Waldorf-MD?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by seanlax

The race card was thrown a while ago. I'm just willing to acknowledge its existence. What you say about PG county is absolutely true, but we are talking about Charles.

It's kind of bounced back and forth to southern PG.


Anyway, what happened in Waldorf was the same thing-the White kids aged out, the parents downsized and moved and were replaced by Blacks with school aged kids. The driving force for that was Black Flight from Prince Georges and, to an extent, DC.

[lovepoker]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

Naw I don't folks one bit for avoiding public schools with many black kids. I just think it's sad that it has had to come to that.

tyvm and he is in college now. In his 3rd year of computer science and loves it. I'm so glad you are doing well also

[au18]

Originally Posted by misskmd

Hello everyone!!


I want to buy a house and Waldorf seems affordable
.....Is Waldorf a good place to live??? Family of 3, 1 child.

I haven't seen all the replies on this thread yet, so apologies if this has already been communicated. I lived in Waldorf 20603 between 2011-2015 with a husband and two young kids. Our neighborhood was new, space was aplenty, and the neighbors were professional. However, outside of our little enclave there were pockets of crime picking up. Opioid abuse was rising and more crimes associated with that were becoming more frequent.

The schools were alright, but I only had experience with the local Elem. Actually, the further south in White Plains, LaPlata you go, the better the school system.


Other pro's: convenient to National Harbor, shopping, retails and chain restaurants. Updated, nice movie theaters.


But we moved because of this: HORRENDOUS TRAFFIC!!!!!!


We both worked in DC and as a result, our two young children were in daycare from 6am - 6:00pm everyday. If we were late by 5-10minutes or God forbid, a 1/2 hour, our commute suffered. I'm talking 1.25 hours -1.5 hours each way if you do not leave your house by 6am or conversely get off at 3:45pm in the afternoons (I worked in Metro Center, hubby near Farragut North). There is a commuter bus option, but again you need to be on it by 6am if you want to actually spend time with your children in the evening (homework, afternoon soccer practice/games, family dinner). Our quality of life suffered. We never saw each other until one of us got home at 8pm. Weekends were spent recuperating, car maintenance, stuck in local weekend traffic along 301 to run errands.

Waldorf is a bedroom community. Everyone commutes in and out M-F and the two options 210 and 301/5 are awful with no plans for improvement.


Yes, Waldorf is affordable, but if you actually want the life part in the work/life balance, please re-consider another community.


Fort Washington perhaps? FYI - Avoid 20602. Pockets of 20601 are okay. If you would like more information, I happy to share via PM.


At the end of 2015, we moved to a smaller home, 20 mins from our jobs and life has been so much sweeter!


Good luck!

[au18]

Originally Posted by misskmd

What do you think about taking the commuter bus to DC?

The commuter bus runs only during a certain time, so say you have a morning/afternoon doc's appointment, you will have to drive in and out of the city or drive to a metro station afterwards. There is 1 bus that leaves at 12noon from DC, but the last bus going into DC is around 9am ish.


If you're catching a 6am bus, you should be into Metro Center about 6:45am-7:15am. After riding the bus for a year, I got really claustrophic with the various smells that you're forced to endure for 1 hour and no access to windows. People usually are quiet in the am but some try to nap on the pm ride, but you will occasionally have the obnoxious person chatting on the phone the entire ride.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by au18

I haven't seen all the replies on this thread yet, so apologies if this has already been communicated. I lived in Waldorf 20603 between 2011-2015 with a husband and two young kids. Our neighborhood was new, space was aplenty, and the neighbors were professional. However, outside of our little enclave there were pockets of crime picking up. Opioid abuse was rising and more crimes associated with that were becoming more frequent.

The schools were alright, but I only had experience with the local Elem. Actually, the further south in White Plains, LaPlata you go, the better the school system.


Other pro's: convenient to National Harbor, shopping, retails and chain restaurants. Updated, nice movie theaters.


But we moved because of this: HORRENDOUS TRAFFIC!!!!!!


We both worked in DC and as a result, our two young children were in daycare from 6am - 6:00pm everyday. If we were late by 5-10minutes or God forbid, a 1/2 hour, our commute suffered. I'm talking 1.25 hours -1.5 hours each way if you do not leave your house by 6am or conversely get off at 3:45pm in the afternoons (I worked in Metro Center, hubby near Farragut North). There is a commuter bus option, but again you need to be on it by 6am if you want to actually spend time with your children in the evening (homework, afternoon soccer practice/games, family dinner). Our quality of life suffered. We never saw each other until one of us got home at 8pm. Weekends were spent recuperating, car maintenance, stuck in local weekend traffic along 301 to run errands.

Waldorf is a bedroom community. Everyone commutes in and out M-F and the two options 210 and 301/5 are awful with no plans for improvement.


Yes, Waldorf is affordable, but if you actually want the life part in the work/life balance, please re-consider another community.


Fort Washington perhaps? FYI - Avoid 20602. Pockets of 20601 are okay. If you would like more information, I happy to share via PM.


At the end of 2015, we moved to a smaller home, 20 mins from our jobs and life has been so much sweeter!


Good luck!

Nice post. Unfortunately opioid use is on the rise in Southern MD. I know the local hospitals had to hire more security to calm and restrain the od patients.

[SmoothGuy]

Originally Posted by au18

I haven't seen all the replies on this thread yet, so apologies if this has already been communicated. I lived in Waldorf 20603 between 2011-2015 with a husband and two young kids. Our neighborhood was new, space was aplenty, and the neighbors were professional. However, outside of our little enclave there were pockets of crime picking up. Opioid abuse was rising and more crimes associated with that were becoming more frequent.

The schools were alright, but I only had experience with the local Elem. Actually, the further south in White Plains, LaPlata you go, the better the school system.


Other pro's: convenient to National Harbor, shopping, retails and chain restaurants. Updated, nice movie theaters.


But we moved because of this: HORRENDOUS TRAFFIC!!!!!!


We both worked in DC and as a result, our two young children were in daycare from 6am - 6:00pm everyday. If we were late by 5-10minutes or God forbid, a 1/2 hour, our commute suffered. I'm talking 1.25 hours -1.5 hours each way if you do not leave your house by 6am or conversely get off at 3:45pm in the afternoons (I worked in Metro Center, hubby near Farragut North). There is a commuter bus option, but again you need to be on it by 6am if you want to actually spend time with your children in the evening (homework, afternoon soccer practice/games, family dinner). Our quality of life suffered. We never saw each other until one of us got home at 8pm. Weekends were spent recuperating, car maintenance, stuck in local weekend traffic along 301 to run errands.

Waldorf is a bedroom community. Everyone commutes in and out M-F and the two options 210 and 301/5 are awful with no plans for improvement.


Yes, Waldorf is affordable, but if you actually want the life part in the work/life balance, please re-consider another community.


Fort Washington perhaps? FYI - Avoid 20602. Pockets of 20601 are okay. If you would like more information, I happy to share via PM.


At the end of 2015, we moved to a smaller home, 20 mins from our jobs and life has been so much sweeter!


Good luck!

Good post! This solidifies my reasoning for not purchasing in Waldorf b/c the traffic is terrible. I need a good work/life balance and don't want to spend most of my time in the car.

[Missingatlanta]

I used to work near McPherson as well and lived in Fort Washington. It regularly took me 1.5 hours to get too work. I can imagine coming from Waldorf would be even worse. After a year I moved because I couldn't take the commute. I agree with au16. 210 traffic is no joke.

[hp2016]

Originally Posted by au18

I haven't seen all the replies on this thread yet, so apologies if this has already been communicated. I lived in Waldorf 20603 between 2011-2015 with a husband and two young kids. Our neighborhood was new, space was aplenty, and the neighbors were professional. However, outside of our little enclave there were pockets of crime picking up. Opioid abuse was rising and more crimes associated with that were becoming more frequent.

The schools were alright, but I only had experience with the local Elem. Actually, the further south in White Plains, LaPlata you go, the better the school system.


Other pro's: convenient to National Harbor, shopping, retails and chain restaurants. Updated, nice movie theaters.


But we moved because of this: HORRENDOUS TRAFFIC!!!!!!


We both worked in DC and as a result, our two young children were in daycare from 6am - 6:00pm everyday. If we were late by 5-10minutes or God forbid, a 1/2 hour, our commute suffered. I'm talking 1.25 hours -1.5 hours each way if you do not leave your house by 6am or conversely get off at 3:45pm in the afternoons (I worked in Metro Center, hubby near Farragut North). There is a commuter bus option, but again you need to be on it by 6am if you want to actually spend time with your children in the evening (homework, afternoon soccer practice/games, family dinner). Our quality of life suffered. We never saw each other until one of us got home at 8pm. Weekends were spent recuperating, car maintenance, stuck in local weekend traffic along 301 to run errands.

Waldorf is a bedroom community. Everyone commutes in and out M-F and the two options 210 and 301/5 are awful with no plans for improvement.


Yes, Waldorf is affordable, but if you actually want the life part in the work/life balance, please re-consider another community.


Fort Washington perhaps? FYI - Avoid 20602. Pockets of 20601 are okay. If you would like more information, I happy to share via PM.


At the end of 2015, we moved to a smaller home, 20 mins from our jobs and life has been so much sweeter!


Good luck!

Thank you for sharing this great information. I was considering buying in Waldorf as well because of affordability. I have a tight budget of 250K only and I also work downtown DC (McPherson Sq)

Sorry being nosey, but Where did you move to?

I've checked Fort Washington, but public schools there are awful, awful!

I just don't know what to do

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by Missingatlanta

I used to work near McPherson as well and lived in Fort Washington. It regularly took me 1.5 hours to get too work. I can imagine coming from Waldorf would be even worse. After a year I moved because I couldn't take the commute. I agree with au16. 210 traffic is no joke.

Commute to Springfield via 210 from Waldorf it's pretty bad. Moving in the fall when my lease is up.

[au18]

Originally Posted by hp2016

Thank you for sharing this great information. I was considering buying in Waldorf as well because of affordability. I have a tight budget of 250K only and I also work downtown DC (McPherson Sq)

Sorry being nosey, but Where did you move to?

I've checked Fort Washington, but public schools there are awful, awful!

I just don't know what to do

Thanks! I understand the budget aspect, and I don't want to steer anyone away from what they can afford, but I wanted to share information folks ought to know before buying.

We moved to Silver Spring, near Forest Glen Metro.


I'm not terribly sure about schools in this area, but the Mt. Rainer/University Park/Cheverly, MD are supposed to have good Elem's and okay middle schools. We considered this area before eventually settled in SS.