Annapolis to DC Commute???

[lovelylulu]

Hello! I know there are a lot of DC people on this board and we are looking for some information. My fiancee and I moved up to DC about six months ago. we currently live in cleveland park and really love the neighborhood. However, it is sooooo expensive!! we have a dog and would love to live in less of an apartment, more of a house. we found a lovely place in annapolis, right by the water (we LOVE the water) but are really afraid of the commute? does anyone have any idea what it''s like? do you have to drive or are there some good public transportation options. We are also worried that we won''t be able to have any more happy hours downtown with friends if there is no good public transportation...Advice?

Thanks

 

[Gemklctr]

I assume you will be commuting to the downtown business section, Capital Hill or the northwest. I have colleagues who do it, but it isn't easy and it takes substantial time. Both 50 and New York Ave. frequently back up I'm told (I live on the west side in NoVa, so I don't have first hand experience). I did consider an Annapolis townhouse on the water 25 years ago and rejected it because of the commute, and things have only gotten worse. On the other hand, you could drive to New Carrolton Metro if your work is near a stop. That would at least cut off the NY Ave. part of the traffic.

I would check with coworkers and, frankly, look into the Virginia side which, while still bad, is generally considered an easier commute. Good luck.

ETA: There are lakes in Reston and in Sleepy Hollow in Falls Church, both of which are in NoVa and closer to downtown than Annapolis.

 

[lmurden]

I have a friend who lives in Annapolis and take a commuter bus into DC every morning and has had no problems what so ever for the 5 years. As far as happy hours you are kind of out of luck unless you drive to New Carrolton Metro station and take the metro. Did you look into Montgomery County or Northern VA? We have started our house hunting and there are pre-existing townhomes in Montgomery County right under $400,000 in Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Germantown,and Burtonville. All of these areas are metro accessable.

 

[Capitol Bill]

Hi Lovelylulu,
Several friends of mine live in the Annapolis area for the very reasons you mentioned. All of them have been commuting to downtown DC for many years. Make no mistake, the commute can be a bear. Obviously its all about the degree to which you''re willing to incorporate a longer commute into your weekdays. I know one thing - my Annapolis friends love their waterfront locales and they would never consider moving closer to DC to improve their commute times.

There are plenty of others who do not think the commute is worth the lifestyle advantages. It''s up to you to weigh the positives & negatives. A very helpful suggestion was made by Virginia in her post above - set aside a weekday to make the commute in both directions and see how you feel. By the way, downtown DC hasn''t cornered the market on happy hour, as there are plenty of great places to go in Annapolis for happy hour; and if you lived there, I''m guessing that''s where you would be hanging out more often (perhaps with new friends from the Annapolis area). Great restaurants in Annapolis, too!

All this talk about Annapolis reminds of a little piece of wisdom I learned years ago when my family owned a boat -- The best kind of boat is...somebody else''s. Thankfully I have enough friends and family members who disagree with me on that point (to my benefit).

Kind regards,
Bill

 

[lovelylulu]

Thanks for the replies!

and don''t get me wrong -- i''m sure that annapolis would allow us to have a great social life, it''s just i have a lot of friends that live in DC, so spending social time with them would certainly undergo a change.

I am going to have to try out the commute -- great advice -- and see if it''s worth it. the water and the charm of the place might just be able to win us over...