Anonymous wrote:OP. I think we've confirmed that we like the feeling we get from Hickory Ridge and King's Contrivance. These locations also do the most for trimming down our commute too, which is a main objective for the move. If anyone has additional comments on Clemens Crossing ES, Hammond ES/MS, Atholton ES, or Hammond HS, and Atholton HS, I'm collecting as much hearsay as I can.

That said, we have not ruled anyplace in Columbia out and plan to keep exploring. And given the continual rezoning of Columbia, we should probably be comfortable with a wide range of Columbia schools if we are going to move.

We haven't ruled out Ellicott City, either, although we still have to clock the commute. I think when we do, we may find it's further out than we want. The whole point of the move is to land in schools we are excited about, but also to spend more time together as a family. Dropping our commute from 1.25 or 1.5 to 50 minutes would be an improvement, but 30 minutes would be a lot better!

I suppose no one really knows, but what do you think the planned HS in Jessup will mean? I suppose it will shift the current school zones north and west? I guess, too, there is ES coming to Clary's Forest, which will change alignments in Hickory Ridge?

In KC, if you buy in either Huntington or Dickinson, you won't likely be redistricted to the new high school in Jessup. They will take the Route 1 laurel and Hanover. Hammond us very much a community HS.

Hickory Ridge will likely go to Wilde Lake or Atholton depending where you buy.

OP. I think we've confirmed that we like the feeling we get from Hickory Ridge and King's Contrivance. These locations also do the most for trimming down our commute too, which is a main objective for the move. If anyone has additional comments on Clemens Crossing ES, Hammond ES/MS, Atholton ES, or Hammond HS, and Atholton HS, I'm collecting as much hearsay as I can.

That said, we have not ruled anyplace in Columbia out and plan to keep exploring. And given the continual rezoning of Columbia, we should probably be comfortable with a wide range of Columbia schools if we are going to move.

We haven't ruled out Ellicott City, either, although we still have to clock the commute. I think when we do, we may find it's further out than we want. The whole point of the move is to land in schools we are excited about, but also to spend more time together as a family. Dropping our commute from 1.25 or 1.5 to 50 minutes would be an improvement, but 30 minutes would be a lot better!

I suppose no one really knows, but what do you think the planned HS in Jessup will mean? I suppose it will shift the current school zones north and west? I guess, too, there is ES coming to Clary's Forest, which will change alignments in Hickory Ridge?

Anonymous wrote:Yes there’s crime in Columbia, there’s crime in every city, that’s life. However Columbia is no more dangerous and crime ridden than many other suburbs throughout the metropolitan area, it’s actually much safer. It’s laughable for those of us that have an experience with schools that are actually bad, or neighborhoods that are crime ridden where your kids can’t even play outside. Someone selling drugs and attacking each other on the trails is not major stuff. If crime was so bad houses wouldn’t fly off the market in. With iBooks like Running Brook, Oakland Mills, and Long Reach.

They are certainly not flying...and house prices are quite depressed, comparatively. Also, consider the issues with keeping even a grocery store in those two village centers ( LR and OM) . Security issues are a big problem. No one more than me would like to see a revival in these older areas, but it is not happening, unfortunately.

Yes there’s crime in Columbia, there’s crime in every city, that’s life. However Columbia is no more dangerous and crime ridden than many other suburbs throughout the metropolitan area, it’s actually much safer. It’s laughable for those of us that have an experience with schools that are actually bad, or neighborhoods that are crime ridden where your kids can’t even play outside. Someone selling drugs and attacking each other on the trails is not major stuff. If crime was so bad houses wouldn’t fly off the market in. With iBooks like Running Brook, Oakland Mills, and Long Reach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the Thunder Hill neighborhood at 108 and 29. Very close knit community. All of the amenities (trails, playgrounds, lots of trees, etc) that you mention in your post. People in our neighborhood rave about their experiences at Oakland Mills Middle School and OMHS, despite their low "ratings", which are of no interest to me either since they're just a proxy for the socio-economic status of the families that feed into the school. I only have kids at Thunder Hill ES, which we have been happy with overall. We love our neighborhood and don't plan to go anywhere until retirement!

Thunder Hill ES is fine, but the middle and high schools require some serious reconsidering.

That’s funny, because that’s not the experience of our friends and neighbors who actually have kids at those schools currently. What is your personal, firsthand experience with them?

Parent

Anonymous wrote:There are a ton of young middle class families happily living in the neighborhoods you list to avoid. I feel like there are two types of people living in HoCO, those who want to live in the Western portion to get away from diversity and then those who are more comfortable with diversity of all types and understand just because the test scores aren’t a 10 on great schools it doesn’t mean your child will suffer. To each his own. Pick a neighborhood you love that’s in alignment with your values. There’s way too much of “this not that” going around in this county.

Anonymous wrote:Here are the areas in Columbia that are very doable.
River Hill
Clemens Crossing
Dorsey Search
Dickinson
Huntington

Fulton- not in Columbia but southward and close enough to Columbia
Hammond Village- also very close to Columbia

Avoid:
Oakland Mills
Owen Brown
Harpers Choice
Wilde Lake
Long Reach
Running Brook

No, there is diversity in all the areas. Some on this list have higher priced homes, some do not, though.

What you will find on the "avoid" list? Some very serious crime. The thing about Columbia is that one can drive through all of it, and it just looks great. Big houses, small houses, townhouses, SFH....and you aren't necessarily going to see anything. However some of these areas deal with literal incidents of crime in broad daylight involving weapons. What you also won't know about are the types of offenses in schools. These are not publicly reported due to FERPA, but also these schools try hard keep their disciplinary incident numbers down, period, by not reporting within the system.

The other thing to know is that you can live in one area, not too far from a sketchy area, and yet it's fine. But you do need to know where the problem areas are if you are not from around Columbia.
No, this is not about race or just wealth. Crime happens- and it is usually drug or gang related, not race related. There isn't a color or even just income on this, although the greatest crime areas do coincide with the lowest income and most transient. Best thing to do is:
Ask the police for a crime report
Talk to teachers in a school
Talk to neighbors

I agree that you do not have to live in a high priced western county home. There are middle class areas in Columbia,and they are listed above, that are terrific and affordable, but you do have to be aware of the situation.

There are a ton of young middle class families happily living in the neighborhoods you list to avoid. I feel like there are two types of people living in HoCO, those who want to live in the Western portion to get away from diversity and then those who are more comfortable with diversity of all types and understand just because the test scores aren’t a 10 on great schools it doesn’t mean your child will suffer. To each his own. Pick a neighborhood you love that’s in alignment with your values. There’s way too much of “this not that” going around in this county.

Anonymous wrote:Here are the areas in Columbia that are very doable.
River Hill
Clemens Crossing
Dorsey Search
Dickinson
Huntington

Fulton- not in Columbia but southward and close enough to Columbia
Hammond Village- also very close to Columbia

Avoid:
Oakland Mills
Owen Brown
Harpers Choice
Wilde Lake
Long Reach
Running Brook