Columbia vs. Ellicott City

[bus man]

Originally Posted by pokeable

EC seems to be more family oriented. It's definitely sleepy, especially along the route 40 corridor (Bare Bones, and the irish bar are the only two places I can think of that seem to be open late-night on the weekends). Downtown EC is probably a bit more lively.

Honey Pig and Double T Diner are both open 24 hours, and they're both on the U.S. 40 corridor (near Centennial Lane) in Ellicott City.

That said, I think the OP might be better off in Columbia. Ellicott City is more of a suburban family kind of place (not that Columbia isn't too), but more than that, the commute from Columbia (especially the areas near Route 32) to Fort Meade is better than it is from Ellicott City.

[pokeable]

Originally Posted by bus man

Honey Pig and Double T Diner are both open 24 hours, and they're both on the U.S. 40 corridor (near Centennial Lane) in Ellicott City.

That said, I think the OP might be better off in Columbia. Ellicott City is more of a suburban family kind of place (not that Columbia isn't too), but more than that, the commute from Columbia (especially the areas near Route 32) to Fort Meade is better than it is from Ellicott City.

Lol. I love Honey Pig (Gool-Dae-Gee in Korean). Nothing like eating Korean food at 7AM

I should have been more clear: there really isn't anything on route 40 later in the evenings I would want to goto find a potential significant other if I were single. Would recommend Double T and Honey Pig for late-night munchies.

[newhart]

Bean and Burgundy in the old Blockbuster space on Rt 40 is open until midnight. It has a variety of food, serves alcohol, and I heard it has live music at times, but I can't verify that. Also, the Korean bakery/tea places (Shilla and Bon Appetit) are open until 11 or 12.

[teddyroosevelt]

If you're a young single, why not take advantage of one of the three major cities in the area? DC, Baltimore, Annapolis are where you'll find the most young people because they contain the most colleges. Columbia and Ellicott City are both suburbs, so if you don't have a family, it's going to feel a little boring. I would recommend looking at Crofton because it seems to be about the same distance as Columbia and is becoming more and more developed. Also, you would be a heck of a lot closer to DC and Annapolis.

I lived in Columbia and now I live in Ellicott City (near 40), and it's just supremely boring. Unless you like suburban churches, chain superstores, korean food, chain restaurants. With the exception of Old Ellicott City (the small historical district), it lacks character. Crofton isn't a great improvement, but it's a heck of a lot closer to Annapolis.

If you do move to Columbia, I recommend Town Center. It's not the cleanest part, but it's definitely the most vibrant. However, if you're looking for a singles scene, better off looking at something closer to the cities.

[bufflove]

All else being equal, I'm not sure why someone would pick living in Columbia over EC. I mean, I guess if you really loved the 90s and indoor malls then Columbia would make sense.

[LunaticVillage]

Originally Posted by livegonzo

I wouldn't give you 2 cents for Columbia MD, too over crowded over priced and crime is in the air there.

This has an element of truth to it. Although Columbia is safer than the vast majority of towns in Maryland and crime is well below the national average in pretty much every category, Ellicott City is even sleepier and safer than Columbia. Some areas of Columbia, such as Harper's Choice and Wilde Lake, I could imagine becoming real ghetto areas in 20-30 years. These areas are full of crazy somewhat ghetto people who do nothing but walk around selling weed and or getting drunk all day everyday in public. The older Section 8 developments in Harper's Choice and Wilde Lake like Fall River Terrace, Waverly Winds and Roslyn Rise are really crappy and run-down looking. My sister told me they shutdown the Section 8 in Columbia because they don't want too much of a Baltimore city element moving in and changing the quiet generally safe community. Also, it seems like the MS-13 population keeps growing in almost every apartment complex in Harper's Choice, Owen Brown, Long Reach, Wilde Lake etc.

[personone]

I grew up in Columbia. It definitely wouldn't be my first choice for a single person that likes to go out a lot with young professionals and date. I think Ellicott City may be slightly better, but not by much; you're still going to be amongst a lot of families. It will probably be harder to make friends outside of work here also.

I will say though, when I go back to visit family and friends, I do see more young professionals out in Columbia than I used to. There's a restaurant, Victoria Gastro Pub, with a great happy hour and when I am in town around the holidays/summer I see a lot of young professional types there. There are a few other restaurants/bars in the Columbia/Ellicott City area that I also see more young professionals than I would have thought.

That being said, these areas aren't going to be the hub of what you're looking for. Depending on where your job is, you could consider living in Baltimore or one of the DC suburbs, since you would probably have a reverse commute that is not too bad. The best compromise, as someone else mentioned, may be the Arundel Mills area, although a lot of the apartments in that area are new construction, so cost could be an issue.

I grew up in Columbia in the 80s-90s, and it seems like the crime issue is still only around the select village centers. Outside of that, Columbia is as typical suburbia as you can imagine. It's funny because back in the day, Columbia had a lot more of a community feel, and you kind of knew everybody. There's so much development there now, that it is like a Northern VA suburb now. Good in a way because literally every restaurant/store/etc. you can think of is there. It has, however, lost that community feel.

I still find myself missing the greenery, suburban feel, and easy access to everything. I always enjoy when I go back to visit, but it has changed.