Is commuting from Baltimore to DC a terrible idea? Forum

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Lawyerdawg

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Is commuting from Baltimore to DC a terrible idea?

Post by Lawyerdawg » Wed Mar 24, 2021 4:46 pm

I'll be starting at a firm in DC in August (coming in as a third year after two-clerkships) and I'm considering living in Baltimore. My significant other will be working at the University of Delaware, and we really want to find a compromise location. So:

-Is commuting from Baltimore to DC (and back) every day realistic? I'm from the South and am fine with longer drives/work commutes, but I don't want to discount the fact that I'll be working hard as a big law associate and might be drained after work.
-Anyone know anything about the public transportation situation? Are there a series of trains I could take to get back and forth?
-Any other areas in Maryland that we should consider?

Answers to these questions would be incredibly helpful, but I'm also open to candid advice/opinions. Thanks in advance!

(To be fair, this might not be the best forum on TLS for this post, but I'm telling myself that the tie-in is "work-life balance")

jacketyellow

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Re: Is commuting from Baltimore to DC a terrible idea?

Post by jacketyellow » Thu Mar 25, 2021 1:18 am

Lawyerdawg wrote:
Wed Mar 24, 2021 4:46 pm
I'll be starting at a firm in DC in August (coming in as a third year after two-clerkships) and I'm considering living in Baltimore. My significant other will be working at the University of Delaware, and we really want to find a compromise location. So:

-Is commuting from Baltimore to DC (and back) every day realistic? I'm from the South and am fine with longer drives/work commutes, but I don't want to discount the fact that I'll be working hard as a big law associate and might be drained after work.
-Anyone know anything about the public transportation situation? Are there a series of trains I could take to get back and forth?
-Any other areas in Maryland that we should consider?

Answers to these questions would be incredibly helpful, but I'm also open to candid advice/opinions. Thanks in advance!

(To be fair, this might not be the best forum on TLS for this post, but I'm telling myself that the tie-in is "work-life balance")
Yes, commuting from Baltimore to DC is realistic. Whether it is a good idea or not is the issue. In my opinion, this is not a good idea. While you may love longer drives, one must factor in the traffic in the area and the amount of work an associate will have to do. It usually takes 35-50 minutes to get to DC from Baltimore WITHOUT traffic. During rush hour, it will take you over an hour to get to downtown DC. You may ask, "Well, I'll leave earlier." This is illogical because morning rush hour usually starts at 6am and ends at 10am. (Evening rush hour is usually over by 7:30pm.) Analogously, leaving a law firm at 7pm or later will allow you to miss the evening rush hour, but do you really want to drive 35-50 minutes after a long day at work EVERY day? Plus, by the time you get home, you'll have to do the same thing again at 6am or earlier to miss the traffic. And, what about the days you work longer than 7pm? Do you want to do a long commute at 9pm? Therefore, it is realistic but certainly not ideal.

Yes, there are trains that go from Baltimore to DC and back. One can usually take the Acela or the MARC-PENN daily. The Acela is faster, but it still will take 50+ minutes to get to the office in DC, recognizing that the Acela will drop you off at Union Station, and you will have to take Uber, Taxi, or another bus to your office.

For other areas in Maryland that may be doable, you can choose Laurel, Silver Spring, Calverton, or any other good areas in Montgomery county. It's still further out from DC but it's closer.

I hope this helps.

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Re: Is commuting from Baltimore to DC a terrible idea?

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Mar 25, 2021 9:19 am

I spent many years living in Baltimore. You’ll need to take the MARC train (if I recall correctly, there are four lines. You’ll want to take the Penn Line I believe) if you want to get to DC. There’s a stop at Baltimore Penn station (most folks lived in the Mount Vernon neighborhood who took the train) but there’s also another stop at Camden Yards. The Camden Yards stop is right by the baseball stadium, which is near all the hospitals and closer to the 95 entrance (which will make it a little easier if you want to drive). However, that part of the city is a bit rougher and busier than Mount Vernon. Also, the train doesn’t stop at the Camden Yards stop as often as Penn Station.

The MARC train that doesn’t stop at every station between Baltimore to DC will get there in about 45-50 mins. The one that makes stops at the airport and all the little towns along the way will take a little over an hour.

That train gets you to DC Union station which is slightly annoying because only the red line runs through Union Station. So depending on where your office is, you might need to transfer metro lines. The red line can get you to metro center where many firms are, but if you’re going to the west end, you’ll need to transfer or walk.

Cell phone service is fairly consistent along the ride, so you should be able to tether and work. But a portable monitor and mouse and you can do light reading/review on the train. Most people who take it are commuters, so you can find quiet carts where everyone is sleeping or working. It’s definitely doable. Happy to talk about this more if you would like.

AAPLTSLADIS

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Re: Is commuting from Baltimore to DC a terrible idea?

Post by AAPLTSLADIS » Thu Mar 25, 2021 5:28 pm

A person can do most anything for a year.

Beyond that, the odds lessen dramatically.

Good luck and best wishes.

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