European in her late 20s moving to MD: Help! (Baltimore: apartments, how much)

[Nini11]

Hi everyone!

I am getting transferred to work in Greenbelt, MD in a couple of months and I am looking for "the" place. I am a single European girl in her late 20s so I am looking for a little bit of action here (that is, nice restaurants, nightclubs, places to meet people, farmers markets, gyms...). Something like "city life meets a healthy/green lifestyle".

From what I have seen Bethesda is beautiful but lacks that young crowd. Silver Springs looks younger but I am not so in love with the city itself (from what I have seen online). Columbia looks also pretty nice but I am not sure if it is too quiet... (I know, I am very lost at the moment and that is why I need your advice ).

I used to live in San Diego (La Jolla/Pacific Beach areas) and they were the perfect fit for me. La Jolla, while pretty calm, was beautiful and I loved going for runs around the neighborhood and walking around. PB was more of like a younger crowd, with bars and businesses all around so it was pretty convenient.

Is there anything like that in MD (minus the weather of course ?

So far I like Bethesda because it reminds me of La Jolla, and Columbia looks pretty good as well. As for the night clubs, I don't know if it is feasible to go to DC from Bethesda on a Friday night or how the night life is overall in MD.

Also, I heard terrible things about traffic to/from DC so I am afraid I might have to spend a loong time commuting.

So.. after all this (sorry all I made you read so much!) if you could give me some advice as to where it would be a nice place to live I would really appreciate it!

Summing up, I am looking for a place where:

- I can go for morning runs on the weekends, have some coffee and then go to Whole Foods/Trader Joes or the like for grocery shopping
- I can meet people my age (late 20s/early 30s)
- There are nice restaurants and coffee shops (do not have to be expensive or super chic)
- There are bars and or clubs where I can go out on the weekends (or bars/restaurants close by)
- Commute to Greenbelt/Goddard is not a nightmare.

ps. Money would be a big issue at the moment.

I don't know if I am asking for too much here but, since I have never been to MD, I need somebody to be my eyes here Thanks thanks!!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Nini11

ps. Money would be a big issue at the moment.

I don't know if I am asking for too much here but, since I have never been to MD, I need somebody to be my eyes here

I think you are expecting too much if you have a restricted budget. Would your budget afford Bethesda? I think that the Hyattsville redeveloped areas might work best for you. But also please read the threads on Old Greenbelt.

[Nini11]

Thanks goldenage1! And oops, I meant that money would not be a big issue...

I will take a look into Hyattsville. And I read good things about Old Greenbelt, but I am afraid it might not be enough of a city for me. I might be wrong though, but it does look a bit too residential and calm to me (at least from the photos online)

[goldenage1]

It's too bad you can't remain in La Jolla. Greenbelt, Maryland can't match the beauty or the closeness to the ocean.

Bethesda might be a good fit, esp. the downtown area where i have seen many young people. But please check the commute time to your job. You can easily go to Washington DC on the weekend, as it's an easy Metro trip. Metro is open late on the weekends and is reasonably safe if you want to go for an evening out. You would have to locate a park for running, but Beech Drive and Rock Creek Park are good options.

There is also a Trader Joe's in Silver Spring. Downtown SS is quite urban, and I think it is a great choice for young people. Again you should locate a park for running, and Sligo Creek Park is a good choice. it's also easy to get to downtown DC on the weekends with the Red Line.

I am less familiar with the new development in Hyattsville, but it looks good on paper. There is a Whole Foods, and I suggest finding a park to run in. It's on the Green Line to downtown DC.

I think you are right that Old Greenbelt would be too suburban for you. Columbia would also probably be too suburban, and it lacks Metro access. Most of the places I mentioned would have rents in the $1800-2400/month for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment.

[John13]

Many people use the Metro system to get around. The stations are open until 2:30 - 3AM depending on the station on Friday and Saturday nights. If you want nightlife DC is the place to go.
Here is the map:
Metro - Rail - Maps - Rail/Google Map?

I do not get the Bethesda - La Jolla comparison. I visited La Jolla for the first time last year and it was the most beautiful place I have ever been to. There is nothing like that here. Until my recent move to Baltimore I have lived in the Washington, DC area my entire life. As far as going out Baltimore has some good options as well.

Commuting is a major pain in this area. It's best to live close to your job. Bethesda is not a bad choice if you can afford it. There won't be that much traffic going to Greenbelt but you will get some coming back.

My favorite store is in Bethesda. Check out Balducci's if you do move to the area. It's the only location in the state and I do miss it. They have a great whole grain salad bar:
http://www.balduccis.com/

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by John13

Commuting is a major pain in this area. It's best to live close to your job. Bethesda is not a bad choice if you can afford it. There won't be that much traffic going to Greenbelt but you will get some coming back.

Agree, the from downtown Bethesda to Goddard is about 17 miles, and 27 minutes. I would double the time estimate in bad weather (eg, snow and rain). There are no convenient Metro or bus routes for that trip, so it is a car-dependent trip. I'd recommend Hyattsville to the OP for closeness to the job.

[Nini11]

Thanks everyone! And you are right, La Jolla is beautiful! I miss walking around downtown on a Saturday morning, coffee in my hand right be the sea... Aww the good times.<br><br>And well, I have not seen Bethesda (just some photos online) but it looks as a city I could live in. I am actually flying to MD this week for some business meetings so hopefully I will have a chance to check a couple of places out. I need to narrow my list down to two - three cities as I won't be traveling alone and I don't know how much free time I will have...<br><br>On the other hand, my company is looking for office space in either Baltimore or DC, so my final choice will really depend on where they decide to settle (it should be something in between Greenbelt and either DC or Baltimore). What other options out there would you recommend around Baltimore?<br>

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Nini11

On the other hand, my company is looking for office space in either Baltimore or DC, so my final choice will really depend on where they decide to settle (it should be something in between Greenbelt and either DC or Baltimore). What other options out there would you recommend around Baltimore?

The area between Greenbelt and Baltimore is a huge, mostly sububan area. I think you would like Federal Hill in Baltimore, but it is a long commute to Greenbelt. Columbia is one option, and Odenton is a developing area because of people moving into Fort Meade. Odenton is quite suburban, but there are some luxury apartments, and it could be a convenient commute.

[e30is]

Originally Posted by John13

I do not get the Bethesda - La Jolla comparison. I visited La Jolla for the first time last year and it was the most beautiful place I have ever been to. There is nothing like that here. Until my recent move to Baltimore I have lived in the Washington, DC area my entire life. As far as going out Baltimore has some good options as well.

Having lived in the San Diego area for a short time, I can see why they can be compared. Both places are somewhat urban with small businesses, trails, nice restaurants and unique stores with lots of nice and expensive houses. Instead of the NIH/Walter Reed Campuses you have the UCSD campus. The only difference of course will be their geographic locations, natural beauty and weather. If I won the jackpot, I'd probably move there. Not the most beautiful place IMO, but indeed beautiful.

[cry_havoc]

I would recommend DC to you.