Anonymous wrote:Looking from afar (on line), not from area but will be moving soon, I see some very nice houses (on line of course so could be misleading) in PG county. Why so many folks on here against the area? Not asking to be argumentative, looking for some solid info from people in the area.

I know many folks complain about the lousy schools, but from what I can see the DC metro area is littered with lousy schools (based on posts and comments on this forum, not from personal experience)

So help a girl out, would ya?

Thanks!

This is why people are so negative about PG county.

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/30711862_949400231898660_228437438042779777_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=cf6f08fdec0c71a858dfd0e49b34d385&oe=5B4F8C5B

Anonymous wrote:Let's be clear. Prince George's County is the WEALTHIEST predominantly African American county IN THE UNITED STATES. It is not a poor county. Outside of the beltway, you've got nothing but (predominantly black) families living the American Dream and low crime. Inside the beltway is where you may find some shady areas and crime, but that's because it's close to DC. DC is the problem, not PG county.

Standing O!

Let's be clear. Prince George's County is the WEALTHIEST predominantly African American county IN THE UNITED STATES. It is not a poor county. Outside of the beltway, you've got nothing but (predominantly black) families living the American Dream and low crime. Inside the beltway is where you may find some shady areas and crime, but that's because it's close to DC. DC is the problem, not PG county.

The route 1 corridor bike trails are really great.

Exactly! People should compare equivalent housing markets when they talk about crime. Crime in Old Greenbelt/University Park/Cheverly/Old Hyattsville/Bowie etc is lower than equivalently priced neighborhoods in MoCo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main reason people don't want to live in PG is that they are prejudiced against people who are different from them. I have lived in MoCo and PG and I find

1) Less crime. When we lived in MoCo (Wheaton) our car was broken into multiple times and my purse was snatched. I've lived and worked in PG for 15 years and I've never had anything broken into or stolen. The police in my community are very proactive and responsive. The only time I've had to call them was about dogs being off leash.
2) People are generally more friendly and helpful than in MoCo.
3) Many of the towns in PG have a small town community feeling that you don't get in MoCo (Hyattsville, Cheverly, Mt Rainier)
4) Less traffic

Whoever said that PG doesn't have diversity clearly doesn't know what they are talking about. The kids in my local ES hail from over 27 countries and speak 15 languages.

Not true for homicides.

PG had 80 in 2017 (down from 100), and MoCo had 20. Fairfax is usually around 20 as well.

The vast majority of the crime in PG county occurs in those areas inside the beltway which are barely 15% of the county. If you take out that portion of the county, there were 14 homicides in PG County outside the beltway. You can see the map here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/homicides/

Once you eliminate the small portion of the county inside the beltway, the crime statistics for the rest of the county are very similar to MoCo, Fairfax and other DC region counties.

Yea but probably half the population lives within the beltway. Beyond that, if you then exclude that population then the crime rate is still going to be much higher on a per capita basis not to mention that Fairfax and Montgomery county have higher populations to begin with.

No, everyone is telling you that if you exclude the population in the beltway, the per capita crime is the same as Fairfax etc.

LOL, "everyone". Assuming half the PG county population lives in the beltway then the population outside the beltway is only about 500K compared with populations of 1.0M+ for all Montgomery County and Fairfax. That map shows 23 murders in 2017 for PG outside the beltway and 19 in all of Montgomery County. So of course Montgomery County has a lower per capita murder rate (23/500K vs 19/1M) even when you try to exclude the most significant data which is stupid anyways.

Why? Are we discussing the crime challenges faced by PG govt, compared to MoCo, or talking about where to live? Is there anyone in the market who is considering both Potomac and Seat Pleasant? More likely people comparing PG to MoCo or FFX are looking either in the parts of PG outside the beltway, or in the Rte 1 corridor. And the parts of MoCo/FFX they are looking at are eastern MoCo and/or southern Fairfax (or other cheaper parts of Fairfax).

Anonymous wrote:Because it is the Mississippi of the DC region
https://www.google.com/amp/s/wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2017/11/audit-25-percent-prince-georges-high-school-graduates-may-not-met-requirements/amp/

Why wouldn't DC be the Mississippi of the "DC" region?
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/02/dc-public-school-graduation-rate-scandal-problem-with-top-down-education-reform/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main reason people don't want to live in PG is that they are prejudiced against people who are different from them. I have lived in MoCo and PG and I find

1) Less crime. When we lived in MoCo (Wheaton) our car was broken into multiple times and my purse was snatched. I've lived and worked in PG for 15 years and I've never had anything broken into or stolen. The police in my community are very proactive and responsive. The only time I've had to call them was about dogs being off leash.
2) People are generally more friendly and helpful than in MoCo.
3) Many of the towns in PG have a small town community feeling that you don't get in MoCo (Hyattsville, Cheverly, Mt Rainier)
4) Less traffic

Whoever said that PG doesn't have diversity clearly doesn't know what they are talking about. The kids in my local ES hail from over 27 countries and speak 15 languages.

Not true for homicides.

PG had 80 in 2017 (down from 100), and MoCo had 20. Fairfax is usually around 20 as well.

The vast majority of the crime in PG county occurs in those areas inside the beltway which are barely 15% of the county. If you take out that portion of the county, there were 14 homicides in PG County outside the beltway. You can see the map here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/homicides/

Once you eliminate the small portion of the county inside the beltway, the crime statistics for the rest of the county are very similar to MoCo, Fairfax and other DC region counties.

Yea but probably half the population lives within the beltway. Beyond that, if you then exclude that population then the crime rate is still going to be much higher on a per capita basis not to mention that Fairfax and Montgomery county have higher populations to begin with.

No, everyone is telling you that if you exclude the population in the beltway, the per capita crime is the same as Fairfax etc.

LOL, "everyone". Assuming half the PG county population lives in the beltway then the population outside the beltway is only about 500K compared with populations of 1.0M+ for all Montgomery County and Fairfax. That map shows 23 murders in 2017 for PG outside the beltway and 19 in all of Montgomery County. So of course Montgomery County has a lower per capita murder rate (23/500K vs 19/1M) even when you try to exclude the most significant data which is stupid anyways.

Anonymous wrote:Because it is the Mississippi of the DC region
https://www.google.com/amp/s/wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2017/11/audit-25-percent-prince-georges-high-school-graduates-may-not-met-requirements/amp/

Again, if you are planning to home school or go private then PGCPS's mess wouldn't impact you. The school system is reforming, just slowly and under a giant microscope. You don't pull out of decades of corruption overnight. Teachers unions are strong, and many of the elected school board members are awful yet get elected time and time again, low income parents often can't participate at school based activities (i.e. PTA) because they are working 2 jobs. BUT the benefit my kids get from being in a classroom that is culturally and economically diverse is worth more to me than what Fairfax schools could offer. My kid may be one of 2 white kids in her grade but they are thriving.

We've been in the system for 5 years and it is improving, albeit slowly.

Because it is the Mississippi of the DC region
https://www.google.com/amp/s/wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2017/11/audit-25-percent-prince-georges-high-school-graduates-may-not-met-requirements/amp/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main reason people don't want to live in PG is that they are prejudiced against people who are different from them. I have lived in MoCo and PG and I find

1) Less crime. When we lived in MoCo (Wheaton) our car was broken into multiple times and my purse was snatched. I've lived and worked in PG for 15 years and I've never had anything broken into or stolen. The police in my community are very proactive and responsive. The only time I've had to call them was about dogs being off leash.
2) People are generally more friendly and helpful than in MoCo.
3) Many of the towns in PG have a small town community feeling that you don't get in MoCo (Hyattsville, Cheverly, Mt Rainier)
4) Less traffic

Whoever said that PG doesn't have diversity clearly doesn't know what they are talking about. The kids in my local ES hail from over 27 countries and speak 15 languages.

Not true for homicides.

PG had 80 in 2017 (down from 100), and MoCo had 20. Fairfax is usually around 20 as well.

The vast majority of the crime in PG county occurs in those areas inside the beltway which are barely 15% of the county. If you take out that portion of the county, there were 14 homicides in PG County outside the beltway. You can see the map here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/homicides/

Once you eliminate the small portion of the county inside the beltway, the crime statistics for the rest of the county are very similar to MoCo, Fairfax and other DC region counties.

Yea but probably half the population lives within the beltway. Beyond that, if you then exclude that population then the crime rate is still going to be much higher on a per capita basis not to mention that Fairfax and Montgomery county have higher populations to begin with.

No, everyone is telling you that if you exclude the population in the beltway, the per capita crime is the same as Fairfax etc.

I'm a PG resident and I love it. Lots of pros and I would totally recommend people look here.

The number one reason not to move to PG is the public school system. If moving here allows you to send your kids to private for middle and high school then that eliminates that issue. If you want to move somewhere where you can afford to have a stay at home parent while the kids are little, PG is the place for you.

There are lots of ways to move through the PGCPS system and stay in ok/good schools but you often have to navigate and not just default to where you are zoned. My family is doing that but it requires parents to be thinking a few steps ahead if you aren't in the right feeder areas.

Our Elementary school is good but our zoned middle and high are not even an option. We have options with regards to specialty programs but parents have to be involved in charting the route.

I live very near the new Whole Foods, which is inside the Beltway. The violent crime in this mainly white enclave (from Busboys up to UMD) is quite low. Cars may be broken into or lawn items stolen. I hasn't happened to me but I'm sure it's possible. Maybe it's bad in the areas of the county I've never visited. I feel much safer here than in most parts of DC and there are no people begging for change at the Metro, nor are there mentally ill patients wandering the neighborhood or sitting in public spaces like libraries as is the case in much of the commercial areas of DC. I don't worry that I'll be jumped by kids just hanging out near the Metro since there are none doing that at the College Park station. I'd say these SFH neighborhoods (nice part of Hyattsville, Univ Park, lower College Park, nice part of Riverdale, College Heights Estates) have property crime that is on par with 16th Street Heights or Shepard Park. Lower crime than most of The Hill or Gallery Place. Definitely much lower than Petworth or Brookland.

One big distinction between DC and the nice part of PGC that attracts professionals is that DC's gentrifying neighborhoods are filled with group houses for mentally ill folks or those transitioning back into society after institutions. Here the group houses are occupied by rich white kids studying at UMD. But both tend to have messy yards and not be good neighbors.

Another big distinction is that very few of the large and gorgeous houses and neighborhoods in this part of PGC were abandoned because of white flight. For the most part, "nice" PGC has higher-end housing stock that has been cared for over the years. These aren't gorgeous Craftsman, Victorians, Tudors or Colonials that were turned into squatter homes or broken into small apartments. Many have been owner-occupied this whole time by the people who owned them back in the 1960s, or they were sold to other upper-middle-income people. In DC's hot neighborhoods you tend to either have ugly housing stock that was built for the working poor (Ivy City/Ft Totten/area near RFK Stadium), or you have grand houses that fell into disrepair (Brookland/Woodridge). This has a big impact on the character of the neighborhood and how welcoming the long-term residents are toward the newcomers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main reason people don't want to live in PG is that they are prejudiced against people who are different from them. I have lived in MoCo and PG and I find

1) Less crime. When we lived in MoCo (Wheaton) our car was broken into multiple times and my purse was snatched. I've lived and worked in PG for 15 years and I've never had anything broken into or stolen. The police in my community are very proactive and responsive. The only time I've had to call them was about dogs being off leash.
2) People are generally more friendly and helpful than in MoCo.
3) Many of the towns in PG have a small town community feeling that you don't get in MoCo (Hyattsville, Cheverly, Mt Rainier)
4) Less traffic

Whoever said that PG doesn't have diversity clearly doesn't know what they are talking about. The kids in my local ES hail from over 27 countries and speak 15 languages.

Not true for homicides.

PG had 80 in 2017 (down from 100), and MoCo had 20. Fairfax is usually around 20 as well.

The vast majority of the crime in PG county occurs in those areas inside the beltway which are barely 15% of the county. If you take out that portion of the county, there were 14 homicides in PG County outside the beltway. You can see the map here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/homicides/

Once you eliminate the small portion of the county inside the beltway, the crime statistics for the rest of the county are very similar to MoCo, Fairfax and other DC region counties.

Yea but probably half the population lives within the beltway. Beyond that, if you then exclude that population then the crime rate is still going to be much higher on a per capita basis not to mention that Fairfax and Montgomery county have higher populations to begin with.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main reason people don't want to live in PG is that they are prejudiced against people who are different from them. I have lived in MoCo and PG and I find

1) Less crime. When we lived in MoCo (Wheaton) our car was broken into multiple times and my purse was snatched. I've lived and worked in PG for 15 years and I've never had anything broken into or stolen. The police in my community are very proactive and responsive. The only time I've had to call them was about dogs being off leash.
2) People are generally more friendly and helpful than in MoCo.
3) Many of the towns in PG have a small town community feeling that you don't get in MoCo (Hyattsville, Cheverly, Mt Rainier)
4) Less traffic

Whoever said that PG doesn't have diversity clearly doesn't know what they are talking about. The kids in my local ES hail from over 27 countries and speak 15 languages.

Not true for homicides.

PG had 80 in 2017 (down from 100), and MoCo had 20. Fairfax is usually around 20 as well.

The vast majority of the crime in PG county occurs in those areas inside the beltway which are barely 15% of the county. If you take out that portion of the county, there were 14 homicides in PG County outside the beltway. You can see the map here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/homicides/

Once you eliminate the small portion of the county inside the beltway, the crime statistics for the rest of the county are very similar to MoCo, Fairfax and other DC region counties.