Sure_Comparison6978

Sure_Comparison6978 t1_j0potlr wrote

Reply to comment by 21045Runner in Curious by teedotjay39

Yes, I just moved from Hyattsville. Far more expensive than Columbia…one of the reasons we moved here.

PG County I’m sure has far more poverty than Howard County, which would skew any sort of county wide average. But home values in PG County, especially those closest to DC, have skyrocketed as those areas are gentrifying quickly. This would include Hyattsville, Mt Rainer, College Park, Riverdale, among others.

And your comment about the bad public schools is irrelevant, as most of the affluent families in PG County send their kids to either private or charter schools.

But go on…tell me more about PG County.

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_j0nd8ft wrote

Reply to comment by RevRagnarok in Curious by teedotjay39

Just drive a little ways south to DC and the surrounding suburbs, you’ll easily find much more expensive areas not far from here…which is why we moved here after living 12 years in the DC area.

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Sure_Comparison6978 OP t1_iz00zg9 wrote

Reply to Has anyone installed curb ramps at the end of driveway to avoid scraping bottom of car? Does the county allow these? by Sure_Comparison6978

Thanks all, appreciate the insight. I’ve got to do something as yesterday I heavily scraped the bottom of car, thought for sure I punctured the oil pan but everything seems fine so far. I can usually avoid problems if I back out at a sharp angle or back in, but yesterday even backing in didn’t work, probably because my trunk was full of stuff. Hopefully the curb ramps work as expected.

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_iyvrpax wrote

Reply to A good place to board a cat ? by Muffincat16

For likely a cheaper rate, you can hire a professional pet sitter to come to your house for a few minutes each day to feed, clean litter box, etc while you’re gone. Some sites that offer this service even offer background checks and full liability coverage. That’s what we’ve done and it’s always worked out really well. And cat is happier I’m sure.

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_ixw3f24 wrote

Reply to Lead paint? by BalancingAct247

I’d say lead paint is less likely to be a concern in Columbia compared to other parts of Maryland, as many of the homes here are relatively newer compared to this historic homes which are far more common outside of Columbia. I would be more concerned about asbestos, which can be easily found in the popcorn ceilings and linoleum floors (both found in typical 70’s era homes, which are prevalent in Columbia).

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_ixukhke wrote

Reply to Political vibes in Columbia? by BalancingAct247

I’m fairly new to the area so admittedly not the best person to comment on this. But my early impression so far is that local activism and engagement exists but mainly takes place at the county level—that’s especially the case with the schools (just Google “redistricting, Columbia” ). Also, in Maryland in general, counties oddly have a lot of power and take on a lot of the governing responsibilities that cities usually handle in other states. Then there’s the obvious fact that Columbia is unincorporated and technically not even a city (also oddly common in Maryland), and is largely governed by an HOA and not a mayor and city council. I think that too inhibits local engagement despite advantages an HOA may offer. For evidence of this, just read the recent posts in this sub about the crusty HOA board members who reportedly are out of touch and get little done, yet are continuously elected and face little accountability.

Overall, I will say I do love the community so far. I especially love the bike trails and parks, which ironically, exists because of the HOA.

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