Anonymous
12/22/2020 00:02
Subject: Re:Moving to Annapolis
I would be interested in some neighborhood recommendations, budget between $500-$600k for a single family home. Probably not Severna Park, as one of us would need to commute to DC a few days a week.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 22:56
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Forgot to add I’m not commuting to dc but my husband is and so far it hasn’t been bad at all (covid perks)
Anonymous
12/21/2020 22:56
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
We did this exact move this past summer with a baby (from DC to Severna Park). No regrets, but I have to say I haven’t made any friends here yet... I’m chalking it up to covid, but it still stinks. Also, as someone who grew up right outside DC and spent the last 7 years in DC, it’s way way way different out here and takes some adjusting. It feels like a small town, which is nice, but just very different than anything I’ve ever experienced.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 20:25
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We moved to Severna Park from DC after commuting to Annapolis from DC for a year. The schools are great, everyone seems friendly though it's kind of a hard year for making new friends. There are a fair number of people out here who moved from DC and everyone says similar things - great quality of life, lower cost of living, great to be near/on the water, wish the schools/neighborhoods were more diverse. It's also much more politically conservative than DC but there are plenty of liberals also if you dig around.
The commute into DC is no joke but manageable for 2-ish days a week. Where you live in the area is also important. If you live in Hillsmere in Annapolis you have to go through the whole city before you get to Route 50; if you live in Severna Park you have may have different roads you can take to go into DC. It will be a lot easier if your job is near the Hill so you don't also have to drive across all of DC.
Neighborhoods all seem very family oriented around here (also boat-oriented, and families on boats). All good things!
Severna Park is great. OP, I think a good estimate for Severna Park vs. more downtown Annapolis commute is just to add about 10-15 minutes for Severna Park. Of course, that 10-15 gets you great schools.
We had neighbors in DC move to Severna Park. They bought an expensive house that needed some renovations (floors and the two downstairs bathrooms) and already regret the commute whrn they had to drive into DC once to get a badge. I have no idea what they were thinking.
It takes at least 20 min longer to get to DC from SP than it does from Annapolis even without traffic.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 20:19
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We moved to Severna Park from DC after commuting to Annapolis from DC for a year. The schools are great, everyone seems friendly though it's kind of a hard year for making new friends. There are a fair number of people out here who moved from DC and everyone says similar things - great quality of life, lower cost of living, great to be near/on the water, wish the schools/neighborhoods were more diverse. It's also much more politically conservative than DC but there are plenty of liberals also if you dig around.
The commute into DC is no joke but manageable for 2-ish days a week. Where you live in the area is also important. If you live in Hillsmere in Annapolis you have to go through the whole city before you get to Route 50; if you live in Severna Park you have may have different roads you can take to go into DC. It will be a lot easier if your job is near the Hill so you don't also have to drive across all of DC.
Neighborhoods all seem very family oriented around here (also boat-oriented, and families on boats). All good things!
Severna Park is great. OP, I think a good estimate for Severna Park vs. more downtown Annapolis commute is just to add about 10-15 minutes for Severna Park. Of course, that 10-15 gets you great schools.
We had neighbors in DC move to Severna Park. They bought an expensive house that needed some renovations (floors and the two downstairs bathrooms) and already regret the commute whrn they had to drive into DC once to get a badge. I have no idea what they were thinking.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 19:54
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Wardour is in West Annapolis, it is a small neighborhood and the two houses on the market right now are 3 mil and 7 mil.
There are other houses in West Annap that are cheaper. If you want a traditional neighborhood close in downtown, Murray Hill would be a good option.
Do you plan on doing privates?
What type of neighborhood do you want, what is your budget?
We have been in Annapolis for the past 13 years. I lived in Alexandria and DC before that. The biggest sacrifice is restaurants. Food in general sucks here. A lot of average, a lot of really bad and a couple of places that are worth it. Biggest benefit outside of COVID is access to BWI.
Let me know if you have specific questions happy to answer.
There are other houses in West Annap that are cheaper. If you want a traditional neighborhood close in downtown, Murray Hill would be a good option.
Do you plan on doing privates?
What type of neighborhood do you want, what is your budget?
We have been in Annapolis for the past 13 years. I lived in Alexandria and DC before that. The biggest sacrifice is restaurants. Food in general sucks here. A lot of average, a lot of really bad and a couple of places that are worth it. Biggest benefit outside of COVID is access to BWI.
Let me know if you have specific questions happy to answer.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 18:23
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We fantasize about moving to Annapolis or SP but worry that there aren’t enough Jews and we would feel like outsiders. Is it very WASPy?
Hmm Severna Park pretty much defines the word WASPy at least from external appearances but there are a lot of people from all over that move here, esp w/ federal government jobs and the military. And the Anne Arundel County Schools close for Jewish holidays. But I haven't lived here long enough to have much insight...
I don't have a ton of personal knowledge but do know that several Annapolis-area synagogues have expanded in recent years.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 17:48
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:We fantasize about moving to Annapolis or SP but worry that there aren’t enough Jews and we would feel like outsiders. Is it very WASPy?
Hmm Severna Park pretty much defines the word WASPy at least from external appearances but there are a lot of people from all over that move here, esp w/ federal government jobs and the military. And the Anne Arundel County Schools close for Jewish holidays. But I haven't lived here long enough to have much insight...
Anonymous
12/21/2020 17:38
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
We fantasize about moving to Annapolis or SP but worry that there aren’t enough Jews and we would feel like outsiders. Is it very WASPy?
Anonymous
12/21/2020 17:30
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:We moved to Severna Park from DC after commuting to Annapolis from DC for a year. The schools are great, everyone seems friendly though it's kind of a hard year for making new friends. There are a fair number of people out here who moved from DC and everyone says similar things - great quality of life, lower cost of living, great to be near/on the water, wish the schools/neighborhoods were more diverse. It's also much more politically conservative than DC but there are plenty of liberals also if you dig around.
The commute into DC is no joke but manageable for 2-ish days a week. Where you live in the area is also important. If you live in Hillsmere in Annapolis you have to go through the whole city before you get to Route 50; if you live in Severna Park you have may have different roads you can take to go into DC. It will be a lot easier if your job is near the Hill so you don't also have to drive across all of DC.
Neighborhoods all seem very family oriented around here (also boat-oriented, and families on boats). All good things!
Severna Park is great. OP, I think a good estimate for Severna Park vs. more downtown Annapolis commute is just to add about 10-15 minutes for Severna Park. Of course, that 10-15 gets you great schools.
Anonymous
12/21/2020 17:27
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
We moved to Severna Park from DC after commuting to Annapolis from DC for a year. The schools are great, everyone seems friendly though it's kind of a hard year for making new friends. There are a fair number of people out here who moved from DC and everyone says similar things - great quality of life, lower cost of living, great to be near/on the water, wish the schools/neighborhoods were more diverse. It's also much more politically conservative than DC but there are plenty of liberals also if you dig around.
The commute into DC is no joke but manageable for 2-ish days a week. Where you live in the area is also important. If you live in Hillsmere in Annapolis you have to go through the whole city before you get to Route 50; if you live in Severna Park you have may have different roads you can take to go into DC. It will be a lot easier if your job is near the Hill so you don't also have to drive across all of DC.
Neighborhoods all seem very family oriented around here (also boat-oriented, and families on boats). All good things!
The commute into DC is no joke but manageable for 2-ish days a week. Where you live in the area is also important. If you live in Hillsmere in Annapolis you have to go through the whole city before you get to Route 50; if you live in Severna Park you have may have different roads you can take to go into DC. It will be a lot easier if your job is near the Hill so you don't also have to drive across all of DC.
Neighborhoods all seem very family oriented around here (also boat-oriented, and families on boats). All good things!
Anonymous
12/21/2020 17:18
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If you moved from DC to Annapolis, can you share your experience? Especially if you moved with young kids? We are thinking of doing this (both will still work in DC, will have to commute in 2x a week). I'm wondering if it was hard to make new friends. What are some neighborhoods to look into for families with young children?
We ended up moving to Ellicott City but almost pulled the trigger on Annapolis and have friends there. Hope some of this is helpful to you:
-It is a very family-friendly area, though the schools are generally not great so a lot use the great privates around Annapolis.
-Wardour is a terrific neighborhood where you can still bike down and, contrary to my last statement, has a WONDERFUL elementary school.
-Commute from Annapolis is much better than from the burbs on the NW side of the state. Yay!
-You should have no trouble making friends and there are a fair amount of folks who move to Annapolis from DC. That said, you'll be in "real" Maryland, and that is a different mindset from DC. Because you'll be in Annapolis, will be around plenty of political-types, though most will have MD-focused careers. It is also a very relaxed town, which I love, but worlds away from DC.
-Super easy to get to DC and Baltimore on the weekends, as well on down the ocean.
There is a lot of hysteria about commutes on this board, mostly by people that I think have rarely actually done them. I have (perhaps an unfortunate amount of) experience with a bunch of the commutes in DC coming from Maryland, and I think Annapolis strikes a good balance between being reasonable and also having its own great culture, restaurants, etc.
Good luck with the decision!
Edited because I got distracted and hit submit before finishing two lines...
Anonymous
12/21/2020 16:58
Subject: Re:Moving to Annapolis
My aunts home in Wardour will be coming for sale soon!
Anonymous
12/21/2020 16:39
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
Anonymous wrote:If you moved from DC to Annapolis, can you share your experience? Especially if you moved with young kids? We are thinking of doing this (both will still work in DC, will have to commute in 2x a week). I'm wondering if it was hard to make new friends. What are some neighborhoods to look into for families with young children?
We ended up moving to Ellicott City but almost pulled the trigger on Annapolis and have friends there. Hope some of this is helpful to you:
-It is a very family-friendly area, though the schools are generally not great so a lot use the great privates around Annapolis.
-Wardour is a terrific neighborhood where you can still bike down and, contrary to my last statement, has a WONDERFUL elementary school.
-Commute from Annapolis is much better than from the burbs on the NW side of the state. Yay!
-You should have no trouble making friends and there are a fair amount of folks who move to Annapolis from DC. That said, you'll be in "real" Maryland, and that is a different mindset from DC. Because you'll be in Annapolis, will be around plenty of political-types, though most will have MD-focused careers. It is also a very relaxed town, which I love, but worlds away from
-Super easy to get
There is a lot of hysteria about commutes on this board, mostly by people that I think have rarely actually done them. I have (perhaps an unfortunate amount of) experience with a bunch of the commutes in DC coming from Maryland, and I think Annapolis strikes a good balance between being reasonable and also having its own great culture, restaurants, etc.
Good luck with the decision!
Anonymous
12/21/2020 15:30
Subject: Moving to Annapolis
If you moved from DC to Annapolis, can you share your experience? Especially if you moved with young kids? We are thinking of doing this (both will still work in DC, will have to commute in 2x a week). I'm wondering if it was hard to make new friends. What are some neighborhoods to look into for families with young children?