live in Baltimore and commute to DC
Apr 11th, 2003, 09:30 AM
#1
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live in Baltimore and commute to DC
What are the advantages of living in Baltimore and commuting to DC other than housing costs? Does Baltimore seem like a bedroom community to DC? What are some of the neighborhoods that are easy to commute from with reasonable housing costs for a couple, no children? What is the job market like in Baltimore? Is it necessary to commute to DC to get a good paying job? I have visited both and honestly liked Baltimore better than DC but it was only for a few days so it may have been hard to get a really good impression.
Apr 11th, 2003, 11:19 AM
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Can respond primarily on the basis of friends/relatives who live in Columbia and Ellicott City but commute to DC. Be aware that Columbia/Ellicott City are very very modern suburban and housing isn't all that much cheaper than around DC. (Old Ellicott City is charming, however, and worth a trip just to enjoy it.)
Some of the pros seem to be somewhat more space for living, access to some decent schools (although this is variable by neighborhood and not relevant to you anyway), less of a sense of daily danger and drama, easier transport/driving to the north (e.g., Phila, NY etc.), and the special character of Baltimore itself.
The cons begin, of course, with a sometimes rough commute -- can be double or triple the non-rush time, and there seems to be a weather line such that DC may be getting rain but Balt. is getting snow or ice.
Baltimore itself is hardly a bedroom community to DC, has its own flavor and it's much more a traditional sort of Eastern city than DC is. It has a lot to offer and there are plenty of places to work around there without going to DC (Johns Hopkins, for example) -- depends on what you do. Sister-in-law actually commutes to Bethesda and friend's wife to Rockville rather than DC.
Some of the pros seem to be somewhat more space for living, access to some decent schools (although this is variable by neighborhood and not relevant to you anyway), less of a sense of daily danger and drama, easier transport/driving to the north (e.g., Phila, NY etc.), and the special character of Baltimore itself.
The cons begin, of course, with a sometimes rough commute -- can be double or triple the non-rush time, and there seems to be a weather line such that DC may be getting rain but Balt. is getting snow or ice.
Baltimore itself is hardly a bedroom community to DC, has its own flavor and it's much more a traditional sort of Eastern city than DC is. It has a lot to offer and there are plenty of places to work around there without going to DC (Johns Hopkins, for example) -- depends on what you do. Sister-in-law actually commutes to Bethesda and friend's wife to Rockville rather than DC.
Apr 11th, 2003, 12:05 PM
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you'd be dependent on MARC train to get to DC, which could be a problem when the tracks get messed up because of rain, heat, ice, snow, or otherwise delayed, which seems to happen with alarming frequency
Apr 12th, 2003, 01:56 PM
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I like Balto. better too, and that's why I live in a real live E. Balto. rowhouse and take the MARC train in to DC. I've done this for about 5 yrs. The MARC train is reliable about 90% of the time from my experience.
The neighborhoods to live walking distance from the Balto. train station are Bolton Hill and Mt. Vernon. bolton hill has pretty stately row houses, and Mt. Vernon is more apartments, many of which have great historic detail. Anywhere in city isn't too far from a MARC stop.
Baltimore is much, much, much cheaper. Much, much. (and has better restaurants.) And, I do think the job prospects are much better in DC, though, with this economy, I'm not sure job prospects are good anywhere.
Also, I agree with post that said that Balto. is not a bedroom community. there are no to cities in the country, IMO, that are so geographically close, yet so far in other respects.
good luck with you decision.
The neighborhoods to live walking distance from the Balto. train station are Bolton Hill and Mt. Vernon. bolton hill has pretty stately row houses, and Mt. Vernon is more apartments, many of which have great historic detail. Anywhere in city isn't too far from a MARC stop.
Baltimore is much, much, much cheaper. Much, much. (and has better restaurants.) And, I do think the job prospects are much better in DC, though, with this economy, I'm not sure job prospects are good anywhere.
Also, I agree with post that said that Balto. is not a bedroom community. there are no to cities in the country, IMO, that are so geographically close, yet so far in other respects.
good luck with you decision.
Apr 12th, 2003, 04:44 PM
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From 1987 to 1989 I commuted from Baltimore to D.C. I did this because I wanted to have my own apt. Everyday I walked to Pennsylvania Station to get the MARC local (monthly passes were $110/mo then). If you don't catch the last MARC local out of Union Station you can take an Amtrak for $5 if you show your MARC local monthly pass. I'd say you could get a good job in Baltimore. In the meantime you could do the commute for a while but I don't think you'd like to do it long term. I now live in SW PA so those days are long gone.
Apr 12th, 2003, 08:40 PM
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I lived in Baltimore for 3 years between '99 and '02 and my parents live in a suburb of Washington DC (where I went to high school) in Northern Virginia.
My opinion is that definitively Baltimore is its own city, with its own history and a very different character from that of Washington. While I honestly didn't like Baltimore when I first moved there, the city's eccentricities and charm grew on me and now I can say that I too prefer Baltimore over Washington. Mind you, many feel opposite about this, so you may want to explore more in depth if you really consider going to the DC/Balto area. My reasons for preferring Baltimore are its greater affordability, the character of its neighborhoods and the charm of its people. Although Baltimore feels worn around the edges to my eyes (which funny enough I can say is part of its appeal), there's a reality and a civic pride nevertheless.
It's a bit of a schlep to do every day, but many people do commute from Baltimore to Washington (45 minutes to 1 hour on the MARC train alone). If I were to do that commute, I'd want to live in a close-in neighborhood such as Federal Hill, Mount Vernon, which have charming rowhouses and a dose of cafes and city living at a fairly reasonable price. There is work to be had in Baltimore itself, with some high tech companies and one of the top hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins there.
Good luck, have fun. DAN
My opinion is that definitively Baltimore is its own city, with its own history and a very different character from that of Washington. While I honestly didn't like Baltimore when I first moved there, the city's eccentricities and charm grew on me and now I can say that I too prefer Baltimore over Washington. Mind you, many feel opposite about this, so you may want to explore more in depth if you really consider going to the DC/Balto area. My reasons for preferring Baltimore are its greater affordability, the character of its neighborhoods and the charm of its people. Although Baltimore feels worn around the edges to my eyes (which funny enough I can say is part of its appeal), there's a reality and a civic pride nevertheless.
It's a bit of a schlep to do every day, but many people do commute from Baltimore to Washington (45 minutes to 1 hour on the MARC train alone). If I were to do that commute, I'd want to live in a close-in neighborhood such as Federal Hill, Mount Vernon, which have charming rowhouses and a dose of cafes and city living at a fairly reasonable price. There is work to be had in Baltimore itself, with some high tech companies and one of the top hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins there.
Good luck, have fun. DAN
Apr 13th, 2003, 09:07 AM
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I've been told that the Federal Hill area near the harbor is supposed to be nice, and I'm curious if anyone has any information about that area. Is is considered safe, and how does it compare price wise to some of the other neighborhoods mentioned? Would they have 1BR rentals, or is it primarily ownership housing? Thanks.
Apr 13th, 2003, 09:35 AM
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Mont:
Check out 1010 St. Paul Street. I use to live their while in Baltimore. It is 10 stories high security building and I lived in an efficiency for $350/month back in 1987-1989. I know they have 1 and 2 BD apts. It is not far from Pennsylvania Station so that would be a bonus, along with it being only 10 blocks from Inner Harbor.
Check out 1010 St. Paul Street. I use to live their while in Baltimore. It is 10 stories high security building and I lived in an efficiency for $350/month back in 1987-1989. I know they have 1 and 2 BD apts. It is not far from Pennsylvania Station so that would be a bonus, along with it being only 10 blocks from Inner Harbor.
