Relocating to Maryland

[diznee25]

My husband and I will be relocating to Maryland due to our jobs. We're looking at several cities including Bowie, Annapolis, and Baltimore. (Our place of work is actually located in Bowie.) I'd like advice on good apartment complexes in these cities. Basically I'm looking for an area with low crime, quiet, apartment has great managment, and they need to accept dogs. (I have a 5 lb chihuahua.) Our max for rent is about $1250 per month.

Thanks for any advice!
Michelle

 

[Mickeyluver37]

My husband and I will be relocating to Maryland due to our jobs. We're looking at several cities including Bowie, Annapolis, and Baltimore. (Our place of work is actually located in Bowie.) I'd like advice on good apartment complexes in these cities. Basically I'm looking for an area with low crime, quiet, apartment has great managment, and they need to accept dogs. (I have a 5 lb chihuahua.) Our max for rent is about $1250 per month.

Thanks for any advice!
Michelle

If you are working in Bowie, there are tons of apartments there, or in nearby Crofton and Odenton. A great planned community is Piney Orchard- safe, lots of families, pools, gym, trails to walk the dog. There are several apt buildings in that community, but I'm not sure of prices or individual pet policies. Living in Bowie (Prince Georges County) may be cheaper, but right down the street in Anne Arundel County is *generally* considered safer.

Annapolis is hit or miss. There are $2 million homes there that are right next to what would be considered "ghetto." There are also some great places to live- near the water, and all the bars, if that's your thing! Baltimore has a lot of the same issues/options. Tons of young professionals and medical students living right downtown, plenty of places to go out to eat or get a drink!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

we just relocated here last year. Still don't know my way around all that well, but just wanted to say best of luck!!

We are in Cockeysville, north of Baltimore, about an hour from Bowie, I think.

 

[daisyduck123]

My husband and I will be relocating to Maryland due to our jobs. We're looking at several cities including Bowie, Annapolis, and Baltimore. (Our place of work is actually located in Bowie.) I'd like advice on good apartment complexes in these cities. Basically I'm looking for an area with low crime,
Thanks for any advice!
Michelle

You won't find low-crime in Prince George's County (Bowie).

I suggest Anne-Arundel County...only 5 minutes away from Bowie but there is a huge difference between the two.
You can pm me if you like.

I grew up in Bowie...lived there for 20 years, back when it was a "nice, safe, wonder-years type neighborhood". In the past 10 years, it has gone "down-hill".

Now I'm in A.A. County...so much better!!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Don't do the Cockeysville area . Good area but way to many chances to get hung up trying to get to Bowie for work. i work from Aberdeen all the way down to the potomic near Northern Virginia so I do both beltways and I95.

mickeyluver37 has it aout right the Odenton area would be great easy to get around in and close to Bowie. Not far away enough from DC or Balto for a quick ride.

I live in and love Baltimore but it's becoming more violent everyday.They are shooting the police and holding their children(the police officers) as sheilds in holdups now. It's getting crazy maybe with our fine I want to be a Kennedy mayor now the Gov the city will get back on track.

 

[debbi801]

we just relocated here last year. Still don't know my way around all that well, but just wanted to say best of luck!!

We are in Cockeysville, north of Baltimore, about an hour from Bowie, I think.

Welcome to the area. I used to work in Hunt Valley, my youngest still goes to preschool out that way.

 

[debbi801]

Don't do the Cockeysville area . Good area but way to many chances to get hung up trying to get to Bowie for work. i work from Aberdeen all the way down to the potomic near Northern Virginia so I do both beltways and I95.

mickeyluver37 has it aout right the Odenton area would be great easy to get around in and close to Bowie. Not far away enough from DC or Balto for a quick ride.

I live in and love Baltimore but it's becoming more violent everyday.They are shooting the police and holding their children(the police officers) as sheilds in holdups now. It's getting crazy maybe with our fine I want to be a Kennedy mayor now the Gov the city will get back on track.

I also agree you should look in the Odenton area or parts of howard County. Cockeysville will be too long a commute to Bowie each day.

I feel for you, Im no prince. Driving from Aberdeen to NOVA area each day.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

Welcome to the area. I used to work in Hunt Valley, my youngest still goes to preschool out that way.

Thanks--We like the area. DH works in Timonium, and I in Lutherville. We love the schools. Still in an apt, but looking towards buying something soon. Need to sell our house in Ohio though.

I think Cockeysville would be a horrible commute to Bowie---I was just mentioning where we moved to. I hate driving the 15 minutes down 83 some days.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

I have relatives in Calvert County, and the drive from there to Bowie isn't bad, even during rush hour. They have an acre lot, so I don't know much about apartments there, but it is a very nice area.

 

[NewJersey]

I'm down to DC about 2 weekends a month (going this weekend) and am seriously considering switching offices to my firm's DC office. I love the city and I'm in love with Silver Springs, MD and am thinking of living there and commuting into DC on the metro.

GL with the move!

 

[diznee25]

Thanks for the quick replies! I've lived in Colorado Springs, CO almost my entire life, so I feel like a fish jumping out of water.

I will certainly check some of these cities out....thanks for the suggestions.

Michelle

 

[LaraK]

Hi, as you can see, I live in Annapolis. I'm in an area on the Broadneck Penninsula...very safe and not too too far from you. We don't have that many apartment complexes in this area, but they do rent out single family homes in my area. If you're willing to commute, you have many options. A lot of people in this area have fairly brutal commutes (mine is 45 miles each way....I work in Northwest Baltimore City, near Pimlico Race Track)

Do you have kids? If so, schools are an important consideration. The quality of schools in MD vary significantly, even within a county. I am in the Broadneck High School feeder system...nationally ranked. In the same county, Annapolis High School just forced all of its teachers to reapply for their jobs due to poor performance. PG county schools are a mess (I graduated from Northwestern HS in PG county).

Welcome to Maryland. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[diznee25]

daisyduck123 and LaraK: The two of you mentioned that you live in Anne Arundel County and offered to answer additional questions I may have. Thanks for the offer, and I'll probably have more questions next week after our trip to Maryland.

The company that is interested in hiring me, (and already employes my husband), is giving us an all expenses paid trip to come out this Thursday - Sunday. During this time I'll check out the suggested cities, but will concentrate more on Annapolis. Schools aren't a concern for us as we have decided not to have children, but thanks for the heads up! It'll come in handy if we change our minds later.


Thanks for all the "good lucks!" Moving from Colorado to Maryland will be a HUGE culture change for us, but I'm really excited about moving there.
The biggest challange is to rent out our townhome that we just purchased here in Colorado, and move all our stuff across country.
After that about 90% of my stress will go away!!

Michelle

 

[JunieJay]

I like the suggestion of Odenton. Some other areas to consider: Severn, Columbia, Laurel, Fulton. Bowie isn't so bad imo, but its Prince Georges County - the school system is notoriously bad in that county so if you have kids steer clear.