Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The commute downtown sucks. Maybe for 1 day every 2 weeks I would consider it. And as PP noted outside of the cute downtown it's very much like the Rockville Pike...cheesy 70's and 80's vintage crap. And it's not like schools are any better than MoCo, so you're still doing private.

For your situation I'd consider Fredrick and MARC in those days.

You haven't been there in awhile. The t shirts shops are largely getting replaced by upper middle class outfitters like Sperry and Helly Hansen, as well as expensive restaurants.

But it's true that public schools in Annapolis suck. People with means who live in Annapolis send their kids to Severn or St Mary's.

Key School?

Anonymous wrote:The commute downtown sucks. Maybe for 1 day every 2 weeks I would consider it. And as PP noted outside of the cute downtown it's very much like the Rockville Pike...cheesy 70's and 80's vintage crap. And it's not like schools are any better than MoCo, so you're still doing private.

For your situation I'd consider Fredrick and MARC in those days.

You haven't been there in awhile. The t shirts shops are largely getting replaced by upper middle class outfitters like Sperry and Helly Hansen, as well as expensive restaurants.

But it's true that public schools in Annapolis suck. People with means who live in Annapolis send their kids to Severn or St Mary's.

Also, I think it's more conservative, but if that doesn't bother you, go for it. Definitely nice to be closer to water.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Culture is different, too. Could be a plus, could be a negative, but definitely take stock of what life there is a like.

It's more middle class than this area. We don't really have a middle class so I'm not used to interacting with people who are.

Plus, it's pretty rural.

Some places may be, but there is also a lot of money. People are more low key about it. Sailing and waterfront properties are not inexpensive.

It is more rural. People live here because they prefer a less urban atmosphere than DC or Baltimore; or are from here. Finally, Annapolis is culturally aligned to Maryland and not DC. Places like Rockville, are DC suburbs. It's a very different mindset.

Anonymous wrote:Culture is different, too. Could be a plus, could be a negative, but definitely take stock of what life there is a like.

It's more middle class than this area. We don't really have a middle class so I'm not used to interacting with people who are.

Plus, it's pretty rural.

The commute downtown sucks. Maybe for 1 day every 2 weeks I would consider it. And as PP noted outside of the cute downtown it's very much like the Rockville Pike...cheesy 70's and 80's vintage crap. And it's not like schools are any better than MoCo, so you're still doing private.

For your situation I'd consider Fredrick and MARC in those days.

Where in DC do you commute to?
Agree that commutes downtown from Rockville and Davidsonville-ish not meaningfully different. That changes if you move to other side of Annapolis or have to commute to upper NW/Bethesda/etc.
I grew up in Annapolis though and would never move back. You'll have abbot of a culture shock coming from MoCo.

We live in Annapolis and love it. Husband works in DC but goes in very early. Short commute in early morning. Excellent housing for the money. Great private schools. Less expensive overall. Very nice people that are thoughtful in their driving. We are not originally from Annapolis so we see the difference in mindset. Don't be fooled by low key mothers. There is a lot of big money here who don't care to flaunt. Good luck.

your two day commute would be terrible. The outer loop of the beltway from 95 to Wisconsin is some of the worst in the region. Friday traffic to Annapolis is terrible whenever the weather is nice.

Otherwise, there are some great parts to Annapolis. There are some good schools. Annapolis definitely identifies more with Baltimore than DC and that can be a positive for some.

Have you spent a lot of time there? I loved it till my boyfriend moved there. Downtown is charming, but outside of that small area, not much to love.

Culture is different, too. Could be a plus, could be a negative, but definitely take stock of what life there is a like.

It's great if you don't have to commute downtown. Go for it.

I love Annapolis and would move to the Davidsonville area in a heartbeat.

Annapolis is super cute. Go for it!

Why not Annapolis?

* Only have to work in DC office 2 days/wk. Work from home other days.

* Current commute from "North Bethesda" (South Rockville) is 45-50 minutes. Per Waze, western part of Annapolis or Davidsonville only 5-10 minutes longer on average.

* Not thrilled with MoCo schools, so would probably go private if we stayed in MoCo. Can go private in Annapolis for same cost.

* Housing seems to be 25-30% less expensive in Annapolis area as compared to MoCo, so we could get much more house and land for the $$$.

* In addition to housing cost, Annapolis area also seems to offer some quality-of-life advantages: less traffic, water access, etc.

What are we not considering? Drawbacks that we're overlooking?

Any thoughts or insight appreciated. Thanks!