I'm moving to Hyattsville, MD for work. Need your help. (Bladensburg: pros and cons, income)

[Gulaman]

I'm male, single and in my early 20s. I'm currently living in the Philippines. I have plans on moving to Hyattsville, MD for work as a therapist. I've also posted this on AL thread. My employer is planning to assign me around the area. Since, it will be my first time to move to the US. I don't have any first hand experience on what to expect when I arrived in the city.

I would like to ask questions regarding the place/area.

1. How's living in MD particularly in Hyattsville?
2. Do I need a car to move from one place to another? Is there any public transportation available?
3. How's the cost of living and quality of life out there? My employer offers me $70K salary annually. Do you think it would suffice or enough for me to live in the area?
4. Is there any Filipino community out there?
5. What activities are available in the area? I'm into rowing, mountaineering, surfing and playing basketball.
6. Do people in MD welcome outsiders?
7. How about racism? Is it prevalent in the area?

I have so much questions I would like to ask but I think these questions are enough for now. My contract is for 3 years so I need to live there whether I like it or not.

Thank you in advance.

[goldenage1]

1. You will probably enjoy living in Hyattsville.
2. Yes, there is good public transportation. However, if your employer assigns you to different areas, it is much more convenient to have a car, as buses do not go everywhere.
3. Your salary will give you a decent quality of life but you will not get rich.
4. There are many Filipinos.
6. Most people in DC suburbs of Maryland can from somewhere else. People are not hostile to outsiders, but you may have to work to find friends.
7. The racism I have seen is black vs. white conflict. As an Asian, you should not have a problem.

[phoenixmike11]

Hyattsville, Maryland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
DC Metro Filipino-American Group (Washington, DC) - Meetup
FYPDC
Filipino Philippine Filipino-American Washington DC Business Directory Yellow Pages, Clubs and Organizations Directory, and Discussion Forum for Filipinos and Filipino-American (Fil-Am) in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland area -- dc
good luck in your move

[PGExplorer]

1. Hyattsville is a good city that is also improving. There is a new downtown area called the "Arts District" with restaurants and other stores. There is also a shopping mall on East-West Highway which has a Metro nearby.
2. The Washington Metro Green Line has two stations in the city, West Hyattsville and Prince George's Plaza. You may need a car depending on where your work is.
3. You will be able to live comfortably
4. Like goldenage said, there is a existing Filipino community in the area.
5. There aren't any rowing or mountaineering opportunities in the immediate area, there are some beautiful mountains about two hours drive west in West Virginia. There a quite a few basketball courts in Prince George's County, find your local recreation center.

[KCP_1980]

1. How's living in MD particularly in Hyattsville?
I have lived in Hyattsville since summer 2003. It's blossomed in that time. I enjoy it.

2. Do I need a car to move from one place to another? Is there any public transportation available?
Hyattsville has a walkable score of 89 out of 100, last I checked. It's really quite good with metro/bus/walking.

3. How's the cost of living and quality of life out there? My employer offers me $70K salary annually. Do you think it would suffice or enough for me to live in the area?
For a single guy, it's fine. We clear mid $150's but there are two working adults and two kids in our household. We do okay with that. We're not rich and not going to get rich on that income, but we're totally comfortable.

4. Is there any Filipino community out there?
I don't know for sure, but the area is very diverse in general.

5. What activities are available in the area? I'm into rowing, mountaineering, surfing and playing basketball.
Bladensburg park is just down the street where there is often rowing. You can bike to Lake Artemnesia. There's a basketball court at a bunch of bike/walk parks not far. There's even a designated skate park in town.

6. Do people in MD welcome outsiders?
Not really. Sorry. Wish I could be more positive about it, but the DC metro area is not exactly known for its hospitality. That said, Hyattsville is very much a community and people take care of each other.

7. How about racism? Is it prevalent in the area?
I'm sure it's everywhere. I won't pretend I should be answering this question, because I'm white. I can't "see" it in the same way, and I know that.

[Gulaman]

Thank you for all your response.

Can you tell me more about Hyattsville, MD? Any pros and cons?

Thanks in advance.

[JBPisgah]

Find out how the public transportation is from the nearest metro stop to your work. If that connection is not too long, you could live lots of places - in the heart of DC if you want - and still have a reasonable commute.