Dear OH Maryland, relocating from Atlanta & need some guidance on where to live

My husband will be working at the Inner Harbor area of downtown and we have a nine year old son, who is bright. We are reaching out to see if we can get some guidance on schools/homes etc. We would prefer to live on the eastern or northeastern side of town and preferably detached housing (although I would love the pro's and con's of the townhomes I see listed) I will be working from home so we are fairly flexible. We are curious about Dundalk, Sparrowspoint, Joppatowne and Aberdeen.... Any words of wisdom are appreciated- Barbara -122#'s and livin' large in a smaller bod

Hi Barbra and welcome to the MD boards and soon to Maryland. My Dad lived in Aberdeen when he was alive and I loved it there. It is a great place. My grandparents lived in Joppatowne also and it is a great place. Wherever you live will be great once you make it yours. Have a great night

I can't speak knowledgably about those areas -- I live in Howard County (Ellicott City) which is an easy commute. If your son is going to go to public schools, Howard County is known as one of the best. Unfortunately, good schools and other good amenities come at a price -- for example, we live in a shoebox rancher built in 1954 on 1/2 acre (we do have a pool), 3 bdrooms, 2.5 baths. No garage and we are in the process of finishing the basement. Present market value, $565,000. The houses being built in the neighborhood across from ours are on 1/10 of an acre and start at 1,000,000! We bought 8 yrs ago, otherwise there is no way we could afford our house now on two government salaries. I do love living here -- it's close to Baltimore and not far from DC, yet it's quiet and country-like. Check out the EC website: www.ellicottcity.net That said, there are many good private schools in Baltimore -- some of the city schools you should be careful about (I imagine just as in any large city). I'm sure there are some folks in other areas that can give you an idea of those areas. If you'd like to know more about our area, or need a good realtor that knows baltimore well, I can give you a name of one (don't worry, not me or a family member!). Good luck, and welcome! Nancy

Dear Nancy; thank you for your response (actually to all of y'all *****sponded!) I know that is a prime area, and even if it was a family member that would be fine...In Atlanta we commute 20 miles which is an hour, is that similiar? Barb

Oh no, it's much closer, even with traffic. Without traffic we're about 18 miles from the Inner Harbor (approx 20 minutes driving) and 45 minutes from DC. Traffic problems can take longer, especially to DC, but you have choices on how to go if need be. Hope that helps! There are 3 houses for sale in our neighborhood 460,000-740,000! Move on in! Nancy

I live in the southwestern area of the city. Pretty quiet neighborhood. In fact, there is a house for sale across the street from me. Are you looking for a private school or a public school? Baltimore County or Baltimore City..... Welcome to the neighborhood.

Dear Aime: Thank you for the response! I think public school because we like to support public education, and the southside appeals. Would you kindly share your insites? Barbara

Barbara Welcome to the Maryland board! I can't help with those areas as we moved here 20 years ago (with no clue about where/what/etc to live) and settled in the Annapolis area. Best wishes on the move and I hope we see more of you on the board as well as off the board at one of our social gatherings when you get settled. Hugs, Mo

Hi Barbara, I have lived in Dundalk all my life. There are Townhouses, single houses, duplexes. I love the neighborhood I live in, but as in any neighborhood there are some downers. As for the schools you can find out how any school in maryland rates by going on line. You can learn if they met AYP, the test scores compared to other schools and much more. Good Luck, Phyllis

Barbara, Check out the Essex/Middle River/White Marsh areas (NE Baltimore County). You might be pleasantly surprised in what you find for Townhomes as well as single-family homes. We're in Middle River, which is between Essex and White Marsh. I work in DC (45 minute commute) and my wife works at Johns Hopkins Bayview campus (about 15 minutes during rush hour). We have easy access to Rt. 40, I-95, and I-695. There are Malls in Essex and White Marsh (although we prefer White Marsh for the Mall and the shops at The Avenue). And, you have your choice of a few grocery stores (Mars, Food Lion, and Giant that I know of). Good luck! Jay