Just a quick question on the area. Where is a good place to rent an apartment if any one is familiar? Posting this question for someone who wishes it remain anonymous and will be working for the government. Thanks.

Try reading the reviews here for a start:

http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/MD-Columbia.html

when I am going to an unknown place I use rent dot com and Craigslist to investigate prices. Then I use google maps and chek out what kind of businesses are around. That can be telling. Lastly I look for crime data in the neighborhoods you find a best fit. I have never been surprised yet. Hope that helps.

Virginia! ;-)

There are some apartments at the corner of Snowden River Parkway and Tamar Drive that are nice and well maintained. My company had an apartment there and it was pretty good.

Worked there for several years for the government. The greater area is very dynamic and things change, but prices there are always sky-high. Columbia is the choicest of places near to Ft. Meade, but the most expensive because of the good schools in the county. It was a planned city, all laid out just so. It has the best homes and stores and such, but being planned, it's expansion was reined in. In fact, the LDS church was not allowed to build another church because there already was one, and the city reminded the Mormons that, Hey, if you want a church, there are several choices in town. Point is, that has always kept the prices up.

I have not found even a rental there for less than about $2400 last time I checked. But I was looking for a house.

Hi...Eric K. We live just outside of Columbia...near the govt.agencies...lol. Columbia itself is very high priced. You can also check the Jessup, savage,elkridge areas. Some places in laurel. I would stay away from severn and Canterbury riding.

Honestly...you could probably rent a townhouse for the same price as an apartment.

I would stay away from Severn, too. That's where I lived when I was there. It was a dump then. It's gotta be a dump now. I have to return there now and again, but I'm always in a decent hotel and no longer know the residential areas well.

Mostly when people work there, they have to be content to drive long distances. I know people who commute from southern Pennsylvania and from west of Frederick.

The traffic sucks bad.

That are a viable option?

There is the Marc rail stop in savage that goes to both D.C. and Baltimore. There is Howard country transit.