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I'm a Maryland lifer. That is to say I was born here (Columbia, MD, Howard Co.) and I currently live here (Silver Spring, MD, Montgomery Co.). PG County has never had a good reputation in these parts, though recently things seem to be on the mend. As DC continues to improve and become an economic draw, the surrounding areas continue to flourish. The downtowns of Bethesda, MD and Silver Spring, MD have/are currently undergoing massive regenerations as the centers of town life. PG County will eventually pick up this pace in my opinion.
Housing in the area continues to be a booming market, economy aside. PG county offers commuters "more for your money" when it comes to home buying, though the crime rates and county services are lacking. Living in Montgomery Co. is very nice, though your dollar does not get stretched as far when buying a home. The county does provide excellent services in my opinion, including very well equipped community centers, parks & other recreational opportunites.
I have no personal experience with living in Charles Co., but I think others here have filled in those blanks.
Yes, life is pretty hectic around here, and traffic is awful. I work downtown and live within walking distance of the Metro, so I don't notice it as much as those who drive 40 miles everyday. Personally, I would never live that far away from work given the chance, no matter how much bigger the house is! Coming from PG county, they are continuing to expand Metro service out that direction. My guess is that as the Metro expands, the neighborhoods aroud the Metro will get more and more expensive. That's what happened to our neighborhood. They just rencely finished construction on an entire neighborhood of 400K + townhomes between us and the Metro! Our property values continue to rise at a ridiculous rate, mainly because we're so close to the train and the city.
Maryland does have a lot to offer, and it has some absolutely beautiful areas. My favorites are downtown Baltimore (Camden Yards, Inner Harbor areas), Annapolis, downtown Bethesda, the Chesapeake Bay area overall, and pretty much anywhere on the eastern shore except Ocean City. I love it here, and I guess I put up with a lot. I do feel that I get a sufficient return on my investment, though! NoVA has it's virtues, but personally, I like how unique Maryland is.
If you do come to DC, be sure to join the Saab club!!
Mike
President, Washington, DC Area SAAB (WASSAAB) Club
88 SPG
95 Aero
posted by 12.40.175...
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