Moving to Baltimore. Need Advice on Where to Live.

[Anonymous]

Does any one have advice on where to live in Baltimore that a) has good elementary schools, 2) is not too suburban, and 3) is convenient to Johns Hopkins Med School?

Do Towson and Roland Park fit the bill?

[Anonymous]

Elicot city is nice and has excellent schools. I would avoid being in the city

[Anonymous]

Roland Park is nice, but you'd still need private schools.

[Anonymous]

I like all three mentioned. Look at Catonsville, too. I know a lot of people happy with the elementary school, but it might be too suburban.

[Anonymous]

I think Roland Park elementary is pretty much the only acceptable public school in Baltimore proper, so you're going to want to go with private or move to the burbs. But man is it gorgeous up there and affordable! I was just looking at house porn in baltimore (I know sounds like an oxymoron to most). It's pretty suburban in Roland Park. Towson IS the suburbs, but has a pleasant down-townish part. Don't know about the schools. Driving in Baltimore is pretty easy (compared to DC and metro area) so I wouldn't worry too much about proximity. Good luck and enjoy! Baltimore is a great place to live.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend with a 5 year old son, she lives in Catonsville, and when she talks to her friends in Baltimore (Fells Point, Canton & north) about how she wants to move into the city they tell her stay put! Everyone in Baltimore wants to move to Catonsville (for the schools.) Ellicott City is very charming although I'd be careful about being too too close to the river or railtracks. The upper peninsula above Annapolis, Arnold, Severna Park etc., that county is supposed to have great schools. Also Davidsonville, if you afford it and need to be more between Baltimore and DC.

[Anonymous]

Can you be more specific about what kind of commute would be reasonable to you?

[Anonymous]

Check out the Wyman Park neighborhood in Baltimore City. It's just to the west of the Homewood JHU campus. Very green and leafy, walking distance to shops and restaurants. Lots of families and lots of kids. Middle class families who are actually sending their kids to public school in Baltimore (the shock! the horror!), as well as families using charter or independent schools (quite a few very good independent schools within a few miles of the neighborhood).

[Anonymous]

There are a few neighborhoods just over the Baltimore County line that I would look into if you want good public elementary schools. Stoneleigh is a very tight neighborhood with a good elementary school. Rodgers Forge reminds me of Foxhall Village and also has a good elementary school. Riderwood and West Towson are good elementary schools in Baltimore County but draw from more suburban neighborhoods.
Roland Park Elementary has a great group of committed parents, including some faculty members at Johns Hopkins, however, but it is surrounded by high performing private schools that seem to be the choice of many Baltimore parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a few neighborhoods just over the Baltimore County line that I would look into if you want good public elementary schools. Stoneleigh is a very tight neighborhood with a good elementary school. Rodgers Forge reminds me of Foxhall Village and also has a good elementary school. Riderwood and West Towson are good elementary schools in Baltimore County but draw from more suburban neighborhoods.
Roland Park Elementary has a great group of committed parents, including some faculty members at Johns Hopkins, however, but it is surrounded by high performing private schools that seem to be the choice of many Baltimore parents.

Towson is a great choice if you decide you don't want to be in the city--great schools all the way through. If you do want to be in the city, also check out Mount Washington--beautiful neighborhood, nice little village area, easy access to downtown via 83, and a decent elementary school (I believe). The city also offers two good magnet HSs--City and Poly.

[Anonymous]

live in federal hill and send to private schools, easy. The private schools in baltimore are top notch.

[Anonymous]

Hopkins med school is in E Baltimore, though, so Wyman Park/Roland Park, etc., while really lovely, aren't super close, and Towson is further than that. Catonsville is more southwest of the city, so it might work for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a few neighborhoods just over the Baltimore County line that I would look into if you want good public elementary schools. Stoneleigh is a very tight neighborhood with a good elementary school. Rodgers Forge reminds me of Foxhall Village and also has a good elementary school. Riderwood and West Towson are good elementary schools in Baltimore County but draw from more suburban neighborhoods.
Roland Park Elementary has a great group of committed parents, including some faculty members at Johns Hopkins, however, but it is surrounded by high performing private schools that seem to be the choice of many Baltimore parents.

Towson is a great choice if you decide you don't want to be in the city--great schools all the way through. If you do want to be in the city, also check out Mount Washington--beautiful neighborhood, nice little village area, easy access to downtown via 83, and a decent elementary school (I believe). The city also offers two good magnet HSs--City and Poly.

I would never choose Towson over Ellicott City. The commute is better and the schools are fantastic. Howard County offers lots more amenities. With that said, I would still choose Roland Park or Homeland over either. I would also send my kid to Roland Park Elementary which is very highly regarded. I used to practice law at the largest firm in Baltimore and the attorneys who lived in the city sent their kids there. There is a really good high school (college prep). The name escapes me, but the partners sent their kids there too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a few neighborhoods just over the Baltimore County line that I would look into if you want good public elementary schools. Stoneleigh is a very tight neighborhood with a good elementary school. Rodgers Forge reminds me of Foxhall Village and also has a good elementary school. Riderwood and West Towson are good elementary schools in Baltimore County but draw from more suburban neighborhoods.
Roland Park Elementary has a great group of committed parents, including some faculty members at Johns Hopkins, however, but it is surrounded by high performing private schools that seem to be the choice of many Baltimore parents.

Towson is a great choice if you decide you don't want to be in the city--great schools all the way through. If you do want to be in the city, also check out Mount Washington--beautiful neighborhood, nice little village area, easy access to downtown via 83, and a decent elementary school (I believe). The city also offers two good magnet HSs--City and Poly.

I would never choose Towson over Ellicott City. The commute is better and the schools are fantastic. Howard County offers lots more amenities. With that said, I would still choose Roland Park or Homeland over either. I would also send my kid to Roland Park Elementary which is very highly regarded. I used to practice law at the largest firm in Baltimore and the attorneys who lived in the city sent their kids there. There is a really good high school (college prep). The name escapes me, but the partners sent their kids there too.

I don't think you're going to see any daylight between Towson and Ellicott City schools--both are fantastic. Not sure how HoCo offers more "amenities"; Towson is about as amenity-packed as you can get. Commute-wise, I suspect they're about the same, especially if you're in closest-in Towson.

I'm guessing the college prep HS you're talking about is Poly, at Falls Road and Coldspring Lane; it's a science-focused magnet school. City is more liberal-arts focused. Both have long traditions of excellence.

[Anonymous]

I also do not know much about Baltimore but I am interested in 2 privates, Baltimore Waldorf Schol and The Park School. not to high jack this thread but if anybody knows the neighborhoods around these schools could you please give n opinion? Cold Spring Newtown for instance?