Where will you be working? What's your budget to spend on a house? Do you prefer a more urban, suburban, or rural environment? There are plenty of family-friendly neighborhoods with decent schools in the area - a little more information will help narrow things down.

I would prefer more suburban area, with a little space for kid and dog. Work remotely most of the time, with building near inner harbor a couple times a week. Budget would be preferable around 5-600k, but with some wiggle room for the right thing.

If you're interested in living within Baltimore City limits, you could try to find something up in the Roland Park EMS district - there are some smaller SFHs with yards and spacious rowhouses in Keswick and Evergreen, and you would be sending your kid to one of the best elementary/middle schools in the city (and then hopefully on to City/Poly/BSA, which are all well-regarded citywide public high schools). Something like this. City houses tend to have lower purchase prices but higher property tax bills than comparable houses in Baltimore County.

I don't know as much about the county (and surrounding suburban counties) as some other folks on here will, but I have heard very good things about the family-friendliness of Catonsville, Rodgers Forge/Towson, Ellicott City, and Columbia. Hopefully others can fill you in on those.

I know this is the Baltimore City sudbreddit, but do you want to live in the city or not? If not, there are many, many suburbs within hour's drive of Baltimore to choose from. An hour is a very wide net to cast. You may have better responses on the Maryland subreddit.

Based on family friendly and schools and suburbs, just buy in Howard County and call it a day.

It would help to know what more you value than family friendly and schools and suburban. Do you want a shorter commute, for example.

Thank you so much for the comprehensive answer. Will check all the options above.

I had an in-home patient in Maple Lawn development in Fulton last week, they built up the area nicely. The new homes where I was are varied in size from townhomes to large single family homes. There was a playground across the street, an outdoor pool, closed now of course. I saw some walking trails, didn’t explore because of the cold. I stopped in the shopping area for lunch, many restaurants to choose from.

It took me less than thirty minutes to get from my home office to the patient’s house. I live in Southwest Baltimore near Saint Agnes hospital.

I hadn’t toured that area since they developed, I was surprised. It’s not the typical bland suburban development I’ve seen. That area is Howard County, the school system is good.

Baltimore city is where wife and I will be working. But still new to the area, so I’m exploring. My primary goal is a safe place to raise my kid and be able to walk my dog. We both will be working from home part time.

With a large budget, you have your pick of the prime neighborhoods in Baltimore imo. Probably Roland Park, Evergreen, north-centrally located neighborhoods like that with yards, lots of greenery, and the good elementary schools people always talk about on here. Mount Washington may be an option, too.

Of those, I would choose Mount Washington personally.

Will check them all out. Thank you very much.

Thank you! I had not heard of Fulton until today, but will certainly check it out.

Perry Hall has wonderful schools. That’s why I moved here years ago.

I suggest getting an AirBnb and a realtor and touring around and looking at stuff. I know from my realtor friends though that the market especially in your price range is really tight, so you need to come in pre-approved, go on Wednesday brokers’ opens and be prepared to maybe not get exactly what you want. Another option might be to rent until things cool down and you’re sure where you want to be.

Good recommendations here. I would add Stoneliegh to the list with that budget if you like more historic areas.Good schools with county taxes but just across the city line in Towson so close to lots of things.

Maple Lawn is really, really expensive though? Probably very top or exceeding the proposed budget. I have a friend that lives there and I go to her townhouse often enough... It's at least 600k.

That was true years ago. Perry hall isn’t that wonderful now

I live here now. They are still a good school area.

Do you have a price range?

It sounds like the county fits more of your options. I recommend Towson, Timonium, and the Cockeysville area. You have access to a variety of parks and recreation, shopping, groceries, dinning, good schools (public or private), childcare centers, hospitals, urgent care, etc. and the city is less than 25 mins away by car. The school that I work at is around these area’s and I know of a lot of parents who work at home and will commute occasionally to the city to visit the office. Parents I’ve talked to love the area and find it family friendly!

Where in Baltimore are your offices for when you have to go in? Do you prioritize walkability and proximity to stores/schools/restaurants? Do you want access to public transit? Do you want access to highways?

We live in Canton. There are 2 great elementary/middle schools here with Hampstead Hill And Wolfe Street academy. The public high school, not so much, but there’s a good Catholic high school nearby in Cristo Rey. Canton has great walkability, tons of young families, close to patterson park (a nice dog park there) and another dog park near the waterfront. It has really good access to 95 and 895, the main issue with the area is limited public transit. We have a water taxi stop at the waterfront park, a few bus lines, but the regularity isn’t great, and we currently have no rail. The walkability is so good in Canton though, that you can probably walk your kids to school and most people don’t move their car on the weekend.

Shout out to the Millersville, Severna Park, and Crofton areas as good suburbs with decent access to Baltimore.

The patient I visit bought her townhouse for the mid $500,000’s when she moved from the city I don’t k is what the range of prices is, as I wrote the housing choices are very diverse from condos to townhomes to large single family homes.