Best places to live if working in Laurel (Columbia, Silver Spring: apartments, to rent)

[x99ms]

Hello,

I am going to be working in Laurel and I am trying to determine the best place to live in Maryland. I am not very familiar with the DC metro area and I currently live in PA.

I am in my mid-20s, single, and I have a graduate degree. I am looking to rent for under $1500/month. I would like to live in apartments that are not too urban, but I want to be within 5 minute drive to shopping, restaurants, etc... Ideally I would also like easy access to public transportation to DC, but this is not as high of a priority. I want to live in an area that is safe and somewhat nice, so I think Prince Georges County won't be an option.

My workplace in Laurel is not easily accessible via public transportation, so I will drive to work. What are approximate commuting times to Laurel area from Columbia, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Rockville? What are your thoughts on the towns toward Annapolis such as Bowie, Crofton, and Odenton?

Thanks for all the help!

[jelenap]

I would avoid Rockville and such because of the commute. There are no easy routes and DC Beltway is a parking lot during rush hour. Columbia will probably be the easiest commute with some alternative routes. The driving time depends on where in Columbia and where in Laurel - both are quite wide spread. Crofton is somewhat fancy, but will probably be boring for a 20 year old. I've heard mixed reviews about Odenton. It's close to the military base, so you do the math.

There are many apartments in Columbia, but check the reviews since there are different areas. The town has been discussed many times here though - use Search.

I'd also recommend checking out Arundel Harbor (?) complex near 295/Arundel Mills Blvd. It's relatively new, close to the mall and has easy access to 295. Russett in Laurel is also quite nice, actually.

[Neven Mrgan]

I have lived in laurel my whole life and i am almost 26 years old. it hasn't been changing for the better although there a few nice things to do here. the 4th of july fireworks at laurel lake are awesome, the main street festival is nice to, we go paddle boating at the lake and fishing, the race track is fun, and even the delta bingo. there are a ton of parks for children as well. i live in maryland city which is the anne arundel county side of laurel.


Thanks
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[jayman1981]

My question would be why not Prince George's? If the county was that bad why is the population increasing. Something to think about. Heck most of Laurel is in P.G. You could live in Laurel in Anne Arundel, Howard and P.G. side and you would be fine. Silver spring is cool, but a little pricey. Greenbelt, Odenton, Columbia. It's a lot of places out there in your price range.

[x99ms]

Thanks for the advice.

I was wondering what it would be like to commute from Rockville to South Laurel. I can't find too many posts on commuting to the Laurel area. I was looking into the following routes from Rockville to S. Laurel:

I-270 south to Beltway inner loop, then (a) continue on I-95 north to MD 212, or (b) take U.S. 1 north
MD 28 east to MD 198 east
MD 586 east (Viers Mill Rd) to Randolph Rd east

Would any of these result in over 45 min? 60 min?

[kjg1963]

MD 28 east to MD 198 would be best. It is a reverse commute for you. I used to do it from Laurel to Rockville during rush hour and it never took over an hour in heavy traffic. You would probably be able to do it 1/2 hour to 45 min max.

[bowian]

Here we go again. Op, you are free to live where you want to live. But can you please state your preferences without putting down PG? Thank you.

[TCDevaughn]

There are a few spots in laurel which would make moving to Rockville an unneccessary move. Most people like myself work in Rockville and commute from Laurel. I've lived at Marymont apartments on Laurel Lake IN PG COUNTY and loved it. I live on the Anne Arundel side now and seriously, there's no need to move west if you don't have to.

[x99ms]

Originally Posted by bowian

Here we go again. Op, you are free to live where you want to live. But can you please state your preferences without putting down PG? Thank you.

I saw Laurel but wasn't interested, which is why I am inquiring on the commute from Rockville or Columbia to Laurel.

[bowian]

Originally Posted by x99ms

I saw Laurel but wasn't interested, which is why I am inquiring on the commute from Rockville or Columbia to Laurel.

No problem, but you made some references to a nice area with little crime and appeared to nix PG as a whole, not just the Laurel area of Pg (which has some nice parts, by the way). Again, that's your choice, but we get so much anti-PG sentiment here. I've lived in NoVA, MoCo and PG, and believe me, the differences aren't all that deep. Anyway, carry on!