neighborhood without a lot of beltway or major thoroughfare noise

[Anonymous]

Can someone recommend a neighborhood in Maryland inside or not too far outside the beltway with a friendly community feel, kids running around/riding bikes, etc, ideally walkable to something (a shop or two or three), ideally near a bike trail, and where you can't hear the beltway or other major thoroughfare?? I know it's a tall order. I keep getting excited about different areas to live but I have a hard time with that constant humming sound of traffic. I much prefer the sound of slow local traffic to fast traffic sounds. We can pay as much as 700K for a house but we'd rather stay closer to around 500.

[Anonymous]

That's a very broad question. As soon as you're about 1.5-2 miles from the beltway (depends on tree cover and terrain), you won't hear it.

[Anonymous]

Close in will always have major roads nearby. I agree about tree cover. Look four or five blocks into a suburb that will put you in the middle with four it five more blocks on the other end.

Upper Marlboro, Waldorf, Clinton, Accokeek.

College Park, Hyattsville

Laurel, Bowie

Maybe Greenbelt also.

[Anonymous]

Walkable AND you can't hear a major thoroughfare (I'm guessing this is any road with a SL of 35+ and/or four lanes.)?

Find anything on an acre or more in Prince George's. Some of the stuff in southern PGC will work, the schools there are good for PGC, and there's always tons of cheap private options for you.

[Anonymous]

Most things that you want to walk to are going to be on major thoroughfares, so if you want to be able to walk to them, you might have to hear them.

We're in North Chevy Chase and it is a wonderful neighborhood which fits most of your categories. I'm less than 3/4 mile from the Beltway and cannot hear it, but I can hear Connecticut Avenue. Parts of the neighborhood that are closer to it can. The parts that are behind the Starbucks cannot.

You should take a good look at Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring and Rock Creek Forest in Silver Spring and Chevy Chase. East-West Highway is the major thoroughfare but there are some shops and restaurants on Grubb Road, the neighborhoods go fairly far back off of East-West, and they're very close to Rock Creek Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most things that you want to walk to are going to be on major thoroughfares, so if you want to be able to walk to them, you might have to hear them.

We're in North Chevy Chase and it is a wonderful neighborhood which fits most of your categories. I'm less than 3/4 mile from the Beltway and cannot hear it, but I can hear Connecticut Avenue. Parts of the neighborhood that are closer to it can. The parts that are behind the Starbucks cannot.

You should take a good look at Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring and Rock Creek Forest in Silver Spring and Chevy Chase. East-West Highway is the major thoroughfare but there are some shops and restaurants on Grubb Road, the neighborhoods go fairly far back off of East-West, and they're very close to Rock Creek Park.

North Chevy Chase... Can you say Purple Line??

[Anonymous]

Yes, but the Purple Line will be quiet.

[Anonymous]

Bannockburn, Mohican hills, wood acres.
All also have multiple ways to get south to DC: MacArthur, Clara Barton, Massachusetts, river road, Bradley to Wisconsin or Connecticut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but the Purple Line will be quiet.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

[Anonymous]

Bannockburn, Mohican hills, wood acres.
All also have multiple ways to get south to DC: MacArthur, Clara Barton, Massachusetts, river road, Bradley to Wisconsin or Connecticut.

For under $700K?

[Anonymous]

What about areas of Takoma Park or neighborhoods right outside of Downtown Silver Spring, Seven Oaks, Indian Springs, Woodmoor - a little further out.

[Anonymous]

Seven Oaks, Indian Springs and Woodmoor are VERY close to the Beltway. Parts of these neighborhoods are very loud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Bannockburn, Mohican hills, wood acres.
All also have multiple ways to get south to DC: MacArthur, Clara Barton, Massachusetts, river road, Bradley to Wisconsin or Connecticut.

For under $700K?

Would be the homes younger than year 1995 without a massive addition. 2500 sf or less properties, like the one we bought. Those neighborhoods have either the smaller homes, the neglected tear downs, or the bigger new builds. Also, Wood Acres doesn't allow tear downs, just extensions.

[Anonymous]

There is a house in our 'hood Anchorage Dr. Bethesda currently listed at $725k. It is just off MacArthur Blvd past the beltway. Cute brick colonial. Great schools. Whitman High School. We're surrounded by very fancy neighborhoods with very expensive houses, but we're a family friendly mini-neighborhood with tons of kids. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Would be the homes younger than year 1995 without a massive addition. 2500 sf or less properties, like the one we bought. Those neighborhoods have either the smaller homes, the neglected tear downs, or the bigger new builds. Also, Wood Acres doesn't allow tear downs, just extensions.

OK, I checked and there is one house in Woodacres that sold for less than $700K this year, and none in Bannockburn or Mohican Hills. Plus those are not walkable to anything.