Accokeek, Fort Washington, Clinton & Brandywine (California, Upper Marlboro: rent, car insurance, crime)

[Jaded]

I'm seeking information about these areas with regard to housing types (mostly SFHs, townhomes, garages, etc). Rural or semi-rural? Commute time and ease to DC? Generally safe? Crime ridden?

I'm trying to get an idea for places that may have some new homes as well as established neighborhoods. Future growth potential?

What are the amenities for these areas? Any info is welcome. Thanks!

PS - if there are areas that I've left out that I may want to look at too, please list them as well.

Add'l Info: Hubby and I are mid 30s and 40; no children yet. We enjoy movies, shopping, farmers markets, live music, local fairs, art shows, etc. We are native Californians, currently living in Phoenix, AZ (we hate AZ). We need a two-car garage.

[fjennell]

Originally Posted by Jaded

I'm seeking information about these areas with regard to housing types (mostly SFHs, townhomes, garages, etc). Rural or semi-rural? Commute time and ease to DC? Generally safe? Crime ridden?

I'm trying to get an idea for places that may have some new homes as well as established neighborhoods. Future growth potential?

What are the amenities for these areas? Any info is welcome. Thanks!

PS - if there are areas that I've left out that I may want to look at too, please list them as well.

Add'l Info: Hubby and I are mid 30s and 40; no children yet. We enjoy movies, shopping, farmers markets, live music, local fairs, art shows, etc. We are native Californians, currently living in Phoenix, AZ (we hate AZ). We need a two-car garage.

While there is a lot of wealth in the area, it is becoming very crime ridden. The commute to DC is not bad (45 min to an hour in rush hour). If you are relocating to work in DC, I would look into VA - Fairfax, Loundon, Alexandria - these areas would have the fairs, art festivals, always something going on...

[lscalder]

All 4 areas you listed are not crime ritten. The areas you listed are all nice,safe communities. Three of the areas are semi-rural except for Clinton.

You might want to check out Upper Marlboro as well.
Fort Washington is getting develope. Fort Washinton have the Nationa Harbor.

Brandywine is also gettting develope as well. There is a new shopping center comng to the area. You have plenty of farms in all 4 areas. I do go to the farm in Clinton but there is a farmer market in Upper Marlboro which is close to all 4 areas you mention.

The areas you mention are very very low in crime.

I live in Upper Marlboro before moving to Upper Marlboro I was looking in Fort Washington. The area I was lookign at was ckose to the National Harbor. The communities are very nice,quiet and safe. When you hear on the news about crime in PG County. Its never in the areas you mention.

Here is a link to the National Harbor which is in Fort Washignton:
National Harbor Home Page

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by fjennell

While there is a lot of wealth in the area, it is becoming very crime ridden. The commute to DC is not bad (45 min to an hour in rush hour). If you are relocating to work in DC, I would look into VA - Fairfax, Loundon, Alexandria - these areas would have the fairs, art festivals, always something going on...

Thanks fjennell, but I don't think we will be looking at VA. My research shows it to be quite a bit pricier - needing a two-car garage and all - and I've read that the commute from VA to DC is worse than from MD to DC...I could be wrong.

Another reason is that hubby is in federal law enforcement, and the areas that would appeal to us in VA, in our price range for what we would need in a home, have problems with MS-13 gang members...so I've read and he's confirmed.

Originally Posted by lscalder

All 4 areas you listed are not crime ritten. The areas you listed are all nice,safe communities. Three of the areas are semi-rural except for Clinton.

You might want to check out Upper Marlboro as well.
Fort Washington is getting develope. Fort Washinton have the Nationa Harbor.

Brandywine is also gettting develope as well. There is a new shopping center comng to the area. You have plenty of farms in all 4 areas. I do go to the farm in Clinton but there is a farmer market in Upper Marlboro which is close to all 4 areas you mention.

The areas you mention are very very low in crime.

I live in Upper Marlboro before moving to Upper Marlboro I was looking in Fort Washington. The area I was lookign at was ckose to the National Harbor. The communities are very nice,quiet and safe. When you hear on the news about crime in PG County. Its never in the areas you mention.

Here is a link to the National Harbor which is in Fort Washignton:
National Harbor Home Page

Thanks for the link! I have thought about Upper Marlboro, I will continue to research that area as well.

[marcrob]

Arlington is nice and expensive but you are so close to everything. Plus you'll be inside the beltway so you would most likely be going against traffic.

[fjennell]

Cars are stolen from Ft. Washington all the time (my friends was the other day and he lives 5 min. from the harbor...I live right near Accokeek and the crime is getting out of hand. I think some people don't see it because they are used to it here. I am from VA and MD has been a big shock. VA is NOT more expensive when you really add up everything... the car insurance in MD is almost triple than in VA because so many cars are stolen. The gas is higher, the property taxes are higher. There are areas in VA to avoid maybe but I still would feel safer there than in some of these parts of MD you mentioned due to the crime on the rise. Plus MD has other gangs. I moved here for the commute because it was better from MD than VA but its really not worth it now that I have had my purse stolen, car broken into, friends car stolen all in the past month. The traffic is also getting bad here because of the amount of people moving here. Good luck deciding, but I would suggest really looking heavily into the crime reports and statistics and school systems also say a lot about an area too.

[Joykins]

I wouldn't say there is no gang activity in Maryland.

The commute into DC may be easier because you don't have to go over the bridges like you do from Va.

I grew up in Clinton and it was a nice area then (24 years ago!), but kind of a backwater. Do the civil war re-enactors still come to the Surratt House? Is there still a 4th of July parade with all the boys and girls club teams marching?

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by fjennell

Cars are stolen from Ft. Washington all the time (my friends was the other day and he lives 5 min. from the harbor...I live right near Accokeek and the crime is getting out of hand. I think some people don't see it because they are used to it here. I am from VA and MD has been a big shock. VA is NOT more expensive when you really add up everything... the car insurance in MD is almost triple than in VA because so many cars are stolen. The gas is higher, the property taxes are higher. There are areas in VA to avoid maybe but I still would feel safer there than in some of these parts of MD you mentioned due to the crime on the rise. Plus MD has other gangs. I moved here for the commute because it was better from MD than VA but its really not worth it now that I have had my purse stolen, car broken into, friends car stolen all in the past month. The traffic is also getting bad here because of the amount of people moving here. Good luck deciding, but I would suggest really looking heavily into the crime reports and statistics and school systems also say a lot about an area too.

Where did you live in VA? Where was your car broken into? Was your friend's car stolen from outside of your home? Wow! What city do you live in? You can PM me if you don't want to post it for all to see.

Originally Posted by Joykins

I wouldn't say there is no gang activity in Maryland.

The commute into DC may be easier because you don't have to go over the bridges like you do from Va.

I grew up in Clinton and it was a nice area then (24 years ago!), but kind of a backwater. Do the civil war re-enactors still come to the Surratt House? Is there still a 4th of July parade with all the boys and girls club teams marching?

When you say "was" do you mean that you just haven't gone back to Clinton in 24 years? Also, I'm sure that there are gangs in MD, but we specifically know about MS-13s in NOVA and they are no joke.

[liliblu]

Originally Posted by fjennell

I am just giving my opinion and where I live now compared with where I lived in VA. I actually lived there so I know the gas IS cheaper, the cost of living IS cheaper and property taxes are cheaper in the area I LIVED IN. Have you ever lived there to give facts or are you so narrow minded and stuck on ghetto PG county that you don't know anything else?

Wow "ghetto PG". The county is like everywhere else. There are great, good, fair, and lousy places to live. When you generalize an entire county, you weaken your entire argument. I live in a quiet neighborhood in Fort Washington and enjoy it. Children play outside. People go for walks and bike rides. We're not barricaded in our homes fearing for our safety. I don't know any one who has had a car stolen or a home broken into. But, I don't doubt that it happens.
Gas is higher here. But, gas is always higher the closer you get to DC.

My advice for the original poster is that you speak with a realtor or realtors that work in the areas you're interested in. Tell them what you're looking for and take a look at the areas they recommend. You can even rent a single family home or town home before deciding to buy.

[Mike Jones 1999]

Originally Posted by liliblu

Wow "ghetto PG". The county is like everywhere else. There are great, good, fair, and lousy places to live. When you generalize an entire county, you weaken your entire argument. I live in a quiet neighborhood in Fort Washington and enjoy it. Children play outside. People go for walks and bike rides. We're not barricaded in our homes fearing for our safety. I don't know any one who has had a car stolen or a home broken into. But, I don't doubt that it happens.
Gas is higher here. But, gas is always higher the closer you get to DC.

My advice for the original poster is that you speak with a realtor or realtors that work in the areas you're interested in. Tell them what you're looking for and take a look at the areas they recommend. You can even rent a single family home or town home before deciding to buy.

...the true self came out with the "ghetto" statement....