Working at Ft Meade - where to live?

[Anonymous]

My husband is being stationed at Ft Meade in Maryland for at least the next 2 years. Then he might be at the Pentagon/some other DC area base. We're trying to find somewhere to live that would be a decent commute to Ft Meade but would also not be horrific if his commute changed to DC. Schools are important and we want to have access to DC for things to do but also because we have many friends there. Would Silver Spring be a good option? I was looking a bit further out in Crofton/Bowie but have read some not so great things about the schools.

Any suggestions for what might work? We would likely rent, single family, under $3k/month.

[Anonymous]

Silver Spring is a great location but you have to be very careful about schools - in a small area they switch between awesome and terrible. Bowie does have some good schools. Check out the MD schools board for much better info.

[Anonymous]

Ellicott City

[Anonymous]

We live in twinbrook (Rockville) for that commute. It is about 40min to the fort, but also can go to DC/pentagon/nova if needed for work, relatively easily. Silver spring (ESP forest glen) is lovely, too. But, farther away from pentagon/nova for when needed.

[Anonymous]

Crofton schools are good - they are in Anne Arundel Co.

Bowie is in PG county - completely different school district.

[Anonymous]

Op here - this will just be for a few years so we only need to worry about elementary schools for now, if that matters.

Can the PP tell me a bit about Rockville? We have lived in the DC area before in Alexandria and Arlington. I have this impression in my mind about Rockville that it is very busy, lots of traffic and multi lane roads. That might be TOTALLY off base. Is it a nice suburban community with access to parks, pools, restaurants?

[Anonymous]

Bowie has decent elementary and high school options.

[Anonymous]

OP, I would investigate Bowie- it is a LOT more affordable and has a lot of great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here - this will just be for a few years so we only need to worry about elementary schools for now, if that matters.

Can the PP tell me a bit about Rockville? We have lived in the DC area before in Alexandria and Arlington. I have this impression in my mind about Rockville that it is very busy, lots of traffic and multi lane roads. That might be TOTALLY off base. Is it a nice suburban community with access to parks, pools, restaurants?

Twinbrook poster again-- there are a lot of different parts of Rockville-- you are definitely thinking about the Rockville pike corridor, which like you said, is crazy and full of traffic. Twinbrook is off of veirs mill road and Baltimore/norbeck road (which is how u get to the fort) Which is not the crazy you are thinking of, but still accessible to it when you want. In our little neighborhood alone, we have 3 parks we can walk to. (Montgomery county has lots of parks, silver spring, too!). Twinbrook has a community center and pool. Tons of restaurants, but more towards "regular" Rockville. Rockville itself has ton of amenities, rec dept and more pools, classes etc. we liked twinbrook because we wouldn't have to take the beltway to the fort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Crofton schools are good - they are in Anne Arundel Co.

Bowie is in PG county - completely different school district.

I only know AA county schools - we used to live in Crofton and the elem schools were great. Commuted to Foggy Bottom from there and it wasn't horrible. To Ft. Meade would be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - this will just be for a few years so we only need to worry about elementary schools for now, if that matters.

Can the PP tell me a bit about Rockville? We have lived in the DC area before in Alexandria and Arlington. I have this impression in my mind about Rockville that it is very busy, lots of traffic and multi lane roads. That might be TOTALLY off base. Is it a nice suburban community with access to parks, pools, restaurants?

Twinbrook poster again-- there are a lot of different parts of Rockville-- you are definitely thinking about the Rockville pike corridor, which like you said, is crazy and full of traffic. Twinbrook is off of veirs mill road and Baltimore/norbeck road (which is how u get to the fort) Which is not the crazy you are thinking of, but still accessible to it when you want. In our little neighborhood alone, we have 3 parks we can walk to. (Montgomery county has lots of parks, silver spring, too!). Twinbrook has a community center and pool. Tons of restaurants, but more towards "regular" Rockville. Rockville itself has ton of amenities, rec dept and more pools, classes etc. we liked twinbrook because we wouldn't have to take the beltway to the fort.

how is twinbrook elem? we've considered this area but aren't sure about the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - this will just be for a few years so we only need to worry about elementary schools for now, if that matters.

Can the PP tell me a bit about Rockville? We have lived in the DC area before in Alexandria and Arlington. I have this impression in my mind about Rockville that it is very busy, lots of traffic and multi lane roads. That might be TOTALLY off base. Is it a nice suburban community with access to parks, pools, restaurants?

Twinbrook poster again-- there are a lot of different parts of Rockville-- you are definitely thinking about the Rockville pike corridor, which like you said, is crazy and full of traffic. Twinbrook is off of veirs mill road and Baltimore/norbeck road (which is how u get to the fort) Which is not the crazy you are thinking of, but still accessible to it when you want. In our little neighborhood alone, we have 3 parks we can walk to. (Montgomery county has lots of parks, silver spring, too!). Twinbrook has a community center and pool. Tons of restaurants, but more towards "regular" Rockville. Rockville itself has ton of amenities, rec dept and more pools, classes etc. we liked twinbrook because we wouldn't have to take the beltway to the fort.

how is twinbrook elem? we've considered this area but aren't sure about the school.

Twinbrook elementary is fine. Totally middle of the road, IMHO. The other elementary in twinbrook (the side farther from Rockville like, and closer to norbeck/Baltimore rd) is meadow hall, is about the same, perhaps a tough better. But both good solid schools, they draweclusivly from the neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Touch, not tough!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - this will just be for a few years so we only need to worry about elementary schools for now, if that matters.

Can the PP tell me a bit about Rockville? We have lived in the DC area before in Alexandria and Arlington. I have this impression in my mind about Rockville that it is very busy, lots of traffic and multi lane roads. That might be TOTALLY off base. Is it a nice suburban community with access to parks, pools, restaurants?

Twinbrook poster again-- there are a lot of different parts of Rockville-- you are definitely thinking about the Rockville pike corridor, which like you said, is crazy and full of traffic. Twinbrook is off of veirs mill road and Baltimore/norbeck road (which is how u get to the fort) Which is not the crazy you are thinking of, but still accessible to it when you want. In our little neighborhood alone, we have 3 parks we can walk to. (Montgomery county has lots of parks, silver spring, too!). Twinbrook has a community center and pool. Tons of restaurants, but more towards "regular" Rockville. Rockville itself has ton of amenities, rec dept and more pools, classes etc. we liked twinbrook because we wouldn't have to take the beltway to the fort.

OP here - thank you, this is so helpful! What zip code(s) so I look at for this area?

[Anonymous]

OP - do a little comparison between twinbrook elem and crofton elem schools on great schools (for what its worth).