Is Prince Georges a good place to live now? (Silver Spring: big house, crime)

[AshleyBaby]

Crime statistics for PG may look like they fell in the double digits, but I have a friend who said those statistics don't include the cities that have their own and probably better police deptartments. I know Greenbelt, Laurel and I think Riverdale have their own cops, and now Bowie has their own. My friend was murdered in PG. Move your parents as quickly as you can! My parents are moving to Calvert County soon -- MUCH BETTER!!!

[The_Fairfaxian]

I'll admit that I'm seeing a lot of developments: National Harbor, Woodmore Town Center, Landover Crossing revitalization, Konterra, Suitland Manor, and other projects in Greenbelt, Hyattsville, College Park, Capitol Heights, and other places, there are two specific things that need to be done if these areas are to resemble that of MoCo and NoVA: Improve the school system (and not just gradually, but in a 180 turnaround) and get rid of the crime-breeding uneducated poor, replacing them with affluent, intellectual, middle-upper-income (and even working-class) individuals who just want something better than what they have right now. Instead of making an arms race of guns and violence between the DC thugs and gangsters, start making an arms race of education, commerce, and technology between Montgomery, Arlington and Fairfax.

As for the OP, PGC still has the same old mess from your day, if not worse. Even though Montgomery, Howard, Fairfax and the rest of NoVA are expensive, the services that are available now (and those to come) will be much worth the price tag.

And to the person who said Wegman's is high scale, lol. Try to get at least a Whole Foods chain in the county before you scream high-class grocery shops.

[1973 Forced Busing]

Maybe one day the federal govt. will budget multi-millions of dollars for education and we will have bake sales and pizza kit fundraisers for nuclear weapons!

[khelawanj]

Some of you talk about not moving to PG county because of the violence. Not all of PG county is that way. Bowie is nicer than many parts of Montgomery County, and less expensive with MORE land. I think that PG county will only get better. The overly crowded Montgomery county has forced many residents to find housing elsewhere and many new homebuyers as well. Some went north to Frederick, and some have come this way for less expensive housing and more land.
In fact, I used to own a home in Silver Spring, and my husband's car got broken into twice. The condo I owned prior to that was in Layhill...very nice part of Layhill....not Glenmont....and right down the street to a murder that took place. Not to mention the sniper incident.
I dont know why so many people rave about Montgomery County. I grew up there, and lived there until this past year. I am an educator there. I see what really happens. There is no road paved with gold there unless you are living in Potomac, Bethesda, Chevy Chase or North Rockville....which is not the average middle class. Other than that, gang violence has risen dramatically in the schools which has brought down the quality of education. It's the rich schools that have kept their reputation high. I will agree that education is overall much better in MoCo, but I also believe that you can not rely on a school to educate your child. Education starts at home.
So for those of you that feel that PG is not worth it, try moving to a different part.
Howard County is now what Montgomery County used to be. If it's Montgomery County you want....move farther north to Howard.
As far as NOVA.....I would not touch it with a ten foot pole. You would never get anywhere on time during rush hour....which seems to be all day on Rte 66!!

[woodside]

You are right to a point, however, without something bringing in high tax revenues other than homes maybe that's why P.G. is so far behind. I am hoping that the National Harbor isn't going to soak up all the benefits while Oxon Hill looks awful! You enter into Oxon Hill and you see a school which appears from the outside as if it is vacant, Post Office which is unkept and liquor and check cashing stores. It is ridiculous!

[lscalder]

The county have big plans for Oxon Hill. Oxon Hill is the next area to get develope.

[talk2u]

Why do people get so hung up on such simple things such as Wegmans being upscale or not. Who cares! Wegmans is a nice grocery store that offers more upscale products than your average Giant, Safeway or Shopper's.

It may not be upscale to you, but to someone else it's the next best thing.

[JaBradshaw]

It depends where in PG. Upper Marlboro is fine.

[aceofspadez]

Originally Posted by misseyhollimon

Your right Wegmans is not upscale but I do think some of us we are not aware of Wegamans they think it is upscale. P.G. Some of you are not ware of there was Landover Gateway Meeting sponsor by Maryland Park Planning When Petrie Ross & Lerner Enterprises take over Landover site trust all these little bad parts P.G. will be gone. IN 2008 LANDOVER AREA WILL NOT LOOK THE SAME.

So your saying a year from now Landover will make a complete 180 degree turnaround??? Yeah right!!! It takes years and years for a community to redevelop, even some of the most upscale communities today that were complete disasters 10 years ago took a while to redevelop. Maybe in the next 5-10 years you "might" see a new landover, but not sure as hell in a year!

[AshleyBaby]

[quote=khelawanj;1228872]Some of you talk about not moving to PG county because of the violence. Not all of PG county is that way. Bowie is nicer than many parts of Montgomery County, and less expensive with MORE land. I think that PG county will only get better. The overly crowded Montgomery county has forced many residents to find housing elsewhere and many new homebuyers as well. Some went north to Frederick, and some have come this way for less expensive housing and more land.
In fact, I used to own a home in Silver Spring, and my husband's car got broken into twice. The condo I owned prior to that was in Layhill...very nice part of Layhill....not Glenmont....and right down the street to a murder that took place. Not to mention the sniper incident.


Um, right down the street in Bowie, there was a murder, and oh yeah,
we also had the sniper in Bowie as well. Remember, the boy that was
shot at Benjamin Tasker?