Carole Highlands (Submitted by AB)
My husband and I bought a Carole Highlands home (3-4 bdrm Cape Cod) this fall, after renting in College Park. We live in the PG County part of the neighborhood. We love that our neighborhood is quiet and homey with tall trees and Sligo Creek Trail, but so close to shopping and right on our commute routes. We are so happy that our yard is large with many kinds of trees and a big patio. We are enjoying the energy efficiency of the radiant heat throughout the whole main floor this winter, and our toes are staying toasty! We also love the floor plan of the house itself -- the living room feels so connected with the outdoors and gets plenty of light, and the energy flow just feels natural and good. The house is bigger inside than it looks outside, so there is room for kids if we are fortunate enough to have them.
We are still thinking about whether to add dormers upstairs to expand the upstairs rooms and make room for a second bathroom. Some other people on our block have done this with the same model. The upstairs rooms already work for us as our bedroom plus some extra space, leaving us two bedrooms downstairs that we use for offices, so we don't really have to expand. But the possibility is there.
We are crossing our fingers for the Purple Line since it will have stations half a mile away at Riggs and University, and one mile away at New Hampshire and University. But even if the Purple Line never ends up happening, we still feel like you cannot beat the neighborhood for quick access to DC, abundant shopping, quiet streets, big yards, trees, parkland, and affordability for young couples.
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Takoma Park (Submitted by BF)
Takoma Park is turn-of-the-last century summer retreat location for Washington, DC that has evolved into a close-in suburb. It has attracted an extremely diverse, generally more progressive population. It is sometimes perceived as a kind of oddball town: a nuclear-free zone, extreme left leaning even socialist enclave. In reality it is has much in common with more conservative bedroom communities around the city. It has it's own elected government, is conveniently located on the city's mass transit system, and has a charming small-town feel about it. It is a very welcoming community.
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