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I am a first time homebuyer and mom of one looking to purchased a sizable townhome in the near future. My husband and I came across online postings for new construction in St. Charles.
I'm asking for opinions and/or reviews in regards to St. Charles, MD (amenities, schools, crime, etc.) especially from residents or those familiar with Charles County development. Based off it's advertising push, I get the feeling of an emerging exurb community trying bring in young families looking for a more quiet life.
For current residents, have you taken the commuter bus into DC and if so, how was your experience?
There are a lot of young families there but if you're looking for a hip trendy area where people push $1000 strollers that's not it. It has a more working class ethos that's not to say there isn't a professional class but that's the vibe I got. Lots of military families too.
The schools are ok, better in the southern part of the county in La Plata. To be blunt the quality of the school will be determinant on the % of the student body that is black. There's some crime but it's usually domestic in nature, your typical suburban burglaries etc.
I am a first time homebuyer and mom of one looking to purchased a sizable townhome in the near future. My husband and I came across online postings for new construction in St. Charles.
I'm asking for opinions and/or reviews in regards to St. Charles, MD (amenities, schools, crime, etc.) especially from residents or those familiar with Charles County development. Based off it's advertising push, I get the feeling of an emerging exurb community trying bring in young families looking for a more quiet life.
For current residents, have you taken the commuter bus into DC and if so, how was your experience?
Thank you for your comments in advance.
Quite seriously, I think with a child you need to look for a single family house rather a townhouse, especially if you're planning more kids (or even not, unexpectedly expecting happens).
The number one complaint, after not having enough parking, I hear from townhouse owners in your situation (kid/s) is that they don't have a yard to play in.
Let's face it, since you mentioned millennials, you are the next wave of homeowners and child rearing.
As mentioned, St. Charles/La Plata/Southern Maryland as a whole are not "hip".
Location: Foothills of Maryland Blue Ridge mountains
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Quote:
Originally Posted by will4328
Good Afternoon,
I am a first time homebuyer and mom of one looking to purchased a sizable townhome in the near future. My husband and I came across online postings for new construction in St. Charles.
I'm asking for opinions and/or reviews in regards to St. Charles, MD (amenities, schools, crime, etc.) especially from residents or those familiar with Charles County development. Based off it's advertising push, I get the feeling of an emerging exurb community trying bring in young families looking for a more quiet life.
For current residents, have you taken the commuter bus into DC and if so, how was your experience?
Your first priority should be good schools. Look for an area with highly ranked schools, then look for homes. Everything flows from that....community involvement, safety, resale value.
Ok, that might be a bit of an over generalization but largely I think it's true.
look at LaPlata, small town, has mayor, town hall (you can pick up the phone and talk to someone), summer concerts, best schools in Charles County, nowhere near as diverse as St. Charles (whether that makes any difference to you.)
The OP asked about the commuter bus schedule to D.C. The timetables are here, if you enter the number of your bus route in the blue box in the center of the page marked "Commuter Bus". http://mta.maryland.gov/commuter-bus and it will display the running times. As you can see, it makes a great difference exactly where you work. It takes the bus MUCH longer to get to Dupont Circle, Farragut, or Foggy Bottom -- than it does to get to closer-by Capitol Hill or L'enfant Plaza......And in particular, getting through the Brandywine, MD area is a terrible bottleneck for hours each day - and even on weekends.
Saint Charles is a huge master-planned community, consisting of several distinct villages, some of them with man-made lakes surrounded by circular hiking paths. It has been developing gradually and steadily for almost 50 years, with a variety of housing options. Saint Charles is a major part of the un-incorporated city of Waldorf, MD, which has a 2-level enclosed shopping mall, every conceivable chain restaurant, a minor-league baseball team, and a year-round Ice rink. Many families work at Joint Base Andrews, while others commute with difficulty into D.C.
The growing town of La Plata, MD, is a little further still from D.C., but has better schools, and considerable charm with its county court house, little-theater ("Port Tobacco Players") outdoor festivals and parades, summer concerts on the lawn of the town hall, annual County Fair, large community College, and convenient hospital.
Last edited by slowlane3; 03-23-2017 at 12:48 PM..
There are a lot of young families there but if you're looking for a hip trendy area where people push $1000 strollers that's not it. It has a more working class ethos that's not to say there isn't a professional class but that's the vibe I got. Lots of military families too.
The schools are ok, better in the southern part of the county in La Plata. To be blunt the quality of the school will be determinant on the % of the student body that is black. There's some crime but it's usually domestic in nature, your typical suburban burglaries etc.
Am I the only one that was offended by this comment????
Am I the only one that was offended by this comment????
No you're not.
I often just scroll pass the bullsh*t on this site
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