Langley Park, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Langley Park is an unincorporated area
and census-designated place
(CDP) in the Washington, D.C.
metro area. It is located inside the Capital Beltway
, on the northwest edge of Prince George's County, Maryland
, bordering Montgomery County, Maryland
.
The "International Corridor," a commercial zone along University Boulevard at the southern end of Langley Park, is close to the University of Maryland, College Park
, Silver Spring
, Takoma Park
. It is included in the Prince George's County Enterprise Zone
. Many of the shops and restaurants along the International Corridor represent the community's multiethnic heritages, from Central America
, West Africa
, Southeast Asia
, the Caribbean
, and many other parts of the world.
Two transit station locations in the proposed Purple Line are being planned to serve Langley Park. One is at the Montgomery
/Prince George's
county line, at New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard ("Takoma/Langley Crossroads"), recently named the most dangerous intersection in Maryland for pedestrians. The danger is due to crossings of these six-lane routes mid-block at curbside bus stops.
The other is at Riggs Road
and University Boulevard
. The current bus system issues more transfers at these two intersections
than at any other Prince George's County location not yet served by a Metro
station.
The multi-cultural diversity of the International Corridor area has attracted the attention of the State of Maryland, the University of Maryland, the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG), Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning (M-NCPPC), Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, and national think tanks such as the Brookings Institution. Community assets identified by these and other stakeholders include a large concentration or clustering of international restaurants, grocery stores, nightclubs, retail stores, and micro-enterprises, all of which help to define the unique character of the neighborhood. Additionally, a number of community groups have formed to represent a broad range of community interests. Many of these community groups focus on the unique social issues of the area, particularly as they relate to the stock of rental housing, youth, health, immigration, jobs, pedestrian and bicycle safety, transit, business development, and community economic development.
established in 1923, by the McCormick-Goodhart family in the Chillum District of Prince George's County, Maryland. The name McCormick-Goodhart represented the linking of one of Chicago's oldest families, that of Cyrus McCormick
, with that of British barrister Frederick E. McCormick-Goodhart. Frederick's wife Henrietta (Nettie) was the daughter of Leander J. McCormick
, a brother of Cyrus. They named the 540 acres (2.2 km²) estate Langley Park
after the Goodharts' ancestral home in Kent, England. In 1924, they erected an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²), 28-room Georgian Revival mansion, designed by architect George Oakley Totten, Jr.
, at a cost of $100,000. It remains a community landmark at 8151 15th Ave. CASA of Maryland
purchased the property in 2009, making the site its home base, and a Multicultural Community Center is now open in the mansion. This property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 2008.
During the late 1930s-early 1940s, Leander McCormick-Goodhart, son of Frederick and Nettie, served as personal assistant to Ambassador Lord Lothian
and supervisor of American Relief to Great Britain through the British embassy. As a result, the Langley Park estate became a regular site of social activities related to the British embassy including hosting the regular games of the Washington Cricket Club and, in June 1941, a British Relief Country Fair.
by Pierre Ghent & Associates of Washington, D.C. The last major section would be developed in 1963. Because of the wartime and immediate postwar demand for housing, the 540 acres (2.2 km²) estate was quickly developed for low-rise apartment homes, semi-detached, and single family homes. Starting in 1949, a 1,542 garden apartment complex, Langley Park Apartments, now located along 14th Avenue, was built to house the exploding postwar population. That same year, M.T. Broyhill and Sons started building on a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) tract for 600 single family homes to be priced at around $10,000. These homes now lie north of Merrimac Drive. Both the apartments and homes were completed and occupied by June 1951. In 1951, plans were unveiled for 500 additional multi-family rental dwellings and a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²), $4 million shopping center.
In 1963, the last major segment of the Langley Park estate opened for development. It was a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) parcel located directly around the manor house. It had been acquired in 1947, from the McCormick-Goodhart family by the Eudist Order
for use as a seminary. The property was acquired for $900,000 by developers, who built the 400-unit Willowbrook Apartments on the site and opened them the following year. The mansion then operated until the early-1990s as Willowbrook Montessori School.
The Langley Park Elementary School, now known as Langley Park-McCormick School, opened in 1950, at 15th Avenue and Merrimac Drive. In 1988, Leander McCormick-Goodhart, real estate developer and descendent of the estate owners, sent the school a $10,000 donation after receiving an invitation to attend a school event. That same year, 60 percent of the school population of 610 students was foreign born from 45 different countries and spoke 27 languages.
During the 1970s, after desegregation, increasing numbers of African American
s moved into the community. Although some established families remained, the white population declined due to white flight
to the outer suburbs. In 1970, the first language of 6.1 percent was Spanish; by 1980 that number climbed to 13.4 percent. During the 1980s, Hispanic and Caribbean immigrants from countries such as El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica and the West Indies led a new wave of migration into the community. In addition, Asian and African immigrants from places like Vietnam, India, Ethiopia and Nigeria settled into the area. It proved to be an attractive locale for immigrants due to the availability of affordable housing that could also accommodate families. The integration of these new groups into Langley Park reflected a larger trend of increased migration to the Greater Washington area during the 1980s and 1990s. By 1990, the area was 40 percent Hispanic.
At the same time, the area suffered through a period of physical decline and increases in crime. During the 1980s, the community struggled with blighted residential and commercial areas. The apartment complexes experienced substantial turnover in occupancy. Residents in the 14th Avenue and Kanawha Street area in particular were subjected to "open air drug markets" and other criminal activity. Long-time residents and the new immigrant communities were both victims of crime. Some homeowners organized to address neighborhood concerns about rising crime. For the 1988–89 school year, bus service for children who lived in walking distance to school was implemented to ensure their safety. Police also increased their presence in the community. Apartment complexes, under new management, initiated safety measures to discourage drug activity such as installing new lighting, security doors and maintaining general upkeep of their properties. At the same time, police in Prince George’s County conducted multiple raids in an effort to shut down drug activity in the county. By 1991, officials were taking note of an increase in illegal immigrants from Central America and day laborers were beginning to become a common sight on area streets. By the mid-2000s, it had become a center for MS-13 gang activity in the state along with nearby Takoma Park
. There is also an increase in Bloods in the area, also in the county as a whole.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the place has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
The International Corridor or the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area is located at the intersection of University Boulevard (Maryland Route 193
) and New Hampshire Avenue (Maryland Route 650
), within proximity to the University of Maryland, College Park
and the revitalized core of the Silver Spring
Central Business District. The Crossroads area encompasses Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and The City of Takoma Park
, which is located entirely within Montgomery County. The unincorporated community known as Langley Park, in the city of Hyattsville
is within Prince George’s County.
, Guatemala
, Honduras
, other Central American countries, and South America now comprise one of the largest ethnic groups in the area. Other significant immigrant groups include West Africans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Indians, and Caribbean nationalities.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 16,214 people, 4,592 households, and 3,342 families residing in the area. The population density
was 19,678.8
\
There were 4,592 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples
living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.51 and the average family size was 3.70.
In the community the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 16.1% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 126.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.8 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $37,939, and the median income for a family was $36,018. Males had a median income of $22,356 versus $21,931 for females. The per capita income
for the community was $12,733. About 11.3% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. A 2011 news article noted that "About one in five residents ... lives below the poverty level...."
In 2000, 21.48% of Langley Park residents identified as being of Salvador
an heritage. This was the largest percentage of Salvadoran American
s of any place in the United States.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
metro area. It is located inside the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
, on the northwest edge of Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, bordering Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
.
The "International Corridor," a commercial zone along University Boulevard at the southern end of Langley Park, is close to the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, Takoma Park
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
. It is included in the Prince George's County Enterprise Zone
Urban Enterprise Zone
In the United States, Urban Enterprise Zones , also known as Enterprise Zones, are intended to encourage development in blighted neighborhoods through tax and regulatory relief to entrepreneurs and investors who launch businesses in the area. UEZs are areas where companies can locate free of...
. Many of the shops and restaurants along the International Corridor represent the community's multiethnic heritages, from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and many other parts of the world.
Two transit station locations in the proposed Purple Line are being planned to serve Langley Park. One is at the Montgomery
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
/Prince George's
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
county line, at New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard ("Takoma/Langley Crossroads"), recently named the most dangerous intersection in Maryland for pedestrians. The danger is due to crossings of these six-lane routes mid-block at curbside bus stops.
The other is at Riggs Road
Maryland Route 212
Maryland Route 212, also known as Riggs Road south of MD 193 and Powder Mill Road to its northern end, is a state highway which crosses northern Prince George's County.-Route description:...
and University Boulevard
Maryland Route 193
Maryland Route 193 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as University Boulevard and Greenbelt Road, the state highway runs from MD 185 in Kensington east to MD 202 in Greater Upper Marlboro...
. The current bus system issues more transfers at these two intersections
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
than at any other Prince George's County location not yet served by a Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
station.
The multi-cultural diversity of the International Corridor area has attracted the attention of the State of Maryland, the University of Maryland, the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG), Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning (M-NCPPC), Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, and national think tanks such as the Brookings Institution. Community assets identified by these and other stakeholders include a large concentration or clustering of international restaurants, grocery stores, nightclubs, retail stores, and micro-enterprises, all of which help to define the unique character of the neighborhood. Additionally, a number of community groups have formed to represent a broad range of community interests. Many of these community groups focus on the unique social issues of the area, particularly as they relate to the stock of rental housing, youth, health, immigration, jobs, pedestrian and bicycle safety, transit, business development, and community economic development.
History
"Langley Park" references the estateLangley Park (Langley Park, Maryland)
Langley Park, also known as McCormick-Goodhart Mansion, is a Georgian Revival style estate mansion in Langley Park, Prince George's County, Maryland...
established in 1923, by the McCormick-Goodhart family in the Chillum District of Prince George's County, Maryland. The name McCormick-Goodhart represented the linking of one of Chicago's oldest families, that of Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus Hall McCormick, Sr. was an American inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which became part of International Harvester Company in 1902.He and many members of the McCormick family became prominent Chicagoans....
, with that of British barrister Frederick E. McCormick-Goodhart. Frederick's wife Henrietta (Nettie) was the daughter of Leander J. McCormick
Leander J. McCormick
Leander James McCormick was an American farmer, inventor, manufacturer, and businessman. Although born in rural Virginia, he later owned vast amounts of real estate in downtown Chicago.-Life:...
, a brother of Cyrus. They named the 540 acres (2.2 km²) estate Langley Park
Langley Park (Langley Park, Maryland)
Langley Park, also known as McCormick-Goodhart Mansion, is a Georgian Revival style estate mansion in Langley Park, Prince George's County, Maryland...
after the Goodharts' ancestral home in Kent, England. In 1924, they erected an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²), 28-room Georgian Revival mansion, designed by architect George Oakley Totten, Jr.
George Oakley Totten, Jr.
George Oakley Totten, Jr. , was one of Washington D.C.’s most prolific and skilled architects in the Gilded Age. His international training and interest in architectural decoration led to a career of continuous experimentation and stylistic eclecticism which is clearly evident in many of his works...
, at a cost of $100,000. It remains a community landmark at 8151 15th Ave. CASA of Maryland
CASA of Maryland
CASA of Maryland is a Latino and immigration advocacy-and-assistance organization based in Maryland. It is active throughout the state, but has major foci in Prince George's County, Montgomery County and Baltimore...
purchased the property in 2009, making the site its home base, and a Multicultural Community Center is now open in the mansion. This property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 2008.
During the late 1930s-early 1940s, Leander McCormick-Goodhart, son of Frederick and Nettie, served as personal assistant to Ambassador Lord Lothian
Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian
Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian KT CH PC was a British politician and diplomat.Philip Kerr was the son of Lord Ralph Drury Kerr, the third son of John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian...
and supervisor of American Relief to Great Britain through the British embassy. As a result, the Langley Park estate became a regular site of social activities related to the British embassy including hosting the regular games of the Washington Cricket Club and, in June 1941, a British Relief Country Fair.
Residential Development
The estate was first subdivided during and immediately after World War II, and was developed as a planned communityPlanned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
by Pierre Ghent & Associates of Washington, D.C. The last major section would be developed in 1963. Because of the wartime and immediate postwar demand for housing, the 540 acres (2.2 km²) estate was quickly developed for low-rise apartment homes, semi-detached, and single family homes. Starting in 1949, a 1,542 garden apartment complex, Langley Park Apartments, now located along 14th Avenue, was built to house the exploding postwar population. That same year, M.T. Broyhill and Sons started building on a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) tract for 600 single family homes to be priced at around $10,000. These homes now lie north of Merrimac Drive. Both the apartments and homes were completed and occupied by June 1951. In 1951, plans were unveiled for 500 additional multi-family rental dwellings and a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²), $4 million shopping center.
In 1963, the last major segment of the Langley Park estate opened for development. It was a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) parcel located directly around the manor house. It had been acquired in 1947, from the McCormick-Goodhart family by the Eudist Order
Eudists
The Congregation of Jesus and Mary , commonly referred to as the Eudists is a Society of Apostolic Life in the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...
for use as a seminary. The property was acquired for $900,000 by developers, who built the 400-unit Willowbrook Apartments on the site and opened them the following year. The mansion then operated until the early-1990s as Willowbrook Montessori School.
The Langley Park Elementary School, now known as Langley Park-McCormick School, opened in 1950, at 15th Avenue and Merrimac Drive. In 1988, Leander McCormick-Goodhart, real estate developer and descendent of the estate owners, sent the school a $10,000 donation after receiving an invitation to attend a school event. That same year, 60 percent of the school population of 610 students was foreign born from 45 different countries and spoke 27 languages.
Commercial Development
Langley Park is probably best known as a center of commercial activity in northwestern Prince George's County. At each corner of the New Hampshire Avenue / University Boulevard intersection is a large strip shopping center. Three of them are now known as Langley Park Plaza (northeast corner); Langley Park Shopping Center (northwest corner); and Hampshire-Langley Shopping Center (southwest corner). The area is generally known as the Takoma/Langley Crossroads shopping area. It continues east along University Boulevard to the intersection at Riggs Road to encompass the International Mall, and other smaller strip shopping centers in an area designated as the "International Corridor."- Langley Park Plaza is the largest of the four centers. It was once the second largest strip mall in Maryland. Plans were originally announced in 1951 for development of the 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) site to include 40 stores and a six to eight story office building. The site remained undeveloped until 1954, when the Washington, D.C.-based department store Lansburgh'sLansburgh'sLansburgh's was a chain of department stores located in the Washington, D.C. area. The clientele were lower- to middle-income consumers.-History:...
announced plans to open a 3-story, 126750 square feet (11,775.5 m²), $2 million store. It was the first major department store opened in Prince George's County. Through the demise of the Lansburgh's chain in 1973, it would remain its most profitable store. At the store's opening in October 1955, in addition to substantial displays and a payroll of 350, it contained the "Hampshire Room" - a lunchonette seating 90 and a community room to hold about 200. The remainder of the Plaza opened shortly thereafter and included a Giant Food store and People's Drug store. After Lansburgh's closing in 1973, it was occupied by E.J. Korvette, followed by K-Mart (opened September 1981), and most recently by Toys "Я" Us. The Giant Food store closed around 1994 and is now occupied by a local Latino grocery store. In recent years, the plaza has become a shopping destination for many recent immigrants, especially those from Central America. An attraction in the plaza is a fountain, nestled in a section of the mall, where recent immigrants take photos in front of the fountain to show their families and friends at home that they have arrived to the United States. The center continues in the hands of a descendent of the original Langley Park estate owner, Leander McCormick-Goodhart.
- Development of the Hampshire-Langley Shopping Center was first announced in August 1959. The 25-store center was built on the 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) site for $3 million, and developed by Giant Food Properties, Inc. When opened in February–March 1960, it included a 19000 square feet (1,765.2 m²) SafewaySafeway Inc.Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
supermarket and KressKress-People:*Nancy Kress is an American science fiction writer*Nathan Kress is an American film and television actor best known for his role as Freddie Benson on the series, iCarly.*Samuel H. Kress was the founder of the S. H. Kress & Co. retail chain....
(later McCrory's) variety store, the first in the Washington, D.C. area. The Safeway store expanded in the early 1980s. The 131700 square feet (12,235.3 m²) grocery-anchored center is currently managed by Saul Centers, Inc., of Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, MarylandBethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. The Safeway closed in October 2009 and has been sub-leased to an Asian supermarket, which opened in December 2009.
- The Langley Park Shopping Center is a 135000 square feet (12,541.9 m²) shopping center currently anchored by a Rite AidRite AidRite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
drug store. The center opened in August 1951, when a Food Fair super market opened; it was later converted to an Acme, then Grand UnionGrand Union- Transport :* Grand union, a four-way, double track rail junction often found on tram systems* Grand Union Canal, a waterway running from London to Birmingham in the United Kingdom...
. This center was home to a Dart DrugDart DrugDart Drug is a now-defunct chain of discount drug stores in the metropolitan Washington, DC region. It was founded in 1955, by Herbert Haft and his wife Gloria in Adams Morgan. The chain expanded to over 100 stores, and became a vehicle by which Herbert Haft engaged in greenmail activities against...
, Hot ShoppesMarriott Corp.Marriott Corporation was a hospitality company that operated from 1927–1993, founded originally by J. Willard Marriott and Frank Kimball as Hot Shoppes, Inc. In 1957, Marriott Corporation opened its first hotel in Arlington County, Virginia, United States as the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel...
, and the 1,000-seat Langley Theater, which opened in March 1952. Later converted to a multi-screen theater, it closed in the early-1990s when the owner, K/B Theaters, went out of business. The shopping center is now home to the landmark "Woodlands" Indian restaurant. The Takoma/Langley Crossroads project calls for the parking lot of this center to be the site of the transit center.
- The southeast corner of the New Hampshire Avenue / University Boulevard intersection consists of a set of two small strip shopping centers with a 7-Eleven7-Eleven7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
convenience store in between. These centers were the first shopping destination at Langley Park. A longtime business in the University Boulevard side was Weile's Creations, a noted ice creamIce creamIce cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
parlor in business from 1938 to the early 1980s. For some decades, the noted Indian restaurant "Udupi Palace" has been located at the University Boulevard center.
Demographic changes
In 1955, Langley Park was "the fastest growing trade area in Metropolitan Washington" with 200,000 people located within a 3 miles (4.8 km) radius. Affordable housing attracted a community consisting mostly of young couples with families. In the following decades, Langley Park became a middle-class enclave of predominantly European American, Jewish residents.During the 1970s, after desegregation, increasing numbers of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s moved into the community. Although some established families remained, the white population declined due to white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
to the outer suburbs. In 1970, the first language of 6.1 percent was Spanish; by 1980 that number climbed to 13.4 percent. During the 1980s, Hispanic and Caribbean immigrants from countries such as El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica and the West Indies led a new wave of migration into the community. In addition, Asian and African immigrants from places like Vietnam, India, Ethiopia and Nigeria settled into the area. It proved to be an attractive locale for immigrants due to the availability of affordable housing that could also accommodate families. The integration of these new groups into Langley Park reflected a larger trend of increased migration to the Greater Washington area during the 1980s and 1990s. By 1990, the area was 40 percent Hispanic.
At the same time, the area suffered through a period of physical decline and increases in crime. During the 1980s, the community struggled with blighted residential and commercial areas. The apartment complexes experienced substantial turnover in occupancy. Residents in the 14th Avenue and Kanawha Street area in particular were subjected to "open air drug markets" and other criminal activity. Long-time residents and the new immigrant communities were both victims of crime. Some homeowners organized to address neighborhood concerns about rising crime. For the 1988–89 school year, bus service for children who lived in walking distance to school was implemented to ensure their safety. Police also increased their presence in the community. Apartment complexes, under new management, initiated safety measures to discourage drug activity such as installing new lighting, security doors and maintaining general upkeep of their properties. At the same time, police in Prince George’s County conducted multiple raids in an effort to shut down drug activity in the county. By 1991, officials were taking note of an increase in illegal immigrants from Central America and day laborers were beginning to become a common sight on area streets. By the mid-2000s, it had become a center for MS-13 gang activity in the state along with nearby Takoma Park
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
. There is also an increase in Bloods in the area, also in the county as a whole.
Geography
Langley Park is located at 38°59′39"N 76°58′54"W (38.994060, -76.981759).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the place has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
The International Corridor or the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area is located at the intersection of University Boulevard (Maryland Route 193
Maryland Route 193
Maryland Route 193 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as University Boulevard and Greenbelt Road, the state highway runs from MD 185 in Kensington east to MD 202 in Greater Upper Marlboro...
) and New Hampshire Avenue (Maryland Route 650
Maryland Route 650
Maryland Route 650 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as New Hampshire Avenue for most of its length, the state highway runs from Eastern Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border north to MD 108 in Etchison...
), within proximity to the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and the revitalized core of the Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
Central Business District. The Crossroads area encompasses Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and The City of Takoma Park
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
, which is located entirely within Montgomery County. The unincorporated community known as Langley Park, in the city of Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
is within Prince George’s County.
Demographics
The racial and ethnic composition of the community has changed considerably as development patterns have evolved in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Today, approximately 23,000 people live in proximity to the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, including immigrants from an estimated 120 different countries, turning the area into one of the region’s most distinctive and broadly representative international communities. Hispanics with origins in El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, other Central American countries, and South America now comprise one of the largest ethnic groups in the area. Other significant immigrant groups include West Africans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Indians, and Caribbean nationalities.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,214 people, 4,592 households, and 3,342 families residing in the area. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 19,678.8
\
- 3.0% White
- 29.5% African American
- 0.4% from other racesRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 0.0% from two or more races
- 4.2% Asian
- 0.0% Native American
- 0.0% Pacific Islander
- 63.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race (note that this includes a combination of Hispanics from all different parts of Latin America)
There were 4,592 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.51 and the average family size was 3.70.
In the community the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 16.1% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 126.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.8 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $37,939, and the median income for a family was $36,018. Males had a median income of $22,356 versus $21,931 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the community was $12,733. About 11.3% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. A 2011 news article noted that "About one in five residents ... lives below the poverty level...."
In 2000, 21.48% of Langley Park residents identified as being of Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
an heritage. This was the largest percentage of Salvadoran American
Salvadoran American
Salvadorian Americans are citizens or residents of the United States of Salvadoran descent. As of 2010 there are 1.6 million Salvadoran Americans in the United States, the fourth-largest Hispanic community by nation of ancestry.They are also known as the nicknamed Salvi people in the USA,...
s of any place in the United States.