Greater Upper Marlboro - Upper Marlboro, MD

Among one of the oldest existing southern towns in the state of Maryland, Upper Marlboro sits in Prince George’s County. With a rich colonial history, the town was originally inhabited in 1695 and named after a predecessor of Winston Churchill, Prince George. The land itself was part of several domains owned by three families: Brooke, Darnall and Beall. The Buck House, previously owned by the Darnall and Carroll families can still be found across the street from today’s Administration Building on Gov. Oden Bowie Dr.

The town has undergone noticeable changes, initially booming as a port town for trading tobacco, but now the tobacco fields have been converted to residential developments. The town celebrates Marlborough Day on the streets with a parade held one day prior to Mother’s Day. Opened to the public in 1988, Darnall's Chance House Museum offers guided and scheduled house tours on Friday and Sunday.

Featuring live music every other Thursday and good food, Old Towne Inn in Upper Marlboro ranks high as a local favorite. This restaurant serves brunch, lunch and dinner and also provides catering services. Enjoy patio parties and a menu of tasty All-American food.

Ledo Pizza serves special gluten-free pizzas, shareable appetizers and combination pizzas, and you can even create your own pizzas. In addition, enjoy soups, salads, entrees, subs, a kid’s menu and sandwich combos.

If you love Thai food, check out Moms Thai Kitchen. Get a starter meal for less than six bucks or try the noodles and fried rice, soups, salads or Thai stir fry. You won’t be disappointed with this local favorite.

A prime neighborhood spot, Caribbean Flava cooks up excellent West Indian cuisine. The restaurant has two large televisions, great for watching the football and basketball season games.

With few nightlife options in the area, visit Babes Boys Tavern and enjoy a cold beer. This mostly dining establishment isn't open too late, except for on Thursdays and Fridays. Come by for one of their tasty pork tacos.

Most residents who work out of the area drive, use the subway or carpool to work since the average drive time on the highway runs 31 minutes. A small number of residents who work in and around the area use public transit, walk, bike or use other mode of transportation.

Residents can walk safely on sidewalks and cyclists have access to a few bike lanes. Prince George’s County operates TheBus in 28 routes during the week, with no service on weekends or major holidays. Call-A-Cab provides transportation at a reduced rate to seniors or people with disabilities. With 70 bus routes, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority delivers adequate public transportation. Metrobus also makes thousands of trips throughout the county daily. You can also call taxi cab companies for transportation. From Main Street, you can easily access the three-lane Robert Crain Highway (U.S. Route 301).

At the newly refurbished Upper Marlboro Community Center Park, you'll find a gymnasium, recreation room, meeting room, kitchen, fitness space, office space, pre-school and racquetball court. The center also hosts sport tournaments, cultural activities and special events. At Fairhaven Park, you'll find a full basketball court, soccer field, outdoor tennis court and lots of hiking and walking trails. If you like canoeing, picnicking and kayaking, then you'll love the Four-H Center Park. Holloway Estates Park has a well-lit tennis court, picnic area, softball and soccer field and playground. At King’s Grant Park, sit by the large lake, or enjoy recreational activities, playground, walking loop trail and outdoor tennis court as well as picnic area.

The cost of living for the city sits 2 percent lower than the state of Maryland and 13.4 percent greater than the nation’s average. The cost of gas remains on par with the entire state, but 4 percent lower than the national average. Pizza costs 14 percent less than the national average, and you can get a bottle of beer here for 2.2 percent higher than the national average. Median rents in the area sit at around $1,294 per month, with a cost of around $1,015 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Near the neighborhood, the Boulevard at the Capital Centre houses various retail stores such as Ashley Stewart, Footlocker, Foot Action, Kay Jewelers and The Children's Place. For fresh produce and meats you can shop at the Dutch Village Farmers Market. Operated by Amish locals, this favorite has an amazing homemade ice cream draws in the crowds.

For vintage specialty items, head on over to New Digz Consignment on Crain Hwy, a shop geared toward the client interested in purchasing high-end apparel, handbags and accessories. At Giant Food and Pharmacy located on SE Crain Hwy and CVS Pharmacy on Brown Station Rd, you can pick up prescriptions and everything on your weekly grocery list.

Stop by Closet Envy Boutique and spend time shopping for some unique items of clothing in plus and regular sizes. Right outside the neighborhood, this store also sells purses, shoes and accessories.