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DontCall123 · Oct 27, 2013, 06:32 PM

I have a job offer in Towson but would have to relocate from Richmond, VA and take a slight paycut to boot. Seems it costs more to live there, public transportation isn't great and I have no idea which neighborhoods are safe and which should be avoided.

Wondergirl · Oct 27, 2013, 07:04 PM

Use the keywords "moving to Towson MD" (without quote marks) to find a variety of websites with interesting info/city data/neighborhood and income stats on them.

Public libraries used to subscribe to "Moving To" information sheets on all sorts of places in the US, but with the Internet, those sheets are probably no longer published. If you can't find what you need online, though, check with the your library's reference desk about Towson.

DontCall123 · Oct 28, 2013, 08:11 AM

Of course I've done all that. Trying to get some personal experiences, as opposed to info from govt and websites about communities of which I am not familiar.

smearcase · Oct 28, 2013, 09:43 AM

I have lived in Towson, worked in Towson and my son graduated from the university there. I live 100 miles from there now but was there last week for a Dr's appt.
I saw Towson go from a fairly elite suburb of Baltimore to a not so elite suburb of Baltimore over about 45 years. For instance they have a very up-to-date mall which is frequently remodeled and kept first class but I know longer drop my wife off there to shop while I am at the Dr's office because they keep having murders in the mall parking lot.
I worked in transportation and I wouldn't say transportation is bad there. It is located right smack on the Baltimore Beltway. There is light rail station about 4 miles from Towson for connection to Baltimore City. Depends on where you will be living. Traveling to Towson from other Baltimore suburbs on public transportation might get tricky.
Have to you checked into taxes? MD is a high tax state. They just put into effect, one of, if not the most stringent gun laws in the U.S. as of Oct. 1, 2013.
MD even recently started a "rain tax" :
Maryland Soon to Roll Out the Rain Tax | Tax Foundation
I would say that taxes would be your biggest shock. You can find excellent places to live within a 1/2 hour automobile commute to Towson- when the Beltway isn't clogged up which happens frequently.
Good luck with your decision.

Wondergirl · Oct 28, 2013, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by smearcase

I have lived in Towson, worked in Towson and my son graduated from the university there.

This is one of the most helpful posts I have ever read on this site! -- smearcase, you are a blessing!

smearcase · Oct 28, 2013, 10:24 AM

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.
Actually it pains me to say negative things about Towson because it has always been a nice area, but facts are stubborn things as John Adams said.

Wondergirl · Oct 28, 2013, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by smearcase

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.
Actually it pains me to say negative things about Towson because it has always been a nice area, but facts are stubborn things as John Adams said.

That's true of several places where I've lived. I grew up in western NY State in a rural paradise of dairy farms and orchards. Over the years, the farms were sold and turned into housing tracts. I was last home in 1994 and swore never to return.

A Chicago suburb I used to live in was mostly German families who lived in well-kept homes with smells of roast pork and sauerkraut wafting from open windows during late afternoons. Those Germans died off, and the homes were bought by people who didn't care about much of anything.

smearcase · Oct 28, 2013, 11:51 AM

Exactly WG.
And why did you have to bring up pork and sauerkraut?
Oh my G. We are going to cook some up for Tgiving and add it to mix this year. It is a great crockpot dish too.

Wondergirl · Oct 28, 2013, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by smearcase

Exactly WG.
And why did you have to bring up pork and sauerkraut?
Oh my G. We are going to cook some up for Tgiving and add it to mix this year. It is a great crockpot dish too.

What time is Thanksgiving dinner at your house? I might drop in.

My Polish friend's very Polish mom taught me how to make a white sauce with sauteed bacon and onions, then added sauerkraut and sliced Polish sauce and baked it for however long. My MIL added brown sugar to sauerkraut, sliced Polish sausage into it, then cooked it all until the sausage skins were tender.

DontCall123 · Oct 28, 2013, 12:57 PM

Thank you for your insights. I think I'll keep my happy self in Richmond. As far as Chicago, I am first generation Polish and was pleasantly surprised to see REAL pierogies in a small restaurant there. Delicious! I miss all the family dinners we had now that my "authentic" relatives are no longer with us.

Wondergirl · Oct 28, 2013, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by DontCall123

Thank you for your insights. I think I'll keep my happy self in Richmond. As far as Chicago, I am first generation Polish and was pleasantly surprised to see REAL pierogies in a small restaurant there. Delicious! I miss all the family dinners we had now that my "authentic" relatives are no longer with us.

I suspect you are making a wise decision to stay in Richmond. Towson's/Baltimore's traffic alone sounds horrendous.

smearcase · Nov 18, 2013, 10:18 AM

Balto. Sun just today:
"2 more Towson University students robbed at gunpoint"

Read more: 2 more Towson University students robbed at gunpoint - baltimoresun.com

And:
"Man killed Sunday is Baltimore's 29th murder victim in 30 days

Read more: Man killed Sunday is city's 29 - baltimoresun.com

Watch "The Wire" series sometime. It's not really fiction.