Aspen Hill (Germantown, Bethesda, Rockville: crime, buying a home, neighborhoods)

[needhelpfastplz]

Hello,

From my user name you can guess I really need help... and fast! My fiance and I are thinking of putting an offer in on a home in the aspen hill area. specifically in the harmony hills neighborhood that is sandwiched between Connecticut ave and Georgia ave.

I am asian and he his white, we are both young professionals. How safe is this area? I have read some scary things but others have said it is not so bad. We have a tight budget and can't afford the areas people often suggest like Kensington, Bethesda, etc.

We want to know if we can walk our dog and not have to worry about being mugged or if we have to worry about break ins and burglaries, or worse!

I would really appreciate hearing from people who have either live/lived there or know the area well.

My realtor doesn't seem to have a problem with the area but I am getting more and more nervous about this major decision.

Thank you so much!

[tercel95]

Aspen Hill is really not the greatest of areas... People will argue both sides but from my personal experience it is not somewhere I would want to live... Olney is right down the road and is a much nicer/safer area if you can afford it... Also if cost is a major concern I would recommend Gaithersberg and Germantown over Aspen Hill...

[tonyc]

Originally Posted by tercel95

Aspen Hill is really not the greatest of areas... People will argue both sides but from my personal experience it is not somewhere I would want to live... Olney is right down the road and is a much nicer/safer area if you can afford it... Also if cost is a major concern I would recommend Gaithersberg and Germantown over Aspen Hill...

Or the older parts of Rockville which borders it. Great communting location to DC though.

[TrippingJay]

If you're looking in that area, I would look towards the areas off Norbeck Rd which are nicer than the other parts of Aspen Hill. Also, it's better to be east of Georgia Ave in neighborhoods like Foxhall.

[needhelpfastplz]

Thanks everyone for the replies. We have been looking for quite sometime and are getting quite frustrated. He needs to commute to Tysons and I need to commute to greenbelt. We really love the house we are considering. Are only concern is the neighborhood.

We drove around the whole place, ate dinner at the aspen hill shopping center and we did not feel uncomfortable at all. We plan on going around the neighborhood again and knocking on doors to meet people and see what they have to say. We intend to stop by the police station as well and ask what kind of crimes happen around the area, their frequency and the severity.

Like I said we have been looking for a long time and I am just so nervous. This is our first time buying. The suggestions everyone gave are either out of our price range or would make our commutes more difficult.

I might have overreacted in my first post but we just want to feel safe. I know there are problems everywhere but we want to put ourselves in the best situation possible.

so if anyone else has comments keep them coming.

thanks again.

[bonnielisabeth]

I live nearby. It is ok, but I would not want to buy in the Aspen Hill area just because it is a bit rougher than other areas and I really don't like most of the shopping centers around. I don't feel particularly unsafe, but I only eaten in one good restaurant, the stores aren't stocked very well, etc... But...I would be on my third house, so have some equity...different situation. I would agree with the poster that it is better to be east of Georgia than west.

Most of our neighbors will not come to the door when someone they don't know well knocks on it (including me); so if you start knocking on doors and no one comes when it seems that they are home, you might take this as a "fear of crime" indicator.

[bowian]

I agree with the others. I used to live in MoCo, and like you, my husband at the time and I considered Aspen Hill briefly. I would consider other parts of MoCo first before I would consider Aspen Hill. I've heard of some rough crimes happening in and near that area.

[needhelpfastplz]

So I visited the neighborhood at two different times today. during the day and evening, and after the second visit was happier with the area. I talked to some residents outside their homes and they all seemed happy and thought the subdivision was safe and friendly. A lot of them have lived there for many many years. I also knocked on some doors close to the house we are interested in and they said that they have never had any problems. Still am not totally sold but I feel a little more comfortable.

I checked crimereports and the police blotter and the area didnt seem any more dangerous then many of the areas people recommend. In fact it suffered from less of the more serious crimes than most. I know they dont report criminal on criminal, or so i have heard, but I don't think I should worry about that. That can really happen anywhere.

Give me your thoughts.

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by needhelpfastplz

So I visited the neighborhood at two different times today. during the day and evening, and after the second visit was happier with the area. I talked to some residents outside their homes and they all seemed happy and thought the subdivision was safe and friendly. A lot of them have lived there for many many years. I also knocked on some doors close to the house we are interested in and they said that they have never had any problems. Still am not totally sold but I feel a little more comfortable.

I checked crimereports and the police blotter and the area didnt seem any more dangerous then many of the areas people recommend. In fact it suffered from less of the more serious crimes than most. I know they dont report criminal on criminal, or so i have heard, but I don't think I should worry about that. That can really happen anywhere.

Give me your thoughts.

There is a distinct possibility that you will never ever have an issue living in Aspen Hill... From my personal experience, especially getting into some trouble when I was younger, there is more crime out and about in Aspen Hill than some of the other areas in Montgomery county...

Just do what you feel is right, but I would definitely check some of those other areas out in person before you buy...

[Cheasare]

Originally Posted by needhelpfastplz

So I visited the neighborhood at two different times today. during the day and evening, and after the second visit was happier with the area. I talked to some residents outside their homes and they all seemed happy and thought the subdivision was safe and friendly. A lot of them have lived there for many many years. I also knocked on some doors close to the house we are interested in and they said that they have never had any problems. Still am not totally sold but I feel a little more comfortable.

I checked crimereports and the police blotter and the area didnt seem any more dangerous then many of the areas people recommend. In fact it suffered from less of the more serious crimes than most. I know they dont report criminal on criminal, or so i have heard, but I don't think I should worry about that. That can really happen anywhere.

Give me your thoughts.

and we all work from a different perspective. Several posters have suggested looking elsewhere and I would concur. I get that you and your partner are frustrated, but let me be very frank--you get what you pay for.

Generally speaking--in the DC Metro area it's usually the case that lower cost = a sketchy area or a very long commute.

I do not know anyone who lives in this neighborhood, but I do know people who live nearby and in their subdivision there is a problem with overcrowded homes and parking.

This area is in the Wheaton 4th Police District 4K2 section and I looked at the crime update reports and agree that the nature of the crimes are comparable to other parts of MOCO. OTOH, crime is only one consideration when buying a home: there is also the character and feel of a neighborhood that affects your quality of life and I just think there are other options far more worthy of consideration than Aspen HIll.

MC Department of Police: Divisions/District Stations

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