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The Pointer Ridge area (south Bowie, late 60's and early 70's Levitt neighborhoods) are not as safe or desirable as north Bowie. The contemporary 70's housing line (Peach Walker Drive area and Nottinghill Drive in S. Bowie) are not holding up well. Many homes are in disrepair with yards overgrown or homeowners have tried to turn the houses into more "colonial" designs, rather unsuccessfully. It looks junky and messy, IMO compared to the well-manicured streets of north Bowie. There are far more rentals, Section 8 vouchers and group homes in Pointer Ridge than other parts of town. Break ins, armed robberies, and car thefts are not unheard of in Pointer Ridge. The only section in 20716 I would consider on a $300,000 budget is Holiday Hills.
While I don't think anyone is in terrible danger in South Bowie, I think it's best to look at all options. You will see many of the same floorplan/home designs that you can find in North Bowie in Pointer Ridge for significantly less money. There is a reason for this.
I completely agree with this. The zipcode 20716 which includes Pointer Ridge, Bowie Town Center, and mainly South Bowie isnt safe. I work with PG County and Bowie City law Enforcement agencies with my job and they both stated they recieve the most calls in that area.
However there is a flipside to this as well. There are many Short Sales and Foreclosures in this areas as my best friend is a Realtor. But he is having trouble selling many homes in the 20716 area with the exception of the "H" Section. But there is a reason why he is having trouble selling those homes.
If you want to live in Bowie, live in the 20715 zipcode, but near the "W" Sections, Near Samuel Ogle Middle, and "I" Sections. Im hearing anything in Old Bowie and the 20721 zipcodes arent that grat or desireable.
I completely agree with this. The zipcode 20716 which includes Pointer Ridge, Bowie Town Center, and mainly South Bowie isnt safe. I work with PG County and Bowie City law Enforcement agencies with my job and they both stated they recieve the most calls in that area.
However there is a flipside to this as well. There are many Short Sales and Foreclosures in this areas as my best friend is a Realtor. But he is having trouble selling many homes in the 20716 area with the exception of the "H" Section. But there is a reason why he is having trouble selling those homes.
If you want to live in Bowie, live in the 20715 zipcode, but near the "W" Sections, Near Samuel Ogle Middle, and "I" Sections. Im hearing anything in Old Bowie and the 20721 zipcodes arent that grat or desireable.
I've heard the same thing from LEO's in the area. The most calls come out of the areas surrounding Bowie Town Center and Pointer Ridge. I think Holiday Hills is spared from the crime and slow real estate sales because it's tucked away from 197, sort of in its own little enclave and has a blue ribbon elementary within walking distance.
I am not trying to totally dissuade a move to South Bowie, but I wanted to put it out there that different parts of Bowie have different atmospheres and there are some drawbacks that come with lower home prices in 20716...namely higher crime. Bowie overall is a safe suburb, exceptionally so for PG standards. The crime index rating in Bowie is lower than many cities in Montgomery County, and statistically you are significantly less likely to be a victim of violent crime in Bowie than MD state average according to city-data.
PGC Native, do you mean Heather Hills as opposed to (or perhaps in addition to) Holiday Hills?
You and EducatedBro make very good points. I like to drive around and check out neighborhoods in the area. I agree that North Bowie is generally considered more desirable. I would look for housing around Tulip Grove, Whitehall, and Kenilworth elementary schools, and Benjamin Tasker and Samuel Ogle middle schools. Also around Yorktown elementary, although I have seen a few less-kept houses there.
OP, did you know there are all kinds of developments and houses off Church Road? You may find something there.
As for South Bowie, the A section (older and newer homes) seems to be hanging in there, but I need to drive around there more to know for sure. Mitchellville East (not sure if this is outside the city limits) off Mitchellville Road, looks pretty good. These areas are between Mitchellville Road and Rt 3/301. You may be able to find a newer-than-Levitt home in your price range. Keep an open mind but choose carefully. You don't want to move near BTC right now, especially in the N and E and P sections. It's a shame.
South Bowie also includes developments in the 214 corridor. Most of those are newer and more expensive, but take a look anyway. You never know.
I lived in Whitehall from 2006-2008 in a "Devon" rancher with side entry garage, and I can vouch it's a nice, well kept neighborhood. Seems to be more older couples there than let's say Tulip Grove or Kenilworth, so if quiet, and peaceful is important Whitehall and Rockledge might be a good fit. Whitehall and Rockledge both seem to have very little crime. Many neighbors know each other and look out for one another. They have a huge pool in Whitehall with optional membership if that is of interest to you, and one of the best elementary schools in the county...Whitehall Elementary.
As far as the better places to live in South Bowie besides Heather Hills, Mitchellville East off of Mt. Oak Road will offer you a little more space than the Levitt sections. Mitchellville East streets all start with the letter "A". Most have basements, some are on slabs. There are a couple colonial models, and several split levels. The prices are about the same as the Levitt areas. For instance on realtor.com there is a 4 bed, 3 bath, 2 living area, full unfinished basement, one car garage colonial on Ann Arbor Lane for only $219,000. It needs a bit of work, but I'm sure there are some others that don't.
The older, original part of the A section which I think is called Alderwood (near Mitchellville Road and 301) seems to be in much better condition overall than Pointer Ridge, like Bowian said. I don't think they get as much crime either. It's worth looking into if you want a lot of house for the money.
Northview (N section) which is just west of Bowie Town Center is going to have higher crime and a higher turnover. I wouldn't recommend it, personally.
OP, did you know there are all kinds of developments and houses off Church Road? You may find something there.
What is your and everyone's thoughts on this area containing these developments off of Church Road? I've been in MD for 2 years now and have been living in an apt next to Bowie Town Center, but am looking to buy a house, preferably in Bowie north of Route 50. The max I'm looking to spend is $300k for a 3bd 2ba SFH or townhome. I've looked at a few Levitt homes in the R and T sections, but a lot of work needs to be done with them to bring them up to date. I also work in Bowie and don't want to move too far away. I could deal with a 30 min commute.
North of 50 you have the "W" Sections which are Levitt Style homes. They are around high 200s to low 300s with some having renovations and add ons. The townhomes in the area are Belair at Bowie which run from high 100s to low 200s however they are very small. Most areas in the 20715 zipcode, which is north of 50 are decent in regards to crime and diversity. Only place to avoid is Old Bowie, which has more crime.
What is your and everyone's thoughts on this area containing these developments off of Church Road? I've been in MD for 2 years now and have been living in an apt next to Bowie Town Center, but am looking to buy a house, preferably in Bowie north of Route 50. The max I'm looking to spend is $300k for a 3bd 2ba SFH or townhome. I've looked at a few Levitt homes in the R and T sections, but a lot of work needs to be done with them to bring them up to date. I also work in Bowie and don't want to move too far away. I could deal with a 30 min commute.
Many of those developments right off Church Road have newer homes, so $300K max may be more difficult to find there, outside of a townhouse or condo. But the
But here are some ideas generally (not off Church Road). Did you see this?
Bowian, I did actually go tour the 4907 Rockvue Pass property earlier this week. It's unfortunate that it has a pool as I'm not looking for a home with one. I've also viewed a few other properties in 20715 and 20720 and they each needed too much work to bring up to date or were in an area I just didn't like. I didn't really like how small the master bathrooms were for the Levitt homes that I toured. One home that I saw off of Old Chapel Rd was feet away from train tracks.
Since I'm out touring homes now, I'm becoming more familiar with the market up here and am starting to realize that maybe this is what's mostly available here in Bowie within my price range.
I'm planning to go see a couple homes in the 20721 area code closer to 193 & Central Ave, which is still considered Bowie (or Woodmore?). Any thoughts on this area? The homes appear to have more space for the price but that could be a warning sign, and I'm not sure how the area has fared over the past few years.
Bowian, I did actually go tour the 4907 Rockvue Pass property earlier this week. It's unfortunate that it has a pool as I'm not looking for a home with one. I've also viewed a few other properties in 20715 and 20720 and they each needed too much work to bring up to date or were in an area I just didn't like. I didn't really like how small the master bathrooms were for the Levitt homes that I toured. One home that I saw off of Old Chapel Rd was feet away from train tracks.
Since I'm out touring homes now, I'm becoming more familiar with the market up here and am starting to realize that maybe this is what's mostly available here in Bowie within my price range.
I'm planning to go see a couple homes in the 20721 area code closer to 193 & Central Ave, which is still considered Bowie (or Woodmore?). Any thoughts on this area? The homes appear to have more space for the price but that could be a warning sign, and I'm not sure how the area has fared over the past few years.
20721 is just fine. There is more inventory available there than other parts of Bowie, and many people don't consider it 'real' Bowie, that's probably why prices are a little lower. The median income in 20721 is the highest in the Bowie area for what it's worth, so I'd say it's fared pretty well. The only concern I could think of would be minor crime coming in via 214 from places like Seat Pleasant and Capitol Heights (which are not as far away as you would think.)
Tall Oaks Crossing off of Hall Road is very nice. It has more space than the Levitt homes for sure. The prices there run from about $300,000-$400,000. Collington Station is another community worth considering.
I would say yes. I visit Bowie occasionally as I got my car from the AWESOME Honda of Bowie. It doesn't look like a city to me, though. It has a lot of open space and rural-looking areas. The wonderful Patuxent Nursery is also there, and a rocking nursery biases any location for me.
In your absence, the traffic all over the area seems to have gotten horrific, so maybe you'd like to practice the commute a few times before picking a specific place.
I took a little look-see and I also liked Davidsonville. It looked really rural and I would definitely consider living there rather than someplace congested in NOVA, but that's my personal preference.
Davidsonville has always been pricier then Bowie though.
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Originally Posted by PGC Native
Bowie isn't going to be much different than in 2009...If not a little nicer. Property values are finally on the rise again, so now might be the time to start looking. I grew up in Bowie and graduated high school there in the last few years. It isn't a bad city by any means, but it might be different than what it was like in your childhood.
I would say the best part of Bowie to live in for your price range, when considering safety and quality of life would probably be north of Hwy 50. 20715 zip code is the more desirable part of town. It was largely developed by Levitt (think Levittown, NY) in the 60's and has a very suburban, neighborhood feel. Each neighborhood is divided into different letter themes. Each section has a park or recreation area too. Kenilworth, Somerset, Buckingham, Fox Hill, and Tulip Grove are considered the most desirable of the Levitt neighborhoods.
You can easily find a 4 bed 2 bath 1 car garage cape cod style or 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch for $300,000 or less in these areas. None of the Levitt homes have basements, unfortunately, but many have been added on to over the years, so you might be able to find one with a large addition like many have. All of the homes in the Levitt areas have decent sized lots and most streets have some mature trees and are well landscaped.
I would agree with the poster above who said Davidsonville is very nice. But it is definitely significantly more expensive, as is Crofton/Gambrills. You would likely only find a townhouse in your price range in Crofton, and Davidsonville is largely rural with little that would fit your criteria.
HA.. I lived in one of those Cape cods as a child. Never knew or gave it much thought that the homes all lacked a basement. Any reason for it that is known?
Agree about Davidsonville. My Aunt still owns a home there and has for 30+ years. It is alot more expensive. I know Crofton used to be but was unsure of current status.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PGC Native
The Pointer Ridge area (south Bowie, late 60's and early 70's Levitt neighborhoods) are not as safe or desirable as north Bowie. The contemporary 70's housing line (Peach Walker Drive area and Nottinghill Drive in S. Bowie) are not holding up well. Many homes are in disrepair with yards overgrown or homeowners have tried to turn the houses into more "colonial" designs, rather unsuccessfully. It looks junky and messy, IMO compared to the well-manicured streets of north Bowie. There are far more rentals, Section 8 vouchers and group homes in Pointer Ridge than other parts of town. Break ins, armed robberies, and car thefts are not unheard of in Pointer Ridge. The only section in 20716 I would consider on a $300,000 budget is Holiday Hills.
While I don't think anyone is in terrible danger in South Bowie, I think it's best to look at all options. You will see many of the same floorplan/home designs that you can find in North Bowie in Pointer Ridge for significantly less money. There is a reason for this.
Sad to hear about south Bowie/Pointer ridge which is where i lived way back when. Thus 1970s.. Ofcourse it started to go a little downhill before i left the whole region in the early 90s ( i remember hearing people putting the blame on the expansion of metro into the area which they claimed brought trouble into the area from DC/Inner beltway etc etc etc ) but i had thought maybe it was a temp thing. That was a beautiful and safe neighborhood back when. Ofcourse back then there wasn't much to it's west either and thus along Central ave till you got to Largo as even most of Kettering was still not built up yet.
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