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[quote=Anonymous]Challenges and Growth
One downside to Hyattsville is that this is definitely an area in transition. Hyattsville was hit especially hard by the Great Recession and the country’s economic situation meant that the timeline for the anticipated economic boom for the area was pushed back repeatedly. Although people in the DC area are suddenly starting to notice this historically undervalued area (here, here, here, here, here, and here), obstacles that may keep newly ascendant Hyattsville from achieving its potential, such as poverty, crime, underperforming public schools, traffic congestion, diminishing tree canopy, and unwise development choices. Public perception of Prince George’s County is deeply influenced by racism, but many of the county’s problems are of our own making (e.g., the very recent bribery scandals involving Will Campos and Michael Vaughn are reminiscent of the corrupt Jack Johnson political regime from a few years back. The political infighting among the school board members is a continuing headache that seems to serve no-one). This is not a wealthy area with uniform, well-manicured lawns. It’s the kind of neighborhood where an artist, lawyer, janitor, retiree, social worker, and Nobel Prize winner might share home-brewed beers at a block party and talk about raising (secret) chickens in their backyards.

We have some of the last few affordable neighborhoods inside the Beltway. We have a rapidly growing population, including large numbers of recent immigrants (many from El Salvador), and Hyattsville residents are having children at an impressive rate. New high-end townhouses are popping up all around us. There are ambitious plans for future development near our two Metro stations, both of which are among the least utilized in the entire Metro system (which, for now, means you can still get a parking space much later in the morning than at other comparatively close in Metro stations). All this rapid growth has spillover effects on traffic and parking and residents are concerned about the increase in cut-through traffic and speeding through formerly sleepy residential neighborhoods. The crime stats of the neighboring communities continue to be disconcerting, although you’ll see that the Hyattsville Hills and University Park areas are seas of relative safety within this area. Still, this is no gated community.

Gambling has come to National Harbor (about a half hour drive away) in the past few years. That's a double edged sword. It brings development and jobs to the county, along with a number of new entertainment options, but probably doesn't help our county’s reputation for wholesomeness. On the other end of the spectrum, the FBI was supposed to be relocating its headquarters in a few years and nearby Greenbelt was generally viewed as the strongest candidate of the three finalist locations (Landover, also in Prince George's County, was also a finalist). This decision was slated for spring of 2017, but, unfortunately, the Trump administration cancelled the planned move, without actually proposing a solution for addressing the problems that made the move necessary. Ugh! I suspect this decision is not completely derailed, but on hold for an indeterminate period of time. Although the potential timetable is pushed back and this has gone from likely and imminent to uncertain, if Greenbelt (or Landover) were eventually selected to be a new FBI headquarters in a post-Trump world, this would be a game-changer for the area. It's hard to ignore the fact that Prince George's County has lived in the shadow of some of our neighboring jurisdictions for many years, but that dynamic is changing … quickly.

I've noticed the usual tensions between the pro-development forces and the pro-residential neighborhood ones (for want of a better way to characterize the divide), which seem to flare up around election seasons. I've spoken to a number of people who lament the passing of the Hyattsville that used to be [X] number of years ago "when neighbors really knew each other," but I can't understand the reason for the sense of loss. Decades ago, Hyattsville was a close-knit, blue-collar, largely white, predominantly Catholic community. These days it’s a close-knit, multi-cultural, wildly diverse community (including many Catholics). Economic differences among Hyattsville residents may be increasing, with people moving to the community on both ends of the economic spectrum. Some neighbors are concerned about the number of immigrants moving to Hyattsville, about houses being turned into rental properties, or about multi-generational housing with “too many people” living in the households or “too many cars” taking up the available on-street parking, others are worried about gentrification, the loss of affordable housing, or that Hyattsville is on its way to turning into “new Bethesda.” With the population surge and attendant development, there is always a danger that those qualities that make Hyattsville special could be lost, and some people think that has already happened. These tensions will be with us for a while to come, but in that sense Hyattsville is only a microcosm of the larger society. My impression is that Hyattsville is still the most welcoming neighborhood I've ever lived in AND I'm enthused about being able to walk to so many great things. This is an artsy, funky, scrappy, and welcoming community, and most people here are committed to keeping it that way.[/quote]

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