Stay away from PG County! (Bethesda, Bowie: real estate, lawyers, house)

[MilesBloodAxe]

PG has some decent areas but to me it defeats the purpose of moving to the burbs if you have to have bars on your windows and your spouse has to endure the advances of drunks hanging out at the liquor store when she goes grocery shopping.

A friend of ours recently moved to Waldorf after having their car stolen 3 times in less than a year.

If you single and you like having access to weed and cocaine sellers in your neighborhood but want the suburban "LOOK" to your housing and have an abundance of promiscuous females that you can sex at the drop of a dime then PG is the place for you.

[thefatkid]

I live in Bowie, I think it's great. Property values look like they are starting to make the turn there too, at least according to Zillow. Bowie (and to a lesser extent Laurel) is like a self-contained city. Bowie has its own police force, the schools are good, quiet, friendly neighbors, etc. I think a lot of PG's bad rap comes from neighborhoods closer to DC - Southeast DC is the worst part, and there is some "spillover." Southern PG county is nice country, lots of horses, farms, etc. I ride my motorcycle down that way all the time.

Traffic going into DC isn't bad either - Route 50 west is a lot better than the other side, on 66, or using 495. For these reasons, I think Bowie compares pretty favorably with Montgomery county or NOVA - especially when you consider the lower cost of living - but there is no doubt that I'm biased

If you just can't get past the rap PG county has, consider Crofton. It's just like Bowie, a little further north - a little closer to Fort Meade and Baltimore, a little further to DC or Annapolis.

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by thefatkid

Traffic going into DC isn't bad either - Route 50 west is a lot better than the other side, on 66, or using 495. For these reasons, I think Bowie compares pretty favorably with Montgomery county or NOVA - especially when you consider the lower cost of living - but there is no doubt that I'm biased

I think areas like Bowie and Laurel compare favorably to some areas in Mo county too... Mo county gets touted as the great escape from the city but truthfully there are areas in PG that I would much rather live in than some in Mo county...

Mo county certainly has a better proportion of good/bad areas but it certainly has its fair share of rough areas...

My recommendation for people who have to commute to DC is still northern Calvert County... The housing costs are favorable and even though you are putting your commute further out from DC you are also putting yourself further out from the associated crime and congestion...

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by fjennell

bowie is ok but if you have children PG schools as a whole are not that great so you may want to look into the schools. housing is expensive and IMO crime is high.

Housing in PG is actually not expensive at all. All the McMansion prices have dropped down to the levels that they were in 2002.

The problem is the high taxes relative to services and real home values.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by thefatkid

I live in Bowie, I think it's great. Property values look like they are starting to make the turn there too, at least according to Zillow. Bowie (and to a lesser extent Laurel) is like a self-contained city. Bowie has its own police force, the schools are good, quiet, friendly neighbors, etc. I think a lot of PG's bad rap comes from neighborhoods closer to DC - Southeast DC is the worst part, and there is some "spillover." Southern PG county is nice country, lots of horses, farms, etc. I ride my motorcycle down that way all the time.

Traffic going into DC isn't bad either - Route 50 west is a lot better than the other side, on 66, or using 495. For these reasons, I think Bowie compares pretty favorably with Montgomery county or NOVA - especially when you consider the lower cost of living - but there is no doubt that I'm biased

If you just can't get past the rap PG county has, consider Crofton. It's just like Bowie, a little further north - a little closer to Fort Meade and Baltimore, a little further to DC or Annapolis.

Traffic is not bad in Bowie, b/c most of the jobs are outside the county.

In the AM, cars are leaving the county, which is why all the roads are clogged on the beltway counterclockwise to the north, and clockwise to the south. On rt. 50, it's all clogged going into DC.

In the PM, all the roads are clogged in the reverse direction heading back into PG.

Bowie is a great bedroom community, but you're paying more taxes on top of your already high taxes for the Bowie police force. Schools in Bowie are average but should be much better because more of PG's middle income residents live in the North. Also, there's not much retail in PG, and their main retail centers such as Bowie Town Center and Largo Town Center are beset with crime and vacancy.

[neverbored]

Prince George's County, Maryland, is like any other place in America: some areas are better than others. If you tell me what your price point is and what size home you are seeking, I can offer more helpful information. The location of your job should also be a factor because traffic in and around the county can be at best unpredictable and horrible at worst. I have lived in various locations within Prince George's County, and would be happy to give you insights from my experience if you provide a little more information.

[thefatkid]

Originally Posted by live_strong28

Traffic is not bad in Bowie, b/c most of the jobs are outside the county.

In the AM, cars are leaving the county, which is why all the roads are clogged on the beltway counterclockwise to the north, and clockwise to the south. On rt. 50, it's all clogged going into DC.

In the PM, all the roads are clogged in the reverse direction heading back into PG.

Bowie is a great bedroom community, but you're paying more taxes on top of your already high taxes for the Bowie police force. Schools in Bowie are average but should be much better because more of PG's middle income residents live in the North. Also, there's not much retail in PG, and their main retail centers such as Bowie Town Center and Largo Town Center are beset with crime and vacancy.

Sorry, don't mean to be a jerk, but much of what you say is simply incorrect. I live right next to Bowie Town Center, I don't know of any vacancies in Bowie Town Center and I've never seen any kind of incident with the police there. I go there 2 or 3 times a week.

I also drive in to DC on 50 every day - there is traffic once you get on NY Avenue, but not too bad on the highway itself. My average commute into NW DC from Bowie is probably 30-45 minutes.

I would also encourage you to check the ratings on some of the schools in Bowie if you are so inclined - I don't have kids, but I understand that Northview Elementary near my home is quite nice, and it's brand new.

It sounds like maybe you're not speaking from first-hand knowledge, no problem - I understand. I had my ideas about PG county too before I really started investigating, and they weren't much different than your impressions.

[jayman1981]

Wow Sometimes I don't know what to say about this. Truthfully speaking P.G. is a good county. There are some good schools in the system mainly upper Marlboro, Bowie, Laurel, Accokeek, Brandywine, Fort Washington. It's alot of development in and around the area. There is both good and bad to this area. Would I recommend it to someone. Yes I would.

In my opinion I think because P.G. is predominately African American it tends to get a bad rap. Some stereotypes are true while a lot of it is false. Does P.G. county need help Yes. Northern Va and Montgomery counties are not perfect and crime has risen in those areas once believed to be pure and untainted. Is it a livable area where you can raise a family? Yes. I grew up here and I went to the dreadful crime and gang infested system that taught me how to drink and smoke Public school. I think I turned out fine, I'm not on section 8 creating babies left and right and smoking weed. I've got a house a wife and 2.5 kids. I think i'm doing well for myself and so are a lot of people in this county.

Don't believe the negative hype. Come on visit for yourself make an informed decision. If it is for you great if not at least you made the decision. Investigate and don't depend on what 6 people on a forum say. Best wishes to you.

[IRONSHIRT]

National Harbor is quite nice. There is soon to be a Wegmans in PG, that should be interesting to see if it succeeds.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by thefatkid

Sorry, don't mean to be a jerk, but much of what you say is simply incorrect. I live right next to Bowie Town Center, I don't know of any vacancies in Bowie Town Center and I've never seen any kind of incident with the police there. I go there 2 or 3 times a week.

I also drive in to DC on 50 every day - there is traffic once you get on NY Avenue, but not too bad on the highway itself. My average commute into NW DC from Bowie is probably 30-45 minutes.

I would also encourage you to check the ratings on some of the schools in Bowie if you are so inclined - I don't have kids, but I understand that Northview Elementary near my home is quite nice, and it's brand new.

It sounds like maybe you're not speaking from first-hand knowledge, no problem - I understand. I had my ideas about PG county too before I really started investigating, and they weren't much different than your impressions.

I think you should check out this article. It's reality, and I have lived in PG for about 5 years...not anymore.

Boulevard at the Capital Centre Struggles With Economic, Safety Concerns - washingtonpost.com

If traffic was not clogged on rt. 50, why would they put in a HOV lane? I suggest you drive rt. 50 into DC around 8am.

Also, as I said, sample the beltway in the AM too.

Schools? I don't need to go there.