Moving for a New Job in Baltimore — Torn Between Montgomery County and Howard County for Our Family

[Anonymous]

Sparks, Phoenix, Monkton are OUT THERE. OP’s commute would be at least as long as from Howard County, which is what she’s attracted to in the first place. No reason to explore extreme northern Baltimore County.

If OP wants a close-in Baltimore suburb, Towson would be a great choice. But based on what OP has said, I tend to agree with others that they should just go with Howard County and be done with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do your kids play lacrosse? Why don’t you live in Howard county? Schools are generally good and it’s a lot cheaper. Baltimore is far. Do you really want to drive 3-4 hours a day? River hill is the best high school in Howard county.

River Hill is the best school in Ho Co but it is slim pickings to get a nice SFH for less than $1M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Rockville and the Potomac area caught my attention because I have two friends who live there. They’ve always spoken highly of the schools, the convenience, and the strong sense of community. Interestingly, they mentioned that several people in their neighborhood commute to Baltimore daily, which made me think these two counties are among the top choices.

I also toured Baltimore City. No offense intended, but I didn’t feel as drawn to the city. When I visited a CVS and saw most items locked up, the overall atmosphere felt a bit run-down. It just didn’t leave the best impression on me personally.

OP, you've said a great deal about yourself in this one brief post to know there's no point making recommendations about anything else. Just buy in Howard County. Ellicott City will be fine and reasonably close to Baltimore. You'll get a decent house in your budget. Thinking about Rockville is silly. If someone lives there and works in the Baltimore area it's because they were previously working in the DMV or have a spouse who works in the DMV and they chose to be the one to suffer a long commute. Rockville is not notable or impressive by any measures.

After reading op’s post, agree. Bland suburbs with an hour commute to work and tied to car to go anywhere is what he wants.

NP and I agree. This person describes Baltimore according to the appearance of a CVS store. Howard county is the best place for OP! Cookie cutter neighborhood in the Hoco burbs where kids can attend a decent public school pyramid and he/she has a shorter commute.

[Anonymous]

As a lifelong Montgomery County resident who travels to Baltimore often to see friends, live in Howard County.

Ellicott City is my recommendation. 30 mins from Baltimore and super close to the airport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Hi all,

I’m getting a new job in Baltimore city, and my family(with two school age kids and currently in new England area) and I are deciding between two areas to settle down: Montgomery County (looking specifically at Rockville or North Potomac) and Howard County in Maryland.
Each option has its pros and cons I can think of:

Montgomery County: Excellent public schools, closer to Washington, DC, which is a plus since my family would love to spend more time exploring the city

Downsides: higher housing prices and a much longer commute to my office near Baltimore(the new job requires 3 days in the office)

Howard County: Much closer to my office, meaning a more manageable commute, More affordable housing

Downsides: farther from DC.

My wife works from home, so both locations works well for her. Our household income allows us to afford a home in the $800K–$1M range(1m is a little strech).

We’d really appreciate any advice, experiences, or perspectives—especially from families who’ve faced a similar decision. School quality, community feel, and quality of life are all important to us.

Thanks in advance!

As a parent whose kids went through MCPS and works in Howard county I’d honestly give the nod to Howard county schools for everything other than the magnet programs. The commute from Montgomery county to Baltimore would be brutal.

I personally prefer living in Montgomery vs Howard for the access to DC as you mentioned, but I’d never consider it if I worked in Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

OP here. To be honest, I was shocked when I walked into the CVS near the Inner Harbor, close to the Four Seasons, and saw most of the items locked up, especially in an area that’s considered one of the better parts of the city. That’s not something I’ve ever encountered where I live, so it gave me the impression that crime might be a serious concern. That experience is part of the reason I didn’t consider living in Baltimore city itself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Rockville and the Potomac area caught my attention because I have two friends who live there. They’ve always spoken highly of the schools, the convenience, and the strong sense of community. Interestingly, they mentioned that several people in their neighborhood commute to Baltimore daily, which made me think these two counties are among the top choices.

I also toured Baltimore City. No offense intended, but I didn’t feel as drawn to the city. When I visited a CVS and saw most items locked up, the overall atmosphere felt a bit run-down. It just didn’t leave the best impression on me personally.

OP, you've said a great deal about yourself in this one brief post to know there's no point making recommendations about anything else. Just buy in Howard County. Ellicott City will be fine and reasonably close to Baltimore. You'll get a decent house in your budget. Thinking about Rockville is silly. If someone lives there and works in the Baltimore area it's because they were previously working in the DMV or have a spouse who works in the DMV and they chose to be the one to suffer a long commute. Rockville is not notable or impressive by any measures.

After reading op’s post, agree. Bland suburbs with an hour commute to work and tied to car to go anywhere is what he wants.

NP and I agree. This person describes Baltimore according to the appearance of a CVS store. Howard county is the best place for OP! Cookie cutter neighborhood in the Hoco burbs where kids can attend a decent public school pyramid and he/she has a shorter commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. To be honest, I was shocked when I walked into the CVS near the Inner Harbor, close to the Four Seasons, and saw most of the items locked up, especially in an area that’s considered one of the better parts of the city. That’s not something I’ve ever encountered where I live, so it gave me the impression that crime might be a serious concern. That experience is part of the reason I didn’t consider living in Baltimore city itself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Rockville and the Potomac area caught my attention because I have two friends who live there. They’ve always spoken highly of the schools, the convenience, and the strong sense of community. Interestingly, they mentioned that several people in their neighborhood commute to Baltimore daily, which made me think these two counties are among the top choices.

I also toured Baltimore City. No offense intended, but I didn’t feel as drawn to the city. When I visited a CVS and saw most items locked up, the overall atmosphere felt a bit run-down. It just didn’t leave the best impression on me personally.

OP, you've said a great deal about yourself in this one brief post to know there's no point making recommendations about anything else. Just buy in Howard County. Ellicott City will be fine and reasonably close to Baltimore. You'll get a decent house in your budget. Thinking about Rockville is silly. If someone lives there and works in the Baltimore area it's because they were previously working in the DMV or have a spouse who works in the DMV and they chose to be the one to suffer a long commute. Rockville is not notable or impressive by any measures.

After reading op’s post, agree. Bland suburbs with an hour commute to work and tied to car to go anywhere is what he wants.

NP and I agree. This person describes Baltimore according to the appearance of a CVS store. Howard county is the best place for OP! Cookie cutter neighborhood in the Hoco burbs where kids can attend a decent public school pyramid and he/she has a shorter commute.

Howard County it is for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it would be helpful if you give us something about your backgrounds and interests. Neither Howard County and especially not Montgomery County have easy commutes to Baltimore. Am I wrong in thinking maybe you're of Asian or South Asian backgrounds? Am wondering why you included Rockville along with Howard, the latter is understandable as being somewhat adjacent to Baltimore and known for excellent schools. But no one commutes to Rockville from Baltimore unless they absolutely have to. And Rockville is not a special or pretty place either.

Both Howard and Rockville are resolutely suburban. Endlessly suburban. Western Howard has pretty countryside but 95% of the county lives your suburban cul de sac life. Rockville is higher density suburban. There is nothing wrong with wanting a suburban life, I respect it, and understand the attraction to a comfortable colonial on a cul de sac with good schools. Really, I do. They're both quite diverse places these days as well.

But I also know you can get that in Baltimore County north of the city too. And when most people come to DCUM and say they're moving from a Boston suburb, the default assumption is you also want a nice older suburban village with pretty housing stock close enough to the city like you get around Boston, and the equivalents around Baltimore are going to be either neighborhoods in North Baltimore or adjacent Baltimore County. Roland Park is Baltimore's Brookline, Ruxton is Baltimore's Wellesley. Newton = Stoneleigh/West Towson (with excellent schools as well). And if you want more pastoral, north Baltimore County has all that.

So what do you really want?

What are you talking about? Ellicott City is a VERY easy commute to Baltimore, hence, HoCo being really a suburb of Baltimore. Having grown up in Ellicott City and lived in Montgomery County, they are very different. When I actually worked in Baltimore, I lived in DC. It was an easy commute as well. I lived off of 295 in Brookland and it took me about 45 minutes every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, it would be helpful if you give us something about your backgrounds and interests. Neither Howard County and especially not Montgomery County have easy commutes to Baltimore. Am I wrong in thinking maybe you're of Asian or South Asian backgrounds? Am wondering why you included Rockville along with Howard, the latter is understandable as being somewhat adjacent to Baltimore and known for excellent schools. But no one commutes to Rockville from Baltimore unless they absolutely have to. And Rockville is not a special or pretty place either.

Both Howard and Rockville are resolutely suburban. Endlessly suburban. Western Howard has pretty countryside but 95% of the county lives your suburban cul de sac life. Rockville is higher density suburban. There is nothing wrong with wanting a suburban life, I respect it, and understand the attraction to a comfortable colonial on a cul de sac with good schools. Really, I do. They're both quite diverse places these days as well.

But I also know you can get that in Baltimore County north of the city too. And when most people come to DCUM and say they're moving from a Boston suburb, the default assumption is you also want a nice older suburban village with pretty housing stock close enough to the city like you get around Boston, and the equivalents around Baltimore are going to be either neighborhoods in North Baltimore or adjacent Baltimore County. Roland Park is Baltimore's Brookline, Ruxton is Baltimore's Wellesley. Newton = Stoneleigh/West Towson (with excellent schools as well). And if you want more pastoral, north Baltimore County has all that.

So what do you really want?

What are you talking about? Ellicott City is a VERY easy commute to Baltimore, hence, HoCo being really a suburb of Baltimore. Having grown up in Ellicott City and lived in Montgomery County, they are very different. When I actually worked in Baltimore, I lived in DC. It was an easy commute as well. I lived off of 295 in Brookland and it took me about 45 minutes every day.

Yes, but those of us who live in Norht Baltimore /southern Baltimore county have a commute of 15 to 20 minutes and actually have walk ability, not stuck in cut de sac hell.

But for op, Howard County sounds perfect.

[Anonymous]

+1 for Baltimore if you don't have anything in particular tying you to DC. Howard county is all sprawling suburbs and newer mixed-use developments while Montgomery County is too far for a comfortable regular commute. We moved from DC to north Baltimore and very much enjoy it. Baltimore is a wonderful place. There are some fantastic private schools for city-located students and good public schools in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Rockville and the Potomac area caught my attention because I have two friends who live there. They’ve always spoken highly of the schools, the convenience, and the strong sense of community. Interestingly, they mentioned that several people in their neighborhood commute to Baltimore daily, which made me think these two counties are among the top choices.

I also toured Baltimore City. No offense intended, but I didn’t feel as drawn to the city. When I visited a CVS and saw most items locked up, the overall atmosphere felt a bit run-down. It just didn’t leave the best impression on me personally.

We're in downtown Bethesda. (I would never commute to Balt. from this area btw and do not know a single person who does so.) Unfortunately, store crime way up post-covid even in the nice areas! Our CVS has many items locked up, and has been robbed in broad daylight. HoCo schools have surpassed most MoCo in standing. Ellicott City is a good rec. Good luck with your search.

[Anonymous]

CVS? Last time I was in the CVS in Dupont Circle and Bethesda they had their stuff locked up too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CVS? Last time I was in the CVS in Dupont Circle and Bethesda they had their stuff locked up too

Same with the upper east side in Manhattan.

[Anonymous]

I live in Mt Washington Baltimore. Our CVS in Roland park has deodorant etc locked up. Definitely annoying. But the Walgreens at Quarry Lake, also close to Roland Park, has nothing locked up. Eddie’s food store in Roland Park has nothing locked up. Graul’s food store in ruxton has nothing locked up. C’mon OP - maybe be a little more open-minded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Mt Washington Baltimore. Our CVS in Roland park has deodorant etc locked up. Definitely annoying. But the Walgreens at Quarry Lake, also close to Roland Park, has nothing locked up. Eddie’s food store in Roland Park has nothing locked up. Graul’s food store in ruxton has nothing locked up. C’mon OP - maybe be a little more open-minded?

Nah. OP should settle in Howard County.