Startup Resources

Relocation

Housing

Moving to the University area offers an extremely diverse array of options. While that has many advantages, it can also make choosing where to live an overwhelming process. The information on this page offers some suggestions about where to start.

Rental Information

ApartmentList.com, Move.com, Apartment Showcase, Apartment Guide, and rentable.co offer on-line searching of most area apartment complexes. They enable users to search based on desired facilities, services, etc. and provide floor plans, rental rates, and community features for matching complexes. Apartment Ratings provides reviews by current or past tenants. (Bear in mind that it seems likely that those who submit reviews are individuals with particularly strong opinions.)

  • Craig's List provides listings of all types of rental properties.
  • HotPads College Park is a map-based internet listing service. HotPads also occasionally lists sublets.
  • Trulia provides rental listings and community information.
  • Rent.com offers listings specific to College Park.
  • RentToOwnLabs.com lists houses that are available for this kind of lease.
  • Sabbaticalhomes.com and AcademicHomes.com are web sites that help faculty worldwide find houses or apartments for rent, exchange or house-sit when on sabbatical leave, research trip, exchange program, relocation or vacations.
  • Zillow Rentals is a map-based internet listing service.

In some cases, searching for townhouses, condos and single family homes is best done by using the services of a real estate agent. Please contact Faculty Affairs for a list of some local realtors.

Purchase Information

The Faculty Affairs Office can provide realtor referrals.

The web search services listed below will give you an idea of the type and cost of housing in various communities.

This isn't intended to be a comprehensive list of the web search services available, nor is it intended to be any sort of recommendation.

The Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun also offer searchable listings of homes for sale.

A quick Google search for "home buying advice" will bring you almost a billion hits in the blink of an eye, and almost all of them have something to offer. The important thing to remember, especially if this is your first time buying a house, is to take the time to look at that information.

Short-Term Housing

Unfortunately, the University does not offer short-term housing on campus. However, there are many other possibilities for different forms of short-term housing.

  • Domain College Park is located steps from campus and maintains a few units as short-term rentals for new and visiting faculty on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Sublet Information is an apartment rental service that advertises apartments, sublets, subleases, roommates & houses for rent. See also the Washington Post and the Washington City Paper on-line search processes for current classified ads. Finally, Craig's List provides subletting listings.
  • Apartment Complexes generally offer 3, 6 or 9 month leases at slightly higher rents. On-line locator services allow searching for apartments that offer this option. NOTE HOWEVER that in practical terms many complexes often do not offer short-term leases since they prefer to lease by the year. (Furniture rental is also generally available.)
  • Biz-Stay is another on-line resource. The preferred accommodation choices in their directory are short-term furnished apartments or homes, and apartment-style hotel rooms with kitchens. (Accommodations of this type are commonly referred to as corporate housing, temporary housing, serviced apartments, extended stay hotels, apart-hotels or self-catering apartments.) Preference is also given to hotels that offer extended-stay discounts, typically for 7 days or longer. There are a wide-variety of listings for the Washington D.C. metro area.
  • PC Housing, a nationwide temporary housing provider.

Moving Assistance

The University offers assistance in coordinating your household move. Using the University's moving assistance program can

  • reduce moving expenses
  • lower the risk of poor service or even fraud from moving companies
  • mean you won't have to pay cash to your movers on the day of the move

More information about the University's moving assistance program is available here.

Dual Career Information

This page is provided to introduce spouses/partners of prospective or future faculty to the unique Washington D.C./Baltimore job market and to help them conduct effective job searches both before and after the move to the area. Some web resources appear below.

Job Search Resources

The Washington D.C./Baltimore area offers a wonderfully large and, in several ways, unique employment market for job seekers. For example, the largest sources of employment are with foundations/associations and the federal government. There are also over 50 colleges and universities within commuting distance of the University of Maryland. See sections below for more detailed information.

University or Research Employment

Government Employment

Non-Profit Employment

Public and Private School Employment

All Types of Employment

Commuting in the Area

Public and University Shuttle Bus Transportation

  • Shuttle-UM is the free bus system of the University of Maryland. It has an extensive service network on and around campus. There are many ways to finding out how to use the system. Destinations accessible by Shuttle-UM routes include apartment complexes, shopping plazas, metrorail stations, and over 25 on-campus stops. The Department of Transportation website contains information about bus routes, schedules, and more. Each route has a PDF file link that contains the bus schedule and stops as well as a map depicting the location of each stop. A printed bus guide is also available at the Department of Transportation office (Regents Drive Garage).
  • University Metrocheck or Smartrip is available to any full-time faculty or staff member who regularly use public transportation for commuting to work.  Automatic payroll deductions, which are PRE-TAX, may be utilized to purchase paper vouchers (Metrocheks), or transferred electronically via a SmarTrip card (aka, Smart Benefits).  Metrochek vouchers can be used on Metrobus and Metrorail.  They can also be exchanged to pay fares on more than 100 participating commuter services, such as; MARC, Ride-On, and Connect-A-Ride.
  • Maryland and Washington D.C. Metrobus and Metrorail System is the public bus and rail system for the entire metropolitan area. College Park has a Metrorail Station on the "Green Line." This website includes a trip planner, schedule and fare information, and parking availability information.

Carpooling, Park and Ride and Other Alternative Methods of Commuting

  • Carpooling to the University can be easy and has many advantages. Participation in the Faculty/Staff Smart Park Carpool Program REDUCES the cost of parking permit fees; carpoolers may register with Commuter Connections for the "Guaranteed Ride Home Program;" and there is an on-line database to find other University employees in the same zip code looking to carpool.
  • Zipcars are available across campus 24/7! They can be reserved online. The low hourly and daily rates always include gas and insurance.
  • Campus Motor Vehicle Assistance. Jump starts, gas transports, tire inflations, and lockouts are all FREE services offered by the Department of Transportation Services.
  • Obtaining a Campus Parking Permit. Faculty are issued permits every two years or at the time of initial employment. Faculty/Staff parking registration must be initiated by the faculty/staff member through your Departmental Parking Coordinator (DPC). Parking assignments for each F/S parking area are determined by each department and Campus Parking. For more information on how your parking assignment is determined please contact your Departmental Parking Coordinator.

Childcare and Family Care

Family Care Resources The University provides resources and referrals for both child care and elder care. Click here for more information.
County Childcare Referral Services Each county in Maryland provides individualized referral services to accredited daycare centers or licensed home daycare providers, as does the District of Columbia. For assistance, visit their websites or call the appropriate office below.
Childcare Rating Website This website provides the ability to both search for childcare facilities by child's age, type of facility (home based, child care center, etc.) and location and, in some cases, parental reviews.
National Association for the Education of Young Children The National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAEYC) administers a national, voluntary, professionally sponsored accreditation system to help raise the quality of all types of preschools, kindergartens, child care centers, and school-age child care programs. This website lists all the early childhood programs currently accredited by NAEYC.
State Daycare Licensing Standards This important resource on daycare licensing for each state includes standards, regulations and agency contact information.

Surrounding Area

Local School Information

The Maryland Department of Education's Maryland Report Card Performance Report provided detailed information by county and by individual school. The reports include attendance and dropout rates, test results over the past five years, demographic data, and future plans for graduating seniors.

GreatSchools is a national, independent nonprofit organization and website that provides comprehensive profiles for both public and private schools. Parent-friendly features include teacher stats, parent reviews, student body profiles, standarized test scores, as well as search and compare tools.

Public Schools in the Area

Anne Arundel County

Howard County

  • General Information
  • School assignments and curriculum information are available from the main Howard County Schools website.

Montgomery County

Prince George's County

Area Resources

The University is located in the town of College Park, part of Prince George's County. Most faculty live in this county, in Montgomery, Howard or Anne Arundel Counties, or in the cities of Washington D.C. or Baltimore. The number and diversity of possible cities and communities in which to reside is one of the advantages of the University's location. Maps and descriptions of the Greater D.C./Baltimore area are provided below.

Neighborhood Descriptions and Comparisons

Links to County and City Websites