Move to Baltimore or Bethesda??

[Anonymous]

DH is OK on the long commute to Baltimore, but I'm worried about being home for those extra hours with cranky kids whilst he's on the train.

We both are so sick to death of living in a tiny sardine can of a house that costs a fortune. Those nice Baltimore houses with plenty of space and big yards sure are appealing.

Anyone made the move to Baltimore successfully? Any regrets?

DH cooks dinner every night, and that would go if we moved to Baltimore. And he would see less of the kids, which is definitely a downside.

Please post your experiences and wisdom. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Where are you living now? Where is he commuting to?

[Anonymous]

If his job is in DC there is NO WAY I would consider this.

Your quality of live will plummet- we live in HoCo and its a hike and that is much closer than Bmore. Not knocking HoCo- we love it, but the commute is a huge stressor.

We would love a smaller house and closer commute for more time in, but DS is rooted in school already and into early teens.

What school district would you be in or would you do private? Baltimore County / City schools are not so hot (in general).

[Anonymous]

His office is near the White House. He has a 25 min commute now. It would stretch to 90 plus minutes if we moved to Baltimore. If we move to Bethesda, he'd have about a 40 minute commute.

[Anonymous]

10:59: We'd do private schools, or possibly live over the line in Towson for decent public schools.

What kind of house do you live in that you want a smaller one?

We are tripping over each other. We hate hate hate our house. And the houses we can afford in Bethesda are even smaller.

Has anyone done this who wishes they hadn't? I'd really love to hear from someone who has experience with this commute.

We thought of Annapolis, but the house prices are too high. You get a lot more house for your money in Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

I'd look in Greenbelt, College Park, Mt. Ranier, or just across the line in Howard County. You'll find bigger homes and a more tolerable commute.

[Anonymous]

I live in VA, so I am not too familiar with MD, but it seems to me like you are eliminating a lot of potential other places to live that are closer than Baltimore, but cheaper than Bethesda. There has to be something in between where you could get more house than you have now, but not pay the close in Bethesda prices.

[Anonymous]

My DH has a different commute, but the length is roughly the same (90 minutes each way, up to 2 1/2 hours in traffic). He only has to do it twice a week, otherwise it would absolutely not be manageable at all.

Please please please do not move knowing that your DH will have this length of commute. 40 minutes (and that will stretch in bad traffic/metro delays) is enough. More than enough.

I actually like Baltimore, but unless I worked there or close by, I would not live up there and commute to DC. Not with a family to consider.

[Anonymous]

I would look in Silver Spring to get Mo. Co. schools, or look in PG County and go to private. Or look in VA near the metro lines. All would be easier than a commute from Baltimore - you are combining a long commute with the need to pay for private - two bad things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:59: We'd do private schools, or possibly live over the line in Towson for decent public schools.

HoCo poster here--Living over the line in Towson would be awful, and IMO living anywhere north of HoCo is a mistake in terms of commute- and as I said previously DH is miserable with the HoCo to DC commute. There is a significant amount of traffic that commutes from Baltimore to Howard County, so essentially your DH would have to battle two rush hours.

We live in a spacious TH and both DH and I would rather live in a smaller home in exchange for less commute on his end (mine is to Bmore, so not bad at all)

If you factor in private school, are you really saving anything? Why not just devote what you would spend on private to a house or increase your house through remodeling? Or rent if house size is really that VIP to you.

[Anonymous]

We lived in DC and DH commute to Baltimore for his job and it sucked but was less than you are now considering. Now he works in DC and has a 15 minute commute and I cannot just believe the improvement in our quality of life. We had a larger home with little time so it was always a mess. Now we have a smaller place and more time and it is very liveable. I look back now on those years with the long commute as the wasted years.

[Anonymous]

What's your budget?

[Anonymous]

OP - you haven't said where you are living now. In DC?

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park, MD gets you MoCo schools and a quick commute.

[Anonymous]

For various reasons, our kids have to be in private schools, and private schools are cheaper in Baltimore. We've researched all of the above places (Takoma Park, SS, Greenbelt, etc.) and ruled them out for various reasons. It boils down to Bethesda vs Baltimore.

I'm leaning toward Baltimore and so is DH, but the commute is the thing that's worrying me. I don't want to turn around in a few years and move back to Bethesda. Might as well do it now if it's going to come to that.

We also like the vibe in Baltimore. It's more laid back, or so it seems from casual acquaintence.

Any Baltimoreans out there? Please comment. Thanks.