How safe is Gaithersburg to live? (Germantown, Potomac: apartment, crime rate, neighborhood)

[mamaecho]

Oh and we have a boxer and a golden and haven't had any trouble letting them outside.. but we have a small garden fenced in that no one (except random neighborhood kids) bother..

We have had a couple of vandalism issues, our home was egged, and we a glass jar of ranch dressing thrown at our door.. but we aren't sure still if it was a serious incident (ranch dressing because we are white.. haha) or just dumb neighborhood kids... you just never really know. We did call the police though on the dressing incident...

Our cars have never been touched as far as I know, and I've accidently left my gps in plain sight a few times...

There have been domestic disputes that have brought the police out.. but that can of course, happen anywhere.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Section 8 housing is a TERRIBLE thing. Even if they are not openly engaged in gang activity or drug violence (Baltimore's public housing is NOTORIOUS for their decay and lawlessness) they usually attract undesirable people. Section 8 housing means that you take ghetto people and illegal immigrants and put them up in a normal neighborhood, paid for my taxes nonetheless! Their kids usually run wild, trespass on people's property, behave obnoxiously in school, bully other kids (the tragedy in Crofton recently with the boy's brutal death involved inner city Baltimore kids who have brought the gang mentality into the suburbs) and these are usually the people who blast their music at 3AM and litter all over the street. My folks have seen their community destroyed by the arrival of Section 8.

Most people I know iwll check if there is section 8 nearby before buying or even renting a property anywhere. You have to have experienced it to understand.

[mamaecho]

The problem is section 8 is everywhere... so it's almost impossible to say "stay away from section 8"

As someone who would have qualified (might still, not really sure) for Section 8 I can say that not everyone who is of moderate income is crazy drug dealing idiots We are actually a good Christian, homeschooling, kind family... not into drugs (I've never even smoked marijuana), gangs, trespassing, ghetto-ness

BUT on the other hand, it's often true lower income increases crime, drugs, etc...

[dkf747]

I live in section 8 type housing now. Trust me, it's not like that here. Other places, perhaps, but not here. I once lived in section 8 housing in Minneapolis (Chicago Ave for those who know) and it was not bad there either. I'm sure it's true of other places, but I have not seen the problems described.

[mwruckman]

The biggest issue in living in Montgomery Village is virtually all of it is organized into HOAs (Homeowners Associations) and they have the legal right to tell you what you can do on the common element parts of your property. They also maintain the look and quality of of the properties and have to approve all repairs or modifications. This includes painting or things like patio work or replacing windows. Don't cut the trees down we have a thing about trees. Repairs on the interior or home renovavations may or may not be coveres by the covenants (the rules of your HOA). For example lets say you want to remodel the batheroom. As long as you don't change the plumbing its okay to do without approval. If you make any change to the plumbing then the board has to approve it and may get an engineer or propfessional plumber to critique your proposed work. In the condos and townhouses, large dogs are a problem and can't be feft outside the unit because thats a common element. You would have to keep it indoors unless you are exercising the dog. The dog would have to be leashed and under your control at all times. Most HOAs limit the areas you may walk the dog and don't forget the scooper. I'll leave it to you as to how your dog would take that kind of life. As for cars and trucks, most of the HOAs prohibit parking trucks in the their parking lots. Some of us tried to ban large SUVs or Hummers because in Maryland they are registered as trucks not cars. Also much of the village was built in the 1960s and 1970s so parking was based on expectations of that period. If you have more than 2 cars you may only have two parking spaces assigned to your unit.

[DCnative1990]

lmao. nothing in MoCo is bad as people seems. coming from someone who grew up in S.E. and N.E. DC i just can't really see it. and G-burgs seems okay to me.

[tonyc]

HOAs are the best thing ever!! Would you want pink pelicans across from you? Think about how hard it would be to sell when you're read to move.

[mamaecho]

HOA's aren't bad, but Montgomery Village is far from a level hand, they are incredibly intrusive, down to what color flowers you have in certain areas.


And to DCnative.. that's fine for you, but if you are from a nice neighborhood growing up, MoCo can be a very dangerous place. Rather than say "oh it's not as bad as blahblahblah" how about saying, what can we do to improve it so it's as nice as "blahblahblah"

I mean, DC holds nothing to the Middle East... lol

[btsilver]

Anyplace can be a dangerous place. You guys make comments on here like there are shootings outside every night. I think Montgomery Village is just fine. Its just needs updating in some places.

[mamaecho]

I don't think anyone said that. But I certainly think it's not the safest place.. and there's a lot of seedy things that happen around "nice" looking neighborhoods. A lot of strong arm robberies, etc.