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jayman1981- would you consider living in PG with a family and kids, and advocating to improve things as far as the schools go? Involved parents who volunteer at school, join PTA, chaperone, become classroom aids, and run for school board make all the difference; "squeaky wheels get the grease." You and other active parents WOULD BE ABLE TO make your child's school one who'd WANT them to attend.
Well Selhars to answer your question. I wouldn't mind doing this very thing if it were two years ago, I would agree with you. I guess I would rather take my chances in a smaller area.
I've got my eye on a couple of spots. Nashville TN, Columbus Oh, San Antonio TX maybe Charlotte or Raleigh, NC and to be closer to home Richmond, VA. While they are all exploding with growth (except Richmond) they are all slower pace cheaper places and have good career options. Of course nothing like D.C. but still on the upside. At this point in my life I just need a change. So while I once had a live in P.G. die in P.G. mentality I just can't see myself staying here after I finish my degree.
Believe me when I say this, I've lived in P.G. Waldorf and Silver spring. All have there goods and bads. The only thing that really keeps me here is knowing that job availability is better than most spots in the country. But at some point like I said previously stated I will take a chance and find something that I find more to what I want for my family.
Quote:
Originally Posted by selhars
jayman1981- would you consider living in PG with a family and kids, and advocating to improve things as far as the schools go? Involved parents who volunteer at school, join PTA, chaperone, become classroom aids, and run for school board make all the difference; "squeaky wheels get the grease." You and other active parents WOULD BE ABLE TO make your child's school one who'd WANT them to attend.
Thanks. I was just curious. I'm sure others can relate -- as I can. I'm originally from Philly, and go back about four or five times a year. (I say 'go back', heck, it's only 2 1/2 hours up the road. Family there. home there, aging parent there, etc)
I'm really only interested in staying here, or moving back. Have no interest in relocating to yet a THIRD city. So unfortunately I'm "self-limiting" my search area.
You know, I've worked and lived here almost 15 years -- and owned a home for 7 -- and made friends and acquaintances -- but it will never be my 'home.' I moved here for a job. That's it. It may subconsciously stem from the "Philly/DC attitude rivalry, but I'm just not that into DC. It's OK, but I just am mentally not that connected.
I live in Bowie...boy, what I wouldn't give for a job in Annapolis. Talk about a sweet commute I'd never go into DC.
I wish is ALL luck! Just think: the DC area has one of the BEST job markets in the country...
This is a good topic and this is something I'm struggling with right now. Currently right now I like in Oxon Hill, MD and I work in Suitland, MD. That means I only live about 6 miles from my job and my commute usually doesn't include traffic. Seems like a great situation to keep right? No not exactly. I'm also married and I have a 14 month old daughter. I realize at some point she is going to go to school and as I look around, the school in PG County are not good, especially in this part. In addition to this my wife and I are concerned about quality of life for our family and having our family live in a more diverse neighborhood (a good mix of all races). I have a choice, I can stay in this county with the short commute and have my children go to the worst school system in the state, or I can give my children the opportunity to get a better education than myself and wife did and to also give them an environment that will allow them to get to know people of all races and backgrounds.
So my wife and I have decided that we will move from our home in a few years before our daughter becomes school age and we plan on moving out to Prince William County. Now before you scratch your head listen to this:
1) The school system is better
2) The cost of living may be more than PG County, but it is not as much as Fairfax or Loudoun
3) It is very diverse
4) There is public transportation close by
5) Safer communities
When you combine these factors it is easy for us to make this decision and plan to move. I will more than likely continue to work in the same place or somewhere close to where I am currently, so my commute will lengthen, unless I do find another job that is closer and that is not a guaranteed. Do I really like that idea? No, but I want to give my children the best and sometimes you have to sacrifice certain things to make that happen. Unfortunately PG County just doesn't have the quality of life that other counties provide and so I can't put my family in a position to live in a place where they aren't getting the best or even decent. So when its all said and done, its about my children and their future and I'm sure a lot of people made that same decision and so that's why you see them move so far out. They also move out to lower the cost of living and also to live near certain natural settings (mountains, farms, beaches), but I'm certain children are in the middle of most of those decisions.
Exact reason why I'll stick with Montgomery County for the longest time possible. My priority was to be in a quiet, decent, upscale setting with lots of personal space and where my child (and future kids) can go outside to play and still be safe. Good schools was also on top of my list.
And for this matter, no other county (and especially not PG!) would cut it for me.
Hello all, new here, but I have been up early trying to make some decisions about this very matter.
The consensus here is move to be closer to your job. What if there were no place affordable within a short enough distance to make that realistic?
Would you change jobs for a shorter commute?
My dilemma: I live in Upper Marlboro and worked in Bethesda last year. Loved the job, but that crazy unpredictable commute was killing me. I found a job 10 minutes from home, and in the end the only thing I loved about that job was the commute. It was HELL from beginning to end. I so agree with the comments about the lack of employer diversity in PG county. There simply are not enough options for my field. However as an adult who moved a lot as a child, I just don't want to put my kids through that. Having recently also divorced, I would like to keep them stable as possible. There are two good schools in PG county and we're in one of them
So after an extensive search, I wind up right back in Bethesda. My logic: it was unreasonable to leave a job I loved because of the commute.
But in my short three months, I have had more 2.5 hour commutes than 45 minute commutes. It's only 22 miles. It's killing me. The storm this week made my commute in 4 hours, and I missed an 11am meeting with client!!! I like my job.
Would you try again? I have been a bit of a compulsive job hopper, and I think I change up too often to move closer to work. I have already sprinkled my resume out and am getting a lot of calls from places in PG county--one where I'd have a 5-mile commute, but I'm naturally very concerned that I'd be walking right back into a bad situation.
I have asked about telecommuting, flex time, and the consensus seems to be that the owner of the company is too much of a control freak to let that happen. No one does it. Also, Metro is TWICE as expensive as driving/parking, and that was before the recent fair hikes.
What would you do in a situation like this?
Interesting situation. The only solution I could think of for you, is to move to the northern part of PG, but I know that might not be easy or something that you truly desire. I definitely think there is nothing more miserable than to have a job that you don't like because no matter how short the commute is, you will have a hard time waking up every morning going to work. At the same time, I understand how bad that commute can be. Montgomery County traffic can be wildly unpredictable. You should list your priority in a job and determine if the commute is something that is low on this list. If it is then you should stick it out, but if having a short commute is a priority then you should definitely consider a change for your sanity.
I've been applying for federal jobs for TWO YEARS -- and grappling with the same job change questions But not for the commute per se -- also because I'm BORED and not challenged, and it's SOOOO hard to get time off. Friends think I'm crazy to leave a job just because I don't want to do it anymore. They're into benefits, pensions, stability, seniority, accrued vacation time, etc.
(Also part of my issue is I'm burned out, and don't want to do ANYTHING really at last for six months. As I look through job postings I don't really want to do the jobs I'm seeing either.)
As for broadening your jobs search....Obviously network I'm sure you're already doing the obvious like spreading the word through friends church, searching job websites for your specific fields or trade associations, and mentioning it to people you might not think could help, you never know.
I'd recommend what I'm about to do: really sit down and research and dig and find the big employers in PG OR ANNE ARUNDEL that we must not have heard of. The companies that are behind the scenes, maybe they are biz-to-biz companies, maybe they are contractors. THERE MUST be companies out there WE just don't know about.
I definitely understand what you mean about fed jobs. I applied to a bunch of fed jobs, before I landed the one that I'm in. I didn't know anyone myself, but my foot in the door was going to a career fair. Now honestly career fairs are usually a waste of time with fed jobs, because all they usually do is tell you to go to usajobs ... blah, blah, blah. But I ended up talking to someone who happened to be an alum of the school that I was attending at the time. He thought enough of a fellow future alum to make sure people were processing my paperwork and pushing to give me an offer and the rest is history. Point being, see if there is someone at one of these fairs that you can connect with for an agency you want to work for. If you have some type of connection to them, whether through a school or organization then ask them for help. Of course it will help if you dot your "I's" and cross your "T's", by applying ahead of time and making sure you posted all your documents. That seems like the only way to break through with a lot of these jobs. It is definitely not fair, but that's the cards we are dealt.
How about Columbia to Bethesda on a daily basis?? On the face of it that doesn't sound so bad (I don't think.) Or Aspen Hill, Olney or Gaithersburg? I know 270 can be horrid, but they're all closer than Upper Marlboro. Burtonsville?
or you could move all together out of the D.C. area. I love this area. If it weren't for traffic and high cost of living I really would not consider leaving this area. However these are some of the things we deal with in this area.
Now that I'm a parent I want to slow things down a bit. I don't mean moving to far out suburbs, but just a different atmosphere period. I think this area is great to be single or if you make enough to live close. The problem though is the choices you have. It's either you live in Fairfax, Montgomery, Arlington Counties and all the average person can afford is a One to two bedroom condo, or Move to P.G. and have to worry about your childs education. Note: I don't see anything wrong with living in P.G. just you have to worry about the teachers. Not so much the system.
At this point I've come to the conclusion, that I must first finish school ( 3 more years) build up my skills and begin to apply in different states. Living in this area is tough on families, because you have to deal with a lot. Traffic which causes time away from the family and also long commutes, because you really can't afford a whole lot close to D.C. (outside of P.G.) So I guess in a nutshell we have to deal with what we are given until we decide to make something happen.
Also forgot to say this. Life is about choices. If your unhappy with your commute. You either have to find another job or if your happy with your job move closer (if you don't have a mortgage) and rent. Sometimes you can't have it all either your going to live in an apartment near your job, or if you really need the house then deal with the commute point blank. To me it's about sacrifice and what are we willing to deal with in order to achieve happiness. I believe there is no right or wrong answer just what's best for you. This has been a very interesting and lively discussion hopefully there are more opinions on this matter. I would love to hear them. Because I'm pretty much in the same boat as most of you.
Moving out of the area is something that I thought about myself, but it is such a risk because jobs become less stable outside of this area. At one point I thought about moving my family to the Hampton Roads area, but now you hear about budget cuts to VA defense sector and now it is going to cause a domino effect in that area. It happens just that quick, and without defense money, that area would struggle to provide jobs since it has the largest defense concentration in the US. That's scary for someone that has a family and is looking for a stable situation and that's why this area is becoming a popular destination. Unfortunately, like you said traffic is awful and there some undesirable traits here, but dealing with that just to have a job makes it tolerable. I wish it was more affordable and safer around DC, I wish our transportation was better ran, I wish there was a great balance of jobs in our region, but that isn't the case. And that's why this is such a difficult subject. How do you know if your commute and your job is right for you and your family?
Well my friend you hit it on the head. The jobs are here. It's a blessing that this area has a strong economy, however it's also a curse. It seems like everybody keeps looking at Forbes magazine best places list and wants to come here. I guess life is about choices and taking gambles. Heck if it weren't for Bill Gates taking a chance, then there wouldn't be a Microsoft. For me it's about having faith that God will provide when it's time to relocate. I think D.C. area could see a slow down once they reduce military forces overseas. War is a very profitable industry. Side note: I've been to Hampton a couple of times I like the area a lot especially Norfolk and Va Beach.
So to tackle your question "How do you know if your commute and your job is right for you and your family"? Both situations would work when it doesn't totally disrupt your home and social life. I understand that some careers involve a lot more office time than other's but it should never cause a major divide in both your social life and your family. Mind you I'm speaking from the perspective of being married with kids.
Quote:
Originally Posted by meatkins
Moving out of the area is something that I thought about myself, but it is such a risk because jobs become less stable outside of this area. At one point I thought about moving my family to the Hampton Roads area, but now you hear about budget cuts to VA defense sector and now it is going to cause a domino effect in that area. It happens just that quick, and without defense money, that area would struggle to provide jobs since it has the largest defense concentration in the US. That's scary for someone that has a family and is looking for a stable situation and that's why this area is becoming a popular destination. Unfortunately, like you said traffic is awful and there some undesirable traits here, but dealing with that just to have a job makes it tolerable. I wish it was more affordable and safer around DC, I wish our transportation was better ran, I wish there was a great balance of jobs in our region, but that isn't the case. And that's why this is such a difficult subject. How do you know if your commute and your job is right for you and your family?
My hubby is working in Ft. Meade and I am taking a position in Springfield. We live in Cecil County right now. I WILL NOT be on 95. My heart can't take it. I will be commuting by train until I get closer. I am moving, probably in November when soccer season is over at the high school. Any ideas for an in-between?
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I'd never go into DC.
