We looked there and also ended up in Kensington (which I love). Another downside for us beyond the train and the mail was the traffic on Knowles and having to use that road to get in and out. I still would have bought there though because the positives for me outweigh the negatives.

trafic at CT Ave and 355 suck

We looked in both Garrett Park and Kensington Parkwood. I think you can't go wrong - great schools, relatively close to DC. Both are great and seemed to me to have similar model houses - not including the big old houses in each. Garrett Park is closer walk to train. We are in Kensington because it was a tight market and we saw a house that worked for us. We love it. Think GP would have been great too.

No mail gets delivered to the houses you must go to the post office, kind of annoying

GP, Kensington Parkwood have both gotten pretty expensive. I prefer the older houses in GP to the little ranches and split levels in KP, but inventory is slim so this may be a moot point. Walter Johnson HS cluster is very good.

Anonymous wrote:Garrett Park is really nice - stop in at the restaurant Black Market while you're there! Inventory is really tight right now, though so you might also look at places in Bethesda and Chevy Chase which will give you pretty much the same type of thing,

Is GP better priced?

Garrett Park is really nice - stop in at the restaurant Black Market while you're there! Inventory is really tight right now, though so you might also look at places in Bethesda and Chevy Chase which will give you pretty much the same type of thing,

I live in Garrett Park and consider myself to be very down to earth, welcoming, and nonjudgmental. Really, not a snob. Whether the train bothers you or not will depend in large part on how close you are to it. It does not bother me at all and, in this neighborhood, has a small town train feel to it, in my mind. I certainly wouldn't want it in my backyard, but am not bothered by it either. I have really great neighbors who I'm quite friendly with and love all of the small town style events. Come join us!

I have never met a single person from GP that I would consider a snob. No brand consciousness, no nothing. The train - if you are on north side of Strathmore then you'll hear the train (people I know that live there say they don't even notice anymore) - and the having to pick up the mail at the post office. The cost of housing and the lack of land associated with that cost.

IMHO, the pluses FAR outweigh the minuses. It's a small town feel that's within a stone's throw of a metro station and easily commutable. It's got a 4th of July parade and Halloween spookfest. Kids walk to school. There's a community pool. It's an educated community (lots of NIH/Walter Reed/feds).

Cute area. Great schools. The trains...I live south/west of Walter Reed and can hear them some nights.

Price range? I see just 5 houses listed in GP online today w/one under contract-- starting upper 600's.

You might also want to look over in the adjacent Kensington-Parkwood area.

http://www.cbmove.com/property/details/1269537/MLS-MC8347644/10115-Parkwood-Drive-Bethesda-MD-20814.aspx?SearchID=14020186&RowNum=3&StateID=26&RegionID=0&IsRegularPS=True&IsSold=False

http://www.cbmove.com/property/details/1228282/MLS-MC8308177/10117-Parkwood-Drive-Bethesda-MD-20814.aspx?SearchID=14020186&RowNum=5&StateID=26&RegionID=0&IsRegularPS=True&IsSold=False

People are snobby

Otherwise it is great.

Loud train noise was a deal breaker for my husband...heard the train come through as we finished walking through a house I loved, and DH said no way. Locals and realtors downplay it, but I would suggest walking through the house when a train passes.

One issue is the train station. I think it's pretty loud. You'll want to find out when the train comes through and be sure you hear how it sounds in the house.

We are considering a home in Garrett Park. We currently live in TX. I am familiar with Silver Spring and Takoma Park because I went to college at U MD/College Park. I have never been to Garrett Park. We have 3 girls (4, 8, 11 years old) and want a great family friendly, fun community. Garrett Park seems to totally fit the bill and be close to husband's work at Walter Reed. Am I missing something about this neighborhood? Please share any information you have, we are coming into town Wednesday and at this point I am nearly willing to buy a house there sight unseen, the market is kind of a bummer right now.