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[quote=Anonymous]Location
One of the best things about Hyattsville is its location. This is a dynamic, up-and-coming community, close to the nation’s capital, with impressive proximity to major roads, public transit, and trails, enabling residents to travel easily throughout the region. Hyattsville’s motto is “A world within walking distance” (well, one of our mottoes). We’re only about a 20-25 minute drive to downtown DC. It takes about 30-45 minutes to get to Metro Center via Metro, about 45 minutes by bike. It’s a straight shot on the Metro to the Mall or Nationals Stadium. We’re less than a mile from the Prince George’s Plaza Metro station (and the stadium seating multiplex movie theater, restaurants, and condos at University Town Center) and about a mile from the West Hyattsville Metro. We're about a mile and a half from the MARC train station in Riverdale Park and some neighbors take the MARC (free parking there) to work near Union Station. We’re also less than a mile from the Hyattsville Arts District community on Route 1 with all the attendant development (Busboys and Poets, Tara Thai, Spice 6, Yes! Organic Market, etc.). Vigilante Coffee opened in Hyattsville a few years ago and became an instant gathering place. Vigilante holds occasional live music events there, along with various gallery openings, fundraisers, and receptions. During the summer, there’s even more live music weekly at the Town Center Market in Riverdale Park and monthly at Community Forklift in Edmonston. Hyattsville is also about halfway between the University of Maryland and Catholic University, about two miles from either with an easy commute to either campus. This might be one reason why there are so many academics in the neighborhood.

It’s easy to get to either the Green Line (Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station) or the Red Line (Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station) by bus from the Historic District. The Purple Line will be coming to nearby Riverdale Park in a few years, which will make it much easier to get from our area to Northwest DC/Bethesda/Rockville. There’s significant development imminent near the PG Plaza Metro Station. The County has ambitious plans to renovate the Hyattsville public library and the county recreation center near the Prince George’s Plaza Metro in the next few years. A new development has broken ground near the West Hyattsville Metro station, and I expect to see major changes in the western part of the city over the next few years.

When I first moved here, some maintained that Hyattsville was an arts community in name only. I think it would be hard for anyone to make that claim with a straight face these days. Hyattsville hosts an Arts Festival in the fall and has revived ArtSpin, an event where art and artists take over City Hall for a weekend. Murals and public sculptures are found throughout the city, in front of businesses and private residences as well. Art Works Studio School moved to Hyattsville from Mt. Rainier (with a Pizzeria Paradiso next door) and Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center relocated from Silver Spring last summer, just a little further north along Route 1 in a building right next to City Hall. Both Art Works and Pyramid Atlantic are arts organizations which pair their creative missions with commitments to social justice—they’re perfect fits for their new Hyattsville home. A fantastic art supply store is located in the middle of these two art meccas. In the heart of town, Renaissance Square provides subsidized artist housing.

Further up Route 1, about a quarter of a mile north of Hyattsville, is the Riverdale Park Station development, including a Whole Foods, which was the first to open in Prince George's County. Over a billion dollars worth of development is underway in College Park, including an outpost of Philly’s MilkBoy + Arthouse. I expect the area to our immediate north will be completely transformed (for the better) in 2-4 years. Since moving here, I've been grateful for our close proximity to Target, Home Depot, Community Forklift, and further out (but still an easy drive) Ikea, REI, and a terrific nursery (plants, that is). We’re about a 20 minute drive from one of the best farmers markets in the DC area (Takoma Park, Sunday morning). Now there's a Wegmans about 20 minutes away too (with another Costco there) and we are a 15 minute drive from the DC Costco (which sells alcohol, to neighbors’ delight). Hyattsville is in a great location if you’re heading to Silver Spring, Brookland's burgeoning restaurant scene, or National Harbor, all of which are relatively nearby. It's also easy to drive a little farther and get to Baltimore or Annapolis without having to fight DC traffic.

Hyattsville has a great public splash park in town. There are splash fountains at University Town Center and Riverdale Park Station where kids frolic in the summer. My family belongs to the PG Pool, a co-op pool in Mt. Rainier (about 1.5 miles away from our house), which serves as a big part of the summer social scene for many area families (including families from Mt. Rainier, Takoma Park, Riverdale Park, Brentwood, University Park, and Capitol Hill). The pool has tent nights, nights where the pool stays open late, scheduled food trucks, and live music throughout the summer. Suddenly there’s an overwhelming wait list (1500+ families, where 40-60 families have been offered spaces each year for the past few years) for our particular pool (again with the young families), but there are other area pools (like the Adelphi Pool and Cheverly Swim Club) that Hyattsville families have started joining in significant numbers. Adelphi Pool has a popular reduced-price August-only membership, which is a good way to try out the private pool experience. Hyattsville also has a thriving community garden (also with a wait list, but not nearly as long as the pool’s).[/quote]

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