Is Wheaton safe?
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Anonymous
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Just wondering what people's feeling were about Wheaton an its safety. My 70ish parents want to buy a townhouse here so they can be closer to their grandchildren. We live in North Chevy Chase, close to Kensington, so for their budget (<$450K) to get something "nice" - renovated a bit or somewhat new), they can get a lot more in Wheaton and still be 15 minutes away. I just don't know that area well - seems to be a lot of strip centers and not that pretty in the central area but the neighborhood streets seem fine. My biggest issue is safety though. Any thoughts on that and where the neighborhood s headed in general? Thanks.
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Anonymous
| They are trying to turn the area around but it is going a lot slower than they had hoped. |
Anonymous
| There was a post about this a while back centering on Wheaton Mall. Lots of varied opinions. I live close to Wheaton and feel relatively safe shopping and visiting there. It is a little run down and I likely wouldn't choose to live there. I think my own neighborhood is much nicer for not that much more money (Forest Glen area of Silver Spring). You might want to check available housing there as well. |
Anonymous
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I live about 5 minutes from the heart of Wheaton. It's fine. They will be fine there. They have great, inexpensive ethnic restaurants and it's an easy drive to the supermarket and mall. It's also pretty walkable if they are going to purchase one of the townhomes right in the center of town.
It's one of the oldest city centers in Montgomery County so some of the strip malls do look not as pretty and old. But, Montgomery Co. is focusing a lot of funds and resources in getting it updated. I don't even think revitalized is an appropriate word because the community is still vital. It's not like the old downtown silver spring where everything was boarded up like Detroit. If they are looking for a walkable area with tons of restaurants it's a good place to be. |
Anonymous
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There are sketchy characters around. My friends live there, and they talk about drug deals being busted on their street and at the Ga. Ave. Dunkin Donuts. My friend used to rent a condo on Medical Park Drive, and truckers in big rigs would park on the side of the road and sleep there. They would have little BBQs roadside. I would definitely do my homework before considering a place there, including asking around and meeting the neighbors, as well as observing the area at all hours, ideally including during warmer weather.
You could check out the mo.co. crime listings http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/poltmpl.asp?url=/content/pol/districts/MSB/recordsdivision/CAS.asp also this mapping site http://www.washingtonpost.com/real-estate/neighborhoods/index.html |
Anonymous
| What about looking down in Kensington instead? I know you said they are looking for a townhouse though...Kensington Heights has nice small houses and it is safe. There are some apartments over in the town of Kensington and that area is really nice. There are some townhomes and apartments off Georgia between the beltway and Plyers Mill that I'm sure would be pretty safe. 450 should really get you something decent in Kensington. |
Anonymous
Agree. The houses (there are some townhouses as well) in the area that's not the incorporated part of Kensington are relatively inexpensive because they don't feed into the Walter Johnson cluster. Very similar houses on either side of the boundary can sell for a $200,000 difference. Since your parents obviously don't need to deal with schools, this might be a good solution. |
Anonymous
| If Wheaton really is walkable (I haven't been there in years), it would be a good choice for 70+ year olds whose driving days are limited. Nothing isolates the elderly in suburbs like having to give up driving. |
Anonymous
| I would not let my 70 year old parents live there. |
Anonymous
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How about downtown Silver Spring? lots of very nice condos going up and it truly is walkable, with grocery stores, restaurants, and a new library coming soon, plus the metro and lots of doctor's offices.
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Anonymous
| Awesome, another DCUM thread bashing Wheaton by people who don't even live here. We have lived in Wheaton for 5+ years and really enjoy the restaurants, the Metro proximity and the funky community. Yeah, the economic downturn slowed the redevelopment but the big new Safeway is going up on Georgia Ave and Costco is coming to the Mall. There are a ton of nice families and people living in Wheaton and it is an incredibly diverse community. |
Anonymous
| I think Wheaton is fine but agree with the posts about Kensington, especially in North Kensington. Our house was just under $450K and we have a 4-bedroom SFH. A nice townhouse should be easy enough to find in that price range. And it would put them that much closer. |
Anonymous
| Wait -- Costco is coming to Wheaton mall?! |
Anonymous
Yes, I can vouch for that because we live in that part of Kensington. Schools are a concern for us, (elementary is good) but that's another post. If they could find an apartment in the old part of Kensington (down near Noyes library) that is really nice and close to you. There is a building down there, and a few smaller apartment/condo buildings and there are nice walkable things (a Safeway, Johnson's garden store, convenience store, some little shops and restaurants, and lots of antique stores...oh and the childrens library). That would be a great area. Wheaton proper? I personally think it's safe, but it's not where I'd want to retire, kwim? But the area is being revitalized slowly, and there is metro access. |
Anonymous
| Yes, Costco is coming. I just want to know when! |