Considering Federal Job In Woodlawn - Seeking Community Advice (Baltimore: apartment, to rent)

[MSUSpartanGrad]

I am currently mulling over a couple of offers to work in Woodlawn (suburban Baltimore) with a federal agency. I have only visited the Baltimore area once for a few days (in 2005) and stayed at a hotel in the Inner Harbor area. However, my only other exposure to Baltimore has been the research I am currently conducting online.

I am married with a 3-year old daughter who will soon be elementary school age, so finding a community/neighborhood with very good to excellent public schools is critically important to us. We currently reside in suburban Detroit and are leaving this area due to a variety of economic and social factors in this region.

I have identified four communities in the Baltimore area that seem - on the surface - to be viable candidates for relocation based on the information I have gathered. These communities are:

- Owings Mills
- Ellicott City
- Columbia
- Randallstown

Feel free to rank these communities in your preferred order, or even suggest other communities that I may not have mentioned. What I would like to know from anyone who currently lives in the Baltimore area and cares to offer their feedback is which of these communities is regarded perhaps more highly than others, which has the best schools, etc.

One of the features that we like is a community that has a relatively walkable downtown or town center with small shops, children's playscape areas (parks), a place to grab some ice cream on the weekends, a repertory theater, a couple of good locally-owned restaurants (not just national chains), maybe an arts or cultural festival or two during the year. We are open to considering planned, "New Urbanism" developments as well (similar to the traditionally-themed Kentlands development in Gaithersburg). The main point is that we would prefer a community with some character and history rather than a "cookie-cutter" suburban bedroom community that sprouted up next to a mall development or office complex. One of the things that excites us about possibly moving to the mid-Atlantic region of the US is the relative close proximity to so many of our nation's historical landmarks.

So, with those factors in mind (hopefully I have created a sense of the type of lifestyle we are looking for), which of the communities I listed above would best fit that bill? I will say that we do not want a community that is too rural or outlying. We are not looking for a farming community, but rather a fairly quaint yet modern, well-developed community that is only a short drive from some of the more pastoral settings on the outskirts of town. The New Town area of Owings Mills seems interesting and so does Columbia - though I have heard mixed reviews about Columbia becoming crowded, a bit over-priced and having Stepford-like Homeowner's Association restrictions (which may be OK, since we have no issue keeping a well-maintained home and lawn).

I am sure there will be different perspectives on this and there are no right or wrong answers. But I would appreicate any thoughtful feedback from those who care to offer it. I would like to focus on communities within a consistent 30 minute drive of Woodlawn - which I readily acknowledge may not equal a 30 mile radius from Woodlawn.

Cheers....

[sobo16]

MSUSpartanGrad - I highly recommend looking at Ellicott City. You could do the commute to Woodlawn easily with back roads and avoid all traffic. It's a very nice area, but it can be expensive. Maryland doesn't have too many walkable downtowns, but Ellicott City has a historic district with a main street, shops, restaurants, etc. It's not big, but it's not boring either.

Columbia might be worth a look, as it has little villages and playgrounds scattered about. However, it is very suburban. I know of two "new-urban" communities in the area: Shipley's Grant (which might technically be in Ellicott City) and Maple Lawn (in Fulton, MD, south of Columbia).

Owings Mills is within your commuting range, but I've always thought the problem with Owings Mills is that the only thing it's close to is itself. You'd have to rely on I-795 or Route 140 to leave the area, and both of these roads can get very congested during rush hour, especially as you approach I-695 (Baltimore's beltway).

Feel free to direct message me if you have any questions. I worked in Woodlawn for 5 years (possibly at the same agency you're looking at), and can advise you on other communities or commuting times. Good luck!

[scrappygirl26]

If I only had one option I would also recommend Ellicott City for the reasons stated. If you're looking to rent an apartment there is one that feeds into the Centennial Schools that is reasonably priced. You don't get any bells or whistles but the units are a decent size, there is a pool, a nice play area for little ones, open grassy areas for older kids to play football, soccer, ect. You'll find lot's of walkers & joggers around the complex too.

If you're looking to buy, the prices in this area have dropped in recent years. We were looking to buy in Ellicott City about 4yrs ago and couldn't find anything under $600K, and most of those properties needed lot's of work. We were specifically looking to buy in areas that fed into the Centennial schools and they were very RARE. People typically move to this area and do not want to move! However recently I've been seeing listings in those areas, and some have even been listed in the high $400's.

If I had to choose a second option I'd choose Columbia but only due to it's proximity to Woodlawn. I'm not crazy about Columbia, it's changed a lot since I moved to MD almost 9yrs ago. There's too much going on there. It's certainly not the worst place you could live, but I worry about what it'll be like in 10yrs KWIM?

Hope this helps!

[chipperi]

1 Owings Mills
2 Ellicott City
3 Columbia
4 Randallstown

Thats my ranking. Good luck with the Social Security Administration.

[Merc63]

I work in Woodlawn, and live in Pikesville. The commute is 15 minutes on all back roads (never touch the beltway). The schools here are some of the best in the area (and in fact, some of the best in the nation). From Millbrook Elementary to Sudbrook Middle Magnet, to Pikesville High (listed as one of the top 100 high schools in the US a couple years ago, and still a good school). I've been in the PTA here in Baltimore county, and have seen the parental involvement in the schools. Second to none.

Love the town and the smaller communities around it (from Sudbrook to Ralston). a short metro ride from downtown and the Science center and Aquarium or O's games, but yet safely ensconsed in the county, rather than the city.

[TarHeelColt]

lol

Originally Posted by chipperi

Thats my ranking. Good luck with the Social Security Administration.

[JDCATONSVILLE]

I would say that Ellicott City is a very nice location and has a decent school system but I would also say that Catonsville is just as equally nice an area and has decent schools as well. Good luck with your move.

[Bigbluelandrover]

Welcome aboard!. If you decide to come to Woodlawn!