MD/DC/VA Gals v2 [Archive] - ConstantChatter

Reebs

08-06-2007, 11:52 AM

I too have to join in and say how excited I am for Wegmans. I'm originally from NJ and we have one there that my family goes to all the time. My sister got some platters for my niece's birthday last year and the food was delish!!! And apparently it is going to be the largest one built to date.

I just saw an ad in the Sun about Filene's having some sort of recruiting meeting at a hotel so they should be opening soon as well.

And as for Costco, I am really excited for their arrival as well. I grew up going to Costco and unfortunately the BJs over in Columbia isn't cutting it!!

Is my life really that sad that I am looking forward to the construction of food and warehouse stores??

Millie03

08-06-2007, 02:55 PM

I have to chime in and add that I am excited about the Wegman's too! It's going to be about a mile from our house! Wohoo!! Their food court is awesome also!

I'm with you, Reebs. I get excited about these kinds of things! Does anybody know if Whole Foods is ever going to come to the Columbia area???

emschwar

08-06-2007, 04:22 PM

Man, I'm pathetically excited about all these new stores! I can't wait! I just wish the sign in front of costco would get more specific than "Fall 2007".

Reebs

08-10-2007, 06:15 AM

Boo. Hiss. Looks like no tax free shopping week for us MD ladies.

http://www.wbaltv.com/education/13859028/detail.html?rss=bal&psp=news

kindermom

08-10-2007, 08:10 AM

There is a TJ's coming? :D Just when I thought I make more of a concerted effort to north of home rather than south to COlumbia they go and open good stores. Sigh. Back to Columbia I go.

Wegman's prices are generally better than most stores. I shop in Hunt Valley every few weeks. There are a few things I do find that are worse though:
Ground turkey - They normally only carry the FYFGA type so it is around $5 a pound
Beef - There prices are generally high and rarely have a sale

OTH, their chicken prices are great ($1.69/lb all the time), their organic meat prices are great ($5-6/lb for chicken from $10 at Safeway), and their store brands are good. Not to mention, they have the best produce selection around.

And if yal are lame for being excited over the new stores than I am lame too. :o

diam124

08-10-2007, 08:45 AM

I'm excited for Wegmans too, but I think it's going to have to be an occasional treat rather than my weekly shopping place. I've gotten to used to our relatively small local grocery store that mega-grocery stores stress me out with all the people! DH is from NJ, so I've visited a Wegmans up there with his mom. She raves about it.

raven077

08-10-2007, 09:36 AM

Ladies, it's time for us to start reviewing/interviewing area daycares to try and get on some waiting lists... We live in Centreville by Braddock and Stone Roads. Does anyone have any experience with any of these three in that area: Childtime, Kindercare, Growing Footsteps (the newly revamped one)? Or with any at-home sitters whom they trust? Or resources to help us find honest references/places etc? It's all so overwhelming!

TIA!

tenofcups

08-16-2007, 09:12 PM

Hi. I posted this in travel, but then Vjel was kind enough to direct me to this thread as well. I don't usually cross-post, so I hope it's ok that I'm asking for help here as well. Thanks in advance!

My family and I are going to be in DC next weekend for a tour of the White House, an overnight at the Grand Hyatt and a nice birthday dinner at a restaurant for my dad's 70th. Problem is that we're having a very hard time finding a "fine dining" restaurant that is open in late August and doesn't only have a prix fixe menu. We're only going to be 5 people, but one of them is a very well-behaved 9-year old with a not very adventurous palate--she'll be able to find something to eat on most menus, but a full $150 prix fixe dinner is just absurd for her.

I've called the concierge for recommendations and she's getting back to me, but in the meantime, anyone have any ideas? We fell in love with the Willard Room, but unfortunately it's closed in late August. It fits all the criteria, though, if anyone knows of anything similar--elegant and the kind of place you would dress for, a varied continental menu, entrees up to the mid-$30s or so.

Some others that we're considering, but that don't really jump out at us include Oceanaire, Gerard's Place, Morrison Clark, and the Caucus Room. We definitely don't want a chain (so no Ruth's Chris or Capital Grille even though they're both nice). We'll take any suggestions!

diam124

08-17-2007, 09:50 AM

Hi everyone. Friends of ours recently has a late-term miscarriage and while trying to think of something to do for them I thought of possible giving them a gift cert. to a restaurant delivery service so they don't have to think about cooking. Can anyone recommend a good service? They live in Rosslyn if that helps. Thanks.

cosmic

08-17-2007, 10:56 AM

Does anybody know if Whole Foods is ever going to come to the Columbia area???

That would be great! Since I'm in the Burtonsville/Laurel area, it would probably be closer to me than the one in Silver Spring.

Reebs

08-21-2007, 07:41 AM

Not sure about the Whole Foods but I did hear on the radio this morning that Loehmann's is open in Columbia Gateway Overlook. Does anyone know if that's true?

emschwar

08-21-2007, 08:11 AM

I wouldn't be surprised if it was open. I was there a few weeks ago, and it looked like all they had to do was put the merchandise on the racks.

emschwar

08-21-2007, 03:17 PM

We had to run out to best buy this afternoon, and Loehmann's is indeed open! Costco is hiring too, if anyone needs a job :)

emschwar

08-21-2007, 10:21 PM

Got this in my inbox today and thought I'd pass it along for the DC/NoVa folks:
First Book and Firehook Bakery believe every child deserves the chance to get hooked on reading.

Be sure to stop by your neighborhood Firehook Bakery this Thursday, August 23rd, when a portion of proceeds will be donated to First Book, to help provide new books to children in need.

First Book is delighted to have Firehook Bakery supporting our What Book Got You Hooked? initiative. First Book launched What Book Got You Hooked? to celebrate our 15th anniversary and the distribution of our 50 millionth book to children in need. Throughout the summer, First Book encouraged people of all ages to share the books that made them lifelong readers.

Please be sure to stop into any of the Firehook Bakery locations throughout Washington, DC, Alexandria, and Tyson's Corner on August 23rd as we work together to ensure that all children have the chance to get hooked on reading!

Reebs

08-22-2007, 05:08 AM

emschwar, thanks for the info on Loehmann's. Did you go in? Any info on when Costo is opening? I think Filene's should be opening soon.

emschwar

08-23-2007, 11:01 AM

Big news on the costco front!

We had lunch at DH's work today (APL) and there was a costco rep there trying to sign people up for memberships. The new costco will open October 5 or the following weekend! Apparently there was a delay in getting the steel for the shelving, and that's what's holding it up.

And there will be a gas station!

diam124

08-23-2007, 11:02 AM

Woo hoo! Can't wait!

pocahontas

09-03-2007, 03:52 PM

Just curious...since many of you are mommies you be able to help. I'm in need of a GREAT pregnancy massage. LOL :o Looking for something on my "side of the bridge" (MD) and would prefer a spa that people actually have experience with as being terrific. Any recommendations welcomed.

southerner

09-03-2007, 11:12 PM

Mind if I barge in and ask a question?

DH and I are going to be attending at wedding at Glen Echo Park (http://www.glenechopark.org/) the first weekend in October. I checked out the website. What a cool venue! Seems like I could get away with something casual, esp. since it could still be warm. It's a Saturday at 5:00 wedding. FWIW, the ceremony is in the Cuddle Up pavilion and the reception is in the Bumper Car Pavilion. Any thoughts? Been to a wedding there? It doesn't look like a very formal setting :confused:

ausi2b

09-04-2007, 08:21 AM

Pocahontas - I had a fabulous pregnancy massage at an Aveda Salon. It was the Elaj Day Spa in Rockville, MD. It was absolutely WONDERFUL. And the masseuse gave me a coupon for 10% off my next massage (post-pregnancy)! It was a wonderful experience!

IrishEyes

09-04-2007, 08:55 AM

Bummer, Wegman's in Crofton/Gambrills delayed further:

But there is at least one faction that would just as soon block Wegmans's arrival.

Citing procedural grounds, Anthony Perez, a Hyattsville man with union ties has appealed the county's approval of the detailed site plan for Woodmore, which gave the green light for construction crews to start digging streets, laying water and sewer lines, and preparing the building site.

"He drives to work through this immediate area every day," said Harry Lerch, a Bethesda attorney who filed the appeal for Perez. Perez's concern, Lerch said, is that the approval process has not ensured "that the roads are going to be adequate to serve whatever is going in there."

Lerch didn't say whether his client's work as a member of the board of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 was related to the appeal. At a hearing on the project in July, however, Perez registered himself as a party of interest opposing the project. He listed the Local 400's headquarters in Landover as his address and indicated that he was representing the union.

All of which raises the possibility of organized labor aiming to thwart the development to keep Wegmans -- a nonunion grocer -- out of the area. The UFCW chapter represents 40,000 workers in the food-processing and retail businesses in the District, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. In other markets, the union has waged campaigns against such nonunion grocery chains as Food Lion and Publix when they opened stores.

See more at this article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090201063.html) in the Washington Post.

pocahontas

09-08-2007, 12:40 PM

IrishEyes

09-10-2007, 06:32 AM

More Wegmans news!

Wegmans has won Planning Board approval that puts it one step closer to building a 160,000-square-foot upscale supermarket in East Columbia.

The Planning Board voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a zoning amendment that would allow a large grocer to build on an industrially zoned property near Snowden River Parkway and McGaw Road.

However, an official from the Mid-Atlantic Retail Food Industry Joint Labor Management Fund said his group might appeal the ruling. Wegmans, which plans to employ 650 at the proposed Columbia store, is a nonunion employer.

See more at this article (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.planning09sep09,0,4862628.story) in the Baltimore Sun.

Oh, and I saw on the Trader Joe's website (http://www.traderjoes.com/recruiting_events.asp)that they are interviewing people at the Columbia site next Monday. It looks like it's actually going to be more Elkridge than Columbia - on the corner of 108 and 175.

ac's mommy

09-22-2007, 09:09 PM

hi everybody...new here...just saying hi! i live in maryland just outside of baltimore.

poca...i went to the pearl spa when i was around 32 weeks i think...i dont remember...it was august of last year. i loved it! its not to far and its right off of 29 in maple lawn.

http://http://www.thepearlspa.com/

pocahontas

09-23-2007, 12:50 PM

Yep...that is where my friend and I finally decided on. And we liked it so much now a group of us from my other website will probably do a "Girl's Spa GTG" there. Seems like I might know you too since you know Tika and live in MD...:confused:

ac's mommy

09-23-2007, 06:20 PM

yes poca u know me...my login is different on here. :)

twainny

09-23-2007, 08:16 PM

I know this is a long shot, but I was wondering if anyone in the area is looking to adopt 2 cats. We are moving out of the country, and I really don't think my cats will make it. One HATES traveling. Plus, now that we have two kids, we just don't have the time to pay attention to the cats. They were both born in 2001 and are VERY loving. They are great with kids (well, they just run from them!!) but have never tried to hurt the kids. If anyone is interested, please feel free to PM me. I don't want to give them to a shelter, cause I know that most cats that are given to a shelter are put to sleep. That just makes me sad, cause I love my two girls. I want them to go to a new happy home.

Thanks!
Anne

emschwar

09-23-2007, 09:04 PM

Saw a sign at the Arundel Mills costco yesterday - the one in columbia opens 10/5 at 8 am! I'm dropping Noah off at nursery school and then heading over! :)

pocahontas

09-25-2007, 04:59 PM

yes poca u know me...my login is different on here. :)

GREAT! You've got PM! :)

lindybug

09-25-2007, 05:15 PM

DH and I are going to be attending at wedding at Glen Echo Park (http://www.glenechopark.org/) the first weekend in October. I checked out the website. What a cool venue! Seems like I could get away with something casual, esp. since it could still be warm. It's a Saturday at 5:00 wedding. FWIW, the ceremony is in the Cuddle Up pavilion and the reception is in the Bumper Car Pavilion. Any thoughts? Been to a wedding there? It doesn't look like a very formal setting :confused:
How cool to have a wedding there! Glen Echo is beautiful... I'm surprised they didn't use the Spanish Ballroom though.

Anyway, DH and I have been there literally hundreds of times for swing dances. I would agree with you that the bumper car pavilion and cuddle up pavilion are both pretty casual settings. But it is a wedding after all, and I'm sure they will decorate it up.

Have fun!

Smittenk

09-26-2007, 03:34 AM

Hi Ladies,

I posted on the old thread about our house hunting trip to VA in September, well we bought!! I can't wait to get there...we loved the area!

We bought in Kingstowne in Alexandria...is anyone else in that area? We were only there for 6 days and most of the time was spent at our realtors office signing papers and such so I didn't get to really explore but I did hit up BuyBuyBaby (can't wait to get back there).

We move in two weeks and I have so much to figure out when we get there...a pediatrician, dog park, contractor for a fence.

I can't wait to get into the house and start decorating!

Loud_curly

09-26-2007, 03:09 PM

Welcome to NoVA, SmittenK! Kingstowne is a great area - a bit far of a commute to Dulles (I'm guessing it will take an hour or so in rush hour), but really close to Ft. Belvoir.

One great place to start looking for info is Fairfax County's website (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov) - there's lots of info there.

And yay for already finding BuyBuyBaby - it's a great place!

cosmic

09-26-2007, 03:52 PM

An early welcome, SmittenK!

MsPeachy

09-26-2007, 04:06 PM

Good Luck with your move Smitten!

Reebs

09-27-2007, 07:31 AM

Welcome Smitten! Like Loud said, Kingstowne is really close to Ft Belvoir...not sure if you are intending to work there. I used to work there and tons of people from my office lived there and loved it.

Best of luck with your move and welcome to the area!

emschwar, thanks for the Costco update...can't wait till 10/5!!

May27JnJ

10-01-2007, 06:32 AM

Anyone know a place around Richmond that will take pictures of us and the dogs? We'd like a "family" photo for our Christmas cards.

Smittenk

10-01-2007, 06:56 AM

Thanks so much for the warm welcome and info Ladies!!

I will check out that link Loud_curly

May27JnJ

10-03-2007, 09:40 AM

Is anyone going to the Waterford, VA Home Tour and Craft Festival this weekend?

emschwar

10-05-2007, 12:33 PM

costco in columbia is open!! I went this morning and it was crazy! They also have (if anyone is looking for one) a TON of Wii bundles for $329.99.

diam124

10-05-2007, 12:36 PM

ac's mommy

10-06-2007, 11:29 AM

great! i hated running all the way down to arundel mills or all the way out to white marsh.

btw...im not sure if i formally said hello:confused:

we are in MD....northwest of baltimore city. HI!

emschwar

10-06-2007, 07:39 PM

Yay! Do you happen to know if they're running any sort of membership special with the grand opening? I don't have a membership yet but I was thinking maybe they're doing something special.

Also, does anyone know where the Trader Joe's is going up there? I assume it's to the left when you come up the hill because I haven't seen a place for it to the right by Ulta & Lowe's.
The only special they're running, I believe, is that they give you a tote bag filled with samples.

The trader joes is going to be right across from the costco gas station. Not in the strip with Lowe's and Ulta, but the separate one where Golf Galaxy is. There's also a stride rite store going in there.

kindermom

10-06-2007, 09:00 PM

Does anyone know if Sesame Place has a deal at the beginning of the season on season passes, like 6 flags does?

kindermom

10-08-2007, 08:20 PM

Does anyone have any experience with the are totswap (http://www.totswap.net/)? I am thinking of doing it to get rid of 2-18 gallon bins of maternity clothing, an additional 3-18 gallon bins of baby clothing, plus all of my baby gear. I am not sure if the payout is worth it however. They payout 50-60% of the sales, which is great for a consignment shop. I am debating whether or not I can yield the same amount on my own however. Do you want to weigh in if you have any experience.

Thanks!

Reebs

10-09-2007, 06:13 AM

I went to the new Costco yesterday. I have to say I wasn't "all" that impressed. Yeah it was nice, but I didn't think it was 10 times better than BJs. But they did have a lot of samples so they did score some points with me that way. :p

diam124

10-18-2007, 09:39 AM

For any of you in Anne Arundel County - can you tell me who your ob/gyn is and if you recommend them?

I'm considering switching (no problems really, just location could be more convenient) so I'm just looking for some options. Thanks!

tigger8402

10-18-2007, 02:21 PM

Not sure where in AA you want but I love mine and they have an office in Bowie, if you wanted to go there. Other then that no advice.

lindybug

10-18-2007, 04:36 PM

I am loving this warmer weather! :)

coleyndw

10-23-2007, 02:01 PM

I need a good ol' regular doctor in the Alexandria/DC area (live in Alexandria, work in DC). I've been up here over a year and I still haven't switched doctors :o - Don't want to wait until it's too late!

vee05

10-25-2007, 10:59 PM

subscribing. I thought I lost you guys!

vee05

10-25-2007, 11:00 PM

subscribing

kindermom

10-26-2007, 05:29 AM

Has anyone posted yet that Trader Joe's Columbia location is opening November 2? They had it posted in teh Pikesville Store yesterday.

emschwar

10-26-2007, 05:56 AM

Has anyone posted yet that Trader Joe's Columbia location is opening November 2? They had it posted in teh Pikesville Store yesterday.

I was just about to come ask if anyone knew when it was opening! I drove by on my last costco run and they were stocking the shelves, but no mention of when it was opening.

sixlets

11-04-2007, 03:51 PM

Has anyone checked out the new Super Walmart in the Timonium/Hunt Valley area? It opened 10/24, and I've been there twice already. They were not nearly as busy as I thought it would have been, which was a blessing!! I'm so happy we now longer have to travel to PA for a nice Walmart.

kindermom

11-04-2007, 05:12 PM

Where is it up there in relation to the old walmart/wegmans area in hunt valley?

diam124

11-07-2007, 07:28 AM

I have a question about things to do in Annapolis. My Mom, sister, BIL and nephew are going to be visiting this weekend. My nephew is almost 2. Are there any things for little kids to do in Annapolis? When we go we just walk around and eat.

sixlets

11-07-2007, 04:13 PM

Where is it up there in relation to the old walmart/wegmans area in hunt valley?

From the old Walmart, you would want to take York Rd. (Rt 45) south toward the Timonium area. There is a new redlight on York Rd. right at the Frankle Acura dealership on the right side of the road, and the store sits directly behind the dealership.

heather1029

12-14-2007, 07:51 AM

Lookie what I just found on weather.com

"MUCH OF THE MID ATLANTIC REGION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RECEIVE SIGNIFICANT WINTRY PRECIPITATION SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS INCLUDES THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME AREAS RECEIVING 5 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION AND A QUARTER INCH OR MORE OF ICE ACCUMULATION. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE NOW FOR HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW... SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS."

Sure is early for such weather! Could this mean we may end up getting a white Christmas too??!

vee05

12-14-2007, 08:03 AM

Man i dont need this right now ehhhh

lindybug

12-14-2007, 12:39 PM

Ugh, our 5 inches from last week just finally melted!

Loud_curly

12-14-2007, 12:56 PM

Hee hee...that only means that I'll be going into labor tomorrow night!

diam124

12-14-2007, 01:21 PM

Every report I read is totally different - some say rain only on Sunday, some say a little rain on Saturday too, some say a little snow...I did see something like 1.75 inches of rain. If that were snow, that would be a ton of snow!

ausi2b

12-14-2007, 02:10 PM

It figures that DH and I finally got a babysitter and planned a date night on Saturday - argh!!!

janu98

12-27-2007, 08:04 AM

Hi ladies!! I was wondering if you know of some places to go for NYE... I want to get somewhat dressed up and have a nice dinner and then maybe go out for dancing. There are soooooooooooooooo many options thats its a bit overwhelming. Any ideas?
BTW we live in Fairfax and are willing to drive to DC

heather1029

12-27-2007, 08:07 AM

janu: I'm curious too! We've planned a small get-together at our house, but I'm thinking I'd actually rather go out somewhere!!

Hope someone has some good ideas...

tigger8402

12-27-2007, 09:23 AM

WE have a family party thing to go to but I do know that the Melting Pot does a NYE event every year. I got the email a while ago and probably deleted it. I wanna say it was soemthing like $65 for the normal MP stuff and a champagne toast at midnight and a disposable camera and something that you could keep, dont remember what.

janu98

12-31-2007, 07:40 AM

Has anyone ever been to Claredon Grill? some of our friends may go there for NYE and I have never been. Whats the atsosphere like there? attire?

Thanks!

diam124

12-31-2007, 08:47 AM

I haven't been there in at least 5-6 years and never for NYE, but the crowd is typically an early-mid 20's, post-college crowd. When we went it was always for happy hour after work, so everyone was in work attire.

tealynn

12-31-2007, 09:30 AM

Janu, completely casual almost bordering on divey. They usually have good bands.

However, as it is NYE, I might wear jeans but dressy top, heels.

emmjay

01-01-2008, 06:48 PM

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread - we are moving to McLean next month. I grew up in Reston but haven't lived there in 10 years, so it's almost like going to a new place! Every time I visit VA I can't believe the amount of development going on.

Anyway, I don't have many friends still living in the area and DH doesn't know anyone at all so I'm wondering if you all have some suggestions of places to meet people? I looked into a Mom's Club, but that doesn't help DH! We are in our mid-30s and have 2 kids, if that makes a difference.

TIA!

PeanutButter

01-11-2008, 01:50 PM

Hi emmjay - Welcome back to the area! I live in DC, so not sure I'd be a lot of help for meeting people in McLean -
One random idea I had was University alumni clubs - both my high school and universit(ies) have alum groups that meet in and around DC - might be a good place to connect. If either of you went to a big sports school, a lot of them watch games together, or host speakers, or something similar.

Anyway, I had another question --
Does anyone have any recommendations for good furniture stores? As I mentioned, we live in DC, and prefer to look in NoVA --
I was thinking about checking out Belfort Furniture in Dulles tomorrow morning - any other recs?

Thanks!

MsPeachy

01-11-2008, 01:59 PM

PeanutButter - What style of furniture are you looking for? Also, are you looking for higher end items or low-midrange stuff? FWIW, I consider Belfort to be mid-range with mostly traditional and transitional pieces with a small additional building of contemporary stuff.

Welcome back to the area emmjay.

emschwar

01-11-2008, 02:06 PM

Are you buying a lot of furniture or a little? If you're buying a lot, honestly, it's cheaper to go to NC and buy the furniture there, then have it delivered here. We got Noah a captain's bed and 2 dressers in NC for less (including delivery!) than it would have cost to get the bed here.

PeanutButter

01-11-2008, 03:04 PM

Thanks for the responses!

Right now, we're looking for dining room furniture. Eventually, there's other stuff we want to buy, but we're trying to do a little at a time.

MsPeachy Our style is -- classic? NOT modern/contemporary. Of course, I love stuff from Pottery Barn - there's a set there I love, but I want to explore other options. I'd like to see what I could get for less than I would pay at Pottery Barn.
Is that transitional? I know I don't like super-traditional (thinking Queen Anne style) and I don't like mid-century or other modern styles.

In terms of price, I guess I want to see what stuff costs - all I've looked at is PB, C&B, RH -- stuff online. I feel like I don't know what I have to pay to get decent stuff. This is a terrible answer, I know.

emschwar Where in NC did you go? High Point? Or Hickory? I have a work connection to NC -- we have an office in Hickory -- so I think about trying to schedule a trip down there that combines work and furniture shopping, but haven't done it yet.

AT this point, I think we're just trying to figure out what options are out there!

emschwar

01-11-2008, 03:07 PM

I went to High Point, but that's because my mom lives in Greensboro. I believe High Point has more furniture places, but I could be wrong.

PeanutButter

01-11-2008, 03:11 PM

I think you're right - I believe High Point is the "furniture capital" ;)

MsPeachy

01-12-2008, 07:05 AM

Ooops don't know if you've already left for the day PeanutButter but in reference to the NC idea, you can still look here and call places there for pricing. I had selected my DR set from a store here but purchased it through a NC store. It was nice because I paid no sales tax and the manufacturer paid for shipping so I saved alot. Let's see, other stores to find nice high quality stuff would be Danker (http://www.danker-furniture.com/Dpages/home.html)(located in Dulles Towne Center area) which sells brands like Henredon, Drexel, etc. and imi Furniture (http://www.imifurniture.com/)which is close to Belfort. I'm not sure if either of those fit your style but they are really nice. Another option for you might be Galahans in Fredericksburg (http://www.gallahans.com/). They have connections to the NC stores. Good luck & have fun!

PeanutButter

01-12-2008, 01:03 PM

Thanks, Ms. Peachy!

We went to Danker today (there is one in Arlington near Pentagon City) and it was nice, but a bit pricier than we were looking at. Also went to Ethan Allen, which we really liked.

I think we're going to venture out to Belfort tomorrow, but we're definitely thinking about a trip to NC before too long... sounds like we'd find the best deals and selection there!

Thanks for the suggestions! We'll try imi tomorrow, too.

WebDiva

01-23-2008, 12:54 PM

Hello all...anyone here live in the Largo/Lanham, MD area? I'm looking for daycare recommendations in the area. My original plan fell through for the long term (I can still probably till July or so). Anyone?

diam124

01-23-2008, 01:25 PM

We are likely going to be buying a lot of new furniture in the next year or so. Are any of the North Carolina stores online (with prices)? I've tried to find them in the past to compare prices but I haven't been able to find any good websites. Any stores in particular to look for?

PeanutButter

01-25-2008, 09:45 AM

diam - these are some of the websites we've been looking at...
Not a lot have prices.

http://www.furniturelandsouthcom/

http://www.boyles.com/

http://www.highpointfurniture.com/directory.html

I think we might try this out this weekend, as well. It's kind of a trek out to Manassas, but much closer than High Point!
http://www.greenfront.com

I have to go to Hickory for work next week, and I am still hoping to sneak away and check out some furniture places. There is a Bernhardt outlet there, as well as the Hickory Furniture Mart. I'll let you know what I think...

emschwar

01-25-2008, 10:17 AM

Furniture land south is a GREAT place to go look at furniture. They have so much it's incredible. They're prices are not that great though. Go look there, but get the information and call around and order at another store :)

We got Noah's furniture at Black's (http://www.blacksfurniture.com/). We were VERY pleased with the price and the service.

For most places, you're going to have to call for prices. I don't think they usually list them on the web.

diam124

01-25-2008, 10:20 AM

Thanks for the websites. There is no way I could convince DH to go to NC just to look at furniture and I couldn't buy anything without his input (well I could, but I'd want his opinion too). So I'm thinking we'd be better off looking local and then once we find what we want contacting NC stores to check their prices.

diam124

01-25-2008, 10:33 AM

I forgot about Greenfront. When I lived in central VA one of my friends swore by it, but I never made it over there.

Has anyone bought anything from Gardiners in MD? They are a lot closer to us than Manassas.

sixlets

01-25-2008, 10:54 AM

There is a store called SCAN Furniture in the Maryland/DC area. Their website is http://www.scanfurniture.com/index.cfm?ID=locations

The store in the Timonium area is going out of business, and they are reportedly having a good sale. I'm not sure what they have or their prices, but it may be worth checking out online.

emschwar

01-25-2008, 11:40 AM

The columbia SCAN is going out of business too

MsPeachy

01-25-2008, 11:54 AM

Oh I hope that doesn't mean all the SCANs are going under. Unfortunately 90% of the furniture in this area is traditional or transitional and it is so so difficult to find contemporary stuff. Which stinks if you're into mod like me :(

On the NC front, I purchased my DR set through a strore in NC but I knew what I wanted before I called for pricing. It was my experience that the majority of the store websites do not have prices.

tgal

01-25-2008, 12:13 PM

diam: IMO, there is no substitute for making the trek down to NC, especially if you want to really save some money (meaning checking out the real clearance centers). We saved a ton on everything we bought, but we needed everything. The best time for the clearance centers is 2-3 weeks after market. I think that is Nov. and May. If you want more specifics. I have a copy of my review that I posted in the home thread a long time ago. I can pm you, but I don't want to take up space here. hth

Smittenk

01-28-2008, 12:47 PM

We are planning on going through NC at the end of April and I really want to get a leather couch and loveseat made there...has anyone done that before? Can it be done?

emschwar

02-23-2008, 08:35 PM

Has anyone ever been to a quarter auction? I'm going to be working at one on April 1, in sykesville, so if anyone is interested in going, let me know and I can give you more information.

ausi2b

02-25-2008, 08:38 AM

Emschwar - what is a quarter auction?

emschwar

02-25-2008, 10:46 AM

Emschwar - what is a quarter auction?

This is from something someone sent me about it:

What is a Quarter Auction?

A quarter auction is a super fun evening of entertainment and bargains. It is best describes as an Auction meets Raffle. When you arrive you will purchase your paddle(s), and a ball with a number matching your paddle number will be added into the draw bin. As each item is offered up for bid, you will bid the number of quarters for the item for each paddle that you want to play (so if you have 1 paddle and it is a 2 quarter bid, you'll put 50 cents in the basket; if you want to play 2 paddles and it is a 1 quarter bid, you'd put 1 quarter for each of your paddles into the basket, or 50 cents). A number is then drawn and if it matches your paddle, you won the item! If you chose not to bid on the item and your number is drawn, another number will be drawn until a bidding number is drawn (you gotta play to win!)

janu98

03-04-2008, 09:15 AM

Has anyone been there? I would like to talk my DS (14months) there this weekend, but its about 2 hours away. I wanted to know if its worth the trip, are there things for his age group to do there?

lilo

03-26-2008, 01:58 PM

janu: I've never been to the children's museum in Richmond but I have been to the children's museum in NYC and the Port Discovery Children's museum in Baltimore. DS is 16 months old and from my experience, both are fun although I find most children's museums are geared towards older children. In Baltimore, there were about 2 rooms geared toward DS' age and in NYC, only one. Nonetheless, they were fun and of course DS had a blast just running around somewhere new.

If you were going to make a day trip out of Richmond, in general, I'd say definitely go but if not, I'd check out the museum first in Baltimore. Hope that helps!!

need brunch advice in DC: DH and I are getting the rare opportunity this weekend to go out to brunch without DS (he is staying with grandma!) and I'd like to take full advantage of this and go somewhere non-kid friendly. We've been to a lot of the usual brunch places like Georgia Brown's, Tabard Inn, Montmarte, Mon Ami Gabi, etc. so I can't seem to think of anywhere new. Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone been to B.Smith's at Union Station for brunch? Bistro Bis in Hotel George?

TIA! :)

raven077

03-26-2008, 02:14 PM

need brunch advice in DC: DH and I are getting the rare opportunity this weekend to go out to brunch without DS (he is staying with grandma!) and I'd like to take full advantage of this and go somewhere non-kid friendly. We've been to a lot of the usual brunch places like Georgia Brown's, Tabard Inn, Montmarte, Mon Ami Gabi, etc. so I can't seem to think of anywhere new. Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone been to B.Smith's at Union Station for brunch? Bistro Bis in Hotel George?

TIA! :)

I'd suggest Bistro Bistro in Shirlington. Their Sunday Brunch is fantastic. Tons of food, live music... Good stuff. I think they take reservations.

janu98

03-26-2008, 02:21 PM

need brunch advice in DC[/b]: DH and I are getting the rare opportunity this weekend to go out to brunch without DS (he is staying with grandma!) and I'd like to take full advantage of this and go somewhere non-kid friendly. We've been to a lot of the usual brunch places like Georgia Brown's, Tabard Inn, Montmarte, Mon Ami Gabi, etc. so I can't seem to think of anywhere new. Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone been to B.Smith's at Union Station for brunch? Bistro Bis in Hotel George?

TIA! :)

Thanks!!! we havent made it to Richmond just yet but i think we are defintaly going to go, we are also going to try out the Baltimore one too!

About ideas for brunch I dont know how much you are willing to speand but we went to The Four Seasons in D.C. and OMG!:eek::eek: it was amazing.... they had everything you could ask for!!! yum-o!

ausi2b

03-31-2008, 11:12 AM

Lilo - I'm coming in late to the game. I've never had brunch at B. Smith's but I've been there for lunch and drinks and I think it is just "ok." You also get a lot of the tourist factor since it is attached to Union Station. I've been to Bistro Bis for lunch and dinner and it is fantastic - BUT I've only gone during the week - and the food was good, but I also like it b/c you always see such interesting people there (legislators, news correspondents, etc.) I've never been there - but I assume that the Mandarin Oriental would probably have a great brunch too - plus it would be close enough to see the Cherry Blossoms too. Four Seasons is great too - we went there the morning that I got engaged a million years ago.

You'll have to let us know where you ended up!

lilo

04-02-2008, 08:54 AM

thanks everyone! We ended up going to the Fairmont Hotel for brunch since it was a last minute thought and were actually hoping Blue Duck Tavern (which I love!) would be open (they weren't). Since it was Saturday, it was a fairly small brunch but very good. The hotel itself is very pretty too and it was actually the first time I'd been in there.

I totally forgot about the Four Seasons though. Darn! Next time! ;)

also, just a quick restaurant review for all you local gals. We went to City Zen for my birthday and it was very good but didn't blow us away. I'm actually surprised that they're listed as the #2 restaurant in the city. The restaurant is beautiful (very modern) and we loved several dishes on the tasting menu but the service was spotty and some of the dishes were just okay. My favorite *special occasion* restaurant is still Marcel's and I would recommend to anyone.

tgal

04-14-2008, 12:37 PM

I apologize in advance for the hijack! Is the girl from Berryville still here someplace. I can't remember her login for the life of me. Anyway, if you are still here, would you mind PMing me. I have an interview tomorrow and I believe you had a job offer from the same agency. If you wouldn't mind I have a few questions for you. TIA!!!

dreamgirly

04-21-2008, 09:41 AM

A few months back, you all helped me with information about Blacksburg and VTech. (thank you!!)

Well-- plans have changed, we are moving to the DC area. Probably within the next few months. We are moving from FL, and have only been to DC once, 2 weeks ago for a business trip.

My job will be in Reston VA, DH job is still up in the air on location, but possibly Gaithersburg MD. We would like to live in VA, based on everything we have seen for commuting purposes and neighborhoods/pricing. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Alexandria old town, but are worried about the commute being too long. We drove through Arlington, like it too, and on the map McLean looked like a FABulous location-- however upon our drive through, looked like mansions that we would not be able to afford. :)

We are open to renting for awhile since we have to sell our home here in FL, and possibly buying a house/condo/townhome within a few months/next year. We do NOT want a super new fancy corporate type of apartment building, but rather a place with character and close proximity to grocery shopping, etc. We have a small dog so also need info about dog parks.

THANK YOU!!! :)

diam124

04-21-2008, 10:08 AM

Others can probably give a better idea of commuting times, but I would not recommend living in Old Town and commuting to Reston. Even though you are at times against the traffic flow, it would still be a long commute. Years ago we lived on the outskirts of Old Town and DH commuted to Fairfax (Fair Oaks area). It was a huge pain and he would still get caught in Beltway traffic. IMO, commuting becomes such a major part of life, why make it harder on yourselves by purposely living so far away? Old Town to Gaithersburg would be even worse. That's just my opinion, but after commuting from Fairfax to Dupont Circle for many years, I came to really despise how much time I spent on public transportation. (and public transportation wouldn't even be an option for you).

Many areas of McLean are very expensive, but there are areas like Falls Church that are more reasonable and in the same general vicinity. I know you said you prefer VA, but you might also look at Bethesda since it would be more of a middle point for both of you.

andrew&shannah

04-21-2008, 10:45 AM

I would have to agree with diam124 about Old Town. While it is technically against traffic, it would still take you forever to get to Reston or Gaithersburg in the morning from Old Town. Arlington might be slightly better because you could take some side roads to Reston but still not fantastic.

If you are planning to rent, McLean and Vienna wouldn't be that bad. There are some nice places that aren't that expensive. Right now, a lot of people are trying to rent out their townhouses and condos because more people are buying than renting with the low housing prices in the area. Another great place to consider, as Diam124 mentioned is Falls Church. It would be slightly less expensive than McLean.

If your husband is willing to take the bulk of the commuting, Reston is actually a really great place to buy or rent. Your DH could take the toll road to the beltway and up to Gaithersburg.

Good luck!

dreamgirly

04-22-2008, 09:06 AM

Thanks for the info!

I know that Alexandria would be bad for commuting purposes, it was just an example of the 'feel' that we are looking for. We are REALLY trying to avoid the "developed" look/feel of high-rise new condos. Plus we have a small dog so the super-urban lifestyle is probably not in the cards for us.

DH wants to look into taking the metro to Gaithersburg... I think there's a bus at one of the exchange points that he can take. Do any of you know if/where there is a park&ride area for him to park & get on the metro? How much does metro cost per month?

My job will travel significantly more than DH, so close proximity for me is not as big of a deal. DH needs to live in VA so he can get in-state residency, when he goes back to school at VTech in a few yrs.

Also -- since we have no idea what areas are safe, is there an apartment/house rental locating agency or do realtors usually do that up there? We may be able to go in a few weeks for an apt. hunting trip, and I need to line something up. Thanks :)

diam124

04-22-2008, 09:28 AM

Well, the tough part about your DH taking the Metro to Gaithersburg from VA would be that he has to get on the red line to go in that direction and the red line doesn't run in VA. So basically he'd have to take the Orange line from VA into DC (Metro Center) and switch trains to go back out to MD. That is a long trip - about an hour on the train total (if everything is running smoothly). He could drive to one of the stops on the Red Line and take it up towards Gaithersburg, but at that point it's probably just easier to drive (since most Metro parking garages fill up quickly). And really unless there is an accident, I don't think 270 north would be too much of a problem in the morning (since he'd be going the opposite of the normal traffic flow). You can take a look at the Metro map at wmata.com.

My commute used to be around $7.00 a day or so (can't remember exactly). I know fares have gone up though (it's been 5 years since I did that commute).

As far as safety, I think WashingtonPost has a link where you can enter an address and get area crime reports for the last 3 months. I think you will usually get a good feel by visiting the areas. In most towns around here I think there are good areas and not great areas. It really depends on the specific location. I lived in Alexandria and Fairfax (now I'm closer to Baltimore) and I felt much safer in Fairfax. It's not that Alexandria was dangerous necessarily, but there were crime reports about muggings, etc. Of course things like that did happen in Fairfax as well, it just wasn't as common.

diam124

04-22-2008, 09:36 AM

Another resource you might want to check out is Apartment Ratings - www.aptratings.com. You have to take some of the ratings with a grain of salt (I used to work in property management and some of our reviews were totally unfair), but chances are if you see negative post after negative post, there is something to it.

But, I will say that in this market I would look for a townhouse or single family house to rent rather than an apartment (especially with a dog).

Loud_curly

04-24-2008, 12:50 PM

We live in Falls Church, and you definitely want to live in the McLean/Falls Church/Arlington area for commuting purposes. There are lots of great neighborhoods all around these places. Arlington is more urban, and also more $$$, but there are fabulous family-friendly neighborhoods all around. There are also more high-rise apartments there. Gaithersburg shouldn't be that bad of a commute, esp. if you're close to the Beltway. It would be a reverse commute, so most of the traffic would be heading from MD to VA. I know my DH has traveled to Bethesda for business before, and it takes him no time to get there. The metro really isn't an option from VA to Gaithersburg - it would take an hour or so, whereas the drive would take 20-30 minutes via the Beltway and 270 (depending where exactly you live). I don't think there are any buses that go from VA to MD anymore, but I could be mistaken.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions, or want to know more about the area.

MsPeachy

04-29-2008, 08:24 AM

Hi everyone! I'm looking for restaurant recs/ideas for Friday night. We are going to Constitution Hall to see Eddie Izzard (Yippeee!!) and are trying to decide if we want to eat downtown before the show or in the burbs. I'm not familiar with any restaurants near the place and was wondering if anyone could suggest something. I'm thinking right now we'll be Metroing down there to the Farragut West station which is what's recommended on the DAR site so anything around there or in between could work.
Thanks in advance!

And here's hoping that our CC friends in Southeastern VA are all doing okay after yesterday's frightening and devastating tornados!!

dreamgirly

05-14-2008, 03:12 PM

Thank you all SO much for your help so far!!!

Can anybody tell me what type of neighborhood is around the street Westwind Way in Mclean? There is a Safeway nearby if that helps. We are looking at apartments/houses for rent and the Realtor we are working with is less than accommodating.

diam124

05-14-2008, 06:18 PM

I looked it up online and it's kind of hard to tell (if you look at Google maps you can use the satellite feature to get an overhead view of the area). It is really, really close to Tyson's Corner mall (which could be good or bad). If I lived in Fairfax still I would totally check it out for you! In general I would guess it's fine (you aren't going to find ghettos in Falls Church/McLean/Vienna), but it could be a high traffic area, especially as you get closer to the mall. It does look like it's near some parks/gardens so that's a plus.

dreamgirly

05-15-2008, 10:11 AM

Oh thank you! Yeah, I looked it up on googlemaps last week, but since I don't know anything about the surrounding areas, I didn't know about the quality of the neighborhood. Looks ok from satellite, but who knows. ;)

Thanks diam!

namrodda

06-04-2008, 10:31 AM

Hello out there!
I'm new to this thread. We recently moved to the Woodbridge area and I'm finally feeling settled in enough to want to start getting involved in things. I'm searching for a good hair salon, churches (Episcopal), day care/preschool, kids stuff, mom groups, any of that stuff. Is anybody else on the south side of DC and have specific recommendations?

I'm fairly familiar with the city because I went to school up here but then moved away so things have changed a lot. Gas prices being what they are I'm trying to find more to do around here but I get over to Tysons some and we go out to Annapolis whenever we can. DH works in Arlington but takes the VRE and thats worked out really well.

Anyway just wanted to sort of introduce myself and see who else is out there!
TIA!

Smittenk

06-04-2008, 06:04 PM

These tornado warnings we have been having are driving me absolutely nuts!! They freak the living daylights out of me...I'm not sure I can live here for another 3 years, seriously. I know people keep telling me this isn't normal but I'm afraid it might be the new normal...I just can't do this every year. Maybe I am the only one but when I see the warnings on the TV and they say that they will be until 1am...like tonight, there is no way I can go to sleep.

vee05

06-04-2008, 08:06 PM

I agree im starting to freak out about it to. Flooding, tornado's, mini earth quakes....like hello i didnt move from hurricane central for this!

diam124

06-04-2008, 08:10 PM

I think the number of tornado warnings is unusual, but late May/early June is notorious for evening thunderstorms around here. This year has reminded me a lot of 2003 - the year we got married. It was a very rainy May and then in early June the thunderstorms started happening all the time. Our rehearsal dinner had to be moved at the last minute because the restaurant lost power in a storm and our wedding day was beautiful (albeit very hot and humid) up until 5pm and then the thunderstorms started.

kindermom

06-04-2008, 08:38 PM

SmittenK - I have been in the area (College Park and gradually moving north toward Baltimore County) since 1998 and I can recall only one other time tornadoes have hit this close to home. It seems like they stick to southern Maryland. Other than this time, I recall tornadoes running through College Park which was freakish (was that 2003?).

namrodda

06-04-2008, 09:01 PM

2001... I was doing a semester in London and two classmates at UMD (sisters) were killed when their car was thrown on campus. It was shortly after 9/11 and I remember all of us wondering what else would happen to our friends/family while we overseas. Freaky....

MsPeachy

06-05-2008, 04:39 AM

namrodda - Welcome to the neighborhood (sorta) ;) I'm in northern PWC so can't help you too much with your questions. The county has some good parks and pools down your way which may help you get started in the community or find mommy groups etc. I think I tossed my recreation guide for this summer but the PWC website should have the info too. This year has reminded me a lot of 2003 - the year we got married. It was a very rainy May diam - me too! It rained on my wedding in May '03 and I remember talking with people about how there were only a handful of days that month where it didn't rain.

We lost power for 3 hours yesterday afternoon. But otherwise, you newbies to the area shouldn't be too concerned (unless you live in Charles Co. MD which always seems to be the worst hit). Tornadoes and things are not the norm for this area. If anything, I think the severe weather speaks more toward the general global climate changes and environmental problems.

diam124

06-05-2008, 06:51 AM

diam - me too! It rained on my wedding in May '03 and I remember talking with people about how there were only a handful of days that month where it didn't rain.

Yep, every single weekend that May was rainy. We were supposed to have an outdoor ceremony in the evening and even though it was beautiful around 3, we had to switch to indoors because of the thunderstorms in the forecast.

Personally I like the rain these days (although not the tornado warnings or power outages). After the last couple summers of having to water the grass/flowers so they don't die this has been great! Everything is nice and green.

kindermom

06-05-2008, 07:13 AM

namrodda - I was not actually going to say that there were fatalities! I did not want to scare smittenk. :) But if I recall, the one girl's father was a professor and he told her to stay put but she decided to get in the car and drive. The tornado went right through campus putting down an ugly path of trees. It was awful. I lived about a mile from the scene and was teaching on campus at the time.

Smittenk

06-05-2008, 07:37 AM

Tornadoes and things are not the norm for this area. If anything, I think the severe weather speaks more toward the general global climate changes and environmental problems.

I agree! I think that is why I am afraid that this weather is the new normal...the climate is a-changing.

Thanks for the posts ladies...I just freak out when there are tornado warnings...makes me want to pack my bags

vjel

06-05-2008, 08:22 AM

ITA that Charles County, MD always seems to get hit...what is that about???

I normally do not get worked up about the tornado warnings but when they said a funnel cloud was spotted in Middleburg and the storm was heading our way, I got a little nervous. I happened to be on the phone w/ my DH and telling him about it when I looked out the window and saw the neighbor's tree getting blown to about a 90 degree angle. :eek: Needless to say I took my kids down to the basement to hang out for a bit. The storm was over as quickly as it started though.

I think the severe thunderstorms we've had recently do the same amount of damage. It is not that uncommon to have trees (esp ones not well rooted) and power lines downed or flooding in some areas.

Glad everyone stayed safe yesterday!

namrodda

06-05-2008, 09:35 AM

namrodda - I was not actually going to say that there were fatalities! I did not want to scare smittenk. :)
Oh right, sorry :o I just remember that being such a random thing and yes unfortunately it seems to becoming the new norm. But this is the first house I've ever lived in with a basement so I guess I should be happy about that! kindermom what were you teaching then??

MsPeachy Thanks, I'll check out the PWC website

kindermom

06-05-2008, 10:58 AM

I was either in intro to psychology or statistics at that point. The first 2 semesters I was a standard TA. After that I worked with people who expected me to actually teach their classes for them.

dreamgirly

06-05-2008, 09:26 PM

I'm up here on a househunting trip this weekend, the hotel we had reservations with, has no power today (it's in Fairfax) because of the tornadoes yesterday, so we had to get a different hotel. big pain since everything is sold out...

Hope there's no more tornadoes! Those are way more scary than hurricanes!

vjel

06-06-2008, 04:29 AM

dreamgirly, I think we're clear on the tornadoes for now. :) Where are you planning to go house hunting? Are you still planning to rent to start?

Loud_curly

06-06-2008, 07:30 AM

Dreamgirly - Yeah, now we're onto the killer heat of the summer. At least you'll get a good idea if the a/c works in the places you're looking at ;).

dreamgirly

06-06-2008, 08:16 PM

We're going to rent for a year, then reassess :) Our house in FL has not sold yet, so we do not want to over commit ourselves. Right now we are looking in Mclean, but will probably start looking in Bethesda tomorrow. We are less than impressed with what we have seen (mostly private ownership condos) -- I guess we've been spoiled with the last 4 yrs of homeownership & renovation so everything has been brand new, mildew-free, caulked properly, and clean. That is not what we are finding in the places we have toured here in the Mclean area. Unless we spend $2500+++ for a 2br apt, which we just can't do until we sell our home in FL.

dreamgirly

06-12-2008, 07:47 AM

We found a place!

Movers come the 17th to pack & load, then we drive up w/ our doggy on the 21st. YAY! So I guess we'll spend about a week with no furniture. No big deal, I have been looking at a few organizational pieces at the Ikea in Woodbridge. Can't wait!!!

Loud_curly

06-12-2008, 08:03 AM

Yippee! Dreamgirly, where did you wind up renting?

andrew&shannah

07-29-2008, 08:09 AM

vjel

07-29-2008, 08:58 AM

Does anyone on here live in the gainesville area? We are thinking of buying a house in Linton Crest but have heard some not so great things about traffic in that area...specifically Linton Hall Road. If anyone has any feedback on that area, I would really appreciate it!

Also, if we do chose that area, I would most likely be taking the VRE into downtown each day for work. Anyone have any experience with that?

I'm pretty sure Ms.Peachy lives there somewhere so you might try to PM her. Occassionally I will go down to the Super Target off 29 w/ my kids around lunch time and yeah, it's a bit of a mess. There is a lot construction going on there right now (widening lanes I think) and I got stuck in a detour a couple weeks ago w/ 2 hungry kids, YIKES! That said, I think there's a ton more retail/restaurant stuff there than SR so you don't have to go very far for anything.

Hey, if you want to stay in SR, 2 houses on my street are available...one short sale and the other foreclosure. ;)

andrew&shannah

07-29-2008, 09:19 AM

I'm pretty sure Ms.Peachy lives there somewhere so you might try to PM her. Occassionally I will go down to the Super Target off 29 w/ my kids around lunch time and yeah, it's a bit of a mess. There is a lot construction going on there right now (widening lanes I think) and I got stuck in a detour a couple weeks ago w/ 2 hungry kids, YIKES! That said, I think there's a ton more retail/restaurant stuff there than SR so you don't have to go very far for anything.

Hey, if you want to stay in SR, 2 houses on my street are available...one short sale and the other foreclosure. ;)

Thanks! I'll try and send her a PM.

We've been looking in SR, Stone Ridge, and Kirkpatrick Farms too. The neighborhood in Gainesville offers the identical house we really want in Kirkpatrick Farms for $50k less. It's just really tempting so I want to make sure I have all of my research on that area done before making any decisions.

I was trying to imagine a road worse than Rt 50 :)

MsPeachy

07-30-2008, 02:34 PM

Hi! Yep - that's my area. The county and VDOT really are doing their best to improve the road conditions around the 29/66 interchange and much of the traffic now is due to construction issues. However, Linton Hall Road has been widened to 2 lanes each direction between 29 and Sudley Manor which has improved traffic greatly (you can actually get around slow people) and they are working to continue the widening to the Linton Hall/28 interchange. Taking the VRE would remove you from the Rte 29 yuckiness but Rte 28 is undergoing improvements as well. As a whole, I feel that traffic problems are lessening in the area due to the road work being done and when all the projects are completed, it will be pretty easy to get around. Plus, there are so many stores and restaurants coming into the area, you can get much of what you need without needing to go into Manassas or Fairfax/Centreville/Chantilly. If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to PM me. We have a new baby in the house so I'm not online every day but I do try to check in every few days or so.

HTH! :D

vjel

07-30-2008, 03:05 PM

MsPeachy, wait, new baby??? when did this happen???

janu98

07-31-2008, 01:42 PM

Hey VA ladies! Just a heads up this weekend is tax free weekend :D:D

Happy Shopping!

Shelly

07-31-2008, 03:30 PM

Hey MD girls, I'm not sure where to post this, but I thought here might be good (if its not please feel free to delete or ignore :) )

My dh works for an amazing company (their main office is in Baltimore, but they have contracts all over). He was forwarded an urgent email about a position open. I thought I'd post it here in case anyone might be looking for this type of position or knows someone who might. I seriously can't say enough good things about his company, they have amazing benefits and profit sharing. Here is the posting. If you, your husband, friend or anyone you know may be interested please pass this along and let me know and I can get your resume to the appropriate people.

Jacob & Sundstrom, Inc. is an Information Technology Company headquarted in downtown Baltimore. We are currently seeking 4 Network Security Analysts to join our team in Aberdeen, Maryland on the night shift due to company growth! There is the possibility that this role at some point could be moved to Adelphi. The incumbent will need to apply for a Secret clearance and or have an active DOD Secret clearance coming in the door. The incumbent will be scheduled on a rotating basis, working no more than 3 days in a row. The night shift offers a shift differential and requires the person to work a 12.5 hours shift on a 2 day, 5 day alternating weekend rotation 7:30pm to 8:00 am.

We offer a competitive salary as well as a generous benefit package including 100% paid medical and dental plan for employees and dependents, generous profit sharing, 401K, paid parking, bonuses, full tuition reimbursement including all certifications and licenses, we allow for coverage of technical books - life insurance, long term disability, and we offer a non-accrual vacation package. Jacob & Sundstrom, Inc. was voted one of Baltimore's Best Places to Work in the Baltimore Business Journal.

This position is responsible for monitoring client networks for suspicious and hostile activity that would jeopardize the integrity of data files. Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to supporting and developing network monitoring tools to prevent corruption of data files. Responsible for reviewing logs from security tools and network traffic analyzers. Responsible for compiling information and preparing computer security incident reports. Provides assistance in computer incident investigations.
Performs network/system vulnerability assessments as related to system accreditation procedures. Assists system administrators with securing system configurations and installation of security tools. Makes recommendations for system enhancements to improve security deficiencies and internal controls. Assists in the development and programming of computer and network security tools. Evaluates security policy and requirements designed to protect computer programs, data bases and files from unauthorized use.

This position requires a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related field.
Three to five years of experience in a computer related discipline maybe substituted for the degree.
Programming experience, familiarity with C/C++, Perl, CGI, HTTP, SQL.
Familiarity with UNIX and PC based operating systems including DOS, Win3.x, Win 95, NT, Linux, and Solaris.
Experience with TCP/IP and network protocols desirable.
The individual must also be able to demonstrate strong communication and inter-personal skills.
Multi-task oriented in a team environment.
Demonstrated ability to pay close attention to detail.

diam124

08-04-2008, 10:33 AM

I know this is a long shot but has anyone in here gone to Annapolis Ob/Gyn before? If so, did you like them? I'm trying to find a new doctor. Thanks!

Jane&Andy

08-04-2008, 10:41 AM

I know this is a long shot but has anyone in here gone to Annapolis Ob/Gyn before? If so, did you like them? I'm trying to find a new doctor. Thanks!

nope, haven't been there. I go to Chesapeake Women's Care - they have offices at Anne Arundel Medical Center and in Gambrills.

diam124

08-04-2008, 10:46 AM

Thanks Jane&Andy - that's who I go to now too but they have been kind of a hassle lately. Have you been happy with them?

Jane&Andy

08-04-2008, 10:51 AM

I've been happy with them. I've been going there for I think 4 yrs now - they've delivered both of my children. I don't know what kind of hassle they've giving you but I do find going to their smaller office in Gambrills easier - usually a shorter wait. I just see the NP (Bernie) for annual visits. Dr Wells and Dr Kumar are my favorite dr's there.

diam124

08-04-2008, 11:07 AM

Thanks - I see Bernie in that office too. I recently had a basic, but time-sensitive TTC question because I was concerned about low progesterone and Bernie was on vacation. They told me I could not leave a message for any other doctor because I hadn't seen anyone but Bernie before (and Bernie was going to be gone for 2 more weeks). So that really rubbed me the wrong way - I had been a patient there for 3+ years.

Jane&Andy

08-04-2008, 11:10 AM

I can see how that would send you looking elsewhere, how frustrating.

Maxicat

08-16-2008, 03:20 PM

Where would you move?

If you had an opportunity to move to Maryland, had a 2 year old child and 2 labs (and a dh of course), and a housing budget of $500,000 where would you live?

A little about us, we love the water, we also love to travel. We currently live in a very big city in the south.

I am desperate for a change and I would love some ideas.

MsPeachy

08-17-2008, 05:15 AM

MsPeachy, wait, new baby??? when did this happen???
Oops - sorry I'm just now getting back on here and saw this. :o Our new baby girl arrived 7-10 and I had to have a c-section so the adjustment period and surgery recovery has made it tough to find time to get online.

diam124

08-18-2008, 07:36 AM

Maxicat - would you or your DH be working? If so, where? That would be the biggest factor for me in deciding where to live.

Loud_curly

08-18-2008, 07:48 AM

Maxicat - My first thought was Annapolis, but it's a long commute to DC from there.

Maxicat

08-18-2008, 08:40 AM

diam124 My husband would be working. He is up for a job that would relocate us to the area. He would have to cover upper North Carolina, DC, Baltimore and Philidelphia.

We would like a place that is fun and not as expensive as where we live. Our current mortgage payment is over $4,000 and it causes tremendous stress on us.

Loud_curly Annapolis was my thought as well. It looks so quaint. But do people really like it there? What is the quality of life like? How are the schools.

Sorry so many questions. I am excited but trying not to get my hopes up.

diam124

08-18-2008, 08:52 AM

Oh ok. I think Annapolis is an obvious choice but I have mixed feelings about Annapolis - many areas are very cute and historic but there is also a good bit of crime (not as much as a big city, but a lot for a small city IMO.) Plus the public schools in Annapolis are not good and the houses are pretty pricy. Other similar areas that you might want to consider are Cape St. Claire, Arnold and Severna Park. Severna Park schools have the best reputation in Anne Arundel County so you'll pay more for a house there. All of those areas are near the water though.

You could also look out on the Eastern Shore - I don't know too much about specific locations but I would expect a good quality of life and a slower pace of life. It could make travelling a little dicey if your DH needs to travel for work a lot though. And I have no idea what the school situation is over there.

kindermom

08-18-2008, 12:20 PM

We were just looking in Cape Ste Claire and Arnold and were really disappointed at how things were looking overgrown now. DH grew up in Arnold and when we met he was in CSC. You will want to avoid Pasedena and that vicinity in Anne Arundel county. The schools are not great and there is only one way in and one way out which makes traffic really bad on week days.

If you go to Howard County, beware that the county tax rate is relatively high (about 60% higher than our taxes in Baltimore County). I really like Ellicott city though.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. There are things I am not willing to post publicly but am happy to answer questions.

namrodda

08-18-2008, 02:11 PM

I absolutely adore Annapolis and would move back in a second if it was more convenient to DH's job. He went to the Naval Academy, since we dated most of college I spent a lot of time there and lived there for over a year of it. Its definitely got its pricey parts but lots of charm, things to do, and great shopping plus its close enough to 'big cities' for even more. We've spent a lot of time in Severna Park too and know some people that went to/taught at some of the schools there. I've only heard good things. I'm not sure about Annapolis' schools... my cousins live there and went to private school so that may say something. But I know someone else who teaches at an elementary school and haven't heard anything bad, like I have about previous areas where we've lived (Norfolk, Charleston, here near DC). Severna Park is very 'suburbia' with established neighborhoods, its on the north side of Annapolis, so closer to Baltimore but not very far to get to downtown either. Traffic can get pretty bad especially downtown in the spring or during the Academy's football games/graduation week, but for the most part it didn't bother me. I have never bought real estate there, just rented, but I would think you could find something decent under 500K. The lots may not be as big as in the South for the money. Our agent for our recent move here (Northern VA) while deciding between this area and MD did say Maryland has much higher closing costs. Not sure about that though... As far as traveling BWI is close and the other DC airports are do-able but a drive. Annapolis is definitely a huge sailing area with some other water stuff thrown in, beaches aren't too far on the Eastern Shore. I think there is a fair amount to do with a little one too... like I said, I'd go in a second!:p

kindermom

08-18-2008, 05:52 PM

We are currently looking at buying. Expect the closing costs to be about 3% of the purchase price in Maryland.

diam124

08-18-2008, 07:13 PM

Just to give you a little idea of the real estate in Annapolis - we have friends who have rented a house in West Annapolis for 3 years now (so it's not in the downtown historic part but in an older quiet neighborhood). It's an older house with a lot of charm but needs some updating. I think it's 2BR/1.5BA (maybe 3 bedrooms but if it is the 3rd bedroom is very small)and it does have a nice sized backyard. No garage or basement - maybe 1300 sq. ft. of living space. I just checked the state property site and it's appraised at $640,000 for tax purposes.

I've also heard good things about Deale, but that is further south and would be further from airports, etc.

And yes, closing costs are high in MD compared to neighboring states.

pocahontas

08-18-2008, 08:08 PM

Annapolis would be nice since you did say you like the water. That is my first thought. But I live in Baltimore and certain places here (in the county not city) would be equally nice...in particular, a place where DH and I almost built our first house out in Essex, MD. I am a public school teacher (although not in Annapolis) but their school system is pretty good (not tops in the state...you'd have to go to Howard and Montgomery Counties for that and neither are on the water). So really the decision is your "water vs. schools". I would probably opt for an Annapolis suburb if I were you...Davidsonville, Crofton and Crownsville come to mind. My DH and I were looking at some new houses not far from the water in Pasedena, MD which is also a nice locale (and DH's mother's family was raised there.) What time frame are you looking to move? Fall? Winter?

I would stay away from Eastern Shore (albeit beautiful) just for commute reasons and the fact that the schools there aren't as good as the ones I mentioned previously.

Maxicat

08-19-2008, 03:43 PM

Thanks for all the insight. We have not heard yet about the job (this is killing me) but we are still hopeful.
I really love the water, I grew up in San Diego (Pacific Beach) and I am anxious to be near it again. However I don't want to go private school if I can avoid it.
This would be such a blessing to us...
I will let you guys know as soon as we find out.

kcjaime

08-20-2008, 02:59 PM

Hey all. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with divorce/separation in VA. I've been separated from my husband for 9 months now and we're looking towards filing for divorce. We're friendly and it will be uncontested, so we're trying to ascertain if we can do this on our own. First, does anyone have any experience with doing such a thing, filing for a divorce without counsel? Second, I'm a little confused by VA laws regarding separation and divorce, so if anyone has any insight, I'd appreciate it. I'm just trying to see if I need to contact a lawyer, of if we can figure this out on our own.

Thanks for your help....

~queen~

08-20-2008, 05:31 PM

[edited to remove advertising]

pocahontas

08-20-2008, 05:57 PM

Hey QUEEN! Long time! ;) Congrats on the new business. I need to send you a PM and catch up...

mamax2

08-22-2008, 10:09 AM

I would stay away from Eastern Shore (albeit beautiful) just for commute reasons and the fact that the schools there aren't as good as the ones I mentioned previously.

I'm on the ES - the commute would be tough if your DH had to travel a lot. I have to disagree on the generalization that the schools aren't good. The schools in my area are all really well rated. We are pretty far removed from big city amenities and that's been an adjustment, but we are on the water and it's beautiful! Like a PP, I'll answer questions privately too. :)

~queen~

08-22-2008, 03:28 PM

Hi Poca!

Thanks for the warm congrats.

I see your siggy, and I'm INCREDIBLY sorry about your and your DH loss. I know how hard you worked for your precious gift and I hope that you are blessed again in the near future. Doubley-blessed ;)

Maxicat

09-06-2008, 05:01 PM

We still have not heard about DH's job. I am sitting on pins and needles. Part of me is so anxious for this opportunity and the other side of me is terrified about moving somewhere that I don't know anybody.

Also it looks like our house value may have dropped more then we thought so if we were relocated we might not have a downpayment for the next house.

It does turn out that if he gets the job, we will only have 60 days to pack up and move and try to sell the house at what we think it is worth (good luck) before the relo company makes an offer. My mother is a relo appraiser and she does not think it looks good for us.

Does anybody here live in Bel Air? It looks nice.

TerpsFan

09-06-2008, 06:25 PM

Does anybody here live in Bel Air? It looks nice.

I live about 20 mins north of Bel Air, still in the same county. Bel Air has all our shopping so we're there all the time. PM me if you want more details!

pewee9196

09-13-2008, 02:19 PM

Hello!
I just accepted a position rather short notice to work at Arlington Hall (intersection of 50 and Glebe). I am the sole bread winner in our house and am transition out of the Military into the federal sector in DC. I am familiar with NOVA but have not lived there recently (my dad grew up in Annandale, Parents lived in Centreville and Burke when I was in college, Sis lives in Fairfax, another in leesburg. How brutal would living in Centreville be? I would go to work extremely early (I am a morning person by nature) but commute home during rush hour. We plan to rent for a year so I figured we could suck it up and live in an older rental close in but I love one house in Centreville. I have lived at fairly rural areas for the past 6 years so not loving the idea of sitting on 66 for ages.

If you know of any great rentals I would love leads!

Thanks Ladies!

andrew&shannah

09-13-2008, 06:11 PM

I live in Chantilly (next to Centreville) and commute to Rosslyn (Arlington). I typically leave around 6:15 and am at my desk by 7am. I do carpool but the difference when I don't carpool is less than 10 minutes on average.
In the afternoons, I leave the office by 3:45 if I am not carpooling and it only takes me 45 minutes or so to get home. If I carpool, we leave at 4pm and get home by 4:45.

I do not take 66 outside of the beltway though. I take 28 to 267 to 66.

If you don't plan to carpool, the only thing to really consider is your travel time outside of the 66 HOV hours (6:30 - 9am, 4:00 - 6:30). You would have to find an alternate route (or get a hybrid) to where 66 meets the beltway or to the toll road if you are traveling during those times.

Maxicat

10-02-2008, 07:36 AM

emschwar

10-02-2008, 07:42 AM

Maxicat

10-02-2008, 07:51 AM

Thanks for the quick response. Is Columbia in MD or DC?

emschwar

10-02-2008, 08:00 AM

MD, sorry :) It's about 30 min outside DC and 30 min from Baltimore.

kindermom

10-02-2008, 08:01 AM

Columbia is in MD. You may also want to look at the areas around I-70 such as Carroll County. Mount Airy has great schools and is within 30 minutes to Baltimore (with the water), Columbia, and Frederick. It is also only 15-20 minutes to I-695 which you will need to get on to get to Philly. And in traffic it is about 1 hour 15 from Alexandria VA, so I imagine it is closer to DC. Finally, there are alot of places with kids. it is really becoming the booming kid place. Oh, and the tax rate for a $300k house is about $3000 versus $4500 for Howard County.

How do I know all this you may ask? It is the place we are looking at for our next move.

pocahontas

10-02-2008, 07:53 PM

We are being relocated!

It took a while but DH finally got the job offer last night and formal offer will be delivered tomorrow.

We really need to get serious about where we are going to live. DH states he needs to be near 95 because his job will take him from DC to Philly.

With a small child (2 years old) and 2 large dogs, we are struggling to decide what area will be best. Again, I want to be near the water but want great public schools. I would like to live in an area with many families (currently we are the only "family" in our subdivision).

I would also like to be near good shopping and restaurants. I love shopping, maybe too much. Most of my spending does revolve around DD however.

We are supposed to be moved by Jan 15.

Please let know if it is ok to PM you.
Laurel is a good choice. (I am biased because I teach at a GREAT school there which has met state standards for the past 13 years ;)). Very much a multicultural area which is important to me...although you didn't mention it. So I'm not sure if this is one of your "must-haves". But for your DH's purposes it may work better to be halfway between Philly and DC which Bel Air (that you asked about before) may be better for...or anywhere in Harford County for that matter. (And there's a lot of new construction going on in several parts of that County because my MIL just looked at some places overlooking a golf course.)

Maxicat

10-03-2008, 07:30 AM

Thanks for all the information.

I do have a question however, where is Laurel?

Has anyone done a corporate relo? This is all new to us and I want to make sure I am asking all the right questions.

I also want to add that the property taxes are really low in MD. That is so cool. We pay over $11,000 a year in property taxes for our primary residence.

pocahontas

10-04-2008, 03:26 PM

Laurel is actually split between 3 counties: part of it is in Anne Arundel, part in Prince George's and part is in Howard County.

Jane&Andy

10-10-2008, 10:37 AM

I spent my first year in MD in Laurel (in PG county, off of 197 (near 295)). I didn't much care for that particular area but I've heard they've made some improvements in the area around the Laurel Mall.

I've been in Bowie for almost 5 yrs now but that may be a bit too far south for you. I like it here but the schools aren't great (but it's a great location, near DC, Annapolis and Baltimore). I've heard that the elementary school is good but that it goes downhill after that. We have family in Philly - it's about a 3hr drive.

**************************

Anybody know a good source for finding out about schools in different areas? We aren't moving yet but would like to within the next 2yrs or so - probably to Ann Arundel county.

Maxicat

10-13-2008, 08:53 AM

We have scheduled our first trip up for the first weekend in November. We are going to stay in Baltimore and use that as our base.

DH has decided that the train is going to be really important to him.

I am interested in being closer to Baltimore rather then DC. I don't want to be in the city however. So we will be concentrating our efforts around the city.

Everyone has had such great insight and I really appreciate it.

TerpsFan

10-13-2008, 09:16 AM

Maxicat, Feel free to PM me. I live in Harford County

Shelly

10-18-2008, 06:21 AM

Hi everyone, I thought I'd share that Emily Steele Photography is portfolio building right now she lives in Columbia MD but has told me that she'll travel to surrounding area's. She's offering no sitting fee and 50% off prints at the moment. And her pictures are fantastic! I'll definitely use her again. I just thought I'd let everyone know since I like her pictures so much and you can get your kids pics done for pretty cheap right now. Her website is www.emilysteelephotography.com .

Maxicat

10-20-2008, 05:47 PM

We have our first visit to MD Nov 07. I am so excited.

We will stay in Baltimore and on Sunday go look at houses in Odenton, Columbia and Ellicott City. I think I am most excited about Odenton, it looks pretty close to the water and Annapolis.
After speaking with the agent we have crossed a few places off our list, which is a good thing.

We almost have our house ready to list, what a lot of work.

Any restaurant recommendations? I love seafood and a view.

Thanks

RobynScott

11-06-2008, 08:11 AM

Hi Ladies,

I am coming to DC this weekend for a "girls night" with a friend of mine who is in from out of town. I think her hotel is in Woodley Park. This is a pre-wedding celebration (since I won't be able to make it to her international wedding) and there will be 5 of us going to dinner and hanging out.

Any recommendations of where we should eat / what else we can do? My friend says she really just wants to have dinner and then maybe hang out at our hotel (she's interviewing all day Saturday so she's going to be tired) - but I'd like to plan a nice evening for her since this is the closest to a bachelorette party she's going to have.

I'm guessing we'll be near the Red Line - so dinner recs in Woodley Park and/or accessible by Red Line would be appreciated. After-dinner places, or maybe a karaoke bar or something? - or anything else you'd recommend for a "girls night" would be appreciated too.

Thanks!

Maxicat

11-17-2008, 01:32 PM

We had such a great trip to Maryland. DH and I also did a short hop down to D.C. which I had never been to.

I saw several communites I liked but sadly the only house we both liked was in Fallston with an asking price of $1.1 mil. I almost lost my head over that. The house was beautiful, however we could never afford or want to pay that.

We might check out Elkridge next time, one of the things I realized was that I wanted to be south of Baltimore. I would like to be as close to Annapolis as possible (great place), but it needs to be convenient for DH's job.

Does anybody know anything about Elkridge? Does it get a lot of noise from the airport or trains?

I appreciate all the help you ladies have given me. I never imagined how difficult it would be to find a new home and you have really given me some insight and great advice.

Thank you

pocahontas

11-17-2008, 06:09 PM

Elkridge is not "THAT" close to that airport...so I can't imagine plane noise out of the ordinary. Trains...that could depend on what part of Elkridge since I'm sure there's a commuter rail around there somewhere (just an assumption though because there seems to be a line everywhere these days.)

diam124

11-18-2008, 12:34 PM

Maxicat - I don't know too much about Elkridge because I've only driven through it a couple times. From what I saw though, I think it has a lot of older houses (which could be a good or bad thing). Personally I would not want to live too close to the Route 1 corridor - lots of strip malls and liqour stores from what I remember. I know there are a few newer communities along Route 1. I briefly peeked in there when we were house hunting a few years ago. There was an issue with one of the developments (can't remember the name) because people bought houses not realizing that they did not own the land the houses were built on. That just stuck in my head because it was a weird situation.

I doubt it gets a lot of airport noise but I guess that would depend on the flight paths. It's far enough away from BWI that planes would be higher though. I don't think there is a major train line through there but like Poca said there might be a light rail station. I know there's one in Linthicum, but not sure about Elkridge.

kindermom

11-18-2008, 02:39 PM

Diam - A lot of those houses without land are in Jessup. I looked at some of the newer ones as well when we were looking. The quality of the ones we saw were not great.

Maxicat

11-18-2008, 02:55 PM

They did not own the land? How could that be? Crazy...

I do not really like strip malls and liquor stores to be my local "commercial" neighbors.

I think our best bet will be to rent for 6 months in order to get a feel for the area. Maybe rent in Columbia and really research all the places that everyone has mentioned.

So now I have to find corporate housing that will allow 2 large dogs and a 2 year old.

Who was it that mentioned they had a cupcake place in Annapolis? I would really like to see that next time I am there.

pocahontas

11-18-2008, 03:26 PM

That would be QUEEN. I believe she has started her own business out there. You're better off PM'ing her because I'm not sure she's in here often.

diam124

11-18-2008, 03:55 PM

I think that's probably a wise decision Maxicat. We also moved to the area from out of town (well about 3 hours away) and weren't too familiar with different towns. I kind of wish we had rented to get to know the area better (although we likely would have ended up in the same place we are and the market was very different in early 2005!). Plus, there are tons of options for renters (lots of people in our area who couldn't sell this summer have now put their houses up for rent), so you could probably get a nice sized place for a decent price.

salysaturn

11-18-2008, 06:38 PM

When we lived in MD, it was a move from Philly, and we had a week to find a place (DH's move). We did some research online, and got lucky, but we didn't realize how far Frederick actually was from DC, thanks to 270 being such a pita:). We got lucky with our move, at the time Frederick was still affordable, now it's out of control with prices, and we moved further west. Good luck :)

emschwar

11-18-2008, 08:18 PM

Maxicat - I think renting first is a really good decision. It's so hard to know which areas are ones you really want to buy into when you first move. There are some areas of elkridge that are fine, and others I wouldn't want to live anywhere near. Columbia has a lot of great amenities to offer too. Let me know if you want to find a playgroup once you're here :)

Lolly

11-19-2008, 02:35 PM

Maxicat, I think it would be great if you could rent for a little while, and agree it would be a good way to get a feel for the area.

I live in Montgomery County, but I can say that I've heard excellent things about Columbia and Annapolis.

As for corporate relocations I know Rosa727 has done a few, one as recent as last year. If she's not one here she is on LJ fairly often (under the same name).

Good luck! And if you have any questions about Montgomery County, MD I'll try my best to answer them.

jmvan74

11-23-2008, 04:26 PM

Does anybody here live in Bel Air? It looks nice.

I live in that general area if you still have some questions. It's a great area, but we are actually looking to move to Howard county area in the not so distant future.

It's very "small town" here with lots of traffic. Schools are good, but it's not on the water. If you want specific information PM me.

If you don't mind small town more country, you could find a nice place on the water in Cecil County or Northern Harford County.

Heather719

11-24-2008, 12:49 PM

Hiya Ladies-

Looks like my family may be moving back to the DC area! We lived there for 2.5 years (2000 - 2002) and DH's job is looking to send us back. When we lived in the DC area previously we lived in Gaithersburg and rented- there is no way we could afford to live there now.

We want to say NW or West of DC. I work out of my home and DH will be commuting to DC daily, but he'll be working off hours, so rush hour won't be much of a factor for him. I'd like to stay in MD to keep us closer to our hometown, but I'm not adverse to living in VA either. We are thinking of looking at Frederick and possibly Gainesville, but I'm open to any other ideas. If you are familiar with either Frederick or Gainesville, could you please recommend any specific areas to concentrate on?

Basically I'm looking for a safe area with good schools as my oldest will start kindergarden in 2.5 years (gulp!!). We'll most likely rent for 6 months while we look for a home- and we're not prepared to spend more then $300K on a single family house. Any suggestions and thoughts are really appreciated!

Thanks,
Heather

jjohm

11-24-2008, 06:52 PM

Hi Heather,
I think Gainesville has some good neighborhoods, but I would not want to do the commute. I live in Fairfax and think its just far enough (used to live in Centreville which is right in between Fairfax and Gainesville and that was 45 min without traffic). Finding SFHs in the 300s in any of the three areas might be somewhat difficult, but there are lots of townhomes.
I've heard the best schools in VA are in the Oakton area of Fairfax county, but in general most fairfax county, VA and montgomery county, MD schools are high quality.
Good luck!

kindermom

11-24-2008, 08:16 PM

I am not sure of the neighborhoods, but when I was looking for SFHs in the 300 range in Frederick County, there were a lot. I concentrated on Monrovia and New Market. I really like Monrovia although it is basically rural. New Market can yield some good deals because the market there has flatlined for a good year plus. The Eaglehead Summerfield subdivision is the area you want to live in with the best schools, etc as well as having flat property. Anyhow, both towns are right off I-70 about 10 minutes outside of Frederick.

diam124

11-25-2008, 06:55 AM

I haven't been through Gainesville for a while so I don't know how hard they've been hit by foreclosures, etc. But, my hunch is that you'd get more for your money in Frederick.

Lolly

11-25-2008, 07:30 AM

I'd recommend the Frederick Area then (because I know nothing about Gainesville). I live in Montgomery County (Rockville, MD) myself. However there are a ton of people I work with that commute from the Frederick area. And as long as your DH won't be commuting during peak rush hour times, then you'll be fine. As Kindermom suggested Monrovia and New Market are nice areas. I was also up in Urbana for a few hours this weekend and that is nice too (the newer area, Villages of Urbana, is set up alot like Kentlands in Gaithersburg). Perhaps a townhome there? Or an older home in that area. Or Clarksburg even (but thats mont. county). Although anything north of Mont. County is more resonably priced. Hagertown, Myersville, Middletown are also more options in MD, north of DC. And every other weekend as a kid, I used to live in Brunswick, and that area has become a new area to look into. Can't say anything about the schools in Frederick County because I just don't know anything about them. Oh and do check out Leesburg, VA too.