New job near DC- Help!?

Question

I have a job offer in Largo, MD. I hear it is "not a nice area" from someone I will be working with.

-Where should I rent an apartment that is close to restaurants and shopping, driving distance from work, and SAFE. I know it will be expensive, but safety is #1.
and
-Now I'm scared of the location- Will I be safe driving there, walking to my car??? They said it is close to the Largo Town Center Metro Stop. Is the metro safe?

To clarify- I do not plan to live in Largo, but to drive in. Any suggestions for very safe places to live in Virginia that would be a decent commute to Largo (30 min or so)?

Answer 1

Hi Sunflower

Unless you are only driving a mile or two during rush hour, there are VERY few places in the DC Metro area that are only a 30 minute commute (one way). I used to live in Arlington, VA and it was exactly 5 miles to the Potomac River; driving time was just over an hour on U.S. Route 50.

As for Largo itself, you might be better off living somewhere on the Red Line outside of DC. Usually (but not always) those areas are both safer and cheaper. Once you get to a "Park & Ride" you can get to most everywhere in the DC area on the Metro, provided you do a little walking.

Concerning the Metro itself, it is one of the safest subway systems in the world, and is by far the cleanest I've ever seen (only been on those in East Coast cities).

As for the people there, you just have to take the usual precautions like you would in any big city. There are no guarantees, but so long as you stay in the safer towns/neighborhoods you should be OK. Also, most of the people that live in DC will be just like you; an out-of-towner. Most everyone I knew there (and there were a lot) seemed to be from anywhere else BUT the DC area.

Thanks for the question! I was just down in DC a month ago (currently living in PA), and I do miss it! I hope that if you take this job that you really enjoy it as DC can be a great place if you take advantage of what the city has to offer.

Here's a link for the DC MetroRail Map:
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm

Any questions, just e-mail, and Good Luck!

Answer 2

There actually is a Metro Station called Largo Town Center. Here's a link so you can see if it's near where you'd be working.http://www.stationmasters.com/System_Map/system_map.html
Here's another link for an interactive map of the entire system, so you can see where subway stops are.
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm
Here's something you might not know...if you live in Virginia, to get to Maryland or Washington, D.C. you have to cross the Potomac River. That's OK if you go by Metro, but if you drive, that's another story. The bridges are always backed up and it's a big hassle.

Think about living in Maryland. Silver Spring has great restaurants, and has theater, the American Film Institute and lots of great stores and shops. It's safe. You'd take the Metro to Metro Center, then switch to the blue line to Largo.
Here's the craigslist site for housing in the D.C. area to give you an idea of what rents are here.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/hhh/
Good luck!

Answer 3

Check into College Park, MD which is very safe, University Park which is also very safe, and Greenbelt, MD which can have some safe areas and some not-so-safe areas. If you look in Greenbelt, avoid Springhill Lake apartment complex--- there are a lot of nice people living there but there has been a lot of crime there lately.

Laurel, MD is not metro-accessible but is a great place to live and might be a little more affordable than other choices (I have not looked at rents there in a while). Lots of shops and restaurants, maybe a little too much congestion right around Route 1, but a great place to live. It might be a little more than 30 minutes to commute but one of your co-workers will probably be able to give you a short-cut.

You will be fine to walk to your car in Largo unless you will be alone late at night regularly.

You may consider living somewhere in DC or in MD that is metro-accessible and taking the metro to work instead of driving. If you want to live in VA, you will have a brutal commute unless you report to work before 7 or 7:30 a.m. But Metro during the normal work and commute hours is very safe all across the whole system and a lot faster than driving for the longer commutes. You definitely want to keep your wits about you--- no flashing money, etc--- but if you're going back and forth in normal commute hours, you'll have plenty of company.

Answer 4

You may be better off not living near where you work. Consider looking farther away that may be on the metro system where you can safely park your car and take the train over to Largo.

Answer 5

the largo metro is new and safe and have a lot of lights.

Answer 6

just moved from the area, like anywhere else get in don't hang out don't be to friendly like anywhere else be very afraid, ain't no where safe, be careful go for a high rise apartment metro is as safe as you make ,it not a area to hang out,don't talk to strangers