College Park is so cool now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is nothing cool about anything in the DC area. It's great for yuppies, but cool? Nothing.

haha! I love the people who are such snobs that the 6th largest metro area in the US has nothing to offer for them

No, PP is right. Baltimore 20th best bar is better than DC’s best bar and I’m not exaggerating. DC is known as Hollywood for dorks / unattractive people for a reason. There is nothing “cool” about a town known for lobbyists, defense contractors and government lawyers. DC actually ran a PR campaign called “DC Cool” to convince people that the city was cool. That should tell you something.

I'm the PP and yes I agree, Baltimore is way cooler than DC.

Yea no. Baltimore is a dump that's getting worse by the minute. It's cooler than DC if you've only ever gone bar hopping in Fell's Point. The Inner Harbor, which used to be Baltimore's biggest tourist attraction is now a bunch of run down chain restaurants and shitty stores. Pan handlers and squeegee kids block traffic at every light on every road going in or out of the city. Entire blocks of historic row homes are abandoned. It's depressing. There's a reason the city's median home value is around $100k. No one wants to live there and many who do are getting the f out.

Only Fells Point? Obivously you haven't been to Baltimore... They have a lot of nice neighborhoods and areas including Hampden, Canton, Charles Village, Little Italy, Fed Hill, Roland Park...need I go on.

Baltimore may have a shrinking population so did DC until recently. Baltimore is losing poorer residents and gaining more professionals. Visit Patterson Park and you will see all types of renovation going on.
Does Baltimore have issues, absolutely but to make it like it is this hellhole that everyone is fleeing is simple not accurate.

Same thing with College Park and PG County as a whole. Developers wouldn't be building if people weren't moving there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is nothing cool about anything in the DC area. It's great for yuppies, but cool? Nothing.

haha! I love the people who are such snobs that the 6th largest metro area in the US has nothing to offer for them

No, PP is right. Baltimore 20th best bar is better than DC’s best bar and I’m not exaggerating. DC is known as Hollywood for dorks / unattractive people for a reason. There is nothing “cool” about a town known for lobbyists, defense contractors and government lawyers. DC actually ran a PR campaign called “DC Cool” to convince people that the city was cool. That should tell you something.

I live in Baltimore.

I'm the PP and yes I agree, Baltimore is way cooler than DC.

Yea no. Baltimore is a dump that's getting worse by the minute. It's cooler than DC if you've only ever gone bar hopping in Fell's Point. The Inner Harbor, which used to be Baltimore's biggest tourist attraction is now a bunch of run down chain restaurants and shitty stores. Pan handlers and squeegee kids block traffic at every light on every road going in or out of the city. Entire blocks of historic row homes are abandoned. It's depressing. There's a reason the city's median home value is around $100k. No one wants to live there and many who do are getting the f out.

Only Fells Point? Obivously you haven't been to Baltimore... They have a lot of nice neighborhoods and areas including Hampden, Canton, Charles Village, Little Italy, Fed Hill, Roland Park...need I go on.

Baltimore may have a shrinking population so did DC until recently. Baltimore is losing poorer residents and gaining more professionals. Visit Patterson Park and you will see all types of renovation going on.
Does Baltimore have issues, absolutely but to make it like it is this hellhole that everyone is fleeing is simple not accurate.

Same thing with College Park and PG County as a whole. Developers wouldn't be building if people weren't moving there.

I live in Baltimore. The neighborhoods you mention each have something worth visiting fot a few hours. It isn't enough to make it a good city fo live in. Great to visit but that's about it.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in Arlington and downtown DC, neither is my style. Would love it if College Park had college town vibe like the U District in Seattle, just basically a 'very far from dc' feel to it. I'm ready to leave but tied to my blah contracting job in Arlington. Maybe the commute would be worth it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in Arlington and downtown DC, neither is my style. Would love it if College Park had college town vibe like the U District in Seattle, just basically a 'very far from dc' feel to it. I'm ready to leave but tied to my blah contracting job in Arlington. Maybe the commute would be worth it...

The yellow line was extended to college park/greenbelt with the new metro budget

If you work on the yellow line, give it a shot as a place to live after July 1

[Anonymous]

Where could one live in College Park with a "college town vibe," specifically? Looking for a house there since it checks our logistical boxes, but every place I've toured has just felt totally suburban.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where could one live in College Park with a "college town vibe," specifically? Looking for a house there since it checks our logistical boxes, but every place I've toured has just felt totally suburban.

Live in Calvert Hills if you want a pretty neighborhood with a good elementary school within walking distance of the amenities of College Park

Live north of the University Park ES boundary (Calvert St) for an area with more students, more parties, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is nothing cool about anything in the DC area. It's great for yuppies, but cool? Nothing.

haha! I love the people who are such snobs that the 6th largest metro area in the US has nothing to offer for them

No, PP is right. Baltimore 20th best bar is better than DC’s best bar and I’m not exaggerating. DC is known as Hollywood for dorks / unattractive people for a reason. There is nothing “cool” about a town known for lobbyists, defense contractors and government lawyers. DC actually ran a PR campaign called “DC Cool” to convince people that the city was cool. That should tell you something.

You're describing the DC of 2003. It's changed, man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where could one live in College Park with a "college town vibe," specifically? Looking for a house there since it checks our logistical boxes, but every place I've toured has just felt totally suburban.

I think what gives a place a “college town vibe” is it being located in a more isolated area where everyone associated with the university has no choice but to live there. The “problem” with UMD is that it’s located so close to DC with good transit infrastructure, so faculty have so many options in where to live. If they have a spouse with a job not connected to the university, it’s even more likely they will live elsewhere. The people who live in the neighborhoods built for and by UMD faculty of the past are now mostly MC/UMC people who commute jobs in the region and often aren’t connected to UMD. Which is fine, but it does take away from that “college town” vibe a bit. I think it’s true for the student population, too, to a lesser extent, as they have more options not to live right around campus and options for social scenes elsewhere, too.

I know the current president is trying to encourage staff to live in and around College Park. I think he is giving them financial incentives to do so. I hope it works. It’s a nice place to live, and nicer now that you don’t have to travel for amenities.

[Anonymous]

^^He'll have to give a damn lot more incentives. Prices in the area are steep for those of us on administrative salaries. No, thanks. Not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The town is undergoing a big renaissance as a college town. I know people have talked about how it's a good investment, etc, but I just want to talk about how cool it is becoming.

Its restaurant scene is better than ever with cool new taquerias, asian fusion restaurants, etc replacing old pizza by the slice spots.

It has the Milkboy Arthouse concert venue which opened in 2017. It features a mix of smaller time musical acts and internationally known artists with a more artsy/cultural vibe through a partnership through U Md's Clarice center.

From wikipedia: " The venue is the first in the United States to be a private-public performance space combined with the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center."

Link to shows if you're interested: milkboyarthouse.ticketfly.com

I don't live in College Park, but I just want to a show at Milkboy and felt like I needed to start this thread

What DC suburb can compete with College Park in terms of being as cool?

Bwahahahahaha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^He'll have to give a damn lot more incentives. Prices in the area are steep for those of us on administrative salaries. No, thanks. Not worth it.

I think it’s full-time Profs that would make it feel more like a true college town, and I think they can afford the area. I think assistant/adjunct staff can afford the area, but maybe not the nicest SFHs in the best neighborhoods. And I suspect this is true for administrative staff, too. I don’t think there are many areas in the DC Metro that are more affordable and offer comparable amenities or transit. But everyone has theirs personal preferences. I know an adjunct staff member who commutes 1.5 hrs one way from western MD because their family prefers to live on a farm. For them it’s a matter of lifestyle rather than affordability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A nice thing about moving to Rte 1 corridor has been that there really are more artists, musicians, etc here than other parts of the area. I wasn't sure if the "gateway arts" thing was just marketing and it is that too, but we have several neighbors who are working artists and musicians within a few blocks and that for sure wasn't true in our last, more expensive neighborhood. Better house parties, for sure.

No real artists, musicians, and the like live in the DC area. Any of them with any talent moves elsewhere.

I guess you haven’t seen the groundbreaking work being done by Rorschach, The Welders, Flying V, The artists of the Fringe Festival...I could go on...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is nothing cool about anything in the DC area. It's great for yuppies, but cool? Nothing.

haha! I love the people who are such snobs that the 6th largest metro area in the US has nothing to offer for them

No, PP is right. Baltimore 20th best bar is better than DC’s best bar and I’m not exaggerating. DC is known as Hollywood for dorks / unattractive people for a reason. There is nothing “cool” about a town known for lobbyists, defense contractors and government lawyers. DC actually ran a PR campaign called “DC Cool” to convince people that the city was cool. That should tell you something.

I'm the PP and yes I agree, Baltimore is way cooler than DC.

Yea no. Baltimore is a dump that's getting worse by the minute. It's cooler than DC if you've only ever gone bar hopping in Fell's Point. The Inner Harbor, which used to be Baltimore's biggest tourist attraction is now a bunch of run down chain restaurants and shitty stores. Pan handlers and squeegee kids block traffic at every light on every road going in or out of the city. Entire blocks of historic row homes are abandoned. It's depressing. There's a reason the city's median home value is around $100k. No one wants to live there and many who do are getting the f out.

Only Fells Point? Obivously you haven't been to Baltimore... They have a lot of nice neighborhoods and areas including Hampden, Canton, Charles Village, Little Italy, Fed Hill, Roland Park...need I go on.

Baltimore may have a shrinking population so did DC until recently. Baltimore is losing poorer residents and gaining more professionals. Visit Patterson Park and you will see all types of renovation going on.
Does Baltimore have issues, absolutely but to make it like it is this hellhole that everyone is fleeing is simple not accurate.

Same thing with College Park and PG County as a whole. Developers wouldn't be building if people weren't moving there.

True but if the people who are moving in are the poor people being pushed out of DC and low-end workers who can’t afford nicer areas that isn’t a trending upwards proposition. I see cheap apts going up and trashy people not a transformation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is nothing cool about anything in the DC area. It's great for yuppies, but cool? Nothing.

haha! I love the people who are such snobs that the 6th largest metro area in the US has nothing to offer for them

No, PP is right. Baltimore 20th best bar is better than DC’s best bar and I’m not exaggerating. DC is known as Hollywood for dorks / unattractive people for a reason. There is nothing “cool” about a town known for lobbyists, defense contractors and government lawyers. DC actually ran a PR campaign called “DC Cool” to convince people that the city was cool. That should tell you something.

You're describing the DC of 2003. It's changed, man.

But when one area changes for the better another area must change for the worse. There are more poor people now as the wealth disparity grows. Most people in the area would peg PG and the southern VA 95 corridor as the areas getting worse. Of course there will be little exceptions but the areas around college park (Langley Park and greater Hyattsville) are getting much worse rapidly. The original ledo fled it original location because middle class customers wouldn’t come there any longer. Not sure why the college park booster thinks college park isn’t affected by the rapidly declining sourroundings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is nothing cool about anything in the DC area. It's great for yuppies, but cool? Nothing.

haha! I love the people who are such snobs that the 6th largest metro area in the US has nothing to offer for them

No, PP is right. Baltimore 20th best bar is better than DC’s best bar and I’m not exaggerating. DC is known as Hollywood for dorks / unattractive people for a reason. There is nothing “cool” about a town known for lobbyists, defense contractors and government lawyers. DC actually ran a PR campaign called “DC Cool” to convince people that the city was cool. That should tell you something.

You're describing the DC of 2003. It's changed, man.

But when one area changes for the better another area must change for the worse. There are more poor people now as the wealth disparity grows. Most people in the area would peg PG and the southern VA 95 corridor as the areas getting worse. Of course there will be little exceptions but the areas around college park (Langley Park and greater Hyattsville) are getting much worse rapidly. The original ledo fled it original location because middle class customers wouldn’t come there any longer. Not sure why the college park booster thinks college park isn’t affected by the rapidly declining sourroundings.

Ledo moved from its old location in Adelphi to downtown CP. The area where it was, Adelphi, has gotten less nice, as the people with more means have shifted away from that area closer to Metro, which has gotten nicer. Neighborhoods change and demographics shift. I wouldn’t move to Adelphi right now, but I would move to the Rt. 1 corridor. It’s hyper local. I wouldn’t move to certain parts of PG, or MoCo, or FFX either. But I wouldn’t avoid an entire county because some neighborhoods have more poorer residents.