Moving to Columbia, MD. What can I expect?

[kjm]

My employer is moving me and my family to Columbia, MD for work. It's about halfway between DC and Baltimore. Does anyone live there or know anything about the area? We went for a visit. It had a very generic feel to it. I'm still not sure how I feel about the area.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by kjm

My employer is moving me and my family to Columbia, MD for work. It's about halfway between DC and Baltimore. Does anyone live there or know anything about the area? We went for a visit. It had a very generic feel to it. I'm still not sure how I feel about the area.


I've only visited Columbia, MD briefly. It had a rather sterile feel to it, supposedly because it was started as one of those planned communities. If you head a little west, you hit lots of large acre horse-friendly homes. The good news is you are between DC and Baltimore, so any character missing from the Columbia, you can easily get by traveling into either city.

 

[cchen]

It's a nice suburb. I'm originally from Silver Spring, just a little bit away. I'd say its a slightly nicer Anytown, USA

 

[Slopho]

Originally Posted by cchen

It's a nice suburb. I'm originally from Silver Spring, just a little bit away. I'd say its a slightly nicer Anytown, USA


+1. Welcome to blahville.

 

[js4design]

there is a krav maga center there, which is a plus.

 

[Slopho]

Oh, and if you hit Arundel Mills you can take the family to Medieval Times!!

 

[kjm]

All of what you guys are saying is pretty consistent with what I've heard from others. Fortunately, I don't have to be there for ever.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

If you're married with kids, it's okay. If you're single, you're going to go crazy living there.

 

[Joffrey]

I find it pointless. However, I know a few people who think it's a cool area.

Take note, I'm 24 and don't have a wife and kids so the suburbs scare me.

Columbia is pretty convenient to DC and Baltimore, though so you are well connected.

 

[JetBlast]

I enjoy Columbia, but I like how it is laid out (Columbia Mall is excellent too).

You may want to PM forum member Magician, I believe he lives there or is close to there.

 

[texas_jack]

nothing

 

[shoreman1782]

Merriweather is one of the cooler outdoor venues around. Designed by Frank Gehry, now endorsed by Animal Collective.

I lived in Columbia for a year, and was happy to move away. It is pretty soulless, but inoffensive. After living on the eastern shore for 6 years, it seemed amazingly convenient, though--lots ofgrocery stores; target, etc; accessible to highways.

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

Columbia isn't the end of the world, but you may want to consider a few slightly more attractive options:

North Korea
Darfur, The Sudan
Rural, mountainous Afghanistan
Violent suicide

 

[BrettChaotix]

OK, here's the deal with Columbia (my parents moved there in the 1990's when I was a teenager so I've spent too much of my life there)...

Columbia is the textbook definition of a cookie-cutter community. It' the first "planned city" in America and it's only been around since the early 1980's. It's a city born with Starbucks, Nordstroms, Walmart and Target, if you see what I'm saying. It's heaven for SUV driving soccer/lacrosse moms.

Being located between Baltimore and DC, Columbia developed it's own social scene. The mall, the park and restaurants, Merriweather, etc... it's all right there. The kids there are extremely spoiled. My sister went to River Hill High School where the student lot is full of BMW's, Land Rovers and Audi TT's. Columbia is stoner-central. The kids have nothing to do there except smoke pot and drink. The kids live in a bubble with no exposure to the rest of the world.... think I'm exaggerating? I'll tell you a story....

I'm about 17 and invited a couple of "Columbia kids" to come with me to a punk show in a very very bad neighborhood in Baltimore. I'm talking about the kind of neighborhood you see in The Wire. I had assumed they would know how to take care of themselves but they went down the street to ask gun-carrying heroin dealers to buy them booze and then mouthed off to them when they didn't. Completely clueless.

My point is to make sure your kids socialize with non-Columbia people often. You don't want them to turn into the same spoiled brats that live there now. Travel to Baltimore and DC as often as possible!

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

^ Did not know your sister went to River Hill. I am sorry. OP: If you have a teenage daughter you need to be looking at all-girls private schools now