Young family relocating for Goddard job--Greenbelt? (Silver Spring, Bowie: fit in, 2013, crime)

[Julie1219]

Input for where to move would be greatly appreciated! I need info. on the area immediately around, or within a few minutes commute, from Goddard Space Flight Center. I've briefly driven around near College Park, and had family that lived in Crofton...but that is as close to the area as I've been so far.

We are generally new to the DC area (currently in NOVA for 2 years). I have a good job prospect with GSFC. I would need to relocate to MD from NOVA because we are out near Leesburg and there's no way on earth I would ever make the commute back and forth.

We are a young family (children 6 months and 3 years) and would be looking for a SAFE neighborhood with GOOD schools, this is very important. We live in a very nice area right now and I don't want to sacrafice this quality of life. If nothing exists like this in the immediate area of Goddard, we may not make the move or take the job.

We are interested in single family homes, townhomes if we need to (because of price), in good family-friendly community. I want to be able to take walks with my children in the evening after work and be safe doing so. We would also want a nice town feel, and immediate neighborhood hopefully somewhat secluded from the traffic and noise, etc. of DC and the beltway. Neighborhood amenities, nearby shopping, dining, things to do, all a plus.

Thanks in advance!

[bowian]

Originally Posted by Julie1219

Input for where to move would be greatly appreciated! I need info. on the area immediately around, or within a few minutes commute, from Goddard Space Flight Center. I've briefly driven around near College Park, and had family that lived in Crofton...but that is as close to the area as I've been so far.

We are generally new to the DC area (currently in NOVA for 2 years). I have a good job prospect with GSFC. I would need to relocate to MD from NOVA because we are out near Leesburg and there's no way on earth I would ever make the commute back and forth.

We are a young family (children 6 months and 3 years) and would be looking for a SAFE neighborhood with GOOD schools, this is very important. We live in a very nice area right now and I don't want to sacrafice this quality of life. If nothing exists like this in the immediate area of Goddard, we may not make the move or take the job.

We are interested in single family homes, townhomes if we need to (because of price), in good family-friendly community. I want to be able to take walks with my children in the evening after work and be safe doing so. We would also want a nice town feel, and immediate neighborhood hopefully somewhat secluded from the traffic and noise, etc. of DC and the beltway. Neighborhood amenities, nearby shopping, dining, things to do, all a plus.

Thanks in advance!

Greenbelt has some good areas, especially in Old Greenbelt, that you may want to check out. I have heard good things about Greenbelt Elementary, but I don't know about it. There are some good private schools nearby. There is a sports complex as well.

I love the look of University Park. I have heard that it's safe, and it's great for walking -- pretty and tree-lined. I have heard good things about the elementary school. The traffic going towards Goddard may not be the best, but it's not far. There is a poster, by the name of Scrapper or Scrapper101, I believe, who lives in University Park. Seems like it would be a fun place to live.

I have posted some information in other threads about Bowie, so you may want to do a forum search. To me, Bowie also fits the bill, depending on your price range for housing. For elementary schools, the 20715 (and 20716) zip code is good. I am speaking of the Levittown houses. They are small, but many have extensions. I know several families who live near Tulip Grove Elementary who not only love the school, but they love the neighorhood, the nearby swim club (I think it's called Belair). I see kids outside playing, parents walking with children, etc. Same for the Whitehall area (Whitehall Elementary). Those are the two top elementaries in Bowie. There are some other good elementary schools in Bowie as well.

I live outside the city limits, but I hang out in the City of Bowie all the time, since I am around the corner. The Memorial Day parade is this Saturday; that would be a fun way to come check out the area in terms of community spirit.

Good luck.

[Henry Bowman]

If you choose to live in Greenbelt, be prepared to send your kids to private school for middle school. Greenbelt Middle is a disaster.

The elementary schools are pretty decent, and of course Roosevelt is as good a school as you're going to find, but GMS is not fit for any decent children to attend.

[Khemistry]

There's "Greenbelt" and then there's "Old Greenbelt." Old Greenbelt is an historic, planned neighborhood that dates back to the suburban neighborhood sprawls of the 50s and 60s. I could be wrong with the time frame so take that with a grain of salt. Old Greenbelt is fairly nice and quiet. Greenbelt Elementary School is a rather good school. It was a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in the 90s. Greenbelt Middle School is ho-hum.

In terms of schools: the magnet schools application deadline for 2012-2013 has passed, so if you were interested in getting your kids in a good magnet school, you'll have to wait until the 2013-14 school year. With that said, there is a specialized magnet school in Lanham, which is actually two schools housed in one building ... the Robert Goddard French Immersion School and the Robert Goddard Montessori School. Both schools are K-8 magnet schools and are a part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Neither school is a private school ... both are public. Due to the magnet programs each school offers, Robert Goddard is actually an exceptionally good school ... in fact, the middle school division of each school ranks in the top two or three middle schools (in terms of how proficient students are in core subject areas) in the entire county. I have a colleague who coincidentally has children at the French Immersion School, and they swear by how good the school is. He knows a hell of a lot about the inner workings of the PGCPS system. I would apply for the Montessori School since it offers PreK grade levels. The French Immersion School starts at Kindergarten, with no PreK. This is of course if you want to go through all of the steps. You can visit this weblink to find out about the magnet lottery application process.

Unfortunately, if you truly want to live directly in the area of Goddard, none of the schools in Greenbelt (including Greenbelt Elementary and eventually Eleanor Roosevelt High School) will be an option. The neighborhoods around Goddard are on the very edge of Greenbelt, with most of that immediate area being considered Lanham & Seabrook. I believe most students who live in the proximity of Goddard, attend Catherine T. Reed Elementary School, Thomas Johnson Middle School, and eventually DuVal High School. In that regard, Greenbelt Middle School is slightly better than Thomas Johnson. DuVal is not a school I'd want to send my children to. Catherine T. Reed is an fairly decent school, from what I recall.

If you go further east from Goodard—along Greenbelt Road—you'll end up in some really nice areas of PG County, such as Glenn Dale and eventually Bowie. If you head further west along Greenbelt Road (which eventually changes into University Blvd East), you'll end up in Greenbelt, then College Park, then Hyattsville. I'm not sure of your income of what you're trying to afford, but don't think about taking the suggestion to consider University Park (a subdivision of Hyattsville) unless you make some serious money. Houses in University Park easily range into the millions. They're building an entire street full of new homes, and I believe none of them have an asking price of under a million dollars. If you can afford that, University Park would be a lovely place to live. During the busy rush hour, however, it could take 25-30 minutes to get to and from Goddard.

But, based on your comment about the type of neighborhood you want to live in... Old Greenbelt would be the best fit due to them having a small town feel and a nice shopping center (not a mall). University Park would be even better due to having plenty of shopping at nearby Mall of Prince George's, University Town Center, and the new shopping strip in the Hyattsville Arts District off of Route 1. But, again, that's based on home availability and if you want to pay to play.

[goldenage1]

You could consider the Silver Spring area around Four Corners for the Montgomery County Schools. But the large Hispanic and other immigrant population tends to lower test scores. However, There's one ES around University and Dennis that rates 7 out of 10, and I can look it up if you are interested. I know the drive would be further than Old Greenbelt.

I suspect your best bet is Bowie, however.

[Khemistry]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

You could consider the Silver Spring area around Four Corners for the Montgomery County Schools. But the large Hispanic and other immigrant population tends to lower test scores. However, There's one ES around University and Dennis that rates 7 out of 10, and I can look it up if you are interested. I know the drive would be further than Old Greenbelt.

I suspect your best bet is Bowie, however.

I can't speak with absolute assuredness for the OP, but based on their comments, it seemed like they made it quite clear commute time was an issue and they wanted to be in CLOSE proximity to the immediate surrounding area of GSFC. The Dennis Avenue area of Silver Spring would definitely not fit into that equation for a number of reasons, the biggest being there's nothing close to a "small town feel" and that area is close to I-495 and busy Georgia Avenue. I know Dennis Ave is quite large and there are some very peaceful areas, but to get to those points, you get away from reasonable neighborhood shopping options that won't require you to go into the busy areas. And, considering it can easily take me 30 minutes just to get from the University of Maryland to Silver Spring on any given day during rush hour... you can easily add on another 20-25 minutes for a total of nearly an hours driving time, just to get from Dennis Avenue all the way Goddard.

And Bowie would only be a better option if she wanted a higher chance of getting her children into a good school ... if that's what you were hinting at. Otherwise, there's still other (closer) options besides Bowie, which are comparable.

[Henry Bowman]

Originally Posted by Khemistry

And Bowie would only be a better option if she wanted a higher chance of getting her children into a good school ... if that's what you were hinting at. Otherwise, there's still other (closer) options besides Bowie, which are comparable.

Living in Greenbelt would get her a far better school. Am I missing something?

[Khemistry]

Originally Posted by Henry Bowman

Living in Greenbelt would get her a far better school. Am I missing something?

I'm scratching my head wondering if that was your attempt at saying something witty and condescending or were you asking a legitimate question...

[Henry Bowman]

Originally Posted by Khemistry

I'm scratching my head wondering if that was your attempt at saying something witty and condescending or were you asking a legitimate question...

You said living in Bowie would give her better options for schools as opposed to Greenbelt.

Please tell me I misread that.

[dkf747]

If you've got family in Crofton then it seems to me that that is your answer. Getting from there to Greenbelt won't be too hard. The schools should be better. Crime will be less. Probably more families and other kids around.