Langley Park

Two miles from the Washington, D.C. border is Langley Park, a Maryland community in an ongoing period of rejuvenation. “Langley Park is a very old community that has become a very diverse community,” says local realtor Romeo Santos of Keller Williams Realty. “There’s a pretty good amount of development planned for and currently in the works — redevelopment of single-family and multi-family homes.”

Around 17,000 people live in Langley Park, a census-designated place northwest of Hyattsville. Bright, colorful murals punctuate the area with bursts of local pride, especially the busy, apartment- and commerce-heavy western section. Single-family houses comprise Langley Park's northern and eastern portions, filled mainly with brick, mid-20th-century ranch-style homes and Cape Cods. You’ll also spot occasional Colonial designs, some with covered porches and Craftsman-style flourishes. Meanwhile, the Bedford Towne condominium development offers several single-level units. Its one-bedroom condos are among Langley Park’s lowest-cost homes, starting under $100,000. “A ranch-style house or Cape Cod, fully renovated, could cost as high as $550,000,” Santos says. “If it’s livable but needs updating, it’ll probably be in the low-to-mid-$300,000s.”

Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School is one of several Prince George’s County Public Schools serving Langley Park. Established in 1950, it welcomes nearly 800 pre-K through sixth grade students within walking distance of many homes. Cool Spring Elementary accommodates some Langley Park students a few minutes to the north, as does Mary Harris “Mother” Jones Elementary to the east. After elementary school, students will join nearly 1,300 peers at Buck Lodge Middle, about a 10-minute drive northeast. Head five minutes farther, and you’ll reach High Point High. Here, ninth through 12th graders can participate in several career academies focused on environmental sciences, hospitality and other professions. Santos adds that Langley Park is conveniently located for University of Maryland students, with the College Park campus less than 10 minutes by car.

Anchoring the community is the centrally located Langley Park Community Center, next door to Langley Park-McCormick Elementary. This indoor gathering space welcomes neighbors to bolster their physical, emotional and social well-being, whether that means time in the fitness or billiards rooms or joining a line dancing class. On its ocean-themed playground, kids can let their imaginations run wild — and in case they get a little too rowdy, the rubber flooring keeps them safe. The community center also offers a connection to the Northwest Branch Trail. This 21-mile trail runs alongside Langley Park to the north and offers up-close views of the Anacostia River’s Northwest Branch. History lovers can follow the path east to encounter Adelphi Mill, a stone grist mill that’s stood since 1796.

Various big-name and locally owned businesses operate along Langley Park’s southern section, from international grocery stores to drive-thru restaurants. Langley Park Plaza is the area’s primary indoor shopping center, offering everything from CVS Pharmacy to Hunan Hut, a traditional Chinese joint. A bit farther down University Boulevard, you’ll find Casa Dora, a Salvadoran eatery popular for its pupusas.

The Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center gives residents access to several bus routes, a highly convenient amenity for D.C. commuters. “There are a lot of people who work in D.C. and live in Langley Park,” Santos says. Residents traveling to other parts of the DMV are less than 3 miles south of the Capital Beltway.

Written By

Jessica Haddad

Photography Contributed By

Jessica Livoni

Video By

Victoria Sharpe