PG County Questions (Bowie, Chillum, Clinton: to rent, insurance, how much)

[ffknight918]

I posted this in the DC forum, but had no response so I though this might be better.

Here's my background:

I currently live in Milwaukee, WI. I'm a firefighter looking to move somewhere else. I hate the cold weather here. I actually want more of an urban place as well. My first choice is actually Los Angeles. I'm currently going through backgrounds with LAFD, but I still may not get the job. If I don't I will be moving to the DC area for some school and experience with a busy fire dept.

I'm looking at moving to Prince George's County. I'm not sure where yet, but possibly Hyattsville, Chillum, or Kentland areas. I would be moving into a fire house. They are mainly volunteer(however busier than almost every career fire dept in the country) and have areas for students to live in. I would be going to college at UMUC for my BS in Fire Administration or to Paramedic School ad Prince George's County CC. I wouldn't be moving until January because I want to finish my Associate's degree and graduate in Dec. I will be 21 at the time and would probably be in DC a lot.

How is the weather in DC year-round? Is there a lot or snow or rain? A lot of sunny days? Warmer or colder?

Also, I know this isn't th Maryland forum, but I think most people consider PG County as DC Metro. Is PG County(areas near the DC border like College Park, Hyattsville, Kentland, Chillum) urban? Does it feel similar to DC? Or is it a very suburban feeling?

I was going to ask about living without a car. I won't have a job because I'll be a full-time student and putting hours in at the fire house. I would be living there for free and going to school for free, but I still want to go out at night. I'll also need food and other necessities. So I would prefer not to have my car. However, I read some other topics and saw that many people get by without cars.

Thanks. Any help would be great. I should be coming down in June to visit some fire houses. I'll also be there to get in line to turn in my app for DCFD when they take them this June.

[lscalder]

Hyattsville area is close to DC. Most people who live in Hyattsville do not have a car. You do not have to have a car to live in Hyattsville. Some areas of PG county you will need a car. Areas such as Bowie,Largo,Upper Marlboro,Clinton. College park and Hyattsville you do not need a car.

The weather here is ok. I do not think we had snow this winter. The winter is not too cold. The summer is hot. We do get rain but not a lot.

[ffknight918]

Great, thanks for the info!

So is it pretty urban? Is it similar to being in DC?

Also, for nightlife, do most go to DC? Or are there clubs and bars all around there as well?

[lscalder]

yes its urban.
Hyattsville and College park do have a nightlife but not as much as DC. Dc is the entertainment for Maryland. Hyattsville is close to DC about 10-15 minutes so you are close to the night life

[ptsum]

It would probably be a good idea to have a vehicle of your own, some of the public transportation although it's been around for a while may not necessarily go where you want to go, so if you can bring your own vehicle that would be better, if you're going out to the University of Maryland for their firefighting or paramedic programs, Hyattsville would be the best area to be in, as far as the weather goes, winters are pretty mild compared to where you're coming from, Summers can be a little humid and sticky but tolerable, traffic's going to be your major problem no matter where you go in the DC metro area.

[cancan]

I grew up in pg and cant imagine living in the metro area without a vehicle.

[laurelengineer]

the biggest keys to living without a car are:

-living near a grocery store or supermarket (this comprises the majority of one's trips).
-public transit
-Flex car/Zip Car or when you need to rent a car for an hour or three.

As far as public transit goes, there's obviously the subway system here, but there's also the bus. You can download the regional bus system maps here:
Metro - Metrobus service maps

Also, the university's bus system ShuttleUM has a very extensive bus network all around the surrounding neighborhoods (and its free for students).
As far as Flex Car, I know College Park has a spot, as do many places in the District.

When it comes to groceries, if you decide to live in at the University TownCenter, in Hyattsville, they have a new "lifestyle" Safeyway. I'm not sure what that means, but the implication is that it is better than the old Safeway.

Good Luck, if you end up here at UMD. A lot of the Fire Protection Engineering Labs that I saw looked like a lot of fun...

-LE

[ffknight918]

Thanks everyone. I'm definitely going to check it out first. However, if I do come, I don't think I'll bring my car so that I can save on insurance. It depends how much I can save if I lower it because I wouldn't be driving as often. Not sure how many random trips I would need since I'm living at the fire house. I'm sure there will be vehicle's there that I could use for things like groceries. Then I know Hyattsville has the Metro nearby.

I'm actually not going for Fire Protection Engineering. I'd be going to UMUC which is on U of M campus, but its Fire Administration. So instead of the science/engineering thing, its management. The actual fire classes are online classes, but I heard it's one of the best fire programs one can get into.

Thanks again. I can't wait to come.

[dkf747]

The fire training thing at UM is a short walk from the College Park Metro. I'm assuming that is what you are talking about.

[ffknight918]

Actually UMUC is University of Maryland University College, which is part of the UMD campus.

However, if I need to get certified with a firefighter 1 class or something(I have it, but it may not transfer), I would be going to Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. That may be what you are thinking of because someone told me its just a block or two away.