Fort Washington MD (Baltimore, Silver Spring, Annapolis: best neighborhood, crime, big house)

[sox66]

Hi, there's a good possibility that I'll have to relocate from Chicago to the DC area in the coming months. I'm not really familiar with the area surrounding DC. I was comparing housing prices and was interested in some opinions from MD residents on the Fort Washington area. I’m looking for an area that isn’t heavily populated and somewhat quiet. Thanks

[pkoons]

Fort Washington is generally thought of as one of the "nicer" places to live in Prince George's County. If you're looking for a quiet neighborhood, you will probably find it in this area. Generally speaking, as you get closer to Charles County it becomes more rural. You will find that a lot of Fort Washington houses are situated on large, wooded lots. As a DC suburb, it's fairly tough to make your way into the part of the city where the majority of jobs & commerce are - you'll have to hike up Indian head Hwy (Rte. 210) and then take South Capitol Street or DC-295. It doesn't really take you through a pretty part of town, and you'll have to cross the river before you battle the major traffic on Mass/Penn/NY/Constitution/16th/K streets or wherever you end up.

Most of PG County is fairly affluent and characterized by a majority black population, and Ft. Washington follows in this vein. It is one of the only areas in the county with decent waterfront property which keeps some home prices high. I used to swim on a traveling team and the Ft. Washington neighborhoods always seemed very well kept, lots of big houses, and one of the few areas in the county where my parents didn't mind me walking around by myself at a young age. Now, keep in mind that the Ft. Washington zip code for addresses is pretty large, so the areas closer to Friendly and Oxon Hill (northern Ft. Washington) are generally higher-crime locations. The closer you get to Accokeek, the more rural and safe it will be.

For an affluent area, shopping and dining aren't exactly four star. You'll get all the bases covered as it is a well developed area, but you will find yourself driving to the mall in Waldorf, where traffic backs up tremendously especially on weekends with mall patrons from surrounding areas (at least based on reports I hear and from my own memories. The best nearby restaurants are in DC, Annapolis, and even La Plata (The Crossing at Casey Jones). Maybe you can stay in town at the waterfront Proud Mary's for very good but way overpriced crab cakes...

Overall it's a nice area, if you have kids the community swim team is a good perk, Ft. Washington Park is beautiful, and schools are better than most in PG County (but worse than most in neighboring counties). But it certainly wouldn't be my #1 recommendation due to the crime, the fact that only 1 main road links you to DC, and there's not much to do. Gambrills might be more up your alley (closer to Baltimore and Annapolis also, and much more to do). Or maybe something in western Howard County like Clarksville (ditto). These are about 20-25 miles from DC where Ft. Washington is more like 15, so it's a bit more of a drive, but a more balanced and safer area.

Good luck!

[sox66]

Thanks for your descriptive and informative perspective on Fort Washington, and the surrounding area. That's what I've been searching for. I'll start researching Gambrills, Annapolis, and Howard County as well. I'll have to factor in the commute to DC into the equation. I've enjoyed reading your other posts in other threads as well. Take care.

[pggcgirl]

Well I would like to reply and state that I live here in Fort Washington and have for the last 3 1/2 years. I live in North Tantallion; it is very quite here. Because there is one street that connects us to DC doesnt mean that you have to live on that street. That street in called Livingston Rd. You may want to live further down as I do. Now speaking of schools.....they suck. ALL OF PG COUNTY SCHOOLS SUCK. Arlington County (VA), and Montgomery County (MD) are your best choice of schools. There is much to do in MD as long as there is public transportation. WWAAYY out there in the country (Howard county) .....You better have a car or you will be BORED out of your mind. Again, you have to make a choice of your own. Come here to visit and see for yourself. Email me anytime. moderator cut

[ilovemaryland]

Originally Posted by pggcgirl

Well I would like to reply and state that I live here in Fort Washington and have for the last 3 1/2 years. I live in North Tantallion; it is very quite here. Because there is one street that connects us to DC doesnt mean that you have to live on that street. That street in called Livingston Rd. You may want to live further down as I do. Now speaking of schools.....they suck. ALL OF PG COUNTY SCHOOLS SUCK. Arlington County (VA), and Montgomery County (MD) are your best choice of schools. There is much to do in MD as long as there is public transportation. WWAAYY out there in the country (Howard county) .....You better have a car or you will be BORED out of your mind. Again, you have to make a choice of your own. Come here to visit and see for yourself. Email me anytime. moderator cut

Well I would have to agree on the schools....they really are BAD. I've even had the opportunity to attend one three years ago

But i have to disagree on Arlington County being the best choice of schools. The test scores are horrible, and i'm guessing the cause of that is either the wrong material is being taught to the students, or the teachers aren't doing their jobs. Either way, Arlington County isn't the best choice for schools.

In my opinion, Howard County would be a great place to live. And you don't have to have a car to get places once you live there; EVERYTHING is in close proximity. There are concerts, theaters, parades, a GORGEOUS mall, various shopping centers, plenty of lakes, and nice parks. Howard County is definently not the country and there is plenty of public transportation to go around.....Commuter buses that take you to Silver Spring via Washington D.C. and vice versa (I've taken them PLENTY of times, and they're VERYYY comfortable and even have TV's ) not to mention there are buses that transport you all around Howard County to take you where you desire to go. Also a definite bonus, Howard Couny has the best school system in Maryland!

Now in regards to Fort Washington, I wouldn't call it the best city to live in. I've lived there over half of my life and the kids are out of hand. (Trust me, I used to be one of them!) They're the offspring of mainly single parents, who have to work 2 and 3 jobs just to make ends meet. So they have plenty of time on thier hands to create plenty of mayhem. The tantallion area, is a no no in my opinion; i know kids over there who were into drug dealing the summer of 2005 and it may have gotten worse, it may not have, i don't know right now but i wouldn't want to take any chances.

My advice is, if you're looking for the best safety, the best schools, overall the best neighborhood/community would be Howard County, Anne Arundel County, or maybe Montgomery County. Try to stay away from Prince George's County

[JaBradshaw]

The schools in PG generally suck. However, Friendly High School in Fort Washington has a great NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) program. I was a part of the JROTC at my alma mater, Annapolis High School, a "bad" school, like Friendly, but they do have their bright spots. On another note Fort Washington is slowly becoming more "inner city". In recent years more and more subsidized housing has sprung up. It is definately one of the better areas of PG, though.