Oakland Terrace

[Anonymous]

Oh please. Being able to walk places with that many small kids is a big deal. OT is a good school, and PP (not sure if it’s OP) is happy and excited. That’s a good thing! Wheaton is not an upscale mall but it’s a good mall. We go there a lot for Target, Costco, Joann’s, Dicks and Stride Rite. There is a small play area that is perfectly serviceable for small kids who need to let off steam in bad weather. Let PP be happy and judge for herself instead of putting all your prejudices on her. I’ve never personally seen anything illegal or scary at that mall, though I know there have been such events as reported in the news. And I’m there reasonably frequently.

[Anonymous]

Hilarious. Do you know the definition of prejudice?

As a noun it is "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience".

You missed the part where I said I HAVE SEEN. Thus it is based on my ACTUAL experience.

As a result it isn't prejudice. It's an opinion. Sorry you don't like it.

[Anonymous]

Have lived in the county all my life. Wheaton is not what it was 35 years ago. Both of my kids have been over there and came home saying they were not going back. It had nothing to do with the color of people's skin. It had everything to do with the behavior they witnessed (fighting, stealing). I can't speak for what it is like in the middle of the day during the week, but my kids were there on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP that suggested the other side of Conn Ave.

Look.....people have made some subtle comments - let me be a bit more blunt.

The mall is not the dreamland that you think it is. I do not generally take my children there to hang out. If I have to go to Target - I go to Rockville Pike. We go in and out of Costco hop skip. We have literally seen stealing, kids setting off firecrackers in the mall, fights, etc. In the last year there were a rash of "unfortunate" incidents (aka stabbings and shootings). I always knew before it was on WTOP because we would hear the "thump thump thump" of the helicopter circling. It is a mall that literally, has murder at it. Unlike many other places I go, I always am wide-eyed when I go there. When we see someone in handcuffs on the side of the road, I say to my children, "Well there is something you don't see in Bethesda!".

While Wheaton and the mall has improved in the last decade or two, it still isn't all it could be. That nice Hugo place back in the day used to be a massage parlor that was a front for a brothel. On one of the streets behind the McDonalds was a girl being kept by a gang forced into prostitution - that was just in the past year - not 10 years ago.

Why for a million dollars you would CHOOSE that is quite beyond me. It isn't about being a snob - it is about the basic safety of small children and a stay at home Mom.

That people on here were a bit stunned that you were excited should tell you something. We all know the issues and housing prices and schools. Any decent realtor would tell you to talk to neighbors before buying. You essentially have and don't care to hear any of it.

Search the news for information about the mall. Go to that mall at DIFFERENT times of the day and hang and see how you feel. (My fav - try shopping for toys at Target - they don't even bother to try to keep that section nice.)

And..... when you are living that dream..... when you have the first day that you are at home and a bit freaked out about the "thump thump thump" of the helicopter - remember we tried to ask you if you were going to be comfortable with that.

If I didn't think you were very doe-eyed, I might think you were the developer trolling the site trying to actually get those places sold. I don't think you are that troll - rather you need to do a bit more thoughtful research.

DIFFERENT POSTER.
I live in the area. I am quite familiar with the criminal incidents at the mall. I do not let my kids go there and hang out by themselves. However, I frequent the mall for the Target, Costco, a few other stores.
At the mall, I see many more families, regular law-abiding shoppers than criminals and crime(I have personally never witnessed a crime there).
This is my neighborhood, my community and dang it is my mall. I'm not going to forced out, scared away or run away from it. The more people push to make it safer, to make it serviceable for the people in the community, there better it is for all us. You don't like the way they keep the Target, complain to management. The way to keep that mall alive is to keep shopping there and that is what I plan to do. PP, you can live, shop and fart where you want to.
But do not make the mistake that other grown ass people can be aware of their surroundings and community and make different choices than your own and be slap damn happy about it.
By the way, we started out at Oakland Terrace and loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here with the 3 kids. We are purchasing one of the SFH new builds! So excited. Immersion here we come. And we have found the Montessori bilingual preschool on Plyers Mill. Feel so blessed. Immersion, big house, easy commute for DH, Costco for me. We have already met 2 other families buying (townhouses) in the same development. Husbands in the other families also work downtown so DH will have company walking to metro One of the moms is stay at home like me,-- we can take the kids to the mall together, i hope.

So glad everything is falling into place after so much moving the past 5 years.

Welcome! We love the neighborhood, the proximity to so much, immersion for our younger two kids, and our down to earth neighbors. Ignore PPs trying to scare you about the mall and the area in general. The idea that this area is unsafe for small kids is laughable, as someone who used to live in DC and, really, anywhere that is not a bubble. We go there all the time (Costco, Target, etc.) and my kids spent many hours in the little play area when they were little. There are lots of SAHM in the neighborhood, too. Think about getting on the waitlists for the neighborhood pools, Kenmont and Glenwood. The former is much closer to where you describe being. Also, we have been told the county is developing plans for immersion to continue past elementary, and are hoping those come to fruition. If not, there are plenty of options.

We love where we are, and I hope you do, too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. Being able to walk places with that many small kids is a big deal. OT is a good school, and PP (not sure if it’s OP) is happy and excited. That’s a good thing! Wheaton is not an upscale mall but it’s a good mall. We go there a lot for Target, Costco, Joann’s, Dicks and Stride Rite. There is a small play area that is perfectly serviceable for small kids who need to let off steam in bad weather. Let PP be happy and judge for herself instead of putting all your prejudices on her. I’ve never personally seen anything illegal or scary at that mall, though I know there have been such events as reported in the news. And I’m there reasonably frequently.

Wheaton Mall is a 5-8 minute drive from Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP that suggested the other side of Conn Ave.

Look.....people have made some subtle comments - let me be a bit more blunt.

The mall is not the dreamland that you think it is. I do not generally take my children there to hang out. If I have to go to Target - I go to Rockville Pike. We go in and out of Costco hop skip. We have literally seen stealing, kids setting off firecrackers in the mall, fights, etc. In the last year there were a rash of "unfortunate" incidents (aka stabbings and shootings). I always knew before it was on WTOP because we would hear the "thump thump thump" of the helicopter circling. It is a mall that literally, has murder at it. Unlike many other places I go, I always am wide-eyed when I go there. When we see someone in handcuffs on the side of the road, I say to my children, "Well there is something you don't see in Bethesda!".

While Wheaton and the mall has improved in the last decade or two, it still isn't all it could be. That nice Hugo place back in the day used to be a massage parlor that was a front for a brothel. On one of the streets behind the McDonalds was a girl being kept by a gang forced into prostitution - that was just in the past year - not 10 years ago.

Why for a million dollars you would CHOOSE that is quite beyond me. It isn't about being a snob - it is about the basic safety of small children and a stay at home Mom.

That people on here were a bit stunned that you were excited should tell you something. We all know the issues and housing prices and schools. Any decent realtor would tell you to talk to neighbors before buying. You essentially have and don't care to hear any of it.

Search the news for information about the mall. Go to that mall at DIFFERENT times of the day and hang and see how you feel. (My fav - try shopping for toys at Target - they don't even bother to try to keep that section nice.)

And..... when you are living that dream..... when you have the first day that you are at home and a bit freaked out about the "thump thump thump" of the helicopter - remember we tried to ask you if you were going to be comfortable with that.

If I didn't think you were very doe-eyed, I might think you were the developer trolling the site trying to actually get those places sold. I don't think you are that troll - rather you need to do a bit more thoughtful research.

DIFFERENT POSTER.
I live in the area. I am quite familiar with the criminal incidents at the mall. I do not let my kids go there and hang out by themselves. However, I frequent the mall for the Target, Costco, a few other stores.
At the mall, I see many more families, regular law-abiding shoppers than criminals and crime(I have personally never witnessed a crime there).
This is my neighborhood, my community and dang it is my mall. I'm not going to forced out, scared away or run away from it. The more people push to make it safer, to make it serviceable for the people in the community, there better it is for all us. You don't like the way they keep the Target, complain to management. The way to keep that mall alive is to keep shopping there and that is what I plan to do. PP, you can live, shop and fart where you want to.
But do not make the mistake that other grown ass people can be aware of their surroundings and community and make different choices than your own and be slap damn happy about it.
By the way, we started out at Oakland Terrace and loved it.

There have been issues and incidents at all the malls, including Montgomery. I go all the time and out to eat in Wheaton and never once had an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I never put my kid in that school. Otherwise, be prepared to supplement, especially with spelling and math facts.

“Put” your kid in there? Don’t you live in area = that’s your school?

OP—FWIW, close friend’s kids very happy there, thrived and excelled. Went on to magnet.

Yes we live in the area and yes, I put my child there. You do realize families do have choices, including private schools. Great your kids are thriving. Knowing one friend who had kids there doesn't give you any information to how the school actually is run and what happens day to day. Kids go to magnet as they are extremely smart, not because of the particular school. School is fine. It is great for hands off parents who want the school to do everything. However, if the school fails to recognize a child's needs or chooses not to, good luck getting help. If you want to be an involved parent, good luck getting any information beyond a report card and MAP scores online.

[Anonymous]

NP. Is the discussion about the new homes being built on the north side of McComas backing up to the mall? I was under the impression that McComas Ave was the dividing line in Kensington Heights for elementary schools. South side goes to OT and north side goes to Rock View.

I’ve lived in Kensington Heights for 20 years. Schools are solid, neighborhood is great, having Wheaton Mall/metro close by is an amazing convenience. My kids are teenagers who regularly meet up at the mall for movies and food.

[Anonymous]

I've shopped at the mall for 1.5 years without ever seeing anything

Pp is just a racist who is teaching her kids that being mostly white and high income (Bethesda) is the only way to have a safe, nice community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Is the discussion about the new homes being built on the north side of McComas backing up to the mall? I was under the impression that McComas Ave was the dividing line in Kensington Heights for elementary schools. South side goes to OT and north side goes to Rock View.

I’ve lived in Kensington Heights for 20 years. Schools are solid, neighborhood is great, having Wheaton Mall/metro close by is an amazing convenience. My kids are teenagers who regularly meet up at the mall for movies and food.

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/ServiceAreaMaps/OaklandTerraceES.pdf

The eastern part of McComas/Douglas is in the OT zone.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think people are giving you a hard time because you mentioned your husband being in "big law".

There aren't a lot of "big law" families in the nabe, and a lot of the people you would hang out with are doing jobs that are in non-profits, gov't, etc., and they aren't generally too impressed with the "big law" crowd.

[Anonymous]

I am now (apparently) the evil poster.

So what then are you assuming about the race of my family? Just a bit confused on that. Maybe then you are the racist making assumptions? I never talked about race - only you did. But I will let my kids know that tonight. And they will have a good laugh. You assume that only white people care about security or something?

That is ok. I am sure your next come back will be that regardless of my race that I am a "snob". (Or do you not remember the people at the beginning of this thread calling out the OP as a snob because she dropped that her husband was "big law"? Were you one of the people who focused on that?) Should I alert you to my income so you can pass judgement? (Let me help you out - we are median income and home value - https://datausa.io/profile/geo/montgomery-county-md/)

And for the comment re: "Say something at Target". I did once. After I was panhandled in the checkout line. I alerted management they may not want their "guests" being harassed.

Seems the majorty doesn't have these kinds of experiences at Wheaton. My bad. But just because I say I have had these experiences and don't like the mall as a result - that makes me a bad person? So strange it is that AS A RESULT of those experiences that I want my kids to have community that is respectful and avoid the place? No way to win with you.

[Anonymous]

It’s the big law comments. Lots of big law. Lots of other high income in the area. No one cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I never put my kid in that school. Otherwise, be prepared to supplement, especially with spelling and math facts.

“Put” your kid in there? Don’t you live in area = that’s your school?

OP—FWIW, close friend’s kids very happy there, thrived and excelled. Went on to magnet.

Yes we live in the area and yes, I put my child there. You do realize families do have choices, including private schools. Great your kids are thriving. Knowing one friend who had kids there doesn't give you any information to how the school actually is run and what happens day to day. Kids go to magnet as they are extremely smart, not because of the particular school. School is fine. It is great for hands off parents who want the school to do everything. However, if the school fails to recognize a child's needs or chooses not to, good luck getting help. If you want to be an involved parent, good luck getting any information beyond a report card and MAP scores online.

DP,

Just like you told the previous poster that oh she has friends who are doing great well that’s fine that’s for that same thing goes for you your kids are doing a great well that’s just you and any parent who wants more then scores and I report card needs to make appointments with the teachers the counselors or whatever to get the particular information they’re looking for you not get it at open house you’re not gonna get it in the report card you have to have a meeting with the teacher to get that specific information you’re looking for do you think they have time to write a dissertation about 1 million different kid on a report card? They could write paragraphs and paragraphs but that may not be that specific information you’re looking for.
And I’m a parent in the school system in this area and I’m happy with education my child is getting is a perfect know other things that I wish they concentrated more on are there things that I wish they did better of course no school is perfect but overall I trust and believe that my child is being well educated if you have a different experience that’s a valid take a chow or somewhere else where you feel they’ll get exactly what they need.