Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Hyattsville, Riverdale (Silver Spring, Woodlawn: apartment complexes, crime, co-op)

[Tiger Beer]

What's the stories with these areas?

Examining them more closely...looks like Mount Rainier is popular because of a lot of very nice old houses that are worth fixing up - craftsman types and older streetcar system that once was there, etc. How is it these days?

Brentwood area just past Mount Rainier. Same kind of feel, or completely different? How so? Better area or worse area or the same?

Hyattsville..don't know why, this place is often recommended, but often has some stigma for crime, etc. Don't know the reality with that one. Is is just too big to categorize?

Riverdale...seems...not ever talked about? Is there a reason for that? Riverdale Park is right next to University Park and has subway access. Yet, seems to be greatly under the radar. Any particular reason for that?

[jessesamuel]

Hey! I live in Mount Rainier. I am not an expert on the area. I've lived here for a year after moving from DC. And when I lived in DC I never thought about this part of town.

Mount Rainier is a good place to live. There are a bunch of detached homes, which I prefer greatly to the row houses that dominate DC. But the population of MR is anchored by two apartment complexes at the north and west sides. There is some crime associated with them, but it seems like the influence is projected outward toward DC and Hyattsville rather than inward to MR. I live down the street from both of the complexes and feel safer than I did living in eastern Capitol Hill (19th and C NE). The Mount Rainier Police are very on the ball and work in cooperation with Prince George's County Police. They respond quickly to emergency calls and interact with the community. Where I live it's about a mile to the West Hyattsville Metro - easy walking distance.

Brentwood is very similar but smaller. I live less than a block from the border with Brentwood and I wouldn't know it unless I looked on a map. Hyattsville has some nice areas but it is bigger than its neighbors except for maybe Silver Spring. So it has bad areas, too. I don't know about Riverdale or Riverdale Park or University Park except that I drive through them on my way to College Park or the BW Parkway. I think University Park is slightly more upscale. It seems sort of secluded and borders College Park. It's very close to UMD and it many restaurants and stores that cater to the college crowd.

BTW, here is my MR blog: http://mtrainiermd.blogspot.com/

[Tiger Beer]

Interesting blog. I also heard that Latino is moving into Mount Rainier as well? True? Or not really. Interesting description of Mount Rainier though - the two anchors with an imbetween that seems to be left alone between two large housing project areas.

Many people coming in and fixing things up? Or not more than anywhere else?

[yayayards]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Interesting blog. I also heard that Latino is moving into Mount Rainier as well? True? Or not really. Interesting description of Mount Rainier though - the two anchors with an imbetween that seems to be left alone between two large housing project areas.

Many people coming in and fixing things up? Or not more than anywhere else?

Tons of latinos in mount rainer. Believe me i know...

what housing projects?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by yayayards

Tons of latinos in mount rainer. Believe me i know...

what housing projects?

Sorry...oops...I apologize. Just re-read the post above - apartment complexes. NOT projects.

Apologize.

[mcjb2]

Yes there are a lot of Latinos in the areas mentioned. Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood and Hyattsville comprise the Gateway Arts and Entertainment District and are promoting arts related business to revitalize the area. There is a high concentration of artists already living in this area due to the affordable housing and proximity to the district. The EYA "Arts District Hyattsville" is a major mixed-use development currently under construction along Rt 1, the retail portion will be completed this year and will include a Busboys and Poets, Tara Thai, Yes Organic, Elevation Burger, Chipotle and other retail. A lot of the crime that gets attributed to Hyattsville does not occur in the city of Hyattsville, but rather unincorporated areas with a Hyattsville mailing address that are outside the city limits. Mount Rainier just approved a plan to redevelop their downtown (Rt 1 and 34th St area). Mount Rainier is home to the longest running food co-op in the area, Glut, and attracts a lot of progressive and eco-minded residents because of this. Brentwood and North Brentwood are two small towns located between those two cities. The Gateway Arts Center at Brentwood contains the Brentwood Art Exchange, Prince George's African American Museum & Cultural Center (which will eventually relocate to it own facility in North Brentwood) and the 39th Street Gallery and studios. A lot of first time homebuyers are buying in this general area and fixing up homes due to the fact that there is a charming affordable housing stock and these are walkable communities with good transportation access.
University Park is a higher income area that includes a lot of UMD professors and staff. It's mostly, if not entirely, single family homes. Riverdale Park does not have a metro stop but it does have a Marc train stop. The demographics of Riverdale Park seem to be similar to the city of Hyattsville.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by mcjb2

A lot of the crime that gets attributed to Hyattsville does not occur in the city of Hyattsville, but rather unincorporated areas with a Hyattsville mailing address that are outside the city limits.

What are the names of those places? Just to try to identify them on a map?

[PGC301]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

What are the names of those places? Just to try to identify them on a map?

Pretty much any place in the northwestern part of the county that isn't an incorporated city or town uses a Hyattsville mailing address. That includes Langley Park, Chillum, Carole Highlands, Lewisdale, Landover, Woodlawn, etc.

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

What are the names of those places? Just to try to identify them on a map?

Landover Hills, Landover, Bladensburg, Palmer Park, Chillum, Cheverly, Adelphi, parts of New Carrollton, Langley Park.

[yayayards]

I wouldnt say that ALL of langley park is in the hyattsville address, i know that a part of it, is silver spring. I also dont know for shure if brentwood is either...

Just my 2 sense...