So Many Questions! (Hyattsville, Greenbelt, Laurel) (Silver Spring, Frederick: condo, crime, house)

[acornhp]

Hello everyone,

I have been scanning through the threads all over this forum and a good many questions have been answered. Thank you all for your time and attention to the questions that have been posted over the last few years.

I am in discussions for a job that is based in Hyattsville - but involves work along the 95/BW Parkway within PG County. So, now I have to think about my family.

Here is the deal - we are about as cracker as they come. My wife is from rural New Hampshire, I'm from rural PA. We live in a small town (under 15,000 ppl) that has no chain stores. Part of the idea of moving to the PG area is that we can be close to the activities and shopping. However, at our core we are not really city dwellers. (In an ideal world we have forty acres and a farmhouse, but the jobs aren't shaking out that way.)

We have a 2.5yr old and a 1mo old. We have a yellow lab and we like to get outside quite often. It would be ideal to have a place that is somewhat liberal on the political spectrum (but not critical) and a place to have a small garden.

I had considered living in places like Mt. Airy or Frederick - but that commute would be hell - and I wouldn't even be going into the city! I kept on glancing at Greenbelt, but I'm not wild about the condo idea (I do love the little walkable core area). Anything within the beltway seems too urban. I can't get a feel for Laurel. Bowie might work, but not sure.

It seems as though there are there options:
1) Small house (>1000 sq ft), small yard, close to transit
2) Middle sized house (800-1200 sq ft), medium sized yard (1/2 acre), long commute
3) Small condo (800 sq ft), smaller yard, walkable/less crime

We aren't terribly worried about school, but a good elementary school would be nice. I'm willing to work with the issues, but crime is the one thing that just scares the ca-ca out of this rural liberal guy...

I can work with prices (where we live now, we are paying $1850 for a two bedroom). It would be nice to buy, but not critical.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on living somewhere else and commuting; on buying in the area; and generally what to expect out of this situation.

Thanks so much in advance

[bowian]

Hi. I'd look at Bowie, Cheverly, Berwyn Heights, College Park, University Park, Beltsville and Glenn Dale in addition to Greenbelt. Some areas are pricier than others, but explore all the options. The areas that would have the most open space and appear the most rural (Brandywine, Upper Marlboro, Baden, Aquasco, Croom -- I think you'll probably like these) are a bit far from the Hyattsville area. But they may be doable.

[Fissure226]

Depending on your budget you might be able to afford some of the less dense areas of Southern Howard and Eastern Montgomery Counties, these areas however are very expensive. Less expensive, yet less desirable would be the not-so-dense areas in an round Bowie and points south between the Beltway and US-301. Anything farther from these areas would give you an unbearable commute. If you are willing to go more suburban I would suggest reasonably priced areas like Silver Spring, College Park or Greenbelt, this way the commute is way sorter.