Suggestions on good places to live near Columbia, MD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

[Anonymous]

Laurel MD has a great train that runs between DC and Baltimore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

Clarksville has a lot more money than most of Columbia. Houses are better built to start with and more money for their maintenance. We can argue back and forth, but there's a reason why Clarksville and River Hill are noticeably more expensive than the rest of Columbia.

Columbia has a lovely tree canopy and a network of trails but beyond that it really is a very ordinary place. What made it "special" was the original Columbia ethos inspired by Rouse and that's pretty much long gone now. It's just a suburb. They can't even do a decent job with the downtown redevelopment around the mall for the last 25 years because stubborn old people in Columbia refuse to let anything happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

Clarksville has a lot more money than most of Columbia. Houses are better built to start with and more money for their maintenance. We can argue back and forth, but there's a reason why Clarksville and River Hill are noticeably more expensive than the rest of Columbia.

Columbia has a lovely tree canopy and a network of trails but beyond that it really is a very ordinary place. What made it "special" was the original Columbia ethos inspired by Rouse and that's pretty much long gone now. It's just a suburb. They can't even do a decent job with the downtown redevelopment around the mall for the last 25 years because stubborn old people in Columbia refuse to let anything happen.

I live in River Hill. Most of the homes are on small crap lots and many back to or are very close to Route 32. They are not better built; they are just newer. They cost more because they want their kids to go to the Clarksville, Clarksville, RH cluster and they will pay more for that school district. Many of the older original Columbia are on larger prettier lots and were custom built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

Clarksville has a lot more money than most of Columbia. Houses are better built to start with and more money for their maintenance. We can argue back and forth, but there's a reason why Clarksville and River Hill are noticeably more expensive than the rest of Columbia.

Columbia has a lovely tree canopy and a network of trails but beyond that it really is a very ordinary place. What made it "special" was the original Columbia ethos inspired by Rouse and that's pretty much long gone now. It's just a suburb. They can't even do a decent job with the downtown redevelopment around the mall for the last 25 years because stubborn old people in Columbia refuse to let anything happen.

I live in River Hill. Most of the homes are on small crap lots and many back to or are very close to Route 32. They are not better built; they are just newer. They cost more because they want their kids to go to the Clarksville, Clarksville, RH cluster and they will pay more for that school district. Many of the older original Columbia are on larger prettier lots and were custom built.

I grew up in Columbia but now live in DC's Maryland suburbs. Most of the original homes were not custom built. They were stamped out by Ryland Homes, Washington Homes and Columbia Builders, among
others. They may have had elements that could be customized, but they were not custom homes. It would be very unusual for a new town, growing quickly, to be filled with custom-built homes. These neigborhoods grew fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

Clarksville has a lot more money than most of Columbia. Houses are better built to start with and more money for their maintenance. We can argue back and forth, but there's a reason why Clarksville and River Hill are noticeably more expensive than the rest of Columbia.

Columbia has a lovely tree canopy and a network of trails but beyond that it really is a very ordinary place. What made it "special" was the original Columbia ethos inspired by Rouse and that's pretty much long gone now. It's just a suburb. They can't even do a decent job with the downtown redevelopment around the mall for the last 25 years because stubborn old people in Columbia refuse to let anything happen.

I live in River Hill. Most of the homes are on small crap lots and many back to or are very close to Route 32. They are not better built; they are just newer. They cost more because they want their kids to go to the Clarksville, Clarksville, RH cluster and they will pay more for that school district. Many of the older original Columbia are on larger prettier lots and were custom built.

+1 i live in Ellicott city and totally agree with the PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

Clarksville has a lot more money than most of Columbia. Houses are better built to start with and more money for their maintenance. We can argue back and forth, but there's a reason why Clarksville and River Hill are noticeably more expensive than the rest of Columbia.

Columbia has a lovely tree canopy and a network of trails but beyond that it really is a very ordinary place. What made it "special" was the original Columbia ethos inspired by Rouse and that's pretty much long gone now. It's just a suburb. They can't even do a decent job with the downtown redevelopment around the mall for the last 25 years because stubborn old people in Columbia refuse to let anything happen.

I live in River Hill. Most of the homes are on small crap lots and many back to or are very close to Route 32. They are not better built; they are just newer. They cost more because they want their kids to go to the Clarksville, Clarksville, RH cluster and they will pay more for that school district. Many of the older original Columbia are on larger prettier lots and were custom built.

+1 i live in Ellicott city and totally agree with the PP!

I agree with it except for the part about the houses being custom built. Almost all the houses are not custom but made by big builders!

[Anonymous]

Op, if you are a city person, no part of Howard County is going to cut it. Move to Baltimore or stay where you are and suck up the commute (which fwiw will be mostly reverse)
I am walkable to downtown Bethesda, my family lives in Maple Lawn. It’s the worst part of the ex-suburbs - almost completely car based, with a single grocery store, bank, and a Panera (and I enjoy Panera more than I care to admit these days). Howard County is the Pumpkin Spice Latte of suburban living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

First of all, River Hill HS *is* a Columbia school. River Hill is a neighborhood in Columbia, and about 1/8 of high schoolers in Columbia attend RHHS. Clarksville is a mere zip-code, and some parts of it fall under Columbia--River Hill being one of those parts. Second of all, Atholton HS is easily one of the best high schools in HoCo, and it is located in Columbia. Atholton ranks higher than both Mount Hebron and Howard High Schools, both of which are in Ellicott City. It's not too far behind Centennial either, the crown jewel school of EC. Probably 1/3 of Columbia teens attend either RHHS or Atholton, and plenty more are zoned for Howard HS in EC. To say that Columbia has bad schools is ridiculous. Even the lower ranked schools in HoCo are better than schools in many other counties, and the only difference is that they have higher FARMS. Hammond HS is ranked low among HoCo schools, yet they send the most students to ivy-league universities.

We will have to disagree with neighborhoods as well. People who live in developments near cow shit in cheaply built $1.3M homes with brick fronts and ugly vinyl sides have no place to look down upon the only people in Howard County who live in semi-walkable neighborhoods near civilization and amenities. Maple Lawn and Columbia are the only areas in HoCo with redeeming characteristics, and Columbia will only get even better with the downtown plans in the future. There is nothing redeeming about the housing in Clarksville. Clarksville, Glenelg, and Marriottsville are just exurb number 23747383884 in the DMV where people who can't afford Potomac or Bethesda go to get a cheap McMansion. It's another Olney, Davidsonville, Clarksburg, Boyds, Ijamsville, Gambrills, Mt. Airy, Monrovia, Laytonsville, etc. There is nothing unique or redeeming about it at all, and in two decades, it will peak just like Potomac did (Bethesda is more popular now). Columbia has a music scene, several nice parks, nice neighborhoods, walkability, etc that make it more unique compared to other suburbs.

When I worked in Columbia most of the hard-core Columbians were always distrustful of River Hill. Being the newest village and more expensive with bigger housing, it was also the least Columbian village and didn't have the mixed demo ethos of the older villages. Columbia has virtues but most people wanting bigger and newer and nicer housing are going to be looking mostly outside Columbia.

OP hasn't come back and this thread is useless until she tells us where she and her spouse are working.

Clarksville is going to age one day as well. Yes, everything is shiny and new right now, but if you think Columbia aged poorly, just wait until you see what exurbs with sprawling subdivisions on farmland will look like in 30 years. At least Columbia is a planned community with planned upkeep and revitalization. Clarksville is not.

Clarksville has a lot more money than most of Columbia. Houses are better built to start with and more money for their maintenance. We can argue back and forth, but there's a reason why Clarksville and River Hill are noticeably more expensive than the rest of Columbia.

Columbia has a lovely tree canopy and a network of trails but beyond that it really is a very ordinary place. What made it "special" was the original Columbia ethos inspired by Rouse and that's pretty much long gone now. It's just a suburb. They can't even do a decent job with the downtown redevelopment around the mall for the last 25 years because stubborn old people in Columbia refuse to let anything happen.

I live in River Hill. Most of the homes are on small crap lots and many back to or are very close to Route 32. They are not better built; they are just newer. They cost more because they want their kids to go to the Clarksville, Clarksville, RH cluster and they will pay more for that school district. Many of the older original Columbia are on larger prettier lots and were custom built.

+1 i live in Ellicott city and totally agree with the PP!

I agree with it except for the part about the houses being custom built. Almost all the houses are not custom but made by big builders!

PP- There are many custom homes on Wilde Lake in Bryant Woods, Hobbits Glen and Clemens Crossing on very desirable lots. Many of the rest of Columbia was buils by big builders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't care about schools, any part of Columbia is great. Merriweather has a ton of options to eat out now. Columbia has a vast trail system to run and HoCo striders is great if your looking for a group. Commute to Baltimore is not bad, but the closer you get to Baltimore, the further you get from DC. If you care about schools, I'd look in the River Hill or Centennial school districts. Marriotts ridge is a good school too, but its in the boonies for those that need to commute.

Nonsense, the schools in Columbia are good as well. You just named the three high schools in HoCo with the lowest number of students from poor families. And yeah, living in Columbia and sending your kids to Atholton > living in the Marriotts Ridge district in some cheap McMansion next to cow poop smelling farmland and being 1 hr+ from civilization.

Funny. I always thought Columbia had really crappy badly built housing. The stuff built by Rouse in the 70s and 80s is aging badly. Ellicott City and Clarksville is a notable step up.

Columbia doesn't have the best schools in HoCo = straight from the mouth of the head of planning at Howard County government to me at a conference.

OP would be better moving to either downtown Baltimore or staying in DC and commuting. Not clear where the offices are for her or her spouse as they make all the difference.

I am questioning PP's advice. I have a cousin who lived in downtown Baltimore for the past year, while working in a one-year position at Johns Hopkins. He is a flexible and low-maintenance person, and has lived in a variety of places (inside and outside of the US), but he truly could not believe how bad it was to live in downtown Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, if you are a city person, no part of Howard County is going to cut it. Move to Baltimore or stay where you are and suck up the commute (which fwiw will be mostly reverse)
I am walkable to downtown Bethesda, my family lives in Maple Lawn. It’s the worst part of the ex-suburbs - almost completely car based, with a single grocery store, bank, and a Panera (and I enjoy Panera more than I care to admit these days). Howard County is the Pumpkin Spice Latte of suburban living.

Sad times. PSL of the suburbs.