<p>Would someone please recommend a good hotel in a very safe area near College Park? I will be visiting the campus towards the end of March.
Thank you for any suggestions.</p>
<p>My first thoughts: If you're afraid to stay overnight in College Park, I'd honestly recommend not bothering visiting campus at all. You obviously have a preconceived notion about the area. Why on earth would you want to go to school here? [Sorry if that sounds rude.... but your question is a bit rude to those of us who live here as well.]</p>
<p>There are plenty of hotels in College Park; my parents regularly stay in the area when they visit. There's a very nice Marriott on the west side of campus at UMUC.</p>
<p>If you're dead set against College Park, try Bethesda or Chevy Chase. Plenty of chain hotels about a 15-20 minute drive.</p>
<p>Thanks lindz0722- The University of Maryland is a great school ,but it is located in the vicinity of a not so safe area. At least that's what I'm hearing from posters in different threads. I need to see for myself what the campus is like. I need to speak with students and inquire about campus security etc,etc.
I assume the Marriott your parents stay in is located in a safe area?</p>
<p>I am with Lindz. First of all, I have no fear at all sending our ds there. Bullet and I have no fear of the campus at all. Is there crime, yes, but every campus has crime. You must put into the fact that the campus has 1000's of kids, crime even exists at Annapolis, West Point, and the Air Force Academy, it's a part of life, sad to say, but truthful.</p>
<p>UMCP is not a gun ridden, knife wielding thug filled campus that you can only be on in broad day light.You either need to open your mind and eyes or you will live in fear and be miserable if you go. </p>
<p>BTW why would Lindz recommend an unsafe area?</p>
<p>The Marriott is actually on the part of campus that has University College. It is very safe. UMCP is in a large campus in an urban area. There is crime just like every other large campus in an urban area. At night you need to use the UM Shuttle or walk with a group of friends. When we come to campus we often walk around the Rt. 1 area. We never feel unsafe. If you stray too far from campus you are going to end up in some no so nice areas. I live 20 - 30 minutes south of DC in a safe area. If I stray too far from my home, I end up in some not so nice areas. We love being so close to DC. The advantages far out way the disadvantages. Large campuses aren't for everyone. Urban campuses aren't for everyone. Our oldest daughter is a TERP by blood but she went to Frostburg. She would have never been happy at Maryland. Too big, too close to the city. Like bulletandpima said College Park is not a knife and gun ridden area. It is an urban area. You have to use common sense safety precautions like you would use in any urban area.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions.
Didn't intend to be rude with my question, though I can see how some may have taken it that way. I'm just looking to get as much info as I can from those that go to school there and also get a parents perspective which is a lot different at times. I find this board to be very informative, it's a great place to exchange opinions and I appreciate all your input. I will be visiting the campus soon and come away with my own thoughts.</p>
<p>The Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College is a decent place to stay while visiting. Common sense and some street savvy is needed before a student decides to attend a large university, in or near large urban areas. Sure it would be ideal if the campus environment could be crime proof for students, but the reality is, it is not. UPenn has some of the best security on the East, from what I have heard, AS LONG AS YOU STAY ON CAMPUS OR VERY NEARBY. 5 minutes away from campus, the chances of becoming a crime victim increases. The same "risk" exist in Delaware, near UD, or in Atlanta, near GA Tech, etc. The list goes on and on. The bottom line is, crime is everywhere. We all have to be more aware of our surroundings, use caution when exploring and navigating through places, remain in groups when possible, lock your valuables up even in your dorms. Not all students are trustworthy. I face the dilemma of having a son who wont back down from anyone, which is concerning. I have to remind him that if faced with a mugger to relinquish material things as they are replaceable, while life is not. He hears me, but... he's got a sense of fearlessness, a desire to want to protect himself, family and friends, no matter what. So needless to say, I worry about him We cant live in fear otherwise the criminal rules. Instead I have tried teaching my children to just be smarter with their decisions and doing a whole lot of praying :-) Just some suggestions from a parent's perspective.</p>
<p>johnnyg- If I can give you a suggestion for when you do visit campus... if you're going on a campus tour, feel free to ask a question or two of the student tour guide regarding safety. However, if the answers you get aren't satisfying, please save the bulk of your questioning until after the tour or walk up to him/her and ask privately. Also, tour guides don't know specific crime statistics and they certainly can't compare UMD to other universities very well. I used to be a tour guide, and it really threw off the flow of the tour for everyone when one person asked a great deal of questions about safety, because there's only so much I knew, and the majority on the tour were satisfied with the information already given.
There's a lot more to the university than its crime statistics-- make sure you try to pick up on that during your visit too!!</p>
<p>And yes, my parents feel very safe at the Marriott. It is a very popular place for visitors to stay and books up well ahead of time for events like graduation and parents' weekend.</p>
<p>The Marriott is the nicest place we've stayed around UMD; however, the room rates vary widely, depending on what else is happening there. We've also stayed at a couple of the hotels in the business area of Greenbelt. For closer hotels, a couple of times I've stayed at the Quality Inn in downtown College Park....rooms in the 4-story "tower" were fine. I would NOT recommend any of the hotel/motels north of campus on Baltimore Ave. </p>
<p>I agree w/ Lindz from above....if you really feel that unsafe, then stick with a small private college in a very small town. If you want to be near a vibrant city (30-40 min to the National Mall), you will need to be smart about where, when, and with whom you travel (i.e. NOT alone). It's common sense.</p>
<p>I live about 15 miles from CP. It is a safe area. I have lived in the area for about 9 years and I am still alive:).</p>
<p>You dont really need to worry about safety all that much. There are hotels nearby. Might I suggest the Marriot?</p>
<p>drno, can you recommend any restaurants in the area? We've tried several and haven't been too pleased.</p>
<p>worrywart-our favorite after game restaurants are Hard Times, Ledo's, and Jaspers. Have you tried any of them?</p>
<p>No we haven't. Is Hard Times the chili place in the strip mall next to a grocery store? Where are the other two?</p>
<p>Definitly stay at the Marriott on the campus of U. of Maryland College Park. It is on its campus and walking distance of the various buildings. The other hotels are off campus and you have to start driving to get to the campus.</p>
<p>Has anyone stayed at the Hampton Inn on Route 1?</p>
<p>We always stay at the Holiday Inn--convenient to IKEA. Was not impressed with the on-campus Marriott.</p>
<p>yes, Hard Times is the chili place in the shopping center on the other side of 495 from Ikea. They have good burgers and onion rings too. Ledos is an old College Park restaurant. There are many Ledos restaurants around now but the College Park is the original. It is Italian, pizza and spaghetti, etc. It is on University Blvd. in Adelphi past the Marriott that is on campus. Jaspers is also on University Blvd. but the opposite way. It is in Greenbelt. It is a little nicer than the other two. It is probably about 10 - 15 minutes from campus.</p>
<p>The Mamma Lucia restaurant right next to Hard Times is really good also--my parents and I always enjoy eating there when we're in the mood for Italian. Hanami, further down Rt 1 towards the university, has excellent sushi.</p>
<p>If you're not crazy about staying in the vicinity of the University of Maryland, you can always stay in one of the nicer suburbs like Bethesda or Rockville, Maryland. I would not recommend staying at the Quality Inn Suites next to Applebees. It's a prostitute ring and always crime around there. Also, if crime is of concern, I would not recommend the University of Maryland. The security on campus is from hunger and the crime on campus is one of the worse in the nation. You will always be receiving CrimeAlert emails about a robbery or carjacking or murder on or near campus. Especially if you are out of state, for the 25k+ tuition, you can definitely find a nicer and safer public or private school.</p>
<p>Hey BruinsJEW. Where are you? I remember reading in one of your passed posts that you were transferring, but I don't recall safety as an issue with you. If you've read the thread , many consider the CP campus as safe as any other. Some posters have PM'd me and agree with you. I was there recently and found the campus to be fine but the surrounding area is sketchy to say the least.</p>