Variety. If there is one thing the Rockville neighborhood of Lincoln Park has, it’s variety. Architectural styles, landscaping methods, and income levels range across the board, but neighborhood pride brings residents together. Each lawn shows signs of love and care while remaining unique to the home dweller’s personality. A tropical jungle grows next door to a statue-adorned rock garden. Newer homes have crisp green rectangles.
“I think it’s a nice neighborhood,” local historian Sharyn Duffin said. “Reasonably quiet. It’s certainly diverse.” Duffin has lived in Lincoln Park her entire life, though she declined to give an exact number of years. “I’ve been here a long time.”
The historic neighborhood enclave dates back to the 1890s and is one of the first black communities in Montgomery County. Now it is a moderate-income area in the midst of revitalization. The Legacy development at Lincoln Park opened in 2007 on the former site of Lincoln Terrace, a public housing complex. It contains new single-family homes and town houses built by developer Urban-Atlantic, one of the national leaders in affordable housing
As a whole, Lincoln Park neighborhood features widely varying styles of residential design from the late 19th and 20th centuries. The homes are typically located on narrow, deep lots that were designed as homesteads with room for outbuildings and gardens. Many homes are still backed by these spacious yards.
There are several historic homes still standing, including three log houses, a Queen Anne-style home, shotgun-style homes, and Arts and Crafts style with steep-pitched roofs and gables. The Lincoln Park Community Preservation Committee and the Lincoln Park History Project watches out for these local treasures.
The central feature of the neighborhood is the Lincoln Park Community Center. Ken Yaun, a community center employee, has gotten to know the residents pretty well since starting the job 10 years ago at the age of 15. “A lot of people come down here,” Yaun said. “The residents are friendly, they really like to bond, work together, play together, help each other.”
The community center features a computer lab, game room, library, gym, fitness/weight room, kitchen, and multipurpose room where after-school programs are held. The recently renovated center features programs for all ages of the community. “People have parties, graduations, fashion shows here,” Yaun said. “[The center] has grown with the community, helping the community keep up with technology.”
Despite being so close to the amenities of a large city like Rockville, Lincoln Park retains that small-town feel. “A lot of people say a lot of things about Lincoln Park,” Yaun said, “but you don’t really know it until you’ve been here, lived here.”
Top reasons to live in Lincoln Park
History
Roots grow deep here and homeowners possess a profound sense of community and family. The city of Rockville has established a Neighborhood Plan Advisory Group and Lincoln Park Community Preservation Committee to ensure that the historic value of Lincoln Park is not diminished.
Location
Lincoln Park is within walking distance of the Rockville Metro Station on the Red Line, retail shopping in Rockville Town Center, and the beautiful downtown area. A recently built library, churches, and high schools are also close by.
Affordability
There are three homes in the new Legacy housing development currently available these are single-family, around 2,700 square feet, and only $499,000 to $550,000. This below the average list price for the ZIP code.
At a glance
June 2009
Average sold price — $523,105
Average list price — $551,082
Average days on market — 56
June 2008
Average sold price — $523,105
Average list price — $555,035
Average days on market — 61
