I also live in Michigan Park/Brookland and am a fan of many nearby areas of PG County: downtown Mt Rainier (Glut, ice cream, Joe's Movement Emporium), Stoplight Cafe nearby; PG Plaza and environs (Target is essential to this mother), PG Pool. Also heard good things about St Matthew's daycare/school in Hyattsville and Christian Family Montessorri in Mt Rainier.

12:21 - As noted, I think Mt Rainier and Hyattsville have a lot to offer. Further out, there's University Park and Greenbelt. Don't know more than that. Agree that thoroughfares and strip malls are prevalent and butt ugly.

I like what I'm hearing here, and I'm interested in hearing more about that French Immersion school.

We've lived in the District for years, and thought we would stay here, but we are getting tired of the crime and filth of Columbia Heights. My way-liberal soul is curling up in shame as I say this, but it's become a hispanic ghetto with all the public housing and drunks and noise. Not to mention the turf wars between the black and hispanic crews. I just don't see that all the new "luxury" apartments and retail has improved that. I think I liked it better before.

One of my main concerns about moving to PG would be that I'd be getting more of the same. I'm afraid that when I drive through PG county (on the thoroughfares, of course) I see endless strip malls and lots of litter and loiterers, just like at home, but without the convenience of CH. Could someone recommend some really specific areas I could take a look at? Like, if there's a house for sale on your street that you love... post the listing?

proud Hyattsville resident here! We moved there in 2002 because we couldn't afford anything in NoVa. In the interim, the city has really experienced a demographic shift as more young couples have moved in and had kids. My children have friends in the neighborhood who they've known since infancy. We have a great moms group that has become a wonderful support system. The amount of entertainment/dining options have really grown and will continue to do so as Route 1 becomes more developed. My kids will be going to the public schools, which are steadily improving. Can't beat the commute--15 minutes on the Green Line to downtown! Is there crime? sure...do the schools need improving? yes...but I too get really tired of the negative comments thrown around about PG County. Our corner of the county is great!

Friends Community School!

My kids attend Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School in Bowie/Glenn Dale...We love it! It's a gem of a school especially for the money. I have friends who pay double for schools in Anne Arundel County, but I don't think their experience has been any better.

High five PG county from across the border in Michigan Park (my house is .5 miles from Mt. Rainier). Love PG county although we are just daily visitors. (PG Pool! Glut! Spotlight Cafe! Delectable Cakery! Franklin's! The Giant Chaotic but Still Very Close to Me Target at PGPlaza!). I think PG county is tops. Not sure if anyone on here is from Riverdale Park (near college park) but that's another great neighborhood there. Northern PG county seems really crunchy to me; but maybe that's because I'm getting crunchier as I'm older and appreciate the company.

Hello, I live in Bowie and love it! I previously lived in Bowie, about 7 years ago, and did not like it at all. However, back then there was very little retail and I had a terribe commute all the way to Gaithersburg evey day. Now there are plenty of retail shops and relatively decent places to eat. What I love is the sense of community, the diversity in my son's coop preschool, and the tons of activities in my area. I recently went to the Bowiefest held at Allen Pond and had a blast. Allen pond has a great paddle boat dock, two big playgrounds (one for toddlers,one for older kids), an ice rink and a great walking/jogging path around the pond. I had been searching for a group of women to run with forever prior to moving here. However, shortly after I moved I found a group of other mothers who run every Tues and Thur morning. There is a Starbucks across the street, a MOMs organic market and Planet Fitness ($10 monthly fee). Everything I need is walking distance or a 5-10 min drive. My commute to my office in downtown Silver Spring takes 20-30 minutes (I dont get on the beltway). I never thought I would say it but I highly recommend Bowie. K

I live in Greenbelt and absolutely love it here. My kids both go to the public elementary school and I am very happy with the school. One of my children is academically advanced but suffers from developmental delays and I probably couldn't have asked for a better school for that child. He has a great IEP in place and it was very quick and easy to go through the evaluation process.

Anonymous wrote:I work in College Park but live in NoVA. We think of moving to PG sometimes. Are there a lot of secular private options in PG? I know of only a few. Many of them seem to be Catholic or other religious schools.

My kids are in public school. I don't know of many secular privates. There's Friend's Community School in College Park (don't know if you consider them to be secular though.)

http://www.friendscommunityschool.org

The friends I know whose kids do not go public either do some of the religious schools or commute to schools in DC.

Anonymous wrote:We are interested in moving to PG county - but are worried about schools. What private schools do your children attend?

We're very happy with New Hope Academy, in Landover Hills. It's a pk3-12 school.

We are interested in moving to PG county - but are worried about schools. What private schools do your children attend?

I work in College Park but live in NoVA. We think of moving to PG sometimes. Are there a lot of secular private options in PG? I know of only a few. Many of them seem to be Catholic or other religious schools.

Very happy here in Hyattsville. Extremely low housing costs. Low tuition for private school. Very little snobbery. Lots of people working hard to improve their communities. Plus, a very short commute into downtown DC and Capitol Hill. Yay PG!

I grew up in MoCo and I have been a PG resident for 25 years. One child attended the French Immersion and one in Hyattsville Elem. My mother taught in MoCo and I teach public school in PG. PG is always in a defensive position to local counties but I concur with all that has been said; lower housing costs, great community, individual schools are great, some are bad, as other counties.

PG resident here. My cousin lives in MoCo and has a mortgage and private school tuition that are almost breaking the bank. They are both lawyers as are my DH and I. My house is about three times the size of hers with a MUCH lower mortgage and my DCs are in private school with lower tuition costs. DCs are doing very well in school and we don't feel the pressure here that a PP mentioned of keeping up with the Joneses. My cousin is frequently telling me about the pressure and competition she feels in her community both with regards to what her kids do and she herself. In general the public schools in PG are not regarded as highly as the public schools in MoCo but there are good and bad schools within both systems.

Go PG!