Southern California Native -- Job is moving to Frederick, Maryland (Baltimore: apartment, rent)

[Jbao]

I just had a bomb dropped on me that my brand is relocating over to Maryland. I'm from so-cal; born and raised. I'm a 26-yo young professional male of asian decent -- what should I expect here? I assume there aren't too many of us in Frederick, MD in comparison to southern california (hollywood, currently, to be precise).

I've been talking to a few people and they're suggesting areas closer to DC or inside of Baltimore. I've heard Rockville, Bethesda, and similar.

Any suggestions here? What should I expect? I'd like to live in an area surrounded by like-minded young professionals or artistic young people. I play some music and would love some thoughts on that.

I have no idea what would be considered affordable, but I'm thinking I'd like to pay anywhere between $1100 to $1600 in rent for a 2bed apt or better.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Jbao

I've heard Rockville, Bethesda, and similar.......I have no idea what would be considered affordable, but I'm thinking I'd like to pay anywhere between $1100 to $1600 in rent for a 2bed apt or better.

I agree that you would probably be more comfortable in Rockville or Bethesda. Both would have good numbers of young professionals. Frederick is quieter, more conservative and family-oriented. Another alternative closer to your office would be Gaithersburg or Germantown. I suggest you look through the apartment listings for Rockville and Bethesda, as your estimates are a bit too low for a 2 bedroom. I think you should either raise your budget or lower your expectations.

[ay jayy]

Try downtown frederick. It has pretty good nightlife. A good arts scene. And its a lot more fun than anything else north of Bethesda. Plus, you will save yourself a lot of commuting hassle.

[LittleBlackDogs]

I agree with ay jayy. I'd give downtown Frederick a chance. Lots of young professionals, and you could find a 2 BR apartment in that price range. No, it's not going to be Southern California, but it is a charming town. It's only an hour from DC and Baltimore so you could still go there on weekends to get your bigger city fix. And if you try it for six months or a year and hate it, you can always move down the road. But I hope you'll like it!

[DaveinMtAiry]

It's a lot colder, obviously. But the good news is you can actually swim in the ocean here without getting into a rubber suit.

[reiflame]

Frederick is a super cute little town - here are the demographics:

2010 census data put the racial makeup of the city at 61% White, 18.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.8% Asian American, and 14.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race. Roughly 4% of the city’s population was of two or more races.

It's not SoCal but it's not lily white either.

Also your housing budget is way low for the DC area.

[analyze_this]

Firstly I don't get why you are moving with your job from LA to here. Why dont you switch companies? Secondly I woudnt live in fredrick unless I had wife and kids. Wayyyy to boring and nothing to do out there.

[newhart]

Frederick is definitely a quiet, family-oriented city, but it is looking more and more like a suburb of DC and less like a rural community. There are young professionals there, but it's a different vibe than you would find closer to DC. Quieter.The good news is that you should definitely be able to find something within your budget in the Frederick area. And if you decide to live someplace other than Frederick, you would be going in the opposite direction from the worst of the commuter traffic. Depending where you work in Frederick, you might be able to make it from Rockville in 30 minutes. Bethesda would be more like an hour. I wouldn't recommend living further away than Rockville until you get to know the area. I like downtown Frederick. It's very walkable and there are some good restaurants, but I'm a family person.

I wouldn't worry about the Asian thing. There may be fewer Asians in Frederick, but the DC and Baltimore suburbs have very large Asian populations. I'm about 30 minutes east of Frederick in Howard County, and some of the high schools here are close to 30% Asian. I do not think that will be an issue at all for you, even in Frederick.

[MidValleyDad]

I wouldn't worry about problems because of an Asian American heritage in Frederick. As another poster said we are close to the Baltimore/Washington Metroplex as well as having a major U.S. Gov't research facility

I'm a little out of the 20 something social scene but I work with people who are and they seem to be happy with it. Rent for a while and see how it goes. You could always move closer to DC and commute out to your job. The 'reverse commute' isn't bad. You'll move at highway speeds most if not all the way (and watch the rest of us going the other way in 'slinky' mode)

[kimba888]

Originally Posted by Jbao

I just had a bomb dropped on me that my brand is relocating over to Maryland. I'm from so-cal; born and raised. I'm a 26-yo young professional male of asian decent -- what should I expect here? I assume there aren't too many of us in Frederick, MD in comparison to southern california (hollywood, currently, to be precise).

I've been talking to a few people and they're suggesting areas closer to DC or inside of Baltimore. I've heard Rockville, Bethesda, and similar.

Any suggestions here? What should I expect? I'd like to live in an area surrounded by like-minded young professionals or artistic young people. I play some music and would love some thoughts on that.

I have no idea what would be considered affordable, but I'm thinking I'd like to pay anywhere between $1100 to $1600 in rent for a 2bed apt or better.

Based on your preference & lifestyle, I would recommend Rockville since there are lots of Chinese, Asian (food, shops, activities) for everyone, especially for young people. Frederick may be too quiet for you. Actually Arlington , VA may be best for single yuppies.

Rockville is not too far form Bethesda & DC for other arts, musical events which I normally cruise down there for. BTW I'm from SoCal. Since you are single, try out in Rockville first few months -- if you don't have too much stuffs to move - then explore other cities every weekend to feel the vibe, culture to figure out which one would fit you best.

Maryland & SoCal are 2 different worlds but don't be afraid to explore & make the best out of it while being here. Shop for a good water-resistant trench coat & umbrella. It rains here every week!

My 2 cents.