newly single mom relocating from atl to dc area (Baltimore: to rent, crime)

[3boys1girl]

Hello everyone,

I currently reside in Atlanta, Ga but I'm relocating to the DC area the first of August (or sooner if I find a place to live!). Not to give too much unnecessary info, but here's my situation:

I am recently separated with 4 children; 1 in highschool, 2 in elementary and our youngest is 3 months old. I was a shm and will be re-entering the work-force for the first time in a few years. We lived in Maryland several years ago in the Lanham area and moved back to Atl in 2003. I've chosen to move back to the DC metro area because I enjoyed the living experience from before. All that said, I and my children visited briefly (5 days) so that I could get a better idea of where to move to. After extensive web research I collected data from tons of sources and many places I visited were quite the opposite of what I expected.

My main concerns are safety and schools. I understand that crime exists everywhere, however I dont want to be in a neighborhood where you're afraid to leave the house lol! I've been told by friends who live in the city that PG schools (generally speaking) are terrible; which is disheartening because when we lived in MD, my oldest, who is now in highschool, went to a great elem school in PG county...anywho, We visited Baltimore, and there were definitely some nice "pockets", but virtually every post I read and some friends suggest that I should avoid B'more like it's the plague!

In a nutshell, I'm looking for a decent area not terribly far from the excitement of the city, but not in the country either....I dont do country lol! I am a fan of public transportation (keep the earth green and keep my sanity all at once), so I dont mind having to take a bus or the train to get to work. We love doing family activities and experiencing the arts is one of our favorite past times. My intentions are to rent for a while. And because of the current situation, my budget is a little low...I dont want to spend too much more than 1800. I dont mind a 2bd, although 3 would be ideal. Does ANYONE have any suggestions of which areas would best suit me and my family?

[Zippy7fo]

silver spring, takoma park, largo....

[3boys1girl]

Thanks a lot for your reply!

[lscalder]

Bowie,Upper marlboro,SIlver spring,Laurel,Greenbelt.

Greenbelt has one of the best rated High school in maryland.
So you might want to look in to Greenbelt.

[RoadTripGurl]

I agree with all of the above except greenbelt. In my opinion it's too congested, the other areas are nicer.

[sunshine61177]

I hear Bowie and Crofton are nice areas to live. I dont know much about the school system there.

[papichulo2]

Originally Posted by sunshine61177

I hear Bowie and Crofton are nice areas to live. I dont know much about the school system there.

Schools are not bad there

[Digger 68]

Do people ever check the date on these threads? This woman could be surfing in Maui right now.......

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Digger 68

Do people ever check the date on these threads? This woman could be surfing in Maui right now.......

Good one!

[Rufus Clay Banger]

Originally Posted by digger 68

do people ever check the date on these threads? This woman could be surfing in maui right now.......

lmao!