Moms Talk Q&A: Why Germantown?

Moms Talk Q&A is a new feature on Patch that gets our local moms talking about important issues. Expect to see members of our Moms (and Dads) Council answering questions in this space every week.

Got a question? Shoot us an email and ask away, or ask in the comments. Feel free to offer your answers to the weekly questions in the comments as well. To become part of the council, send an email to germantownpatch@gmail.com.

This week's question(s): Why Germantown? What’s here for a family? What resources are available here for parents and families that make you really love the town? Conversely, what’s lacking in Germantown for families?

Lynn Ellis: Why Germantown? For us, it seems that we’ve been here so long that we almost wonder "Why not?". We’ve looked at moving  away at times, but love the convenience s and friends and variety we have here.

We enjoy the overall diversity of the  people and the variety of opportunities: Movies, shows at , the Soccerplex (for more than just soccer), the high schools  for football  on a Friday night, quick and easy access to the highway (usually), and proximity to both beaches or mountains. Take your pick. There are a ton of youth sports offerings through various programs, and a couple of places for toddler activities (  and Romp & Roll).

We like Dr. Alan Levy at . We've used him for all of the 15 or so years we’ve been here. The has helped more than a couple of times - so glad it’s here.

I love the hot food bar at Safeway for a quick take home dinner - for $5.25 you can get a container of lo mein and spicy chicken that easily feeds two.  For a quiet dinner for two, try , and for the family we love and the bottomless fries. We love Pelican’s and the few other independent restaurants and wish there were more of them compared to the chain restaurants.

We love the festivals - Germantown Glory (but miss the parade) and Oktoberfest. I encourage everyone to get involved to keep them both viable in the future.

We love being out and running into people we know wherever we go. Overall, Germantown is a great place to be if you get out and get involved.  

Allison Milutinovich: We chose Germantown for practical reasons - I work in Frederick, my husband works in D.C., and we needed to live somewhere in between the two cities. Germantown is a little less traffic-ridden than Gaithersburg and Rockville, and our house is close to the MARC station, both of which appealed to us.

We have been happy here, despite choosing the town for convenience. We love the - our son has taken soccer classes, the playgrounds are great, and the Splash Park is lots of fun in the summer.

We’re not big fans of monthly-fee children’s activity places (like Little Gym, etc), so we have had some trouble finding fun things for our kids to do when the weather isn’t so great. But, I think that’s likely an issue everywhere.

When we first got here, I was somewhat disappointed by the area’s lack of non-chain restaurants. We are a family that likes to eat out, and coming from Baltimore, we were used to lots of unique, interesting restaurants to choose from. But over time we’ve found some gems - our favorites are Potomac Pizza in the Kentlands, , and in Germantown.

I also want to mention our pediatrician’s office, because we go there a LOT, and absolutely love them. THH Pediatrics is located in the building just next to the Germantown Emergency Center, and every doctor in the practice is caring and wonderful with our kids. I can’t say enough nice things about them!

One disappointment for me, however, is in the area of pre-school options. Montgomery County does not have any preschools affiliated with the public schools, with the possible exception of some programs for kids with disabilities. There are a handful of private preschools in Germantown, but none of them would work for our family. As a household with two full-time working parents, we can’t take advantage of most of the church-based and Montessori preschools as their hours are too limited (and in some cases, their prices too high). Our kids attend daycare, and while we are happy enough with the center we have chosen, like most centers, they do not have the resources to support a rigorous pre-K curriculum. Some states do offer preschools in the public school system, it’s unfortunate that Maryland does not seem to be one of them.

Overall, though, I would say that Germantown is a very family-friendly place to live, and we are happy to have ended up here!

Susan Burkinshaw: There is so much to do here in Germantown - Adventure Park is a great playground for kids of all ages when the weather is nice. The Soccerplex, with the indoor Aquatic Center, is great to have in our backyard. It also has a great golf driving range tucked in the back, and the splash park and putt-putt are open all summer. Hiking and biking trails are also available in and around the Soccerplex, Black Hills Regional Park and Seneca Creek State Park. There are also lakes and boat rentals there.

The Germantown Rec Center and the outdoor pool are also great in the summer, especially with the water slides and the great kiddie pool. Of course our Library and Black Rock Center for the Arts are both fantastic resources all year round.

If you want to pay for activities, we have a movie theater right here in town, and more theaters in neighboring towns. There is a bowling alley just down the road, a laser tag arena, and a moonbounce center close by. For kids' parties, there are plenty of places to host right here in Germantown, including The Little Gym, Discovery Sports Center and Romp n’ Roll.

The shopping is also great in Germantown. With the Town Center and Milestone, and nearby Kentlands and Rio, you almost don’t need a mall, but malls are not too far away from here either. I generally don’t have leave a seven-mile radius from our house for anything we need.

Don’t forget the Lancaster County Dutch Market—no need to travel to Pennsylvania!

The schools here are all great, and excellent, accredited day care is available for those who need it.

There is truly something for everyone here in Germantown, and if it’s not available yet in Germantown, it is available close by for sure, and more than likely we will see it here soon!