Few communities in the Washington metropolitan area have undergone as radical a transformation over the past 30 years as Germantown, Md. Once a sleepy country hamlet considered too far removed from the city to even garner suburb status, the Montgomery County community has ballooned to an area that some 100,000 people call home.
| At a glance |
| November 2010 |
| Average sold price for homes sold in ZIP code 20874: $277,386 |
| Average list price for homes sold in ZIP code 20874: $300,935 |
| Average days on market for homes sold: 78 |
| November 2009 |
| Average sold price for homes sold in ZIP code 20874: $257,896 |
| Average list price for homes sold in ZIP code 20874: $271,493 |
| Average days on market for homes sold: 59 |
Amid surefire signs of standard suburban development including strip malls, big box stores, chain restaurants and consistent traffic, sit cultural and communal institutions that give Germantown a unique identity.
Born when Interstate 270 was built in the 1960s, Germantown’s growth was mapped out by the Montgomery County government.
“They wanted it to be more than just an exit off 270,” said Charlotte Sommers, executive director of the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown’s town center. “It’s really evolved.”
Lynne Oakes has witnessed that growth through its many stages. She’s lived in Germantown since 1982, or as she likes to characterize it, “since the pigs ate Grandpa.” Oakes founded the Art League of Germantown a year later with an initial group of 13 people. Today, meetings routinely attract 80 attendees.
“There were a whole lot less people here,” she said. “We didn’t have a town center. You actually could not buy food here. You had to drive to Gaithersburg.”
Bounded on the south by Great Seneca Creek, on the north by Little Seneca Creek and Lake, on the west by Black Rock Road, and on the east Brink Road, unincorporated Germantown is roughly 6 square miles.
Development of the town center, which features a bevy of shops, restaurants and a branch of the public library, helped drive Germantown’s expansion through the 1990s, but it was the opening of the BlackRock Center that truly marked the town’s maturation.
“It’s really a cultural anchor,” Sommers said. “We have a duel purpose. We’re a professional arts center, we bring in national and local (artists). The other part of our programming is education. We teach all facets of the arts; music, dance and theater.”
There is no shortage of spots to grab a bite after a show. A buffet of national chain restaurants such as Red Robin and Longhorn, as well as fast food staples are complemented by local eateries including Hard Times, Jerry’s and the Woodside Deli.
Condo and townhouse developments — and there are a lot of them — also dot downtown.
“Germantown is what I call townhouse heaven,” said Stanley Der, a Germantown resident and realtor with Long and Foster. “From a real estate perspective they’ve been hurting. Property values have not stabilized yet.”
But Der is bullish on the future. A resident of the Village of Cloppers Mill, he knows the sense of community firsthand. His son swam at the indoor swim center for years. It will soon be joined by a tennis center.
Transportation always is a key issue in Germantown. Located 26 miles from Washington, I-270 provides direct, if not always traffic-free, access to the inner suburbs and city. Commuters also use the MARC station in town, the nearby Shady Grove stop on the Metro’s Red Line, and the Germantown Transit Center, a hub for the Montgomery County public bus system.
Not everyone heads toward the District, though. When Oakes gets wistful for Germantown’s more rural past, she hops in her car and heads north toward Frederick, Hagerstown and other slower-paced spots.
“When towns grow up you always have issues, but for the most part it doesn’t affect the people here,” she said.
real estate,neighborhoods,Germantown,Montgomery County,BlackRock
