Montgomery County - Affordable Places

[Captain_Fingers]

Originally Posted by informedresident

How is Germantown not safe compared with other Montgomery County towns? I live in Gaithersburg and spend a fair amount of time in Germantown and have never found myself to be in any danger. I read the crime report section in the Gazette and usually there are the same types of crimes reported in Germantown as there are in most other towns in Montgomery County.

I have friends who have had their houses broken into more than once in Germantown. Its possible it's become safer than it was ten years ago, but with increased population, I'd be surprised ( pleasantly so) if that's the case. Then again, it would depend on where in Germantown we're talking about.

[John13]

Originally Posted by Captain_Fingers

Germantown is not the safest of Montgomery County towns, so check it out carefully. Make sure to figure out your commute, or you could find yourself stuck in the parking lot they call 270 - both ways.

I lived in Germantown from 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. I never had a problem with crime.

Taking Metro from Germantown will not be bad at all. Take Great Seneca Highway to 370.

[Captain_Fingers]

Originally Posted by John13

I lived in Germantown from 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. I never had a problem with crime.

Taking Metro from Germantown will not be bad at all. Take Great Seneca Highway to 370.

I'm glad you all feel Germantown is not as unsafe as I thought. Then again, there are parts of Gaithersburg which are sketchy too - the Flower Hill neighborhood comes to mind. My point was to be careful about where specifically the OP chooses to buy.

As far as the commute, depending on where somebody has to go, they may not be able to take metro. If the OP has to take 270 south in the morning, "not bad at all" is perhaps not how I would describe it. I remember having to drive from Bethesda to Gaithersburg for about a year (reverse commute) and seeing the cars on the other side pretty much packed and parked for miles.

You're probably right about 370 going towards Shady Grove being less congested, but I imagine that would only be the case after crossing the 270 exit. I can't imagine how the direction feeding into 270 during rush hour would be anything but a nightmare. Thats why I was curious where the OP's job was. If it is in Silver Spring or Wheaton...or lets say....the White Oak area....Germantown might not be such a great choice because not only will he have to face 270S, but he'll have to take the Beltway towards College Park with the sun directly in front of him - the Beltway is a nightmare whichever direction you drive. Of course, you have the back roads, but everybody knows them, and they can get congested too.

[dkf747]

Great Seneca Highway is pretty bad with congestion, as well.

[John13]

Originally Posted by Captain_Fingers

I'm glad you all feel Germantown is not as unsafe as I thought. Then again, there are parts of Gaithersburg which are sketchy too - the Flower Hill neighborhood comes to mind. My point was to be careful about where specifically the OP chooses to buy.

As far as the commute, depending on where somebody has to go, they may not be able to take metro. If the OP has to take 270 south in the morning, "not bad at all" is perhaps not how I would describe it. I remember having to drive from Bethesda to Gaithersburg for about a year (reverse commute) and seeing the cars on the other side pretty much packed and parked for miles.

You're probably right about 370 going towards Shady Grove being less congested, but I imagine that would only be the case after crossing the 270 exit. I can't imagine how the direction feeding into 270 during rush hour would be anything but a nightmare. Thats why I was curious where the OP's job was. If it is in Silver Spring or Wheaton...or lets say....the White Oak area....Germantown might not be such a great choice because not only will he have to face 270S, but he'll have to take the Beltway towards College Park with the sun directly in front of him - the Beltway is a nightmare whichever direction you drive. Of course, you have the back roads, but everybody knows them, and they can get congested too.

I'd pay to take the ICC.

No Beltway needed.

[John13]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Great Seneca Highway is pretty bad with congestion, as well.

It's been a few years since I took that way but it can't be as bad as 270.

I still think Germantown is the more affordable option in Montgomery County.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by John13

It's been a few years since I took that way but it can't be as bad as 270.
.

Oh yes it can! Traffic has increased lately. I don't have numbers, but my eyes, and my brakes are not fooling me.

[ncole1]

Why commute instead of moving close to work?

You're blowing a huge amount of money on car expenses.

Unless you have a big enough family that you need a lot of living space in which case it can be justified by housing cost differences.

If you are single and willing to have roommates, it is *almost never* cost effective to commute more than a few miles by car to save on housing expenses unless you live rent free with parents, and even then, it is not cost effective beyond about 30 miles or so (make this 15 if you would otherwise go without a car if not needed to get to work).

This is because car depreciation per mile and added maintenance, repair, and sometimes even insurance costs must be counted in addition to gas. If you calculate commute cost only by including gas, you are going to grotesquely underestimate just how much it costs to operate a vehicle to get to work.