stop denegrating PG county! (Bowie, Temple Hills: restaurant, price, malls)

[expgc]

Originally Posted by kjg1963

I happen to be white. I have lived my whole life in PG County. I have no intention of leaving any time soon. I live here because this is my home. I don't care that it is majority black. I grew up in a majority black neighborhood and this is the life I know. I don't feel threatened by a group of young black males. I don't cross the road or walk the other way. I don't judge these kids because of the way they dress. I know more white wanna be thugs that I would distrust more.

I expect derogatory comments thrown my way once in a while. Our two races' comingled history is a very sad and brutal one. You can't get rid of centuries of victimization and racism. However, we are not our ancesters. But, for some reason, it really hurt me to hear someone say that I, because I was born white (no fault of my own), was not wanted. People fought long and hard for desegregation and here you are saying whites get out. Us blacks don't want you here and we want to be segregated again. Maybe some whites (not all) don't accept the changes, but you aren't either. You aren't accepting integration. Your statements are the same generalizations as others. You are generalizing that all whites don't want to be around blacks and that all blacks want whites to move away. You know, we're not all bad. We all don't have the mythical white privilege I keep hearing about. Some of us make good neighboors, co-workers, and friends. Then there are some that are just hopeless jerks. But that's not just whites. That's people in general.

No, I did not say "all whites get out". I asked the question why whites who complain about living in PGC and continue to stay in PGC don't move away if they dislike it so much. My point is to those who are complaining to stop complaining about PGC and move out if you hate it.

[RFMD]

Upscale shopping is beginning to trickle into the county. Wegman's is considered a top tier grocer (at least not run of the mill) and to come into an affluent portion of the county which is majority black sets a precedent. Whole foods will also do the same in Riverdale Maryland albeit not an affluent section of the county but more likely in my opinion trying to capitalize on the white U Of MD students. The National Harbor will certainly attract upscale businesses within a majority black community. The money thrown at building the harbor in itself within a majority black community says a great deal.

Point being that Prince Georges County will be the litmus test as to whether upscale shopping/dining etc will finally break this barrier. Correct me if I 'am wrong however to my knowledge this is not happening anywhere else in the country where blacks predominantly reside.

[fishfister]

I love this thread.
The finger pointing is predictable for any discussion about PG county as it is always...
The fault of blacks that moved in causing the white flight and driving the total worth of the county into the ground
and/or
The fault of whites - due to 400 year old prejudices dating back to slavery - continuing to hold blacks down from everything imaginary.
In reality...PG county is tucked up under the armpit of the nation's capital and neglected like an unwanted stepchild. This includes a county government that has never been in contact with it's citizens for the 20 years I have lived here.

The fact that the county is predominantly black is of little difference until the sense of false wealth is introduced.
Is "wealth" measured by salary or by what one can actually produce in cash and holdings in one's name?
If it is salary, there seems to be a lot of Mcmillionaires in some parts of the county due to the proximity of the nation's capital and the salaries that can be had from Uncle Sam and what the federal government generates in the private sector.
A lot of those salaries go directly from employer to debt holder to pay for the "wealthy" lifestyles we are always reminded of. How much of those inflated salaries ever goes to savings or investments? Fancy cars and other trappings prevent savings/investments.
The white segment of the county is either very rural or still in the older neighborhoods away from the Mcmansions. I can't afford nor want one. Property taxes are so inflated in this county/state I don't know if it is worth it.
I drive a 14 year old truck that is paid for.

Shopping and restraunts??
That depends on those that want to invest into the area. If the surrounding neighborhood is run down white trailer trash it I might go somewhere else. If it is rundown ghetto I would think likewise. It is the responsibility of the county commissioners in concert with the communities in question to improve and make the locales attractive to those perspective customers of these businesses.

Strip malls and town centers are fine for chain style grocery stores, eateries and other merchants but an upscale restaurant, department or grocery store should be able to hold its own by itself away from the carnival atmosphere of a town center or neighboring 7-11. The challenge an investor has to make to bring such to the county rests on the residents of the county to patronize such establishments on a regular basis else they are boarded up and renamed as some church - something that happens every year and we have all seen it. I don't foresee National Harbor as being more than a white elephant as it is nothing more than an unplanned waterfront strip mall. There is not enough infrastructure surrounding it to make it successful.

I hope I haven't stepped on too many toes - I am just recalling from observation.

[kjg1963]

Why are you whites hanging on to places where you are not wanted

Sorry expgc, I took the statement above and ran with it. If I misconstrued it, sorry. Maybe in the context of your whole post its not so bad. But it really popped out at me.

[callsitlikeitis]

Originally Posted by msim

I've been reading the different posts on here from people who find PG county to be deplorable. I had a chance to drive throughout the county this past weekend, and can say from my perspective the place ain't all that bad. I live in Philadelphia AKA "killadelphia" all these people complain about crime, and schools; it just makes me laugh. Try to live in philly where there is real crime, real poverty, really bad schools, and I can reassure you that you'd all be thankful for what PG county has to offer. Now saying that; PG does have its problems, as does all places, but come on people you all make it seem like beirut, and its NOT!!
Its seems that PG county suffers from what I like to call well-to-do kids trying to be bad, "fronting" so to speak; beacuse they think that's what being AA is all about. I can bet you any amount of money that if these kids spent time in a real "hood" they would'nt last 2 days. So to conclude my rant appreciate the good you have here in PG. and try to change the bad, don't run away, because its not all that bad! Just this weekend 20 people were shot in philadelphia, and out of those 20; 11 died. How's that for bad.

I think 30 people were killed in PG County that same weekend and all of them died!

[callsitlikeitis]

Originally Posted by irishmom

I said I could be wrong...LOL But I do know people say the schools are terrible and usually poor schools are related to poorer areas and if the private schools are affordable that would make me think it's a poorer area as well. Here I pay $1670 a month for my two kids in private school...so if that's affordable then I guess PG county is rich...LOL
I also do animal rescue in Maryland and the main site of the rescue is in PG and the people I've met there are far from rich and most of the applications for dogs there can't even afford the adoption donation, so we won't place with them. So that's how I got the impression that it was one of the poorer counties. I always relate the more wealthy counties with Montgomery and Howard...but like I said I could be wrong...LOL

I think what got misquoted is that PG County has some of the wealthiest BLACK residents, who reside mostly in Upper Marlboro and the surrounding areas (Kettering, Largo).

I still live in the county but am leaving the state entirely within the next two years. The county itself is as poor as dirt or at least looks like it is. The crime rate is extremely high. The public school system is incredibly bad.

There have been some attempts at "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear" as far as development in the county (Riverplace in Oxon Hill and now University Town Center in Hyattsville). Conversely, PG county residents pay a hefty 50 percent of what they pay to the state in a county tax. What they get as a result is one big mystery.

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by callsitlikeitis

I think 30 people were killed in PG County that same weekend and all of them died!

HE-HAW!
Did you attend PG county public schools?

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by callsitlikeitis

The county itself is as poor as dirt or at least looks like it is. The crime rate is extremely high. The public school system is incredibly bad.

There have been some attempts at "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear" as far as development in the county (Riverplace in Oxon Hill and now University Town Center in Hyattsville). Conversely, PG county residents pay a hefty 50 percent of what they pay to the state in a county tax. What they get as a result is one big mystery.

This echos my sentiments. I have never been to University Town Center in Hyattsville but since Riverplace is close I can make a fair abservation and say it is almost like Marlow Heights/Iverson mall at this point.
Marlow Heights/Iverson mall is run down and decrepit from what they were in just the 80s. Strip malls fall to the wayside in PG county and I can cite two of them within 10 miles of Riverplace - there is a huge storage facility, blue in color, at the corner of Allentown Rd and Rt 5 that used to be a real mall. Why it went under is a mystery to me. Down the street from there is a strip mall on Allentown Rd that is situated directly across from Andrew's AFB.
Why any of these eyesores still exist is confusing. The merchants who rent these places out do minimal business at best. Think about the K-Mart that was across the street from Marlow Heights - the building was shared with a Shopper's Food Warehose and is now some huge church.

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by callsitlikeitis

The county itself is as poor as dirt or at least looks like it is. The crime rate is extremely high. The public school system is incredibly bad.

There have been some attempts at "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear" as far as development in the county (Riverplace in Oxon Hill and now University Town Center in Hyattsville). Conversely, PG county residents pay a hefty 50 percent of what they pay to the state in a county tax. What they get as a result is one big mystery.

This echos my sentiments. I have never been to University Town Center in Hyattsville but since Riverplace is close I can make a fair abservation and say it is almost like Marlow Heights/Iverson mall at this point.
Marlow Heights/Iverson mall is run down and decrepit from what they were in just the 80s. Strip malls fall to the wayside in PG county and I can cite two of them within 10 miles of Riverplace - there is a huge storage facility, blue in color, at the corner of Allentown Rd and Rt 5 that used to be a real mall. Why it went under is a mystery to me. Down the street from there is a strip mall on Allentown Rd that is situated directly across from Andrew's AFB.
Why any of these eyesores still exist is confusing. The merchants who rent these places out do minimal business at best. Think about the K-Mart that was across the street from Marlow Heights - the building was shared with a Shopper's Food Warehose and is now some huge church.

[pwright1]

Fishfister you made great points. One of the reasons I left the county is because of lack of amenities I like. Some people seem to think having great shopping and entertainment is not a big deal, but it is. When I live in a place I want to be able to walk out my door to a nice restaurant, a NICE movie theater, great stores and nice parks and close proximity to work and public transportation. I remember a few years ago my mother use to look in the style section of the Wash. Post at the dept. store ads for Woodies, Hechts and sometimes Garfinckels. There would nice ads for desiger wear. Then at the bottom it would say: Not available at Landover, Iverson or PG Plaza. In my neighborhood any kind of nice restaurant was non-existent. Let's see, Popeye's, Long John Silver, Roy Rogers and oh, for upscale dining HOT SHOPPES CAFETERIA. PG County is not the worst place in the world to live and things seem to be improving but it was time for us to move out.