S/O: Brookland VS Hyattsville

[Anonymous]

Locations seem very similar as far as culture, development, schools, transportation, and commutes to various places. Which location would be a more sound purchase? Can anyone help me list the pros and cons for both!


Hyattsvile:
The northern corridor of PG is taking off... fast
Growth here is linear and upward as it is one of few places inside the beltway with major development AND affordable/nice starter homes
Metro Accessibility
Walkability
Amenities (parks, restaurants, bars)
Cheaper housing (can get SFH or new townhome for the same price)

Brookland:
Took off a few years ago and still has some room to grow
Free Preschool
Washington DC Address
Metro Accessibility
Walkability
Amenities (parks, restaurants, bars)
Cheaper housing (for DC, house most likely needs some work done)


What do you guys think? The comparison seems like a wash. Would love to hear bias and unbiased opinions.

[Anonymous]

I would choose Brookland. DC has always appreciated faster than the burbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Brookland. DC has always appreciated faster than the burbs.

Would you consider Hyattsville to be the burbs at this point?

[Anonymous]

This is the question I wrestle with everyday - should we have bought in Hyattsville? Did we make the wrong call?

I think you should look at the historical data on how each neighborhood fared in the last recession. Hyattsville defintely looks poised for continued appreciation, and depending on what part honestly already has more walkable "amenities" but that PG address always worries me with regards to insulation from a future recession. I don't know if it matters because it's a different place now than it was in 2008, but that was ultimately why we decided to buy in DC. Plus free (hopefully) pre-K when we get there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Brookland. DC has always appreciated faster than the burbs.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the question I wrestle with everyday - should we have bought in Hyattsville? Did we make the wrong call?

I think you should look at the historical data on how each neighborhood fared in the last recession. Hyattsville defintely looks poised for continued appreciation, and depending on what part honestly already has more walkable "amenities" but that PG address always worries me with regards to insulation from a future recession. I don't know if it matters because it's a different place now than it was in 2008, but that was ultimately why we decided to buy in DC. Plus free (hopefully) pre-K when we get there!

Also, I'm the PP and don't think there's anything wrong with PG county and we frequent Hyattsville, Mount Rainier etc. frequently. We were just risk-averse buyers because we weren't sure if we would be financially poised to "stick out a recession" if we couldn't sell in Hyattsville, Mt. R. if life changed suddenly.

Just don't want to get attacked as racist for saying "PG address always worries me" because our decision was rooted firmly in risk tolerance.

[Anonymous]

For schools, Brookland (DC) wins in education for free PK and a *chance* for desirable test-in/lottery-in public schools. Hyattsville wins for higher ed because of access to MD in-state tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Brookland. DC has always appreciated faster than the burbs.

Would you consider Hyattsville to be the burbs at this point?

Yes, I would.

[Anonymous]

This isn't really an apples to apples thing unless you have an unlimited budget, because housing in Brookland is way more expensive than in Hyattsville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn't really an apples to apples thing unless you have an unlimited budget, because housing in Brookland is way more expensive than in Hyattsville.

Fair. This is considering a budget in the 500-600k range. You can get a house in both places in that budget, albeit the brookland house would be older and/or need work. In Hyattsville you can build a house and have cash to spare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn't really an apples to apples thing unless you have an unlimited budget, because housing in Brookland is way more expensive than in Hyattsville.

Fair. This is considering a budget in the 500-600k range. You can get a house in both places in that budget, albeit the brookland house would be older and/or need work. In Hyattsville you can build a house and have cash to spare.

If your price range is 600K max I would choose Hyattsville and get a SFH. That price range in Brookland is going to be a run-down rowhouse in a sketchy part. Your budget will go farther in PG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn't really an apples to apples thing unless you have an unlimited budget, because housing in Brookland is way more expensive than in Hyattsville.

Fair. This is considering a budget in the 500-600k range. You can get a house in both places in that budget, albeit the brookland house would be older and/or need work. In Hyattsville you can build a house and have cash to spare.

Yeah, I think the housing you can buy for that amount is so different that that difference would eclipse the other considerations you listed for most people, but perhaps not commute time, government or schools as I know those are really important for a lot of people.

[Anonymous]

I feel terrible admitting this but having moved around a few times, proximity to whole foods or trader joes is pretty impactful on my day to day happiness. I like being really close to the one in Riverdale and parking is less stressful than P St.

[Anonymous]

Where you work and how you plan to get there matters. It is extremely easy to get to the red line metro from just about anywhere in Brookland or Michigan Park, either by walking or spending 5-10 minutes on the G8, 80, etc. I think the buses to get to the green line stations in Hyattsville are more of an ordeal.

If you're driving to a job downtown, it's maybe 10-15 minutes longer from Hyattsville.

I do agree that 600k may be tough in Brookland now. There are total guts listed around 500k. Even the (supercute) brick standalones, rowhouses, and triplexes north of the Franciscan monastery were going for about 700k a couple years ago. Now the rundown ones have been going for 400-500k the past few months, and are probably going to be flipped for a lot more than that.

[Anonymous]

I do think you can still get a cute house (maybe needs some work) for 600k in Langdon/Woodridge - though fewer options, because a lot of flips are more than that, and a lot of stuff in the 400-500 range are total gut jobs. So maybe that's the truer comparison, and Hyattsville has more walkable amenities for sure but Langdon/Woodridge still have the pros of pre-k 3, chance for good charters, easy access to Brookland and Rhode Island metros or direct downtown via G9 (depends on your commute).