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Greetings all. As the title says I'm looking to move to Martinsburg from Baltimore. I work near D.C. and between the drive and cost of living in my area I want to get out. I plan on taking the Marc train to and from work and while I was following the stops I noticed Martinsburg among the first. I did a little bit of real estate sleuthing and noticed that the homes in this area are nice to look at, spacious and affordable. This is all wonderful, but before taking the plunge by buying a house out here I need to ask a single question. My family is not a traditional family. My wife and I are both white and my oldest son is mixed (half black and half white). So my question is would we be ostracised as a result? I know this is a strange question to ask, but it's not like I can drive down there and knock on random doors and ask "Are you all racist over here?" I also think it would be irresponsible of me not to address any foreseen issues before carting my family down here. Thanks in advance!
It's a 2+ hour car ride now so I don't think it'll be that much worse. From Baltimore to Silver Spring it's 52 miles each way; through Baltimore and D.C. traffic. One day when some thunderstorms knocked out a traffic light I had to turn back after attempting to get to work for 5 hours; it was hell.
I'm in Inwood just south of Martinsburg. There's a single white woman with a black child living in the house next to me. No one in the community has batted an eye over it.
I used to work in Chantilly, VA, but the drive was a killer even with a car-pooler. Fortunately I found work in Kearneysville which cut almost 100 miles per day off my commute. I had to take a pay cut, but I've more than made up for it in savings on gasoline.
I've never tried the MARC train, though I've heard you have to arrive early if you want a parking spot as it's very popular.
My Husband and I just bought a house in the S/D Village at Washington Trail(beside the VA Med. CNTR)...We are white but a lot of our neighbors are African American and we LOVE it here! I couldn't be happier....nice houses(IMO) great neighbors, good location for my Husband to commute to DC. There are a few houses for sale in here for the low 200K's. You would def. be welcomed!
You won't have any problems. Martinsburg is fairly diverse.
I know people who drive from northern Baltimore county to Silver Spring, and it is a pretty brutal drive. They used to take the MARC from Perryville, but they needed a more flexible schedule and started to drive.
I'm originally from the Baltimore area, and I can say that the quality of living is better out here. I don't live in Martinsburg... I live in Shepherdstown, which is about 8 miles east of Martinsburg.
bcr229 is correct. If you don't want to pay for parking, get to the Martinsburg Station early, there are only a couple free parking spots. There are metered spots and a parking garage too, but you'll have to pay to use those. However, I know a lot of people who live in Martinsburg/Inwood who drive to the Duffields MARC Station (where I ride the train from) for the free parking.
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