Bowie

Jericho Park is a blooming, 60-acre park at the north end of Prince George's County, Maryland, flanked by midcentury suburban homes and new constructions that pop up to this day. Jericho Park also has a decent land market, as many multi-acre parcels are for sale. The area also hosts Bowie State University, Maryland's oldest HBCU, founded before the end of the Civil War. The community is 3 miles from downtown Bowie and almost serves as the middle ground between the city's retail and suburbs and the natural parks along the Patuxent River. "It's a nice area, very picturesque. I often take my dog to Cash Lake to walk," says Will Stein, a Bowie local and Realtor with Compass. "To be so close to D.C. and close to greenery is quite rare, and people here value that." Housing developments are filled with colonials and Contemporary farmhouse style single-family houses, often featuring attached front-facing garages, open floor plans and updated kitchens with the add-ons of center islands and granite countertops. "In my opinion, the consensus is not to build multi-family properties and to keep developments smaller so it doesn't encroach on the park," says Tamara Whitehurst, a real estate agent with Canzell Realty with 4 years of experience serving Maryland. Home prices range from $365,000 to $1 million, varying by lot size and square footage. Custom-built options are available in subdivisions like Saddlebrook, where sale prices run from $650,000 to $715,000. Split-level and ranch-style homes from the 1960s are listed between $450,000 and $550,000, and vacant lots for buyers who want to design and build their own homes go on the market anywhere from $70,000 to $110,000. "Custom homes are usually built with the land lots here, and homes that are multi-generational or two homes on a lot are permitted. People are afforded privacy, which is appealing," says Stein. At the center of the area, the more-than-60-acre Jericho Park provides the up-and-coming community with a tournament baseball field, a multipurpose court and a playground. To the north, the Patuxent Research Refuge and Center is made up of 13,000 acres of forest, meadow and wetlands. The preserved natural space is a habitat for birds, wildlife and pollinators. Part of the Washington Baltimore and Annapolis trail connects to the Jericho Park neighborhood. The paved recreational trail runs from Odenton to the Patuxent River along an abandoned railway line. Patuxent Research Refuge is a 13,000-acre nature preserve founded by President Franklin Roosevelt. Though visitors can access locales like Cash Lake and Cash Fishing Area, anglers need a permit before casting their lines. The preserve has more than 20 miles of trails available for hiking and biking. When not used by the public, researchers conduct studies on thousands of native species in the refuge's forests, meadows and wetlands. Jericho Park is also a couple miles from Bowie Racetrack, which hosted horse races from 1914 to 1985 and then was a training facility until 2015. "Maryland used to be very big on thoroughbred racing, and Bowie has been one of the three centers for that in the state," says Stein. The city of Bowie will take ownership of the track by the end of 2024, and there are ongoing discussions between the community and city council as to what to do with the land. Residents can reach Bowie Town Center in about 15 minutes and shop at Macy's or Best Buy. Closer to home are strip malls like Free State Shopping Center, which hosts a Giant, ALDI, MOM's Organic Market and T.J. Maxx. For a night out, there are local restaurants in Bowie, like Ruby's Soul Food Kitchen, serving shrimp & grits and chicken and waffle entrees. Ruby's also has a "Secret Supper Experience," where patrons reserve a table for a private dining event with a special family-style menu and unique venue. Prince George's County Public Schools serves the Jericho Park area for education. Students can attend Rockledge Elementary, rated an A-minus by Niche, Samuel Ogle Middle School and Bowie High School, which both get B-minus ratings. Ogle Middle is known for its vocal music program and green initiatives like the school recycling program. Bowie State University is a public, historically Black university established in 1865. By the 1900s, it had moved to land known then as Jericho Farm. The expansive campus now greatly influences the surrounding area, thanks to its student population of over 6,000 and facilities like the Fine & Performing Arts Center, sports stadium and arena. Commuters are a 22-mile drive from D.C. to the southwest or Annapolis to the east along U.S. Route 50 or a 30-mile drive from Baltimore to the north along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Bowie State University's train station offers Amtrak and MARC trains, which travel through Maryland and major cities along the East Coast. "Most folks drive to the Metro for work; it's not as available as in other cities around the county, though," says Whitehurst. Locals will likely drive 9 miles to the New Carrollton Metro station for Orange Line access through D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

The area known as Woodmore has not strayed far from its origins as a forest in Prince George’s County. Though significant residential development has been established, it doesn’t disturb the dense tree canopy, so residents opt for shady, spacious homes, often in gated communities. The area has numerous attractions and amenities that are within reach, including the historic Country Club at Woodmore for members. Six Flags America is one of the largest amusement parks in the D.C. – Baltimore area and is within a couple of miles of locals for quick access. The neighborhood is also sandwiched between two large shopping centers: the newly renovated Woodmore Towne Center to the west and Bowie Towne Center to the east. Six Flags America is just a 4-mile drive south for Woodmore locals, who can purchase season passes to easily access the park’s biggest rides, like the Batwing Coaster and Superman’s Ride of Steel. Around Halloween, the park turns into a spooky spectacle called Fright Fest. There’s also the Country Club at Woodmore, a private club with a championship golf course designed by Arnold Palmer. Members can access the club’s pools, three tennis courts, and indoor and outdoor dining options at The Palmer Grill, which serves appetizers, burgers, crab cakes and steak. The club also has an annual slate of social events. Kids can zip down brightly colored slides and run free at Orchard Playground, while adults can explore the hiking trails at Collington Branch Park. Yates also recommends Allen Pond Park to the east for fishing and festivals, like the summer concert series every Sunday evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Home values in Woodmore range from $550,000 to $1.3 million, varying by square footage and age. For $750,000, there are Contemporary-style homes with two-car garages built in the 2010s. Large brick homes on one-acre lots are going for about $810,000, and Colonial-Revival homes featuring front columns are priced close to $865,000. At the higher end of the neighborhood’s price range are five-bedroom Contemporary-style homes in a gated community just south of U.S. Route 50, anchored by the Country Club of Woodmore. North of Route 50 is an active adult 55+ community called Beechfield Manors, mainly composed of one-story condos. Though the environment changes from subdivision to subdivision, there are either dense treelines or spacious lots available to locals, so leaving room for nature is a priority throughout the area. “Levitt Homes built many of the original Cape Cods in the Bowie area. The newer Bowie grew up out of the Mitchellville side south of Route 50,” says Melvin Yates, a Broker/owner with EXP Realty, LLC, with over 30 years of real estate experience in the region. There are also some four- and five-bedroom townhouse units priced between $485,000 and $675,000. Locals can grab a beignet and a latte from PJ’s Coffee, a café chain started in New Orleans. “There’s also a Starbucks in the neighborhood, along with most any type of cuisine you can think of,” says Justine Conteh, a 7-year Realtor with eXP Realty. PJ’s is in a small plaza in the Fairwood area in the north half of the neighborhood, beside a Safeway for groceries and Milk & Honey, a popular spot known for its creative twist on dishes such as shrimp and grits and chicken and waffles. To the west is Woodmore Towne Centre, an outdoor mall featuring a Wegmans, a Nordstrom and a Best Buy. To the east is Bowie Town Center with a Macy’s and several franchise diners, from Red Robin to Chipotle. Woodmore students are part of Prince George’s County Public Schools, the nation’s No. 20 largest school district, serving over 133,000 students in Eastern Maryland. Woodmore Elementary School is rated a C on Niche, and students here recently relocated to a new building where they will continue making strides academically and artistically through family literacy programs and electives such as instrumental music and visual arts. Meanwhile, Ernest Everest Just Middle gets a C-minus rating, and Charles Herbert Flowers High is rated a B-minus. Route 50 runs through the neighborhood, making it a 17-mile drive to the nation’s capital, about 45 minutes, depending on rush hour traffic. Commuters can also access the Downtown Largo Metro station just 7 miles west, with access to Silver and Blue Line trains heading through D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The New Carrollton train station is also 7 miles away for access to MARC trains heading through Maryland.