Most people drive into DC or Baltimore for work, so rush hour can be a pain. I believe the interstate 95 corridor in MD/VA has the second worst traffic in the nation, right behind Los Angeles. The average commute time is about 40 minutes or so, based on the last report I saw.

Columbia is a great place to be, though. Nearly equidistant to Baltimore and DC if you want to get out and explore as well.

Recently bought a single family home in Columbia. Walking around the trails everyone is super friendly. I do carry pepper spray just because some peoples dogs don't give me the most super friendly or in control vibe. Not sure what the apartments/townhome situations are like.

Depending on where your friends live in MD and VA it could be difficult to go to their places. Check Google maps and us the set or arrive feature at a time/date to get a good idea on traffic. DC has lots of great activities. Baltimore the same. Also Annapolis, Frederick, Ellicott city. As others have said close enough for a weekend trip to some small/medium ski resorts or state parks in the mountains. Same for ocean city, Rehoboth, assateague or Chincoteague for beaches (traffic to the beaches is miserable in the summer, take advantage of your nursing schedule to travel at off peak times).

I've lived in MD my whole life, all over the state and there are great places to live with varying advantages and disadvantages everywhere. Traffic, neighborhood safety, cost of living, work options vary greatly. We really are a u.s. in miniature.

Columbia itself is very diverse and relatively laid back. The aforementioned trails are great and there are plenty of thing to do in the area or not far in the DC/Baltimore metro areas.

There are some restaurant gems in Columbia and Ellicott City, so please don't limit yourself to chain restaurants. Ditto for other small businesses.

Snow and cold weather come with the territory, but spring and fall are absolutely glorious. We tough out the 1-2 months of really cold weather and 1-2 months of really hot weather and make the most of the rest of the time when the weather is really nice. There's plenty to do inside, too, so if you have a hobby, whether it's pickleball, basketball, watercolor painting, or origami, there's bound to be a group here that does it or class that teaches it.

People are generally friendly and you can stick to yourself or find your people.

One of the biggest differences from California will be moisture. This is a wet, humid state. Air conditioning is mandatory. Mold and seasonal allergies can be a real issue. Many days of the summer will feel like you’re walking around inside someone’s mouth. It will be 85 degrees at 2am because wet air doesn’t loose heat. It can feel incredibly clammy in the colder months.

I grew up in Columbia and it’s one of the best places to live. Extremely diverse. Everything has a “small town” feel to it. Great non-chain restaurants and bars. A lot of recreational activities. And like everyone is mentioning, close to Baltimore and DC

Socio-Political Vibe: Socially Progressive and Centrist Liberal, although classist with numerous NIMBYs, "liberal elite," and "champagne socialists" in charge. Speak a good game on supporting the disenfranchised but often show their true feelings through local legislation (not to mention bigoted dog whistles). Still a very nice place to live (even for more economically left ideologies) - lots of ethnic and racial diversity, county laws supporting (and protecting) LGBTQIA+, religious diversity (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc.), and a notable Deaf population (because of the Maryland School for the Deaf). Just don't expect as much support for the (predominantly Black or Latino) working- or lower-middle class communities, neighborhoods, or schools as wealthier areas... at least, beyond lip-service and events celebrating 'diversity.'

Crime and Safety: Due to the size of Columbia (second largest 'city' in Maryland) crime exists, but even the "worst" zip code is 44% below the national average for crime (per capita), and 59% below for violent crimes. Most crime is property-related (burglary, automobile theft, etc.) and the majority of residents feel safe in their neighborhoods and on the numerous bike and walking paths. Howard County Police Department is generally decent, from both a community and investigative perspective. They're far from perfect, and there will always be detractors, but in general HCPD uses less force, makes fewer arrests for low level offenses, solves murder cases more often, and holds officers more accountable than most other regional PDs.

Cost and Economy: Columbia is expensive to live in, with a CoL 18.3% above the national average. Most of this comes in the cost of housing, where renting an apartment is almost the cost of a mortgage on a townhouse. You'll find everything here, from groceries to gas, a little more costly, except one thing: healthcare. Due to the extensive health network and facilities in the area, with the right insurance and doctors, you'll pay $20-$30 for co-pays and dollars (or cents) for prescriptions. As for work, there are plenty of commercial and industrial opportunities (particularly in retail and services), medical positions at the numerous offices, and public sector jobs... and that's in Howard County alone. If you're willing to commute 30-60 minutes in any direction, then you have seemingly endless opportunities; the unemployment rate in Maryland is around 4%, even with inflation and a recession.

Activities and Events: Columbia has minimal nightlife, limited to various sports bars and restaurants, as it was designed as (and to an extent remains) a family-focused planned city. There is still plenty to do here, though, starting with over 114 miles of pathways and sidewalks that lead to numerous parks and natural sites. We have tons of shopping areas, from commercial sites to Columbia Mall (one of the few indoor malls still going strong in the metro area). For entertainment we have two movie theaters, a dinner theater (and other smaller stages), and Merriweather Post Pavilion for large concerts. You'll also find events held at Symphony Woods and on the lakefront in downtown. Check your local news and there's probably something going on somewhere every week.

Weather and Climate: We are in a temperate zone, so expect all four seasons. Summers are hot and humid (mid-80s but feel like the 90s), although being further in-land we're not as bad as the counties east of us. Winters are cold and bitter (low-40s); in the past decade, we don't get snow as often but instead freezing rain and sleet that leave everything coated with a half-inch of ice (which will close schools, government, and make roads and sidewalks treacherous). Spring and Fall tend to be pleasant but unpredictable, especially as climate has changed; it's not unknown to have snow flakes in April, barbecue weather in October, or all four "seasons" in a week.

I moved here from the desert in LA county 25 years ago. It’s been awhile, but the most surprising thing to me was that clouds actually to mean that it might rain! I know, obvious. But as a kid in the desert, clouds just meant less sun. I keep multiple umbrellas in my car because it still doesn’t really occur to me to see the sky and check the weather.

As you look for places to work/live, you can put departure and arrival times in google maps (when you think you could commute) and it will give you estimated drive time with traffic.

I grew up here, and live near by in Ellicott City. One nice feature we have around here is the Patapsco State Park. I think we have a hundred miles of dirt trails for hiking and biking. It is a great park, and has some decent fishing too. A google image search gives you a nice idea of what the park is like:

https://www.google.com/search?q=patapsco+state+park&sxsrf=ALiCzsYtB7dnY2iokVbtw2tE1_5q3Pc4XA:1670777993228&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLo6OGhfL7AhUNGFkFHZQrAsMQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1536&bih=711&dpr=1.25

Old Ellicott city is a nice chill spot too: https://visitoldellicottcity.com/

As an RN there are tons of potential places you could work in Columbia.. Howard County General, Gilchrist Hospice, many clinics as well. I live in Columbia but have been to CA (especially the LA area) many times, and the traffic is nothing compared to LA. If you’re heading down to the DC area it can be comparable though, so working down that way would be best avoided. Columbia is diverse, liberal, and safe. (I’ve never had an issue). As far as culture, it’s also a bit like LA in that there are lots of suburbs and strip malls, but cool independent things interspersed.

Like everyone else said, it's an extremely safe area, great place to live (unless you are looking for an active nightlife), great schools, pretty area with a lot of amenities. The commute... well, I can't say anything nice about that lol but I moved to Columbia in 2005, and this year we finally sold our townhouse, searched all over the state within a somewhat sane commute to Silver Spring, basically looked everywhere except the western part of the state... and ended up moving into a house 2 miles from our old house LOL ... 3 months of non-stop searching smh... I think you'll really like the area :)

Winter doesn’t actually start until around Christmas, fall is when it looks best. People are nicer towards Baltimore than DC.

Luckily traffic isn’t as bad as LA, but will still find a way to tick you off. When driving at night even on the highways you have to be vigilant about deers and hidden troopers. As far as good eats, you’ll have to go to either cities because finding food comparable to LA is a dime a dozen in Columbia. Our mini ktown is Elliott city. Glen burnie is like your equivalent of skid row, not a lot of homeless people, but many druggies and far right conservatives who are batshit.

It’s snowboarding season, so look up wisp or whitetail, the drives aren’t too far and it’s usually what we’re up to when we can’t fish.

Re: the weather -- I grew up in the Chicago area. The winters here are relatively mild compared to the Chicago area. In other words, we have winter, but not all winters are created equal.

On the flipside I prefer Chicago area summers.

Md traffic near and towards DC is awful. Md traffic towards baltimore isn't as terrible, but not great. Otherwise it's general nice. Rush hour sucks. If you are working 5am, 7am (7am can be ruined by an event or something which is fairly common depending on where you are going), 2pm, or night shift generally it's not too bad.

Politically, towards the coast it's a very liberal area. As you move inland it generally becomes more conservative.

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Weather, it actually doesn't snow that much, and most of the roads are well maintained for snowfall. Watch your speed. Don't accelerate while turning, don't brake while turning, and you should be fine. That being said, because it doesn't snow that much, when there is a lot of snowfall, there isn't enough plows to keep up with the roads and it quickly turns into emergency routes are the only decently maintained areas. Which good news, as a nurse there is a good chance your commute will be mostly covered.

I’d avoid Columbia. Extremely overpriced and no culture.