a wish in one hand and sh.. in the other type of thing. See which hand gets filled first.

I agree

The Second Wave of Mortgage Defaults

[edge_gordon]

That said, there are a LOT of For Sale signs, and people tired of putting up new ones when they change realtors.
I walk to my office and on most of my errands, and find the town quite walkable despite imperfect infrastructure (disappearing sidewalks, no walk signals on many sidewalked streets).

[westsideboy]

When did you know the market had peaked? The day prices started to drop.
When do you know the market has hit rock bottom? The day prices start to rise.

Everything else is just crystal ball gazing, albeit some soothe-sayers have better information and instincts than others.