What is going on with Lakelands and Kentlands?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think the new Home Goods store taking Kmart's place will do well. It's supposed to be a Home Goods on steroids

LOL. While a discount TJMAX Home Goods store is a step up from KMart, it isn't exactly painting the picture of an appealing area to live. The area is very frumpy -Michaels, Ross Dress for Less, now TJMAX Home Goods -where is the Payless Shoes or As Seen On TV store? I guess those are coming in the next upgrade.

Kentlands had a Payless, you missed it! It closed some time back.

I think it is going up in luxury. It got rid of Payless and Kmart, and trashy movie theater. Adding a luxury cinemopolis, new Vasili's location in market square, and renovations to market square. Also the new cookie cafe which is SO good!

Yes. Kimco, which bought the retail area, considers it high end, so if you disagree you can bring it up with their market researchers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not live in either of these neighborhoods, but to the OP's question...a part of it might just be math.

These neighborhoods started in late 1980s (1988 per Wiki). So if you moved in 1989-1995 and perhaps were in your mid to late 20s and starting a family, you are now early to mid 50s. Your kids are through college and on their own (hopefully). Would you stay in the neighborhood or perhaps move somewhere else, either for retirement, or downsize or closer in (or farther out for that matter)?

I am sure some is just normal life patterns, but the age of the neighborhood and the first residents came to mind for me.

The neighborhoods are now deemed old. Kentlands shopping district is definitely at a low point. Yes, they are renovating and hopefully it will come back up in a year or so but right now it is at a very low point. People are attracted to the new and glitzy. If they are going to live out that way, they may be more attracted to the new and glitzy Crown neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not live in either of these neighborhoods, but to the OP's question...a part of it might just be math.

These neighborhoods started in late 1980s (1988 per Wiki). So if you moved in 1989-1995 and perhaps were in your mid to late 20s and starting a family, you are now early to mid 50s. Your kids are through college and on their own (hopefully). Would you stay in the neighborhood or perhaps move somewhere else, either for retirement, or downsize or closer in (or farther out for that matter)?

I am sure some is just normal life patterns, but the age of the neighborhood and the first residents came to mind for me.

The neighborhoods are now deemed old. Kentlands shopping district is definitely at a low point. Yes, they are renovating and hopefully it will come back up in a year or so but right now it is at a very low point. People are attracted to the new and glitzy. If they are going to live out that way, they may be more attracted to the new and glitzy Crown neighborhood.

glitzy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not live in either of these neighborhoods, but to the OP's question...a part of it might just be math.

These neighborhoods started in late 1980s (1988 per Wiki). So if you moved in 1989-1995 and perhaps were in your mid to late 20s and starting a family, you are now early to mid 50s. Your kids are through college and on their own (hopefully). Would you stay in the neighborhood or perhaps move somewhere else, either for retirement, or downsize or closer in (or farther out for that matter)?

I am sure some is just normal life patterns, but the age of the neighborhood and the first residents came to mind for me.

The neighborhoods are now deemed old. Kentlands shopping district is definitely at a low point. Yes, they are renovating and hopefully it will come back up in a year or so but right now it is at a very low point. People are attracted to the new and glitzy. If they are going to live out that way, they may be more attracted to the new and glitzy Crown neighborhood.

glitzy!

It has a Lululemon!

[Anonymous]

Kentlands is the worst of the best 90s construction. I like the neighborhood vibe, but like you get get an influx of non neighbors to any event in the community and the rooms are small and not open in many houses. Also not having an attached garage at that price point in the deep burbs is a sacrifice I would not make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way too far out, mediocre schools.

Far from what, my commute from there is 20 minutes and 10 minutes for my H?

We looked out there many years ago. Cute homes. It was too far from everything [but your job].

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kentlands is the worst of the best 90s construction. I like the neighborhood vibe, but like you get get an influx of non neighbors to any event in the community and the rooms are small and not open in many houses. Also not having an attached garage at that price point in the deep burbs is a sacrifice I would not make.

totally agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way too far out, mediocre schools.

Far from what, my commute from there is 20 minutes and 10 minutes for my H?

We looked out there many years ago. Cute homes. It was too far from everything [but your job].

It's not far from all the stuff we like to do.

"Everything" gets very droll after a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. I would never buy a house in Kentlands or Lakelands either. We looked several times but each time came away with no way. Its fun ti visit, but live there no way.

1. It has a strange vibe. Its not urban but its too crowded and busy. Its not low end but its not high end either. Lots of restaurants but none of them are good. It reminded me of an outlet mall or one of those shopping plazas out in VA. Its great to go to one or have one close by but I wouldn't want to live in one.

2. The houses always seemed over priced compared to the area. This is generally a risky investment.

3. Everyone has complaints and compliments about where they live but complaints that I had heard from Kentlands residents made us really pause. HOA is a nightmare. Its like living in a PTA meeting or event. No escape from everyone. Too gossipy. Too loud and crowded.

4. The house layouts are all off. Either the rooms are all designed to be just a few ft too small for normal furniture or there is some HOA requirement to purchase super large furniture for every room. Every house we saw had very little flow space around the furniture. Detached garages with the climate here doesn't make sense. Who wants to live in a pink or purple house?

5. The best is the faux lake and premium for lakefront. Mosquitos and nat breeding grounds.

6. Too public. There are lots of fun events at the Kentlands but there is also tons of parking. I really enjoy block parties but block parties with the entire Gaithersburg, North Potomac, and Rockville area coming to my neighborhood is different.

+1

It's like a bad re-do of The Truman Show.

[Anonymous]

Let's go QO -- community spirit!

https://twitter.com/QOHSPrin_Thomas/status/1068586844701511680

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a blood feud between the People of the Lake and the Kents. Outside of town people don't know, because there's a pact to bury the bodies locally and sell the houses to benefit the survivors, as long as the death was honorable and in service of the tribe. It's all very ritualized with swords and daggers so sometimes scores can be settled without fatalities, but lately tensions have gotten worse and Lake Nirvana is tinged red but not for any sort of holiday celebration sponsored by the citizen's association. If you catch my drift.

[Anonymous]

For our family, it was the upcoming changes in the Rachel Carson ES boundary that made the otherwise adorable neighborhood into a less certain investment. The school is over capacity, and a nearby Dufief ES is building an addition to accommodate the overflow. However, my expectation is that the new policy will cause a full-out elementary redistricting in QO instead of a planned shift of some RCES students to Dufief. With our budget, we were looking at the edges of the district, so no guarantees. We opted for a nearby neighborhood that feeds into a newly expanded Diamond ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kentlands is the worst of the best 90s construction. I like the neighborhood vibe, but like you get get an influx of non neighbors to any event in the community and the rooms are small and not open in many houses. Also not having an attached garage at that price point in the deep burbs is a sacrifice I would not make.

And yet plenty of people who are not you (or me) are happy to do that.

Kentlands has been pricy for years now. When are the "it's overpriced!' people going to concede that it's not overpriced?

[Anonymous]

Qo is 4th best Hs is the state?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Qo is 4th best Hs is the state?!

DP. In terms of enthusiastic boosterism - or so I infer from posts on DCUM.