The Supposed Affluence of PG County (Gaithersburg, Bowie: rental, mortgage, lawyers)

[pwright1]

After living in PG County all I can say is I'm glad I left. Look at Landover Mall. A perfect example of life in PG County. Even the newer malls in Bowie and Largo don't have much. What is it about the county that would make anybody want to live there? Yes its cheaper than the neighboring counties but they offer so much more. I remember years ago my parents were going to buy a house in the Maplewood subdivision. Thank god they didn't. I recently returned to what is now ghetto Maplewood. Everything inside the beltway seems old and depressing with the exception of a few areas. Temple Hills, Marlow Heights, Suitland, Landover, Seat Pleasant, District Heights, Forestville, Bladensburg, Capital Heights, Camp Springs, Palmer Park and most others seem drab and lifeless. Absolutely no great shopping, no good restaurants, bookstores, coffee shops or spas. If we did major clothes shopping we would have to go out to Tyson's, Pentagon City or Montgomery Malls. If someone were visiting us from out of town we would definately eat out in D.C. Where could we take someone? Apple Bee's, Kentucky Fried, Red Lobster or Popeyes. Even the newer communities outside of the beltway don't offer much. I'd rather pay more money for a house in Montomery or Fairfax counties and have all the amenities that make a neighborhood enjoyable to live. After moving to Seattle and coming back to see things I really now see how terrible things are in Prince Georges County. Just speaking the truth from my eyes.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by jallen

You send a message asking about an area to live in and now you proclaim to know all of PG County. Your statement is absolutely false, baseless and shows how much inaccurate information is on this board.

Don't worry as major metropolitan areas such as this area (where there are real jobs-not working as a supervisor at the Stop-N-Go) continues to gentrify economically and the poor people can't afford to live here they are going to Norfolk, Culpepper, Hampton and areas you are mentioning and the crime will follow.

There is going to be a major shift in the demographics in this area and others alike and it will all be predicated on one's economic status. It is happening throughout the country.

Look here. I have a lot of co-workers who do live in PG, read a lot of apt. reviews in PG, plus i've been over the bridge a couple of times to outer and inner beltway areas. I can't help to think how similar the problems of PG are a little similar to the problems that NFK and Hampton. You are right, Norfolk and Hampton have nowhere near the type of jobs that PG and surrounding areas have, but most of them upper-level jobs aren't going to PG residents and my school I don't proclaim to know all of PG county, but i do know people at my job who are PG county residents (Upper Marlboro, Greenbelt, Capitol Heights, Oxon Hill, Fort Washington, and others) who i hear all the time say they are tired of having their cars broken into and hearing about crime happening up the street from them. I live in a section of Alexandria that ain't all that impressive and some of my co-workers would be over in my hood on the first thing smoking and out of PG if they could afford it. I would love to see PG county get better and better espically the school system. Quality of life for a family should not be tied to your yearly income. There are a lot of hard-working black families there who are frustrated with PG in general, but they can't really afford any other location. The poor folks aren't really going to Hampton Roads a couple cities there lost population and standard of living is high too. I really want to see PG improve but i wouldn't really tell anyone to move there. Matter of fact i wouldn't tell anyone to move to the DC area period.

[missbrittbritt]

i wonder what the National Harbor is going to turn out like. Every county resident is praying that it goes well

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by missbrittbritt

i wonder what the National Harbor is going to turn out like. Every county resident is praying that it goes well

you want on to say i know nothing about PGC. i live in camp springs, a few miles from one of the worse HS in the county, crossland. i have lived and worked in the DC metro area longer than you have been alive. i have friends all over this oppressed county(especially this section of it) and more out of it. i have friends in the laurel/bowie area which is nicer than this battle zone but that is all turning to poo in a few years as well because no one thinks when they go to the polls. a lot of the older neighborhoods are already going to hell.

national harbor was supposed to be something 15 years ago and fell through because of monetary factors. money and government don't mix in this county as the monies get skimmed and never make it to their intended targets.
the transit service for the handicapped "METRO ACCESS" is continually mismanaged from the top down and those in PGC suffer before those in the surrounding areas.
paris glendenning ran this county into the dirt with the approval of all because he was a democrat. he became governor for the same reason. this state is loyal to liberal democrats that do nothing for us but screw us. the national harbor is something the democrats would love to see go through as there is talk of gambling, in the way of slot machines. they want to push for that as a form of revenue just like the assorted lotteries, keno, scratch tickets and horse racing that i have never seen any good come from.
what this county doesn't need is more vice in the form of a gambling casino in its midst as alcohol, drugs and car theft are already crippling. albert wynn doesn't recognize that fact and neither does jack johnson..
as has been said by another poster - "Everything inside the beltway seems old and depressing with the exception of a few areas. Temple Hills, Marlow Heights, Suitland, Landover, Seat Pleasant, District Heights, Forestville, Bladensburg, Capital Heights, Camp Springs, Palmer Park, Morningside and most others seem drab and lifeless. Absolutely no shopping, restaurants, bookstores, coffee shops or spas. Shopping is taken to Tyson's, Pentagon City or Montgomery Malls. If someone were to visit from out of town we would definitely eat out in D.C. Where could we take someone? Apple Bee's, KFC, Red Lobster or Popeye's? Even the newer communities outside of the beltway don't offer much." i have ask a this juncture - where is applebee's? denny's in clinton has closed shop.
one concern of mine is the fact that the older and established neighborhoods from the 50s, all solid masonry, have almost gone ghetto. how and why older neighborhoods of other cities of this country stay vibrant is a mystery to me at this point. the lawns and landscaping that made the neighborhood have gone unkept for years until there is none left and the house stands like an abandoned building with the rest.

this quote - "Don't worry as major metropolitan areas such as this area (where there are real jobs-not working as a supervisor at the Stop-N-Go) continues to gentrify economically"
coupled with - "There is going to be a major shift in the demographics in this area".
this employment is inside of the DC city limits. there are no major employers other than grocery stores in the urban areas. if the people that buy the $1M mcmansions are working for private firms i would love to know where other than contractors to the federal government.

sorry to go on but this is worse than some of the hispanic barrios in texas. i am forced to live here economically as well as health wise. to realize what could be here and having some idea of why it isn't is frustrating.
live long, travel and keep your senses open rather than plugging into an ipod or becoming one with a cell phone and these things become clearer.

[unleed]

I've lived in Bowie pretty much all my life, and it's definitely changed a lot in that time. At one time there were no restaurants or shopping locations -- we'd drive to Laurel or Landover (way back) for most of the easy purchases, and the MC for nicer stuff. Now, Bowie's actually getting pretty crowded with people and choices. No dearth of chain restaurants. Decent shopping. Crime has increased, but it's still relatively low -- plus we're getting finally getting our own police department. They're building a really nice new elementary school by the town center. We've got great transportation access. Having gone to school in Glenarden, Greenbelt and College Park, I can say that Bowie isn't much like those areas of the county, and with the kind of money being spent on real estate in Glen Dale, Fairwood, Mitchelville, etc., I see Bowie remaining a bright spot even as the continued gentrification of DC pushes the economically challenged into PG.

[Dingler]

I read Washingtonian Magazine and they are always having lists of the best restaurants in the greater DC area. In a list of 100 best there is never a place listed in Prince Georges County. That says it all. Picking a place to live is a lifestyle and that lifestyle includes shopping and restaurants.

I agree that PG County is better outside the beltway, but I would rather live in a ethnically diverse neighborhood where people mix not a black only town.

[pwright1]

Is it better outside of the beltway? Yeah they have nice subdivisions with beautiful homes but what else? To me this is saying alot. No matter how educated you are or how expensive your house is or how high your income is, if you're black you get treated like a second class citizen. If the outer beltway communities were white there would be Nordstrom, Saks, Neimans, Louis Vitton, Coach, Gourmet Giant Food, Trader Joes and so on.

[fishfister]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Is it better outside of the beltway? Yeah they have nice subdivisions with beautiful homes but what else? To me this is saying alot. No matter how educated you are or how expensive your house is or how high your income is, if you're black you get treated like a second class citizen. If the outer beltway communities were white there would be Nordstrom, Saks, Neimans, Louis Vitton, Coach, Gourmet Giant Food, Trader Joes and so on.

Okay, explain it to those of us that aren't black and live in the same areas of zero amenities. contrary to popular belief, being white does not grant one a free ticket to "the better things in life". that is something i would like all of my black brothers to realize at some point in life. i have been told "that because you white" far too many times when i seemed to make out good. no, it was because i applied myself. there is plenty of low-life white trash in life for comparison.
as far as the nicer things in PG county...when all of the older neighborhoods that once had nice landscaping start to resemble rows of pill boxes on flat unkempt properties it is a sign of decay. why build a mall with all of your requested stores in a wasteland of decay? developers build these centers with the hope to draw from miles around.
he best shopping near me is near the pentagon. harris teeter is there as well as every store i can think of. arlington is a haven for those that like to eat out.
the best i can do here is run down giants, safeways and shopper's food warehouse for groceries and the few independent restaurants in the clinton area.
you are correct about the fact that there is nothing is available - you have to put it on other than color to make sense.
there is a very low level of expected service in these areas. if one wants better there is always no.VA.
chris rock will tell it better than i.

[1973 Forced Busing]

All those neighborhoods were white.

[Kaity]

Thank you so much for the article. I am looking to "relocate." I currently live in the Largo area of Prince George's County, but am not too familiar with various areas of the County. I am concerned with finding a "relatively safe" place to live in a relatively close proximity to the Largo area and reading the article you posted, as well as the different responses on this site is helping me to make a more informed decision about where I may take up residence. Thank you again.