Relocating from San Diego to Maryland (Baltimore, Annapolis: fit in, real estate, apartments) - (MD) - City-Data Forum

Thomas8093 · 10-14-2009, 04:46 PM

[SIZE=3]My family is considering relocating from San Diego to Maryland. We (myself, wife, three children) have lived in San Diego for the past few years, but the cost of living is outrageous. I grew up in Pennsylvania and spent a few weeks every year in Ocean City, MD, but that was 15 years ago and I never deviated from the boardwalk.

Where are the best places to live in Maryland? We are looking to be near the beach, so possibly the Eastern Shore area...??

My wife and I are in our 30’s so we prefer somewhere fun yet family friendly

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

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North Beach Person · 10-14-2009, 05:24 PM

Work?
School needs?
Salary range?
Military?

Thomas8093 · 10-14-2009, 05:55 PM

Sorry about that.

I work from home, my wife is a stay at home mom. Our kids are 13, 4 and 2...by the time we move, one will be entering high school and one will be entering kindergarten. 13 year old likes to skateboard, bike and hang at the beach with friends.

I work from home and we are looking to rent at first just so we can settle in. Would like to keep the rent as low as possible, obviously, so we have extra money to get out and do stuff, but up to around $1,500/month is doable and would definitely be considered. Would also prefer to rent a house as opposed to an appartment.

North Beach Person · 10-14-2009, 06:38 PM

Calvert or Anne Arundel Counties on the Western Shore for the Bay. Both are considered rural but close enough to DC/Baltimore to make a quick run in. The Eastern Shore is very rural. You have your choice of the Bay or the ocean. Delaware is also there to broaden your search. Waterfront in both areas is the most expensive.

A couple websites:
Map of Counties (http://www.mdcounties.org//counties/default.cfm - broken link)

Maryland Municipal League - Weblinks by City (http://www.mdmunicipal.org/cities/citiesweb.cfm - broken link)

Thomas8093 · 10-15-2009, 03:23 PM

Thanks! I really like Annapolis, from the few times that I visited years ago.

What are the best communities around Annapolis or the surrounding areas (Calvert or Anne Arundel Counties) as far as proximity to bay, quality of schools and family friendly yet still has a lot of "culture" (shops, restaurants, etc).

We are definitely not rural people...we are coming from Pacific Beach, CA, a suburb of San Diego, so 11 blocks to the ocean, 6 blocks to the bay and walking distance to Garnet Avenue, which is the main strip filled with restaurants, bars, shopping and runs west ending at the pier jutting into the Pacific Ocean.

We definitely like the laid back beach vibe and the eclectic environment that typically follows suit (coffee shops, bars specializing in local/craft beers, non chain restaurants) but still want to be able to get into the city (Baltimore, DC) if we want to.

That being said, we are also trying to get away from the exorbitant rent, so are there any communities/areas that have the feel described above, but are still affordable. Ideally, I'd like to stay around $1,200/month (or less), so waterfront property is out of the question.

North Beach Person · 10-15-2009, 04:05 PM

The $1200 is going to be tough to crack on this side of the Bay, most house rentals start at that and go up. For that in North Beach you'll get a 2-3 small bedroom beach type cottage (circa 1920-40) away from the water. Annapolis area starts at double $$ and go up, but you'll get the shops. I don't know about Eastern Shore rents, although property prices there are generally lower, but as mentioned it's very rural throughout. Will send links in a bit, computer going flukey.

North Beach Person · 10-15-2009, 04:11 PM

Patuxent Properties - Real Estate Sales, Property Rentals and Property Management in Southern Maryland

Calvert County Homes for Rent & Rental Homes | Homes.com

Anne Arundel County Apartments - Search Apartments Anne Arundel County, Maryland - ForRent.com

Southern Maryland Real Estate (http://www.mdhomesnow.com/Calvert?gclid=CJuTuoCJwJ0CFYZM5QodOnHIjQ - broken link)

raven302 · 10-16-2009, 07:17 AM

I know this is a MD forum but if you want to look at more inexpensive housing at first look around Delaware. That way you're at least close, save a little money and can scope the area out before deciding on an area in MD. I hope in about 10 years to do the same myself.

Thomas8093 · 10-16-2009, 01:13 PM

Thanks, raven302. I did consider that and posted in the Delaware forum, but have not received any replies yet. Do you know of any areas in Delaware that may fit in with what I'm ultimately looking for?

I have never been to Delaware, but have heard that Lewes and Rehoboth Beach are nice, but are these areas where people (families) live year round or outside of the summer vacation season, is it just retirees and chickern farmers, which seems to be the case on the Eastern Shore of MD.

njfam · 10-19-2009, 10:18 AM

I'm also looking to relocate to MD and saw your posting. Although I can't help you out with particular areas (other than having researched that Howard Co. and Montgomery Co. - which are not beachfront - seem to have the best school districts) - keep in mind that the "laid back beach vibe" that your family enjoys is a vibe that is only experienced for about 3 months out of the year in MD/DE. The rest of the year they will enjoy bundled up, chilly Winter, Spring and Fall.