Researching move to DC area - do u have advice?

I don't live in there (Ft Meade is 50mi drag), but those are good areas (would need to look at specific neighborhoods). Odenton is just outside of the gate, also Crofton, Glen Burnie, Annapolis.. the whole area is generally nice. Can't comment on prices or specific neighborhoods. MD public school system is rated #1.

If you plan to stay in the house after you move on to Pentagon, driving could difficult, distance and traffic is bad. There is alternative, MARC commuter train, or you can hop on metro at Greenbelt. Public transport is usually covered, so would make sense to get to location with easy access.

MARC Train | Maryland Transit Administration

PS. the taxation data online: SDAT: Real Property Search it is Haward/Anne Arundel counties good luck

PPS there is some housing inside Ft Meade?

 

This is just from someone who used to do quite a bit of commuting on the metro in DC (used to fly up and work Mondays and Tuesdays every other week). If you expect to be working at Pentagon, I would be highlighting how bad of a commute it would be from that area. Some people I worked with would be late trying to get in from distances a quarter that long. Every once inawhile the subways break down and you find yourself late. DC's commuting traffic is always rated right up there on how jammed it gets. Rent in DC has been a lot worst then Atlanta, but I would think you might find some luck finding a house to rent in the MD area. Here at least, I've noticed what with the economy that quite a few people have given up trying to sell their house and prefer to rent. This way you're not tied into MD and can move in a VA suburb when you are at Pentagon. Just a suggestion since you might find it hard to do the long commutes, and don't have to be tied into a mortgage: especially if you're not planning on living in MD for a long term. I appreciate that you don't want to uproot the kids but once...but I would think the family would appreciate your sanity from such long commutes Plus, starting off as a renter...you have more time to drive around in your Prius and check out areas in which you'd want to buy.

 

I agree with Davesrose, I lived in the DC area for two years (1998-2000) and worked at Andrews AFB. I lived in both MD and VA during that time, and traffic sucked regardless which direction you were headed. My family stayed in GA during that time because both our kids were still in HS and we didn't want to uproot them. Renting will definitely give you an opportunity to learn the lay of the land. Researching a location somewhere half way between Ft Meade and the Pentagon may be the best bet if you don't want to relocate. Also try to find someplace that is convenient to public transportation.

 

I lived in DC and Bladensburg MD for 19 years. It was fine then but a lot may have changed.

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I have friends who lived in Columbia & Clarksville. Severna Park looks to be too far away for a convenient commute. Columbia & Clarksville are very nice & the commute to Ft. Meade should be OK. MD32 is interstate class that far west & country road closer to the base. It is busy but I don't believe it jams up. Commuting into DC or the Pentagon from either will be a nightmare as you are very far from the end of the light rail (Metro) line. Expect long commutes both ways unless you have a shift that puts you on the road against the traffic.

 

Moving to Washington D.C.! :fear:

May God have mercy on your soul! :amen:

Not even membership in FHoPol is as scary, OTH, there is a ton of history to see there. Good luck!

 

And Treb keeps on showing how untouch he is with any metropolitan area.

 

DC is a nice vacation place but living here is different. The traffic is insane and not worth a move because the extra money you make here just goes to pay the inflated cost of living expenses. With a family and the expectation that you deserve a good neighborhood because thats what you're used to in Ohio, you may want to reconsider. That is unless your wife is a doctor. Houses are ridiculously overpriced. I don't know how it's possible that many people can afford to buy them, especially on a modest military salary.

 

We are in NOVA Northern Virginia (Burke/Springfield area) which is reasonable commute to Pentagon (my wife works semi-close to there). Schools also highly ranked in VA. Houses here in your cost range. I guess Fort Meade could be under 1-hr on a very good day. What's happening right now is Virgina is building Hot Lanes on the Beltway so its a mess of construction. You would want to consider NOVA area if you chose to be close to Pentagon, which is the other way around from your plan. Burke is also on the VRE comuter railroad line, but I do not know how that could factor into a commute to Fort Meade. Lots of military folks here as we have Fort Belvoir nearby too. Lots of Prii too.

 

I really want to make this clear: Traffic in DC is absolutely insane. Not insane like "yeah it's bad" and then you shrug it off. If you're not used to it/experienced it it is something otherworldly. Of all the cities I've personally driven through it is by far the worst. Even on the weekend. For example, last month I drove through DC and it was just before midnight on a Thursday night. I was going to skirt the city but thought better of it because surely at midnight the traffic will have let up right? Well, yeah it had. And so guess what, that's when they do road construction. And let me tell you even with not many cars around when you are merging four lanes into one you better believe the backlog became severe. At midnight.

As a kind of sick pleasure I invite you to go to google maps around rush hour give or minus two hours and hit "traffic". It will show you real time updates of traffic. Everything is yellow or red.

As a person who enjoys a short commute and likes a large house if I lived in DC I would sacrifice everything for geography to get closer to where I work and closer to my kids' schooling.

Personally I would only live in DC if it was literally the only place in the country to get a job. I cannot think of anywhere in the continental US I'd rather live less because of its horrendous automobile infrastructure. Maybe I've been spoiled by 15 minute commutes now but it's an awful way to spend one's life stuck in the car.

OK soap box breaking!

 

Comon' Scoorb at least we do not have 6-ft of snow every winter.
Except lately we do have that too. Oh well, I'm Buffalonian (born).

 

Glad you brought that up, here's another way to phrase it, and I don't even think I'm exaggerating: Western NY traffic moves quicker in a snow storm than DC does on a beautiful sunny day.

 

From the point of view of someone who is allergic to big cities, and regards lawyers as a plague, my advice is: Don't!

Caveat: I've never been there, and sincerely hope I never have to go there.