To millions around the Washington metro area, its name is solely associated with the last stop on Metro’s Orange Line. But to Richard Bechtold and his 12,000 neighbors, New Carrollton has the warmer connotation of being home.
“I raised my kids here, and everything I have, I own here,” said the city councilman, who has lived in the Prince George’s County town since 1964. “I have no reason to move anyplace else. There’s no place that I want to go.”
Located just 8 miles from the District line, New Carrollton is a 1.5-square-mile incorporated city adjacent to the Beltway.
The land that is present-day New Carrollton first was settled in the early 1700s, according to the city’s Web site. Its residential layout was developed by Albert W. Turner in the early 1950s, and on April 11, 1953, Carrollton officially was incorporated by the state of Maryland. The “New” was added in 1965 to avoid confusion with several other Maryland areas also called Carrollton.
Today, the town gateway is the intersection of 85th Avenue and Annapolis Road. Along that stretch you’ll find local retail shops and malls. But proceeding down Princess Garden Parkway, you get a truer sense of place: the municipal building, Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary, and homes ranging from mid-20th-century ranchers to more modern constructs.
Tom Greeves, a real estate agent with the Creig Northrop Team of Long & Foster, said home prices make the neighborhood an attractive buy.
“It’s close to the Beltway, close to D.C. It’s one of the few places you can get a single-family home in the low $300s,” Greeves said. “There’s been a lot of activity there recently. There are 47 homes under contract there, but only eight sales in the last 60 days. I think a lot of first-time homebuyers are starting to buy there because of the price point.”
The city is served by three elementary schools and Charles Carroll Middle School. The high school, Parkdale, is in nearby Riverdale.
New Carrollton also features 15 acres of parkland, spread across multiple venues. The largest is the sports park off Good Luck Road, which has lighted soccer fields and is home to the Boys and Girls Club football teams. The town keeps both a horticulturist and arborist on staff to tend the many trees, flowers and shrubbery on public property.
There is no shortage of things for families to do. An annual highlight is the city-sponsored Community Day, this year held Sept. 12. Beckett Field on Legation Road hosted plenty of live music and kids activities, such as a basketball shootout, face painting, moon bounce and trackless train. There also is a Halloween party and an arts showcase in the spring.
A transportation hub for the region, New Carrollton Station features MARC and Amtrak train service, bus service, and the well-known Metro subway.
“Convenience to the city is the biggest attraction,” Greeves said. “You have an easy commute into the city. If you’re going to a game at FedEx [Field] or if you’re going to the beach. You can get to Virginia quick. It’s got everything that you need.”
But if you were to drive through town, what you’d be struck by is its cleanliness. The city has a full-time employee whose only job is to clean up litter.
“We spend a lot of money and take a lot of pride in how clean our city is,” said Mike Downes, New Carrollton’s city administrative officer. “We’re trying to look like a suburb in the country, right outside the District.”
Top reasons to live in New Carrollton
Location
Nestled just 8 miles outside Washington’s city line, New Carrollton is adjacent to Exit 20 of the D.C. Beltway. Getting almost anywhere around the area in your car will be about as easy as it’s going to get in this traffic-congested region.
Transportation
The New Carrollton station is the last stop on Metro’s Orange Line. You can also catch a MARC train, Amtrak train or bus there.
