Why are the rents so low in Takoma Park? (Baltimore: apartments, rent)

[saltino]

I am moving to Maryland in July to start a job at NIH. I am a 31y/o single female on a budget ($1100/month). On craigslist, I regularly see below market rent prices for 1br apartments in Takoma Park ($850-$950!!), and can only conclude that there must be something really wrong with these places. Previous posters have noted that Takoma Park has some iffy parts (PG county side?). Can anybody tell me what I should be looking for? Are there certain areas (bordered by which streets?) that are more desirable/safe? Is it a good thing when the ad says “overlooks Silgo creek?”, or is that code for “you are in the ghetto”? Below are some examples of addresses I see on craigslist. Any insights would be appreciated. Thank You!

8105 Greenwood , 8408 Greenwood Ave
8302 Flower, 8415 Flower
7521 Blair Road
702 Chaney Dr
802 Jackson

[rubytue]

I believe parts of Takoma Park have rent control. I'm 90% sure my step-sister mention her place was rent controled when she lived there.

[1973 Forced Busing]

You will be in the middle of MS-13 Central. BEWARE

[Mom21]

Run, run, run! You DO NOT want to live in ANY of those places! Do you have car, and do you mind a longer commute? Because you may have to do that to stick to your budget if you don't want to live in the ghetto.

[saltino]

I am kind of surprised by the negative responses about TP (in both the DC and Maryland forum) because other posters have recommended it! In any case, thanks to all who responded.

I do have a car, but was hoping to find an urban community in which to live for around $1100/mo that would be a tolerable commute to Baltimore (I will be attending Hopkins during the first year of my NIH fellowship). More and more, it is looking like I may end up in Columbia. Definitely more suburban than I would like, but it is affordable and would shave off most of the commute, which I will probably appreciate in the long run.

[Zippy7fo]

Do Columbia, do not do Takoma. Takoma been taken over by illegal immigrants and gang bangers who should be in Honduras or El Salvador..Thanks George Bush. You will thank and kiss the enitre board if you check out Columbia. You will not regret it...

[Kensington]

I have two close friends that live in Takoma Park and they love it. You can walk to the metro, nice sense of community, a cute downtown with some funky shops, a bakery, a couple of restaurants. Takoma Park also takes pride in its early 20th century craftsman architecture, so has a charming look as well. Takoma Park is well-known in the DC area as a very progressive-liberal community, but it is also an expensive part of Montgomery Co. and at least in the neighborhoods my friends live in, definitely upper-middle class. I've walked to my friends' houses late from the metro and never felt unsafe. It is certainly not crime-free, and you have to take precautions like you would living near any large metropolitan area. I don't think most of the people that have responded to your post, actually live in or have spent much time in Takoma Park. This all being said, I definitely agree that there are some sketchier areas, and I wouldn't rent an apartment sight unseen.

All this being said, why are you so interested in Takoma Park anyway? I don't think it's a great commuting spot to either Baltimore or the NIH. I would choose downtown Silver Spring if you want something urban, it's closer to the beltway and to the NIH. Personally I would rent in Baltimore for a year, then move back down to the DC area when you are actually at NIH. I would not recommend commuting from Columbia to the NIH. If you can't afford something close to the NIH, something along the I-270 corridor near the metro makes more sense.

[SmallTownMomatHeart]

and Takoma Park is fine! in fact we're a family with young kids here and there are LOADS of families (and they wouldnt be movng here if it wasnt safe, though there is some crime because we are near PG and DC...but the MS-13 part is more Langley Park further down Flower Ave.) I also think a numbef of NIH people live here....Jackson is a fine street to live on (Im near it)...
it's a cute area, a bit funky, lots of single renters...but if you want a night life Id say downtown Silver Spring would be better but if you want walk to the Metro, cute, a bit odd, unique...TK PK is it...

[1973 Forced Busing]

I may be wrong but I believe that Takoma Park passed legislation a few years back that allowed illegals to vote in town elections. Just food for thought.

[silverspringer]

Takoma Park varies. There is a quiet downtown with Victorians, bungalows, and big trees, and there is a really urban area with densely-packed apartment buildings, tons of strip malls with ethnic restaurants and grocery stores, which is home to a large diverse immigrant population, as well as a lot of students from the University of Maryland in College Park, and lots of people who are neither new immigrants nor students. I know lots of families with little kids who live around there. It's definitely city living but it's not necessarily unsafe, and if you don't have a car there are tons of buses and many people who rely on them exclusively. It's actually a pretty exciting place if you like diverse urban life, but it is not exactly off the beaten path -- there's a freaking Starbucks at the New Hampshire/University intersection.