Recs on neighborhoods for young couple between Frederick and downtown DC (Germantown: low income, real estate)

[autiger92]

My daughter has accepted a job in Frederick, MD. Her husband works in downtown DC. They currently live in Bowie--renting a townhouse (her current job is in Annapolis).

The high end of their price range is 550k. The would prefer single family, but it looks like very few in their price range.

They are currently looking in Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village, Germantown, and Clarksburg. Their realtor keeps bringing up crime. Neither of them is super familiar with DC or the suburbs. He is from Philadelphia. She is from B'ham, AL. They have only been in the area since May of last year.

They do not have children but would like to start a family in the next several years. School probably doesn't need to be a top priority atm.

Since they both work full time, and I am basically retired... I offered to do some looking online for them--which they both appreciate. Their realtor hasn't been very proactive in looking for them. That is not surprising as that has been mine and my husband's experience in our past relocations. We have been the ones to send the realtor the properties we want to see. We have always found our homes ourselves with each move. I feel like that is to be expected. They are a bit overwhelmed, and I can understand why after a quick look at Zillow!

Anyway, I always got great info from this forum when my husband and I were relocating with our kids, so I thought I'd ask on their behalf. I have never lived anywhere near the DC area, so I'm clueless.

[NJ2MDdude]

You can also post your questions to:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/

[autiger92]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

You can also post your questions to:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/

Thanks!

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by autiger92

They are currently looking in Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village, Germantown, and Clarksburg.

I don't recommend Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village or Germantown.

There is a level of crime there that is better to avoid for living purposes. Certain neighborhoods are sketchy.

Choose Clarksburg.

[908Boi]

Rockville

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

I don't recommend Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village or Germantown.

There is a level of crime there that is better to avoid for living purposes.

You're talking about cities with 70,000-90,000 people each. Painting with a singular brush for any of them - much less all of them - is completely useless.


$550k is a low budget for the area. There are effectively zero SFHs available. Viable options are condo, townhouse, or a two-over-two (you have two floors of a four floor townhome). Personally, I'd go for a newer two-over-two in a better neighborhood over an older townhome in a worse neighborhood, but your daughter may have different priorities.

Two-over-twos in good neighborhoods include:
Near Shady Grove metro, which would be great if your son-in-law works along the red line in DC. Brand new (still being built), but smaller sqft
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/...home/189928934

Near Kentlands Market Square amenities. Could use some updates, but huge sqft
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Gaithersbu.../home/11188981

I'm less familiar with Germantown real estate, but that might be the sweet spot location-wise. Clarksburg would likely be atrocious for your son-in-law if he's commuting downtown 5 days a week. You're talking 2-3 hours a day in travel time.

[david518301]

I have lived in Germantown since 2016. There are certainly neighborhoods that are better than others but I have always found the talk of crime to be overblown.

[ion475]

For Gaithersburg and Germantown - the crime are not even THAT bad outside of certain areas. Would not touch MV since it is somewhat mixed bag. The nicer part of Gaithersburg (i.e. the area near Kentlands / Lakelands, but basically anywhere south of 270) is not cheap, though. For Germantown, just stay far, far away from Fox Chapel or Cinnamon Woods area.

Why not look around Frederick? You do have MARC that go to Union Station (although somewhat slow) provided that the husband is working standard hour, with commuter bus (to Shady Grove) + Red Line as the backup option. There is also Urbana if you want something slightly closer, but you can probably only get a townhouse for $550k.

[dkf747]

The side of Gaithersburg that is good is in the 20878 side (west of 270). It is called North Potomac, although that is just a name for an area, not an actual city or town. I d\on’t if they have places in your price range though.

[Veritas Vincit]

There's no bargains in the D.C. area. If an area is affordable it's because there's issues that keep the very affluent away.


Gaithersburg has some significant low income housing with the 'warts' accompanying that, but also SFH neighborhoods that look pretty much the same as those in more genteel areas. But even though people today like to pretend it doesn't, who your neighbors are always matters.



The Kentlands/Lakelands area is technically in Gaithersburg, but the NIST complex isolates it from Gaithersburg proper. It's basically townhouses galore and reasonably upscale without being beyond reach of mere mortals. I'd say 'mid career corporate staff' is the crowd based on the parameters. I suspect a lot of workers at the nearby bioscience/pharmaceutical offices live there.