Moving to Maryland! Like, by March 1st

[ShadowHunter]

Long story short, my current job needs someone to go out there, and I've jumped on the opportunity, and it is happening on like a super short timeframe. Neat!

So anyways, I'll be working in Greenbelt, MD, and was wondering what areas around there would be good selections. I'll be living in an apartment. I've been living with a roommate in a 2br/2bath nice 1200 sqft apartment for about 1200 bucks (600 each) a month for the past 3 years. I'm keen on living alone for a little while now, even though it looks like I should count myself lucky to get a decent 1br for 1200 in the area.

I've lived in the Clear Lake area near Houston for the last 5 years, about 20-30 miles from downtown Houston, really. As much as I've complained about my remoteness from the actual city (Clear Lake not really being...the ideal place...for a 26 year old single guy) I'm not sure I'm keen about diving right into the middle of Washington, D.C. proper. It'd be nice to have easy access to DC, and the places I've eyeballed so far seem fairly close. I have a friend there who used to live in Hyattsville, though he doesn't powerfully recommend it. He's in Tenleytown now, but that would put me on the other side of D.C. and I'm thinking that's not a clever idea. Places that people have suggested so far include Silver Spring, Bethesda (looks maybe too expensive...like their games! ehhh I tried), Montgomery County in general really, Greenbelt itself, even Laurel and Colombia (those seem a little remote). I know precisely nothing about the area (so why did I agree to this? Hey I'm the one asking questions here!), so your comments on those places and other suggestions are super helpful, especially with the short time-table.

Anything unique to the area that will confuse and infuriate a life-long Texan? I've been hearing about this "public transport"

Dammit, I have a host of questions that cycle through my head, and I can't recall them all. I guess the key is I find a place. I'll be heading out there for a week in early Feb to meet people and scout the area, so in a perfect world I guess I'd pick some options before then and then choose a place there.

[Dr.Epic]

Inner Harbor has a great Aquarium. There's also a gaming shop in Towson called Legends. It's a little hard to find though.

[Zeb The Troll]

I don't have time to adequately answer all of your questions right this minute, but I live between Baltimore and DC and can give you some input. I can also, if you'd like, possibly put you in touch with a real estate agent who may be able to assist you better, but I'm not 100% sure she works that area, I think so though.

I'll come back later on and address this more fully, I just wanted to make sure I commented and got subscribed to this before I forget.

[Mauve Shirt]

A Texan? In Maryland? AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You'll appreciate the <100-degree summers, but you'll hate the traffic. Though if you're in Greenbelt, you're near the Metro, which is the only awesome public transportation in the area. Unless you're in Baltimore, where I hear the light rail is excellent.
DC has some great neighborhoods for the young/think-they're-young and hip! I have some restaurants to recommend. And in DC, unlike Baltimore, many of the attractions are free!

[pendell]

I work in Maryland and live in Virginia. The major difference between them, aside from higher income tax in Maryland, is umpteen bazillion speed-trap cameras. I'm not sure about Greenbelt, but there are many of them around Gaithersburg and Rockville area. I think the state tree is a traffic camera on a pole.

If commuting by automobile, I suggest allowing an additional 30 minutes to get wherever you're going. The beltway is heavily congested at all hours , even on weekends.

WMATA is an excellent public transit system but it can take a long time to get anywhere. My 30 minute commute to my office is a 2-hour commute one way by train (5 minute wait for orange train + 30 minutes to Metro Center + 5 minute wait to transfer to red line + 30 minutes to Rockville + 20 minute walk from the station to my office).

It was like that when I worked in Arlington and lived in Centerville, VA as well -- 1.5 hours out, 2.5 hours back. By contrast, it was 30 minutes by car.

Because of this, you might consider carpooling and slug lines (http://slug-lines.com/).

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[ShadowHunter]

Thanks for the feedback!

From what I'm hearing from other people

A)Living near metro stops is expensive

B)Greenbelt is at the end of the line so using public transportation to get there may not be fast or reliable

So I'm thinking maybe focus my search around the outer DC area, like Greenbelt itself, Silver Spring, etc. so that DC is relatively accessible if I want to go there, but my commute won't be like 15+% of my day every day.

[pendell]

A)Living near metro stops is expensive


With respect, that's not entirely true.

This is Virginia, but I used to live in Centreville in an apartment. They raised my rent by the legal maximum -- about 15% -- every year.

Eventually, it got so expensive that I moved to an apartment complex in Vienna right across from a metro station for the same rent I was paying in Centreville. That complex has only raised my rent three times, and only because I missed the 'early bird special' to renew the lease.

So while the above statement is true *as a rule*, there are exceptions.

As a rule, if you move to someplace where you can afford to live, you're looking at a two-to-four hour commute. If you're not married, one way to solve this is to get a roommate. Practically everyone in this town who isn't married or pulling down Big Buck$ as a contractor rooms with someone else.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Vacant]

While I know nothing of Maryland beyond my friend's deep love for and frequent jokes at the expense of his native Baltimore, I can recommend a great song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6LReD0-Bco) about going to Maryland.

[Teln]

About the speed cameras--Maryland law requires them to be set at no less than 12 miles over the posted limit.

Fair warning, there's a gigantic apartment complex in Greenbelt that has a well-deserved reputation as a slum. If memory serves, it's one of the largest apartment complexes on the East Coast.

Also, if you are at all interested in Warhammer 40,000 or any other Games Workshop products, I strongly urge you to check out the Bowie Battle Bunker (http://www.facebook.com/GWBowie?sk=info).

[satorian]

Silver Spring, assuming you do not live in DC itself, is pretty much the best balance of stuff to do, affordability, public transit access, diversity, places to meet people to stop being single if you prefer. Note: it isn't cheap by middle America standards, but about half the price of even up-and-coming DC neighborhoods (my friend is renting out his condo near 12th and H NE DC, a sketchy but cool neighborhood, for 3600/mo for 2 bedrooms).

You are moving to one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. I would suck it up and get a roommate. If nothing else, it's a great way to meet people in a new town.

Greenbelt itself is a horrible horrible boring sucktastic place to live.

[ShadowHunter]

Yay more feedback! Thanks

Casual apartment browsing (hm perhaps it is time to turn it into serious apartment browsing) in areas like Silver Spring is showing 1500 a month for a 1 bedroom as a typical higher price. I can eat that. I am a person who's hobbies include things like renting and flying airplanes, so I can put that on hold and have the difference in rent instantly