Hello, both neighborhoods are very nice. I almost bought last year in UP. I worked with a local realtor and was able to find out about some houses that were going to go to market ahead of time. I suggest trying to work with a local realtor of you are serious about trying to buy in the area. As others have mentioned, there is a lack of inventory.
I ultimately ended up purchasing a home in the historic/arts district in Hyattsville, in zipcode 20781. I bought a house on the north end, which borders up against Riverdale Park. I can walk to the amenities offered in Riverdale ( whole foods complex), I can walk to the amenities offered in the arts district on Rt. 1, and I can also walk to the metro ( Prince George's Plaza) which offers service on the green and yellow line. I work in SE and my office is on the green line, so its perfect. I ended up deciding on this area because it was more affordable and I was able to get a historic house that has been completely renovated and still offered many of the same benefits as UP. I can also walk to UP and do so often with my son. The elementary school has a very nice playground.
The people is this entire area are wonderful and there is a strong sense of community in Hyattsville, UP, Riverdale, and College Park. As for the school's, they are a work in progress, but I have faith that things will improve greatly over the next 5 to 7 years. I have a 6 year old son and since I am divorced, he goes to school in MoCo where his father lives, however many of my neighbors have children in the PG schools and are happy with them. As long as you're an involved parent and work with your children, I think you could be happy with the elementary schools. As for the middle and high, there is work to be done and these communities are pushing for positive change.
I highly recommend you consider all areas mentioned and expect that prices will continue to climb, especially when the purple line development is completed. Best of luck!
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