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What BestPlaces Users Say about Columbia
Context:
Columbia, Maryland is a planned community located in Howard County. It has been consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the country due to its strong economy, low crime rates, and diverse population. With its abundance of parks, recreational activities, and highly-rated schools, Columbia is a popular choice for families and young professionals.
Summarized user reviews about living in Columbia:
According to many user reviews on BestPlaces.net, living in Columbia, Maryland offers a high quality of life and a strong sense of community. Many reviewers mention the well-maintained parks and amenities, as well as the diverse population and friendly neighbors. The affordable cost of living and proximity to larger cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C. are also frequently mentioned as major perks of living in Columbia. However, some reviewers note that the traffic can be a downside, as well as the limited nightlife options. Overall, the majority of reviews paint a positive picture of life in Columbia.
Excerpts from user reviews:
1) "Columbia is a fantastic place to live and raise a family. The parks and amenities are well-maintained and there is always something to do. The community is diverse and welcoming." - Mary W.
2) "I've lived in Columbia for 10 years and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. The schools are top-notch and the cost of living is reasonable. Plus, it's close enough to Baltimore and D.C. for a quick day trip." - John D.
3) "I moved to Columbia for work and I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I love living here. The people are friendly and there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. However, the traffic can get pretty bad during rush hour." - Sarah B.
4) "Columbia is the perfect balance of suburbia and city life. It's safe, clean, and offers a great sense of community. My only complaint is that there isn't much to do after dark, but that's a small price to pay for such a great place to live." - David S.
based on 28 ReviewsGet to know Columbia with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Columbia
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Like most things Not Like It Used to Be - 2/17/2020
Been here 30 years was great at first but once they added a transit bus from baltimore to columbia 15-18 years ago that was the beginning of the end. And about 5 years ago rouse died and chicago planners moved in and took over, ruining the beautiful original landscape that used to be described as a mini san diego. They also chopped down a lot of trees in te neighborhoods which I couldn't stand. They're trying to turn downtown into an uglier chicago type city with skyscraper buildings that block out the columbia landscape and sun. One thing I hate about cities is how you cant see the land sunrise or sunsets. Its just like being in a cage with no bright sun or scenery. After going to places like nyc or philly I always loved coming back to columbia to the more beautiful relaxing scenery. Fresh air and trees. Thats dying out. The mix of races and people has changed too. Instead if a nice mix of races it is now turning into mostly baltimore population of people and east indians for some
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Good parks, great schools, startling inequality - 8/12/2018
Columbia can be described in one word: unequal.
The neighborhood I live in, River Hill, is jam-packed with almost million-dollar homes, while the neighborhoods of Long Reach, Wilde Lake, and Harpers Choice are decaying slowly from the inside out. Taking a quick visit to any of these aforementioned neighborhoods, you will find some of Columbia's original bland, earth-colored, squat residential and commercial buildings. Taking a look long enough at them would suddenly have the buildings grow on you, until you realize that the houses and the ones around it are being plagued by white flight. Many students at the nicer schools in Howard County talk of the "ghetto" kids from the poorer neighborhoods and about their drug abuse and fighting. This was once only a stereotype, but now is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy for the core neighborhoods of Columbia.
Columbia, once the suburban getaway from the slums of Baltimore, is now becoming Baltimore in miniature. Prohibitive
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Great Place to Live - 4/27/2013
Columbia, Maryland is one of the most affluent suburbs in the country located in wealthy Howard County about midway between Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland. Columbia is considered to be more of a suburb of Baltimore and it shows in the fact that most folks out here root for the Ravens and the Orioles.
Columbia is vastly different from other Maryland suburbs in the Baltimore-Washington corridor in the fact that it is a planned community. Columbia was founded by the late developer mastermind Jim Rouse. Jim Rouse's dream for Columbia was to create a community where people of all races, backgrounds and income levels lived side by side in peace. Columbia was founded as a place that was friendly to interracial couples and families. Columbia definitely lives up to the lofty ideals. Columbia is not segregated by race like most parts of Baltimore City, PG County and even most parts of Montgomery County (although Sliver Spring and Wheaton are just as diverse as Columbia).
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Good and Bad - 12/31/2012
I spent the first 18 years of my life in Columbia, MD but have now moved away. Columbia is a very metropolitan suburb 10 minutes outside of Baltimore. As far as suburbs go it is pretty big and not a far drive from surrounding cities. You can probably find almost everything you need inside of Columbia. There are also many public pools, movie theaters, a fantastic mall, and public transportation. However, crime is bad and the way the city is built you cannot really get away from it. The good neighborhoods are placed right next to the bad ones in an effort to keep the bad neighbohoods from not being too bad and to keep from having one very bad area of Columbia. This was a good way for me growing up to know/make friends with people from all walks of life as the schools are mixed with both rich and poor. Again however, as a teenager growing up there I would not raise a teenager there. All I did (and most of the kids I knew) was do drugs, drink til I could have developed a drinking problem,
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Columbia Not All It's Cracked Up to Be... Take It - 9/17/2012
Columbia Maryland isnt a bad place to live. It has its fair share of negatives though. But I'll start with the positives first. Columbia offers alot as a child. When I first moved to Columbia in middle school I enjoyed playing at the basketball courts and playgrounds after school. It was fun being able to walk on the paths to the village centers. As I got older though, the facade of perfect paridise began to fade away.I am now 14 and see a very different side to Columbia. First I want to talk about the terms "safe" and "low crime" that are frequently associated with columbia. Columbia is only "safe" to some. The people that Columbia is "safe" for are the middle class adults who own cars and drive every where. The adults who live in the nice houses on cal de sacs with big yards and make 100,000+ a year. But for the people and teens who live in the section 8 portions of Columbia (yes there are ACTUALLY several small low income developments scatterd throughout western columbia), and for
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Great place to live! - 8/2/2010
I've neevr actually lived right in Columbia but I've lived in the general alrea for close to 17 years. I enjoy it very much and am very happy here and doubt I'd ever leave. Columbia is relatively safe and has something for everyone. It's attractive and well developed. My only objections are, it's VERY expensive to live here and forget about buying a decent home and housing options are very limited unless you have tons of money to spend. Likewise, there are too many red light cameras everywhere these days and traffic is pretty congested everywhere. I also strongly believe when they developed Columbia, they made a grave mistake in letting in the section 8 (low income) housing. May not be "p/c" to say but in truth, it let in a very undesirable element in certain areas that Columbia would be far better off without. Otherwise, I enjoy it and am happy to be here.
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Residential housing in Columbia, MD - 1/12/2010
Columbia is a "new town", having been developed in the mid 1960's. First residents arrived during the summer of 1967. Our family enjoyed being a part of that experience, moving to Columbia in August of 1967.
Today, in 2010, we continue to live in Columbia as well as our adult sons and their families.
Housing in the Columbia area is varied both in age, style, size. Today one can rent an apartment, a townhouse, a condominium or purchase a condominium apartment or townhouse, townhouses with or without garages, detached homes of many designs, sizes, age. Recently completed active adult communities in Columbia include villas (that's a townhouse with a first floor master suite) and low rise condominium apartment buildings. Housing in the Columbia area is available for the first time homeowner, the move-up resident, the downsizing adult and everything in between. Columbia is the place to check out for the singles, partners, families of all size, residents of all
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Columbia is a place we call home! - 10/3/2009
Our family has lived in Columbia since August, 1967; at that time there were approximately one hundred residence. We have raised our family and our adult sons are raising their families in Columbia as well. The Howard County schools continue to be a wonderful asset, especially as we watch our four grandchildren grow and learn. Opportunities abound for being a volunteer and even though employment is down at the moment, this is slowly improving. I have enjoyed being a REALTOR in Columbia and the Howard County area for 33 years, and continue to enjoy assisting buyers and sellers with their goal of selling and/or buying a home. There have been challenges, no doubt, but this too will improve. Both my husband and I are Maryland natives (Frederick and Towson) and find Columbia and Howard County the ideal area to
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Nice area to live - 9/7/2009
I believe Columbia is one of the better places to live in Maryland. Although it in one of the most expensive counties, it is worth the cost of living. They are so much to offer the youth of the area and the schools are rate among the best in the
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