College Park has been getting better, with a pretty good restaurant scene, fewer seedy motels and car part shops, and more amenities. But I'm not sure I'd call it "cool", perhaps just nice. One smart thing they're doing is opening new spaces away from the noisy Rt 1. In a few months they'll open this place that should keep improving things

Anonymous wrote:Was looking for restaurants and this old thread came up.

Thanks for the restaurant list! We have gone to see many performances at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Several really great (mostly new) places not mentioned in that list are Northwest Chinese (consistently top 100 in the DMV), Hall CP, Tacos a la Madre, GrillMarX (somewhat overpriced, but great fish and oysters). And within a short walk, 2fifty BBQ in Riverdale Park.

Was looking for restaurants and this old thread came up.

Thanks for the restaurant list! We have gone to see many performances at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College Park shocked me with the dynamic growth. I have not been in the area in solid 15 years and then visited friends lately. It was unrecognizable.
Last time I saw it, that was very boring one main street with old fashion restaurants and few other blah businesses type of deal. Now, you just drive by an area that has so many high-rises, so many new developments, appts, condos, fab new restaurants. Young people walking everywhere, busy busy streets bustling with life. Amazing change. In case you have not seen it in years, well worth driving and seeing for yourself.

The restaurants are not "fab." Kapnos is closing; that was the only semi-interesting restaurant in town.

Because the owner is being sued and going bankrupt. His places in DC and Arlington are closing, too. It’s not because of CP.

Yes, I know that. And? That doesn't mean it wasn't the only interesting restaurant in the area. It's not a good place for dining options.

Not a good place for dining options? What are you talking about? Have you been to CP lately? I mean really have you because I don't think you have.

We have options ranging from upscale dining to really good fast casual to some independent restaurants. Fishnet, College Park Grill, Old Maryland Grill, Qu Japan Hibachi and Ramen, Milk and Honey, Taqueria Habanero, Nu Vegan, The Red Boat Fusion, and The Board and Brew.

We have excellent cheap fast casual places they recently opened for people looking for inexpensive food like Seoulspice, Poh-Yo Charcoal Chicken, Nando's, Cava, and Sweetgreen. If you include nearby Riverdale Park and Hyattsville we have Burtons Grill, Busboy and Poets, District Taco, Riviera Tapas, Spice6, Chez Dior, Marco Polo, and Cafe Azul.

You may want to check your facts about CP before saying stuff you are obviously wrong about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^He'll have to give a damn lot more incentives. Prices in the area are steep for those of us on administrative salaries. No, thanks. Not worth it.

Where else in this area can you buy a home for less than 300k? NorthColllege Park has very cheap real estate and many of the people who have used the incentives are administrative staff

Meant to post the link

https://collegeparkpartnership.org/homeownershipprogram/homebuyers/

Anonymous wrote:^^He'll have to give a damn lot more incentives. Prices in the area are steep for those of us on administrative salaries. No, thanks. Not worth it.

Where else in this area can you buy a home for less than 300k? NorthColllege Park has very cheap real estate and many of the people who have used the incentives are administrative staff

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College Park shocked me with the dynamic growth. I have not been in the area in solid 15 years and then visited friends lately. It was unrecognizable.
Last time I saw it, that was very boring one main street with old fashion restaurants and few other blah businesses type of deal. Now, you just drive by an area that has so many high-rises, so many new developments, appts, condos, fab new restaurants. Young people walking everywhere, busy busy streets bustling with life. Amazing change. In case you have not seen it in years, well worth driving and seeing for yourself.

The restaurants are not "fab." Kapnos is closing; that was the only semi-interesting restaurant in town.

Because the owner is being sued and going bankrupt. His places in DC and Arlington are closing, too. It’s not because of CP.

Yes, I know that. And? That doesn't mean it wasn't the only interesting restaurant in the area. It's not a good place for dining options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^He'll have to give a damn lot more incentives. Prices in the area are steep for those of us on administrative salaries. No, thanks. Not worth it.

I think it’s full-time Profs that would make it feel more like a true college town, and I think they can afford the area. I think assistant/adjunct staff can afford the area, but maybe not the nicest SFHs in the best neighborhoods. And I suspect this is true for administrative staff, too. I don’t think there are many areas in the DC Metro that are more affordable and offer comparable amenities or transit. But everyone has theirs personal preferences. I know an adjunct staff member who commutes 1.5 hrs one way from western MD because their family prefers to live on a farm. For them it’s a matter of lifestyle rather than affordability.

I'm a communications director. I hands-down make the same or more than some faculty members, and I'm not just talking about junior faculty. You have no idea what assistant/adjunct faculty make in many areas of study to make that comment. The Diamondback runs all university salary in an annual guide if you want to open your eyes to what humanities and other non-business/engineering/computing adjunct faculty and even tenured faculty make.

I know that. Read what I wrote. The tenured full-time profs are who will be able to live in the nicest neighborhoods. Since it’s not a captive market, like in a college town located in an otherwise rural area, you’re competing against dual-income families who are higher level Feds, IT consultants, work on the Hill, etc., same as anywhere inside the Beltway right on a Metro line. I don’t know what to tell you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College Park shocked me with the dynamic growth. I have not been in the area in solid 15 years and then visited friends lately. It was unrecognizable.
Last time I saw it, that was very boring one main street with old fashion restaurants and few other blah businesses type of deal. Now, you just drive by an area that has so many high-rises, so many new developments, appts, condos, fab new restaurants. Young people walking everywhere, busy busy streets bustling with life. Amazing change. In case you have not seen it in years, well worth driving and seeing for yourself.

The restaurants are not "fab." Kapnos is closing; that was the only semi-interesting restaurant in town.

Because the owner is being sued and going bankrupt. His places in DC and Arlington are closing, too. It’s not because of CP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some traffic smoothing and streetscaping would make a HUGE difference in CP, like they’ve done further south (Mt Rainier, I think). Probably wouldn’t even cost that much.

They're...in the middle of doing that right now.

That’s great. I also love Ikea ?

Anonymous wrote:College Park shocked me with the dynamic growth. I have not been in the area in solid 15 years and then visited friends lately. It was unrecognizable.
Last time I saw it, that was very boring one main street with old fashion restaurants and few other blah businesses type of deal. Now, you just drive by an area that has so many high-rises, so many new developments, appts, condos, fab new restaurants. Young people walking everywhere, busy busy streets bustling with life. Amazing change. In case you have not seen it in years, well worth driving and seeing for yourself.

The restaurants are not "fab." Kapnos is closing; that was the only semi-interesting restaurant in town.

College Park shocked me with the dynamic growth. I have not been in the area in solid 15 years and then visited friends lately. It was unrecognizable.
Last time I saw it, that was very boring one main street with old fashion restaurants and few other blah businesses type of deal. Now, you just drive by an area that has so many high-rises, so many new developments, appts, condos, fab new restaurants. Young people walking everywhere, busy busy streets bustling with life. Amazing change. In case you have not seen it in years, well worth driving and seeing for yourself.

Anonymous wrote:Some traffic smoothing and streetscaping would make a HUGE difference in CP, like they’ve done further south (Mt Rainier, I think). Probably wouldn’t even cost that much.

They're...in the middle of doing that right now.

Some traffic smoothing and streetscaping would make a HUGE difference in CP, like they’ve done further south (Mt Rainier, I think). Probably wouldn’t even cost that much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^He'll have to give a damn lot more incentives. Prices in the area are steep for those of us on administrative salaries. No, thanks. Not worth it.

I think it’s full-time Profs that would make it feel more like a true college town, and I think they can afford the area. I think assistant/adjunct staff can afford the area, but maybe not the nicest SFHs in the best neighborhoods. And I suspect this is true for administrative staff, too. I don’t think there are many areas in the DC Metro that are more affordable and offer comparable amenities or transit. But everyone has theirs personal preferences. I know an adjunct staff member who commutes 1.5 hrs one way from western MD because their family prefers to live on a farm. For them it’s a matter of lifestyle rather than affordability.

I'm a communications director. I hands-down make the same or more than some faculty members, and I'm not just talking about junior faculty. You have no idea what assistant/adjunct faculty make in many areas of study to make that comment. The Diamondback runs all university salary in an annual guide if you want to open your eyes to what humanities and other non-business/engineering/computing adjunct faculty and even tenured faculty make.