What's Glenmont like?

[Anonymous]

Considering making an offer on a house in Glenmont. I don't think we've ever done anything but drive through on Georgia or Randolph. It seems quieter than Wheaton, less shopping/dining options. Honestly it feels like somewhere just north of Wheaton it turns rural, but it's 10 minutes to parts of Rockville, Kensington, Wheaton. Does it not feel as isolated as it looks? Anyone have feedback on sense of community, are people friendly, neighborhood events, etc?

[Anonymous]

What neighborhood/street?

Do you have kids? (The school data will tell you the demographics.)

Crime can be an issue depending on neighborhood.

Metro was notorious for crime. The trains are rather empty when pulling in at night. I know people who were jumped/robbed. Cops said it happens a lot.

[Anonymous]

Here is the crime data set on Open Data Montgomery. I'd put in your street and a few surrounding streets and see what types of crimes pop up, and how often.

https://data.montgomerycountymd.gov/Public-Safety/Crime/icn6-v9z3

I don't know anyone who specifically lives in Glenmont but I have a bunch of friends who live in Wheaton and who love it. And the new Wheaton Library is to die for.

Does the neighborhood you are looking at have a homeowner's association? A lot of times you can google those and get a sense of how active they are and what they like to do.

And Olney is close by with tons of kids' rec sports if that's something you are into.

[Anonymous]

Used to live in Glenmont. I would suggest the houses NORTH of the metro up Layhill and not south or west of it (road forks at the metro). To the north up Layhill are a lot of nice MC developments mostly built in 80s I’d say. A bit further up Layhill it is a bit more rural (as in spread out and older/not development set up, not farms rural) and I always loved that section.

We really loved our small development neighborhood amd it was a close community. What I did not love is the fact that the general area is just so run down feeling in the commercial areas and you have to drive 20 minutes (closer mileage = stop lights so still 20 min) to get to anywhere a bit nicer like Olney or Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to live in Glenmont. I would suggest the houses NORTH of the metro up Layhill and not south or west of it (road forks at the metro). To the north up Layhill are a lot of nice MC developments mostly built in 80s I’d say. A bit further up Layhill it is a bit more rural (as in spread out and older/not development set up, not farms rural) and I always loved that section.

We really loved our small development neighborhood amd it was a close community. What I did not love is the fact that the general area is just so run down feeling in the commercial areas and you have to drive 20 minutes (closer mileage = stop lights so still 20 min) to get to anywhere a bit nicer like Olney or Rockville.

The run down feeling is what makes us question the area. We are looking at the lower priced homes closer to the metro. I know the Randolph interchange was a big project. And there’s the new Lidl store. Are there any other development plans in the works?

[Anonymous]

Are you looking in Foxhall? Or are you looking on the west side of Georgia?

Have you researched demographics, schools and crime?

[Anonymous]

They’ve been talking about development in the glenmont shopping center for decades. I doubt it will ever happen.

Go grocery shopping in the area a few times. That’s the best way to get a feel for an area.

FWIW, I grew up in 20906. Everyone I know who still lives there drives to leisureworld giant or Olney to grocery shop. That’s very telling imho.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you looking in Foxhall? Or are you looking on the west side of Georgia?

Have you researched demographics, schools and crime?

Mostly west side. We looked east of metro and liked the neighborhood but not the prices.

Looked up demographics but they don’t tell anything about how friendly people are. Schools are not a major concern (we know we can’t afford “good” schools and I’m a teacher). Hadn’t really thought of crime because we’re coming from DC...it almost lot certainly won’t be worse than where we are! 😂

I’m truly just worried that it will feel isolating. We are coming from a place where we know most of our city neighbors by name, we can’t go anywhere without running into someone we know, and both my husband and I are very involved in the neighborhood in a variety of ways. It will feel strange to just live in a house and not part of a community. It may exist in Glenmont, but when I’ve seen posts about neighborhoods, it’s just never mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Assuming you are not a native Spanish speaker, yes it will feel isolating. Weller Road elementary school is on the west side (unless you are looking further south or north towards Aspen Hill). That area is 90%+ newly arrived or second generation Central American.

There are threads in the mcps forum about schools in that area. I grew up in 20906 east side, but went to private school. Our starter home was in the area, but we moved because of schools. Friends tried sending their kids to the title I school, but it was isolating. They tried really hard to make friends, but it’s tough when there’s a language barrier.

What’s your budget? And, where will you commute? There are better options.

[Anonymous]

Re: crime - it absolutely can be worse than DC.

I saw two guys walking up our street, adjust guns in their waistbands, and then go into a house two doors down. Gangs/drug dealing. The house was raided a few weeks later at 4am by the SWOT team and Feds. That’s when we decided to list our house. So many rentals with multiple families or lots of young, single men. Not kid friendly, and gangs are a real thing in MoCo and that part specifically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you are not a native Spanish speaker, yes it will feel isolating. Weller Road elementary school is on the west side (unless you are looking further south or north towards Aspen Hill). That area is 90%+ newly arrived or second generation Central American.

There are threads in the mcps forum about schools in that area. I grew up in 20906 east side, but went to private school. Our starter home was in the area, but we moved because of schools. Friends tried sending their kids to the title I school, but it was isolating. They tried really hard to make friends, but it’s tough when there’s a language barrier.

What’s your budget? And, where will you commute? There are better options.

Max of 550, both commuting to Columbia Heights for now. Only have one car. We have a baby so can’t do much renovation. A yard and parking are important. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms are a must. Need two living areas so baby has a place that isn’t also our living/tv room.

[Anonymous]

Depends on where you live in Glenmont. Stay away from sfh near large apartment complexes.

We currently live off Layhill, north of Glenmont metro, and it's a very quiet sfh neighborhood. Very little crime, mostly occasional car tossings of unlocked cars. All the former rentals have been renovated and sold on our street in the past five years. SFH were under 500k pre-pandemic and are now 450-590k. Some neighborhoods have HOAs, some don't. There is a new, more expensive development at Poplar Run.

No obvious gangs hanging around, kid friendly, near the mid county rec center and the playground. It's usually quiet, and houses have larger lots. Easy drive to Brookside Gardens. Kids playing outside in the neighborhood.

Retail in the area is not the greatest. Plaza del Mercado has been recently renovated though, with the addition of Aldi and a gym. There are some decent places to eat in the Layhill shopping center. The shopping center near Glenmont metro has been an eyesore since we've lived here. We tend to go to Olney or Rockville or Wheaton to shop, get take out, etc...

[Anonymous]

Oh, and everyone on our block speaks English. While there is a greater non english speaking population, again tending to be in the apartments, most people who own sfhs speak English, unless they are very elderly -- at least in our neighborhood. Stay north of Glenmont metro and look off Layhill.

[Anonymous]

Have you considered Forest Knolls? Affordable, great community, excellent elementary school.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/1131-Loxford-Ter-20901/home/11055676

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and everyone on our block speaks English. While there is a greater non english speaking population, again tending to be in the apartments, most people who own sfhs speak English, unless they are very elderly -- at least in our neighborhood. Stay north of Glenmont metro and look off Layhill.

I’ll likely be driving into DC and the distance to metro is already pushing it. I don’t think we’d be willing to go farther north. At that point we would do Rockville and at least not feel as rural.