Takoma Park MD if you're not woke

[Anonymous]

OP, if your wife isn't an evangelical Christian trying to proselytize to people, you will have no issues. I have very little knowledge or interest in what any of my neighbors do in terms of religion or if they are conservative, and I suspect most of my neighbors feel the same way. People are very much caught up in their own lives, regardless of their political persuasion. Maybe some people will have those rainbow "everyone is welcome here" signs but I can't imagine how that would bother anyone.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in TP for a few years (and more or less fit the liberal sterotypes). As long as your wife doesn't push her faith, I think people will be perfectly civil and polite to her, but I do think she will have trouble finding deeper community here (i.e. people will say hi and comment on how lovely your garden is looking but they won't invite you to book clubs and dinner parties). People are not looking to start a fight about conservative Christianity, but they are not excited to invite conservative Christians into their social circles either.

Like others have said, YMMV depending on exactly what location you live it, and you might have better luck in east silver spring or langley park neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Only experience I had with a Takoma Park resident was in a childbirth class at Holy Cross Hospital. At some point this couple worked in very vocally that they are Takoma Park residents with somehow both a sense of superiority and a simultaneous chip on their shoulder.

We were encouraged to ask lots of questions over the several weeks of class and at one point saving cord blood came up. I asked if you get paid for donating cord blood kind of like for donating sperm. This Takoma Park dude's face got red as a cherry and he could barely contain his rage - accused me of trying to traffic human organs which is against some international treaty. LMAO dude it was just a question. I decided to live in Chevy Chase after that interaction (had seriously considered Takoma Park and was renting at that time). Although Chevy Chase wasn't a whole lot better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in TP for a few years (and more or less fit the liberal sterotypes). As long as your wife doesn't push her faith, I think people will be perfectly civil and polite to her, but I do think she will have trouble finding deeper community here (i.e. people will say hi and comment on how lovely your garden is looking but they won't invite you to book clubs and dinner parties). People are not looking to start a fight about conservative Christianity, but they are not excited to invite conservative Christians into their social circles either.

Like others have said, YMMV depending on exactly what location you live it, and you might have better luck in east silver spring or langley park neighborhoods.

I think this is fair. People will not be outright rude, but I think it might impede the formation of deep relationships. Having lived somewhere where my own progressive politics put me outside the neighborhood mainstream in a highly segregated suburb of a major Midwestern city, I know that people can both be perfectly polite and not really let you into their "circle" if your values don't align.

As a sidenote, I think you will find more Takoma Park residents attend faith services than don't, although their faith communities tend to be well aligned with their political values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in TP. My husband and I are on the conservative side of moderate. We love living here. We have great neighbours, etc. We don't talk politics. I think people commenting for the most part don't live here and haven't experienced the day to day reality.

OP here ... This is what we're intd in ... Living around down to earth ppl entitled to hold various political views & have respectful intg discussions. Don't mind folks spinning out far-left views and ideals, which we generally consider with an open mind (and neither one of us is in the "little bit racist" camp, whatever that means) ... More like she's active in church and turned off by the casual disparagement of faith you sometimes hear from the clever set ... and all-things-equal, leans toward fiscal responsibility. I.e.: Receiving the same kind of respect we give.

Why are you focused on Takoma Park?

There are other close-in options.

Looking at other options too ... Just asking about Takoma Park b/c I generally like it and it's less expensive than Bethesda, for example, but it has a reputation that's a turn-off for her ... which is why I was intd in others' experiences.

TP and Bethesda are two sides of the same coin.

Neither is laid back but for different reasons.

I’m the sup lib that does not like TP. It’s very in your face liberal politics instead of liberal beliefs in action. Like most would not be caught dead living in PG. (except maybe hyattsville)

Take any liberal belief and take it to the extreme and then argue until they are blue in the face and slip in a mention of their PhD to show they are better.

Very liberal politics but not liberal in practice.

[Anonymous]

More like she's active in church

This shouldn't be how she tries to make friends, not in the neighborhood. Religion in a private matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only experience I had with a Takoma Park resident was in a childbirth class at Holy Cross Hospital. At some point this couple worked in very vocally that they are Takoma Park residents with somehow both a sense of superiority and a simultaneous chip on their shoulder.

We were encouraged to ask lots of questions over the several weeks of class and at one point saving cord blood came up. I asked if you get paid for donating cord blood kind of like for donating sperm. This Takoma Park dude's face got red as a cherry and he could barely contain his rage - accused me of trying to traffic human organs which is against some international treaty. LMAO dude it was just a question. I decided to live in Chevy Chase after that interaction (had seriously considered Takoma Park and was renting at that time). Although Chevy Chase wasn't a whole lot better

This exactly but dang CC is just as bad but in a different way.

[Anonymous]

99% of folks in American never heard of Tacoma Park.

Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Potomac are only close in areas folks outside DMV even know of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:99% of folks in American never heard of Tacoma Park.

Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Potomac are only close in areas folks outside DMV even know of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in TP. My husband and I are on the conservative side of moderate. We love living here. We have great neighbours, etc. We don't talk politics. I think people commenting for the most part don't live here and haven't experienced the day to day reality.

OP here ... This is what we're intd in ... Living around down to earth ppl entitled to hold various political views & have respectful intg discussions. Don't mind folks spinning out far-left views and ideals, which we generally consider with an open mind (and neither one of us is in the "little bit racist" camp, whatever that means) ... More like she's active in church and turned off by the casual disparagement of faith you sometimes hear from the clever set ... and all-things-equal, leans toward fiscal responsibility. I.e.: Receiving the same kind of respect we give.

Why are you focused on Takoma Park?

There are other close-in options.

Looking at other options too ... Just asking about Takoma Park b/c I generally like it and it's less expensive than Bethesda, for example, but it has a reputation that's a turn-off for her ... which is why I was intd in others' experiences.

Why aren't you looking at Silver Spring? That seems like the obvious choice to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in TP. My husband and I are on the conservative side of moderate. We love living here. We have great neighbours, etc. We don't talk politics. I think people commenting for the most part don't live here and haven't experienced the day to day reality.

OP here ... This is what we're intd in ... Living around down to earth ppl entitled to hold various political views & have respectful intg discussions. Don't mind folks spinning out far-left views and ideals, which we generally consider with an open mind (and neither one of us is in the "little bit racist" camp, whatever that means) ... More like she's active in church and turned off by the casual disparagement of faith you sometimes hear from the clever set ... and all-things-equal, leans toward fiscal responsibility. I.e.: Receiving the same kind of respect we give.

Why are you focused on Takoma Park?

There are other close-in options.

Looking at other options too ... Just asking about Takoma Park b/c I generally like it and it's less expensive than Bethesda, for example, but it has a reputation that's a turn-off for her ... which is why I was intd in others' experiences.

Why aren't you looking at Silver Spring? That seems like the obvious choice to me.

We are ... esp Woodside Park and Rock Creek Forest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in TP for a few years (and more or less fit the liberal sterotypes). As long as your wife doesn't push her faith, I think people will be perfectly civil and polite to her, but I do think she will have trouble finding deeper community here (i.e. people will say hi and comment on how lovely your garden is looking but they won't invite you to book clubs and dinner parties). People are not looking to start a fight about conservative Christianity, but they are not excited to invite conservative Christians into their social circles either.

Like others have said, YMMV depending on exactly what location you live it, and you might have better luck in east silver spring or langley park neighborhoods.

I think this is fair. People will not be outright rude, but I think it might impede the formation of deep relationships. Having lived somewhere where my own progressive politics put me outside the neighborhood mainstream in a highly segregated suburb of a major Midwestern city, I know that people can both be perfectly polite and not really let you into their "circle" if your values don't align.

As a sidenote, I think you will find more Takoma Park residents attend faith services than don't, although their faith communities tend to be well aligned with their political values.

+100

[Anonymous]

TP and Bethesda are two sides of the same coin.

Neither is laid back but for different reasons.

I’m the sup lib that does not like TP. It’s very in your face liberal politics instead of liberal beliefs in action. Like most would not be caught dead living in PG. (except maybe hyattsville)

Take any liberal belief and take it to the extreme and then argue until they are blue in the face and slip in a mention of their PhD to show they are better.

Very liberal politics but not liberal in practice.

I don't live in Takoma Park, but do live nearby and want to push back on this a little bit, or at least ask why you feel this way. The schools are among the most diverse in the DC area, and while the existence of the local CES does lead to some segregation at Piney Branch, the classrooms are still far more integrated than in other parts of the county. At the middle and high school levels, there are identity-specific clubs and advocacy groups, and I can't think of a better place for a GNC or queer kid.

The local government protects rent-controlled housing, and has made specific regulations around inclusion of low-income housing in any new development.

The city provides composting, and uses municipal resources for community-building activities. Police are better-trained than average on racial profiling and how to de-escalate situations with people with mental health issues.

What would you like to see the city do that it isn't doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only experience I had with a Takoma Park resident was in a childbirth class at Holy Cross Hospital. At some point this couple worked in very vocally that they are Takoma Park residents with somehow both a sense of superiority and a simultaneous chip on their shoulder.

We were encouraged to ask lots of questions over the several weeks of class and at one point saving cord blood came up. I asked if you get paid for donating cord blood kind of like for donating sperm. This Takoma Park dude's face got red as a cherry and he could barely contain his rage - accused me of trying to traffic human organs which is against some international treaty. LMAO dude it was just a question. I decided to live in Chevy Chase after that interaction (had seriously considered Takoma Park and was renting at that time). Although Chevy Chase wasn't a whole lot better

Lol, seems pretty narrow minded and extreme to write off an entire community based on one interaction!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

More like she's active in church

This shouldn't be how she tries to make friends, not in the neighborhood. Religion in a private matter.

If OP is coming from elsewhere in the country, I cannot emphasize this enough as a regional difference. I grew up in a part of the country where "Which church do you go to?" was a normal conversation starter. Here, Religion Is Private.