Family friendly towns near Gaithersburg (Westminster: demographics, county, street)

[GBurgNupe]

It wasn't Disneyworld, but you can't beat it! One of the best school systems in the country (Redland won the President's award a few times) and the weather gives you everything (snow in winter/cherry blossoms in spring/nice hot summers).

Add this to the fact that you're 30min from DC and 40min from Baltimore.

And for the record, 98% of us in Montgomery County don't have racist attitudes, everyone gets along well and its VERY diverse.

Housing ain't cheap, but you get what you pay for.

[firefightermom]

I moved away from Germantown Md this past March...my husband grew up in Montgomery Village and loved it, but there was no way we were staying there and sending our kids to the horrible schools. I like diversity, but not the influx of illegals that Mont. Co allows and does nothing about. The county government also only cares about the downcounty, where all the rich folk live. I would never recommend it to anyone, and my husband can't believe it's the place he lived for 37 years.

[marienith]

Hello. recently my husband accepted a job offer in MD and we dont have an idea of were to live because I have read in this forum so much bad things about the areas we were considering that right now we are clueless. the areas we have in mind were.

1. Germantown. leaman farm new TH by Craftmark. IS THE COMMUTE REALLY BAD TO WHITE OAK SS (new hamphsire ave) my husband will go at 6:00am and off work at 4:00pm

2. Gaithersburg. Hidden Creek TH. But with all i have read in this forum is definetely off the list

3. Silver Spring. White hall square new TH by N/V (1513 Regent Manor Court Silver Spring, MD 20904 ) is it a really bad neigborhood. How are the schoools.

4. Howard County.

We have 2 boys (3 and 1 years) and our price range is from 300k to 400k (450k if we sell our house). please I need help because we are from Puerto Rico and we dont now much about MD and the relocation will be effective in winter 09' or spring 2010. please, please HELP!!!!

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by marienith

Hello. recently my husband accepted a job offer in MD and we dont have an idea of were to live because I have read in this forum so much bad things about the areas we were considering that right now we are clueless. the areas we have in mind were.

1. Germantown. leaman farm new TH by Craftmark. IS THE COMMUTE REALLY BAD TO WHITE OAK SS (new hamphsire ave) my husband will go at 6:00am and off work at 4:00pm

2. Gaithersburg. Hidden Creek TH. But with all i have read in this forum is definetely off the list

3. Silver Spring. White hall square new TH by N/V (1513 Regent Manor Court Silver Spring, MD 20904 ) is it a really bad neigborhood. How are the schoools.

4. Howard County.

We have 2 boys (3 and 1 years) and our price range is from 300k to 400k (450k if we sell our house). please I need help because we are from Puerto Rico and we dont now much about MD and the relocation will be effective in winter 09' or spring 2010. please, please HELP!!!!

#1 - The commute is horrible - scratch this one off the list

#2 - Hidden Creek probably is not as bad this forum makes it out to be, but the commute is no better than #1 - Scratch this one too.

#3 - I could not find the address on google maps. I'm not sure if this area is bad or not.

#4 - Howard co might be good. At least the commute should be okay. It's a good place to raise kids.

Hope this is helpful.

[trying2moveup]

After reading this entire thread i decided to post - prefacing that I was born/raised in mont.co, away only for college and then 8 years after getting married to Frederick, MD. Back now while looking to buy a SFH.

The bottom line is this --- MONTGOMERY COUNTY IS EXPENSIVE - PERIOD. It doesn't matter if it is north, south, east, west side of the county. If you are looking for a home under $400K this is what you are facing (unless you luck into a situation where you know someone or you are in the right spot at absolutely the right time. . .)

1) the home will be 30 years + old (condos, TH, SFH)
2) If SFH, more than likely it will be a cape cod with 3 bedrooms or less, off street parking, and not updated to the times
3) it will be in an area where there are multiple dwelling units, high density, tons and tons of cars on the streets in your neighborhood, and multiple familes living in one house (doesn't matter the race).
4) You will still pay sky-high taxes on this houes because of Montgomery County's (and Maryland's, for that matter) penchant for taxing the crap out of everything.

It can be summed up this way -

If you have means, you can get a decent updated home or brand new construction in what would be considered a "good" or "decent" area, but you are looking at $600K and up for base prices, and that includes townhomes. . . You will pay 7K or up for property taxes. . .

Before I get slammed on "well, what about Clarksburg, they are not that expensive?" Remember that Clarksburg is a planned community and at any time they can levy a special 30 year assessment to help pay for all that infrastructure that had to go in to developing the land - an extra thousand or two on top of your PITI and your "regular" property taxes (not to mention that with the builders there, particularly Ryan Homes, everything is an option or upgrade on the base model so plan to spend 75K or higher on the "base price" - and I had a Ryan TH so I speak from experience on that front).

If you don't have the income to support this, you are looking at living in what I listed above, still paying probably 4-5K in property taxes and WITH BOTH SCENARIOS you are looking a crappy commutes.

I think only someone who has lived here their entire lives can actually accept that this is reality and deal with it because most of the people I know, including my husband, are not from here and they cannot understand this place. The main reason we are still here is that I am an only child and my very young kids are my parent's only grandchildren - but in 10 years we will be moving out of state and asking my parents to join us.

[TrippingJay]

Originally Posted by marienith

Hello. recently my husband accepted a job offer in MD and we dont have an idea of were to live because I have read in this forum so much bad things about the areas we were considering that right now we are clueless. the areas we have in mind were.

1. Germantown. leaman farm new TH by Craftmark. IS THE COMMUTE REALLY BAD TO WHITE OAK SS (new hamphsire ave) my husband will go at 6:00am and off work at 4:00pm

2. Gaithersburg. Hidden Creek TH. But with all i have read in this forum is definetely off the list

3. Silver Spring. White hall square new TH by N/V (1513 Regent Manor Court Silver Spring, MD 20904 ) is it a really bad neigborhood. How are the schoools.

4. Howard County.

We have 2 boys (3 and 1 years) and our price range is from 300k to 400k (450k if we sell our house). please I need help because we are from Puerto Rico and we dont now much about MD and the relocation will be effective in winter 09' or spring 2010. please, please HELP!!!!

I would look in Silver Spring in the 20904 or 20905 area of New Hampshire Blvd and Randolph Road area. The area is fairly nice, and has decent schools.

Columbia is also another option as your husband can commute via 29 or 95 to White Oak.

Prices are falling so you may be able to get a smaller house in the 350K to 400K range.

[Floridahater]

Originally Posted by firefightermom

I moved away from Germantown Md this past March...my husband grew up in Montgomery Village and loved it, but there was no way we were staying there and sending our kids to the horrible schools. I like diversity, but not the influx of illegals that Mont. Co allows and does nothing about. The county government also only cares about the downcounty, where all the rich folk live. I would never recommend it to anyone, and my husband can't believe it's the place he lived for 37 years.

I grew up in Rockville. My heart breaks everytime I visit. You are exactly correct. The county has been ruined. No wonder I moved away years ago. Of course, if you disagree with the liberals, you're automatically branded a racist. No wonder the crime rate has increased!

[endersshadow]

Originally Posted by Carlaclaws

Seriously, Montgomery County, MD is a GREAT place to live and raise kids. My family moved there when I was 10, and I lived there until my early thirties. The vast majority is very nice, there is ethnic diversity (yes, including Hispanic Males - oh, the horror!), and the school system is one of the best in the country.

I just wanted to clarify for the OP. Montgomery County, MD is one of the best school systems in the country. Gaithersburg is NOT one of contributers to that title. Watkins Mill, where I used to attend, is now one of the worst in terms of eligibility for extra curricular activities (which is an indication of GPA).

[shoebug]

Wow, used to live in Germantown and really enjoyed it. Sounds like it has changed in the last 6-7 years. Back then we thought living in Montgomery Co was expensive, not until you experience living in King co in WA state. So which area is now a good place in Montgomery co.? What about Boyds or Damascus?

[dkf747]

Most of Germantown is still good, as is Gaithersburg to the west of 27- (North Potomac, Kentlands, etc...)