Can you tell me a little more about PG county?

[Enyo]

Originally Posted by ElectricLights

What is quantifiable is the amount of money that is taken in by property taxes, and then seems to not result in good school facilities, good playgrounds, parks that are kept up, or anything on par with what you find across the river.

Oh, but we have a thousand developers seeming to get whatever the hell they want. Keep building those Ryan Homes everywhere, we'll just keep enduring the fatalities on the overcrowded roads.

Let's revisit why the OP is asking about PG in the first place:

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

We love Houston, my wife is a native Houstonian and I've been living here for 10 years however it's a couple of things we're not to fond of that has us looking at other options to raise a family. This search is what led us to PG County. One of the biggest draws for us was the black presence in PG County.

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

I always hear Atlanta and DC mentioned together when people speak of Black "meccas". I'm assuming PG County or the DMV applies to that title when people speak of DC. What makes that region so "progressive" for Black people?

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

What I want to know is how is the region for a Black family looking for a place that's geared towards families?

All of the statistics, etc. can be looked up. But his question is qualitative and can only truly be answered by a very limited amount people.

Finding an area that provides a unique experience for black people is the only reason why they are considering the area. They cannot reach their main goal "across the river'". Comparing PG to other counties is a good idea for people who want to/will be making the move and are open to multiple areas. But the question is not about different areas of DC, but between Houston, PC county Dallas/Fort Worth, and Atlanta. If people who are not black and have no experience with PG really wanted to help the OP, they'd take their stats from PG and compare them with the communities in those cities and let people like people in his target demographic answer the questions about black life in PG county.

[sittilove]

Hi OP,

PG born and raised here.

First know that there is a lot of dormant racial tension existing in these forums, so you will always get people who say lots of negative things about black areas when they get the chance. This is true of the internet in general, anything associated with black people or culture invokes a ton of hostility and negativity on the internet.

That being said, PG truly is a great place for black people to live and one of a kind in the country (in addition to Atlanta) unfortunately. And it is perfect for you and your family in terms of your interests and lifestyle. Afro-Caribbean/African immigrants are all over the county but many are in the northwestern parts, where there are more immigrants in general. (Hyattsville, Beltsville, Greenbelt, etc.). But if you are working in Capital Heights the southern portion would be great. The whole county has lots of beautiful parks and family friendly outdoor recreation if that matters to you.

Here are a couple forums you should look through that show more of the nuances about the county. Try to look past the borderline racist comments of the naysayers who don't live there:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...unty-real.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...e-georges.html

PS. Also "diversity" is a new co-opted codeword for white folks that mean mostly white with equal numbers of black, brown and Asian sprinkles, so if you are non-white person that desires a safe community of your own culture that welcomes you and above their intolerable 30% of the population, then you don't like diversity and And they love to say PG county is not diverse knowing full well that they are the reason for that. There are lots of whites, hispanics and asians who live in PG, and the upside is that those that live there are CHOSE to, which is a plus for black folks. The white folks we encounter are very friendly and speak to you. They know they are in a predominately black area and totally okay with it.

[G1..]

I hope the OP check's it out for himself , the bias in some of these post's are very concerning.

[Mos82]

Originally Posted by ElectricLights

What is quantifiable is the amount of money that is taken in by property taxes, and then seems to not result in good school facilities, good playgrounds, parks that are kept up, or anything on par with what you find across the river.


Oh, but we have a thousand developers seeming to get whatever the hell they want. Keep building those Ryan Homes everywhere, we'll just keep enduring the fatalities on the overcrowded roads.

Huh? PG park and recreation destroys anything across the river lol

[papichulo2]

Pg county is a black county but that dont make it bad. Some people just think they know everything but dont really know. The schools are bad. BUT alot of people made it to four year universities after graduating. If you want to know more about the county just talk to residents.

[papichulo2]

Originally Posted by Mos82

Huh? PG park and recreation destroys anything across the river lol

Hey! Don't hate on MNcppc

[WakandanGeneral]

Originally Posted by ElectricLights

What is quantifiable is the amount of money that is taken in by property taxes, and then seems to not result in good school facilities, good playgrounds, parks that are kept up, or anything on par with what you find across the river.


Oh, but we have a thousand developers seeming to get whatever the hell they want. Keep building those Ryan Homes everywhere, we'll just keep enduring the fatalities on the overcrowded roads.

This is unfortunately true. Despite paying high property taxes, my wife and I (both African American) likely will not be sending our kids to public schools. We'll pay for private. We're both from the area and love being around other well paid black folks.

[LilLisa83]

Originally Posted by Rufus Clay Banger

The fact of the matter is that PG County schools absolutely, unequivocally ARE NOT viewed as great, or even good.

Fact

[Jalux]

Perspective on PGC from someone that actually lives here:

(1) Alexandria City Schools are by and large terrible. I would dare say that PGC has more "good" rated schools according to GreatSchools than Alexandria City Schools does. Someone will be quick to point out that PGC is far larger than Alexandria is, and that's valid. In fact, I would have you all dwell on the fact that PGC is a very large region and is diverse when it comes to the performance of its schools.

(2) Alexandria City Schools still costs way more in housing than PGC, despite not really having anything of comparable value to account for the difference.

(3) Property tax rate is higher than PGC, but if you're paying taxes on a much higher costing property (which you would if you got an equivalent home on the Virginia side) then it washes out. Moreover, you'll be paying more in general, due to the larger mortgage loan that you'd probably have to take out.

(4) The perceived return on investment when it comes to taxes is pretty poor for PGC residents. Road infrastructure isn't great, schools are terrible. Those that live in the immediate DC periphery can't help but feel that our tax dollars are being used to prop up the National Harbor development and other urban initiatives, while ignoring everywhere else. But that said, I live near multiple national parks and the local PGC libraries are regularly updated and are above average in my own subjective opinion, which makes me happy.

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by ElectricLights

What is quantifiable is the amount of money that is taken in by property taxes, and then seems to not result in good school facilities, good playgrounds, parks that are kept up, or anything on par with what you find across the river.


Oh, but we have a thousand developers seeming to get whatever the hell they want. Keep building those Ryan Homes everywhere, we'll just keep enduring the fatalities on the overcrowded roads.

Huh? Although there IS new residential development in PGC, it's been growing much slower than other surrounding counties for the past decade or two.