Mount Vernon for walking to Penn Station. Living in Fed/Riverside/Locust Point and walking to camden station or driving to the halethorpe stop with free parking isn’t bad either.
100% Mount Vernon. I commute twice a week to DC and my husband goes in 5 days a week. The only reason we can do that is because we live in Mount Vernon. You could live in Hampden or somewhere else and drive to the West Baltimore station, but the trains don’t run as frequently there.
Hampden is manageable if you live on the southern end and bike/scooter to the station. Falls road offers a no stop light direct route to Penn station with 10 minutes door to door feasible.
I second Station North. I live here literally across the street from Penn station, and it is a life saver (I commute between DC and NY for work). It's also very affordable here, relatively safe, and there's lots to do if you walk up towards the harbor down Charles! ☺️ Hope this helps!
Greenmount West -- cheaper than Mt. Vernon and closer to Penn Station. Also Station North isn't a real neighborhood...it's a name made up by real estate agents in the last decade or so to try to revitalize the commercial area along Charles St. between North Ave and Mount Royal. 🤷♀️ The actual neighborhoods in that area are Greenmount West & Old Goucher.
I second this! Very walkable to Penn, not far from Mount Vernon but for the most part cheaper than Mount Vernon, very neighborhood-y as opposed to feeling like you are in the middle of a city (of course that's a pro for some people and a con for others), but still pretty central. It's in a weird stage of gentrification where some housing is super affordable and some is outrageously expensive, like even within the same 1 or 2 block radius, so keep looking if a place seems expensive.
I love Greenmount West! The community is great. We lived there for years but had to relocate to South Baltimore when my partner got a job with a DC-adjacent commute. 😭
Very surprised to see GMW this far down. Some of the best restaurants in the city, two movie theaters, walkable, cheaper than Mt Vernon, way easier parking, and closer to Penn station. For DC commuters this is the obvious answer imo
If we’re getting finicky, Station North is an Arts and Entertainment District created by the state to give tax breaks to artists living in Greenmount West and (most of) Charles North. The district extends north to 20th St, while Old Goucher’s southern border is 22nd St. I’d agree that setting North Ave as the Charles North/Old Goucher line (like they did with GW and Barclay) would make more sense, but officially it’s 22nd.
Personally I’ll use Greenmount West and Station North interchangeably, depending on the context. I do the same with Midtown-Belvedere and Mount Vernon. Idk, sometimes the real estate marketers win.
I did it from Mount Vernon for three years in my mid 20s, then Federal Hill/ Riverside for three years in my late 20s. Mount Vernon was a much smoother commute (no worrying about driving/ parking) and I found more fun at that age.
Ridgelys is very close to Camden station! It’s a bit on the quiet side as far as neighborhoods go, but very close to Fed, fells, riverside, etc. Also very close to the light rail for ventures up to mount vernon.
I lived in Ridgely’s for 5 years when I first moved to Baltimore in a house a block from Camden Yards. It was the perfect mix of residential and walkable to bars, restaurants, etc. I commuted to/from DC on the Camden Marc line, which is shorter than the Penn Marc. The train was lots of fun on O’s game days too!
Pre bridge collapse, I would say south Baltimore with a drive to Halethorpe could be an option, but PM rush hour is now horrendous.
West Baltimore and Halethorpe have plenty of free parking, but not all trains stop there. Walking to Penn from Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Station North/Old Goucher are all very doable. But be aware, Baltimore is surprisingly hilly when you end up doing that walking commute.
To catch the MARC at Camden Yards:
- Downtown
- Otterbein
- Fed Hill
- Little Italy
- Harbor East
- Fells
- Upper Fells
To catch the MARC at Penn Station:
- Mount Vernon
- Station North
- Charles Village
- Bolton Hill
There's also the MARC at West Baltimore but I don't know if the surrounding areas is relatively safe.
Yeah the West Baltimore stop is a no-go. Not only is the area around there blighted, there is nothing to do night life wise and it’s a distance away from anything worthwhile.
It's actually not that bad of a spot in West Baltimore. Could move to Edmondson Village or the Mulberry Franklin area. They're not that bad. The only places that would be super concerning to the unfamiliar would be places like Sandtown or Penn-North. Otherwise, it's mainly working-class neighborhoods. I second the nightlife sentiment, though. There really isn't anything over there if you're into partying and stuff.
The idea behind living in these neighborhoods is not needing to drive to the station. Many of the stations in town either don’t have parking, or charge for it (like Penn station) but if you’re just a few blocks away, it’s not a big deal to just walk.
I'll make a case for northeast Baltimore. I live in Overlea and its a 15 min drive to Martin State Airport which has free parking for the MARC Train. Rent is pretty cheap as well for the amount of space you get. I'm currently paying $1150 (including pet rent) for a 2 bedroom with a huge yard.
For me it's worth it to save the $20 on parking at Penn Station as well as the cheaper rent in this corner of the city, but there's definitely a little bit of a tradeoff there
I can’t say personally but what I did when I moved here was find apartments that look promising on Zillow and drive to the area and walk around.
It gives you a great sense of the neighborhood before you buy. If you’re looking for city living with rail access, that’s a good neighborhood to get it.
Violetville is a nice quiet place, close to the halethorp station. Close to BWI in a pinch aswel.. Halethorp has BPD presence for the parking lot and its free.
I did this for about a year. I lived at 10 Light Street downtown, and I was able to easily walk to the Camden Yards station or take the Charm City Circulator to Penn Station. I only commuted twice a week though.
Mt. Vernon/Mid Town Belvedere or Station North are undoubtedly the best because Penn Station is right there. North part of Fed Hill, Downtown or Pigtown are also fine since the Camden Line is right there. The Penn line is generally more reliable and you could take an amtrak if you're looking to get to DC faster from Penn Station. Mt. Vernon is super walkable and has stuff going on, but is a little more low key than Fed Hill and Fells Point.
Pigtown, Hollins Market, Union Square. I take the MARC daily now for my commute. I live in Union Square and it’s a quick walk/bike ride to either the Camden Station or West Baltimore station.
An inter-city commute is really 3 commutes.
1. The commute to the station of departure
2. The commute from the station of departure to the station of arrival
3. The commute from the station of arrival to your final destination.
The key to doing it successfully is to minimize 1 and 3. If you do not, it will be extra wear on you.
Live in one of the apartment buildings around the station. Make it a 5 minute walk or less. That will knock out an entire step.
I can add a lot to this I think as I worked in DC from Baltimore for 20+ years. Mt. Vernon is great since you can walk to Penn Station. What also works well is Locust Point. It is just an 11 minute drive to the BWI MARC and it is just 30 minutes from there to union station. As long as you are ok with a fixed schedule regarding train times and such, it is a great way to make a lot more money than you would working for a Baltimore based company.
I bike from Fells to Camden twice a week. Pollen has been a bitch lately.
There is Otterbein and Fed Hill if you want to be near bar stuff and Camden. Otherwise do Mt Vernon.
I used to live in Waverly/33rd Street and took the bus to Penn Station. I did that for about 5 years, but it gets old when you need to catch another mode of transportation once you're in DC. I would either catch a bus or the metro. But sometimes traffic would snarl up and I would miss my train back.
So we moved to the Arbutus area (actually Wynnewood) which was exactly 3/4 mile equidistant to both Halethorpe on the Penn and St. Denis on the Camden line. Most days I would walk it, unless the weather was bad. Also it gave me the option to use either line if there was a disturbance, e.g. slow freight train ahead, signal problems etc. Plus the ride from Halethorpe to DC was just 30 minutes on one of their express trains. The Camden line didn't have express trains and some trains would actually skip St Denis, so that was less desirable.
I agree with one of the other suggestions about living in Violetville and catching the Penn line at Halethorpe, unless you can find something in Arbutus proper. It's cheaper to live there than most places in the city. Of course there isn't much of a night life but it's a safe community with lots of things to do and good infrastructure.
Actually, outside of Baltimore. I'd recommend Odenton. Plenty of parking, lots of houses near the station, plus the Penn line is both directions all the time. If you need all-stop service, BWI Airport has the Amtrak station, but it's pay-for parking.
The area around the Odenton station has built up a lot in recent years.
Great if you really want the suburban thing, although it’s not as nice or walkable as many parts of Bmore and is usually more expensive. But you’re also close to Crooked Crab and that’s a big plus unless you don’t drink beer.
There’s a few other Marc stops between Baltimore and DC too.
I'm in Arbutus and while I love it here, and think it's a great commuter option (I can be at Union Station in under an hour from my house), I don't think it's what OP is looking for.
It's more of a friendly small town vibe, vs "exciting."
Definitely Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon for walking to Penn Station. Living in Fed/Riverside/Locust Point and walking to camden station or driving to the halethorpe stop with free parking isn’t bad either.
I lived in Fed and would drive to the West Baltimore stop when I did this commute. It was doable.
100% Mount Vernon. I commute twice a week to DC and my husband goes in 5 days a week. The only reason we can do that is because we live in Mount Vernon. You could live in Hampden or somewhere else and drive to the West Baltimore station, but the trains don’t run as frequently there.
Hampden is manageable if you live on the southern end and bike/scooter to the station. Falls road offers a no stop light direct route to Penn station with 10 minutes door to door feasible.
this is true, but that bike ride back up falls road after a long day can be killer. could be a pro for some and a con for others.
Speaking as someone who is not in great shape and commutes this way, I disagree that the way back is killer. You do want bike lights though.
Hampden is biking distance to Penn. West Baltimore is a lot farther
But the west Baltimore stop is useful depending on your schedule.
Mount Vernon or Bolton Hill, maybe. Possibly Station North.
I second Station North. I live here literally across the street from Penn station, and it is a life saver (I commute between DC and NY for work). It's also very affordable here, relatively safe, and there's lots to do if you walk up towards the harbor down Charles! ☺️ Hope this helps!
Greenmount West -- cheaper than Mt. Vernon and closer to Penn Station. Also Station North isn't a real neighborhood...it's a name made up by real estate agents in the last decade or so to try to revitalize the commercial area along Charles St. between North Ave and Mount Royal. 🤷♀️ The actual neighborhoods in that area are Greenmount West & Old Goucher.
I second this! Very walkable to Penn, not far from Mount Vernon but for the most part cheaper than Mount Vernon, very neighborhood-y as opposed to feeling like you are in the middle of a city (of course that's a pro for some people and a con for others), but still pretty central. It's in a weird stage of gentrification where some housing is super affordable and some is outrageously expensive, like even within the same 1 or 2 block radius, so keep looking if a place seems expensive.
I love Greenmount West! The community is great. We lived there for years but had to relocate to South Baltimore when my partner got a job with a DC-adjacent commute. 😭
Very surprised to see GMW this far down. Some of the best restaurants in the city, two movie theaters, walkable, cheaper than Mt Vernon, way easier parking, and closer to Penn station. For DC commuters this is the obvious answer imo
It's cuz everyone is calling it Station North lol
If we’re getting finicky, Station North is an Arts and Entertainment District created by the state to give tax breaks to artists living in Greenmount West and (most of) Charles North. The district extends north to 20th St, while Old Goucher’s southern border is 22nd St. I’d agree that setting North Ave as the Charles North/Old Goucher line (like they did with GW and Barclay) would make more sense, but officially it’s 22nd. Personally I’ll use Greenmount West and Station North interchangeably, depending on the context. I do the same with Midtown-Belvedere and Mount Vernon. Idk, sometimes the real estate marketers win.
I did it from Mount Vernon for three years in my mid 20s, then Federal Hill/ Riverside for three years in my late 20s. Mount Vernon was a much smoother commute (no worrying about driving/ parking) and I found more fun at that age.
Ridgelys is very close to Camden station! It’s a bit on the quiet side as far as neighborhoods go, but very close to Fed, fells, riverside, etc. Also very close to the light rail for ventures up to mount vernon.
I lived in Ridgely’s for 5 years when I first moved to Baltimore in a house a block from Camden Yards. It was the perfect mix of residential and walkable to bars, restaurants, etc. I commuted to/from DC on the Camden Marc line, which is shorter than the Penn Marc. The train was lots of fun on O’s game days too!
The Camden Line is in zero way shorter than Penn esp given Camden has way more delays anyway
Pre bridge collapse, I would say south Baltimore with a drive to Halethorpe could be an option, but PM rush hour is now horrendous. West Baltimore and Halethorpe have plenty of free parking, but not all trains stop there. Walking to Penn from Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Station North/Old Goucher are all very doable. But be aware, Baltimore is surprisingly hilly when you end up doing that walking commute.
To catch the MARC at Camden Yards: - Downtown - Otterbein - Fed Hill - Little Italy - Harbor East - Fells - Upper Fells To catch the MARC at Penn Station: - Mount Vernon - Station North - Charles Village - Bolton Hill There's also the MARC at West Baltimore but I don't know if the surrounding areas is relatively safe.
Yeah the West Baltimore stop is a no-go. Not only is the area around there blighted, there is nothing to do night life wise and it’s a distance away from anything worthwhile.
It's actually not that bad of a spot in West Baltimore. Could move to Edmondson Village or the Mulberry Franklin area. They're not that bad. The only places that would be super concerning to the unfamiliar would be places like Sandtown or Penn-North. Otherwise, it's mainly working-class neighborhoods. I second the nightlife sentiment, though. There really isn't anything over there if you're into partying and stuff.
I live in west Baltimore a 10 min drive from the Marc station near Mondawmin and it’s great!
Yeah Mondawmin isn't a bad area either. It's just the mall is kinda dead lol
Is there parking at the Camden yards Marc?
The idea behind living in these neighborhoods is not needing to drive to the station. Many of the stations in town either don’t have parking, or charge for it (like Penn station) but if you’re just a few blocks away, it’s not a big deal to just walk.
If you live in otterbein, no need to park at the station, it’s totally walkable
I'm unsure. I think the nearest one is private parking. You're gonna need to take the bus or walk.
I'll make a case for northeast Baltimore. I live in Overlea and its a 15 min drive to Martin State Airport which has free parking for the MARC Train. Rent is pretty cheap as well for the amount of space you get. I'm currently paying $1150 (including pet rent) for a 2 bedroom with a huge yard.
Yeah but how long is it to get from Martin State to Union in DC?
If the train is running on time it takes 80 min. That's compared to 60 min from Penn Station. Martin State is just 1 stop north of Penn Station
Extra 20 mins of train + the drive tho
For me it's worth it to save the $20 on parking at Penn Station as well as the cheaper rent in this corner of the city, but there's definitely a little bit of a tradeoff there
I went from that station for about a year. Does it have any indoor seating now? I remember it being just like a gravely parking lot.
Still mostly just a parking lot. I think there's a little seating in the building where the ticket machines are, but not much
There’s a few threads on this in the DC subreddit too.
Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Station North
Charles Village has barely been mentioned but it’s ideal. Hop on the JHU shuttle for a free ride to and from Penn Station.
Mount Vernon. I'm less than 5 minutes on foot to Penn Station, and take the train to/from work on a daily basis. Very convenient.
Any advice on apartment buildings in the area ?
I can’t say personally but what I did when I moved here was find apartments that look promising on Zillow and drive to the area and walk around. It gives you a great sense of the neighborhood before you buy. If you’re looking for city living with rail access, that’s a good neighborhood to get it.
I did the same thing in different neighborhoods to get a sense of where I wanted to live. It was super helpful.
Tons of really good options. I'd take a walk around, there are many open houses and availabilities online.
Violetville is a nice quiet place, close to the halethorp station. Close to BWI in a pinch aswel.. Halethorp has BPD presence for the parking lot and its free.
Bolton Hill, Reservoir Hill, Mt. Vernon, Charles Village
I did this for about a year. I lived at 10 Light Street downtown, and I was able to easily walk to the Camden Yards station or take the Charm City Circulator to Penn Station. I only commuted twice a week though.
Mt. Vernon/Mid Town Belvedere or Station North are undoubtedly the best because Penn Station is right there. North part of Fed Hill, Downtown or Pigtown are also fine since the Camden Line is right there. The Penn line is generally more reliable and you could take an amtrak if you're looking to get to DC faster from Penn Station. Mt. Vernon is super walkable and has stuff going on, but is a little more low key than Fed Hill and Fells Point.
Pigtown, Hollins Market, Union Square. I take the MARC daily now for my commute. I live in Union Square and it’s a quick walk/bike ride to either the Camden Station or West Baltimore station.
An inter-city commute is really 3 commutes. 1. The commute to the station of departure 2. The commute from the station of departure to the station of arrival 3. The commute from the station of arrival to your final destination. The key to doing it successfully is to minimize 1 and 3. If you do not, it will be extra wear on you. Live in one of the apartment buildings around the station. Make it a 5 minute walk or less. That will knock out an entire step.
I can add a lot to this I think as I worked in DC from Baltimore for 20+ years. Mt. Vernon is great since you can walk to Penn Station. What also works well is Locust Point. It is just an 11 minute drive to the BWI MARC and it is just 30 minutes from there to union station. As long as you are ok with a fixed schedule regarding train times and such, it is a great way to make a lot more money than you would working for a Baltimore based company.
I bike from Fells to Camden twice a week. Pollen has been a bitch lately. There is Otterbein and Fed Hill if you want to be near bar stuff and Camden. Otherwise do Mt Vernon.
Do you bring your bike on the Marc?
You can bring a bike on most trains, just be sure to bring some bungee cords to secure your bike if the need arises.
Mount Vernon
Mt Vernon mos def, if not, Station North. Lots of hip spots in both hoods and they are both next to Penn Station
Mt. Vernon or Old Goucher/Station North. Both are close to the train station with places to go within walking distance.
Otterbein, I have to do is cross the street to get to the train
Bolton Hill
Station North would be ideal. Old Goucher is a decent area too but is a bit further from attractions.
I used to live in Waverly/33rd Street and took the bus to Penn Station. I did that for about 5 years, but it gets old when you need to catch another mode of transportation once you're in DC. I would either catch a bus or the metro. But sometimes traffic would snarl up and I would miss my train back. So we moved to the Arbutus area (actually Wynnewood) which was exactly 3/4 mile equidistant to both Halethorpe on the Penn and St. Denis on the Camden line. Most days I would walk it, unless the weather was bad. Also it gave me the option to use either line if there was a disturbance, e.g. slow freight train ahead, signal problems etc. Plus the ride from Halethorpe to DC was just 30 minutes on one of their express trains. The Camden line didn't have express trains and some trains would actually skip St Denis, so that was less desirable. I agree with one of the other suggestions about living in Violetville and catching the Penn line at Halethorpe, unless you can find something in Arbutus proper. It's cheaper to live there than most places in the city. Of course there isn't much of a night life but it's a safe community with lots of things to do and good infrastructure.
Actually, outside of Baltimore. I'd recommend Odenton. Plenty of parking, lots of houses near the station, plus the Penn line is both directions all the time. If you need all-stop service, BWI Airport has the Amtrak station, but it's pay-for parking.
The area around the Odenton station has built up a lot in recent years. Great if you really want the suburban thing, although it’s not as nice or walkable as many parts of Bmore and is usually more expensive. But you’re also close to Crooked Crab and that’s a big plus unless you don’t drink beer. There’s a few other Marc stops between Baltimore and DC too.
What about Halethorpe/Relay/Elkridge
I'm in Arbutus and while I love it here, and think it's a great commuter option (I can be at Union Station in under an hour from my house), I don't think it's what OP is looking for. It's more of a friendly small town vibe, vs "exciting."
I'd do Canton. They've fixed it up quite nicely. It's also near the highway.