If You’re Moving to Washington, D. C., Here are Ideas for Where to Live

Many people from across the country move to Washington, D. C. for governmental jobs, military positions or for big business. The 68.34 square miles of area straddles Virginia and Maryland. Virginia taxes are a bit difficult to understand, so we’re going to discuss amenable living in Maryland. If you can afford the half to quarter million dollar homes to be found in Montgomery County, then you’ll feel right at home. Moving to guides will tell you that Prince George’s County, on the other hand, offers homes for movers searching for a little more manageable price. Since a commute to the nation’s capital from any direction is a foregone conclusion, it just makes sense to consider living in an area close to your new job or military position. Consequently, we’d like to tell you about Laurel, Cheverly and Bowie, Maryland.

Prince George’s County

Bowie, Cheverly and Laurel are all located in Prince George’s County, or P. G. for short. The county borders the nation’s capital on its western side. The Patuxent River forms its boundary with Anne Arundel, Calvert and Howard Counties on its eastern side. The countryside is lush and green, with gently rolling hills and enough water to go fishing. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to tell where one community leaves off and another begins, but that holds certain charms to some who see the area for the first time. The three communities wrap around each other, with the Beltway or I-295, Route 50 and I-95 the major highways through each.

Homes in P. G. County

According to Zillow, townhomes generally begin at $60,000 for a three bed, two bath structure, and go up to $120,000 and beyond. A five bed, two bath single family home on less than one acre usually begins around $250,000. Only need two beds and two baths? Figure on spending around $90,000. New construction of four, five and six beds and two, three and four baths will begin around $400,000 and go up. Feel better about renting? Bring along from $1,000 to $2,000 per month depending on the number of beds and baths, in addition to whether it’s a single family home, condo or townhouse.

Education in P. G. County

If you’d rather send your children to private schools rather than public schools, you’ll have 129 from which to choose. They range from Christian to Islamic to Catholic and feature a child to teacher ratio of 10:1. Tuition varies, and the acceptance rate is 75 percent. Colleges include:

• University of Maryland University College
• University of Maryland, College Park
• Capitol Technology University
• Strayer University
• Capital Seminary and Graduate School
• Bowie State University
• Brightwood College

Employment in P. G. County

Should the spouse or a child old enough to work wish to seek employment, they will have a wide choice of employers. Washington, D. C. can’t hold all of the governmental offices, so they spill over into other counties. In P. G. County you will find the Census Bureau and the I. R. S. Other employers include:

• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• UPS and FedEx
• Andrews Air Force Base
• Verizon
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA
• Prince George’s County
• The Maryland University System
• Healthcare
• Retail Warehouses and Main Offices

Are You Ready for Some Football?

People aren’t aware of this fact, but Prince George’s County is the home of the Washington Redskins. FedEx Field, the Redskins’ home base, is located here. In other sports news, the Bowie Baysox, a minor league baseball team, raises some dust each summer in Bowie.

Trivia

Did you know that New Carrollton, just outside Bowie, was the home of actress Karen Allen of Raiders of the Lost Ark fame? Want to know more?

• Not many know the name of the founder of Google. Sergey Brin grew up in Adelphi, not far from Laurel
• Nor do many know the name of the man who invented GPS. Roger Easton, Sr., was a naval scientist living across the county in Oxon Hill
• Kathie Lee Gifford is from Bowie
• The USS Prince Georges was a navy cargo ship

We know lots more cool things about the area surrounding our nation’s capital. We’ll be happy to tell you all about it while you’re contacting us about moving.