I have lived in Hyattsville for years and we are raising our kids here, in the public schools (currently, HES). We love our community and the school is warm and welcoming, with great teachers. TBH we are not huge fans of the principal, but it's not a deal-breaker for us. Very diverse school and larger community as well.

Anonymous wrote:I teach in Hyattsville. I would not suggest it. Google "William Wirt middle school violence."

William Wirt isn’t Hyattsville and Hyattsville kids aren’t zoned for that school.

I teach in Hyattsville. I would not suggest it. Google "William Wirt middle school violence."

OP, majority of schools in the MD and VA suburbs have a good number or black kids in therm. Some schools are more diverse than others. What percentage of black students are you looking for? There's a difference between 20% vs 50% vs 70%. Not sure if you're looking for true diversity or if you want a school where majority of the kids are black.

I wondered about that too.

Anonymous wrote:We love living in the city the diversity, free family friendly activities etc. Like many we are considering if a move out of the city in the next 2-5+ years would be better for schools and possibly jobs. (Driving to Laurel MD for work now). But we are not suburb people. We want to stay in mixed (with a large black middle / upper middle class) middle class neighborhoods. Mostly because we don't want our kid being the only brown kid in class and we want teachers of color in the schools.
Hyattsville looks affordable, liberal, many familiesw/ school age and seems to have lots of community activities. Hopefully less violence then dc is seeing right now?
Do, is it a good move for families of color anf lgbtq+?? If, do whic schools /neighborhoods?? Or should we look elsewhere?

These statements are non-sequiturs. The DC suburbs are diverse, particularly those to the east of DC.

What does it mean to say "we are not suburb people"?

Anonymous wrote:Unless you have serious budget constraints, downtown/inside the Beltway Silver Spring is where you want to be.

It's diverse, walkable, convenient to all sorts of public transportation, has a shiny new library, a dog park, and lots to do for kids and adults. Very LGBT-friendly: on my street alone, I can count three same-sex couples, two with kids in public schools, and I've frequently seen people organizing picnics and get-togethers for LGBTQ+ families and allies. Better schools than either DC or PGC, and a reverse commute to Laurel.

Really, it's a great mix of city and suburb.

We’re neighbors I think!

Anonymous wrote:East Silver Spring fits what you are looking for.

Yes! We live there and it fits what you are looking for. We’re a straight AA couple, but there are at least three same sex couple neighbors we know in the three streets around ESS ES. It doesn’t feel suburban at all. I’m a big city girl. 10 min or less walk to shopping, entertainment, doctors’ offices.

Unless you have serious budget constraints, downtown/inside the Beltway Silver Spring is where you want to be.

It's diverse, walkable, convenient to all sorts of public transportation, has a shiny new library, a dog park, and lots to do for kids and adults. Very LGBT-friendly: on my street alone, I can count three same-sex couples, two with kids in public schools, and I've frequently seen people organizing picnics and get-togethers for LGBTQ+ families and allies. Better schools than either DC or PGC, and a reverse commute to Laurel.

Really, it's a great mix of city and suburb.

Anonymous wrote:How about Hyattsville/Riverdale Park, and (depending on where you work in Laurel, and your hours) you could take the MARC train to work?

My advice is to look at places that were streetcar suburbs.

Op, this particular section of MD schools are for Montgomery, Howard, Baltimore and Frederick counties. Please take your question to PG county school threads as there are people who in the areas in which you are considering. They’d be more useful for you.

If you are considering Montgomery county, Silver Spring, Wheaton and Bethesda areas might work for your family.

How about Hyattsville/Riverdale Park, and (depending on where you work in Laurel, and your hours) you could take the MARC train to work?

My advice is to look at places that were streetcar suburbs.

East Silver Spring fits what you are looking for.

OP, have you looked into Silver Spring where it feeds into Blair HS? I would imagine BCC would also meet your criteria. Both areas would be ok for a commute to Laurel.

Okay. But I am also hoping to get fedd back on neighborhoods and general community vibe of areas. I don't want to live in a suburban feel area.. Walkable /public transportation, resturants and parks near by etc.

We love living in the city the diversity, free family friendly activities etc. Like many we are considering if a move out of the city in the next 2-5+ years would be better for schools and possibly jobs. (Driving to Laurel MD for work now). But we are not suburb people. We want to stay in mixed (with a large black middle / upper middle class) middle class neighborhoods. Mostly because we don't want our kid being the only brown kid in class and we want teachers of color in the schools.
Hyattsville looks affordable, liberal, many familiesw/ school age and seems to have lots of community activities. Hopefully less violence then dc is seeing right now?
Do, is it a good move for families of color anf lgbtq+?? If, do whic schools /neighborhoods?? Or should we look elsewhere?