Introduction
The McCormick-Goodhart family established Langley Park in 1923. This family is linked to one of the oldest families in Chicago. The area is located in the northwest of Prince George’s County, Maryland. It has unique social features that have been brought about by the multi-cultural diversity.
The Hispanics and the Latinos form more than half of its population. In the past decade, Langley Park received many refugees and immigrants from Central America, West Africa and other parts of the world. The most spoken language here is the Spanish with very few people speaking English (Livingston, 2006).
Physical environment
An informant in a window shield survey conducted described Langley Park as ‘too filthy to drive through let alone live in’. He claimed that he can never live there even if the apartments were free.
The area is quite old and this makes it not very admirable. Research has shown that this is one of the dirtiest areas around Washington, DC. The environment is just filthy compared to the surrounding areas. Other problems in the area are the leaks and molds which make it not conducive for healthy living. It is also known for the noise from the numerous nightclubs around (Advameg Inc., 2011).
Housing
According to our survey, Langley Park has the oddest designs of buildings. Homes and apartments have been overused with no renovations being done on them. The people seem to be struggling with survival making them unable to develop the place. The houses in this area are mostly apartments of two to four storey buildings which are usually attached to each other or just semi-detached. Most of the apartments are infested with bedbugs and cockroaches which make it hard to control.
They have been built far from the shopping centers and malls, main roads and the city centers. This poses a great problem when it comes to shopping. They also lack the walkways and driveways and have very little spaces both in front and behind them. Many homes seem to be abandoned with broken windows and doors that also lack the locks. This shows a lot of despair and has contributed to the area’s insecurity (CDC, 2011).
This area has very few open places with almost no green parks or rubble-filled lots. The few available ones are so small and not even properly managed making them unattractive. Trees are not natured around here making the place even worse. There are very few green lawns which are not even taken care of. The streets lack the beautiful green islands found in other areas. This has pushed beauty out of the question in Langley Park (Advameg Inc., 2011). The residents of this area do not value the beauty of green parks, lawns, rubble-filled lots and green islands.
Recreation and Parks
In an interview, our informant told us that the people of Langley Park do not see the importance of recreation. He argued that recreation was for the rich and most Hispanics are not. They have to work or look for a job all day in order to put the food on the table and have a roof over their heads. This never allowed them to enjoy.
The subject is not given much attention and that is why there are few recreational facilities. People prefer to watch their TVs and have drinks in the local bars as opposed to the parks. The Sligo Park is almost non-operational with very short opening hours. The management is also very poor. This park, as well as the neighboring Takoma Park is patronized by gangs of people making it very insecure. It gives very little benefits to the community as they spend almost nothing on it.
Conclusion
Langley Park, MD has very affordable apartments and houses. This has helped many people survive with the little earnings they receive. Many students are sheltered in this area, which has made it a very important suburb for the Washington, DC. However, it seems that the place is not so good when it comes to the health of its residents. Diseases and epidemics would strike the area much easily due to its poor conditions (CDC, 2011). Due to lack of good recreational facilities, the youth find themselves into drugs and crime.
This kind of idleness could be reduced by establishing good facilities for spending time instead of the nightclubs. The people in this suburb need also to be brought together to deal with the problems of this area in unison. Their diversity should not be allowed to worsen their problems. Vigorous awareness on environmental cleanliness should also be conducted to improve the conditions. Poor environmental conditions are not only unappealing to the eyes but also a sources of numerous diseases.
Recreation and sport should be enhanced to help the youth spend their time positively. Numerous talents will also be discovered and natured among the people of Langley Park. This will also help to united them making them more empowered to fight for their right to social amenities.
References
Advameg Inc. (2011). Langley park, Maryland. Web.
CDC. (2011). Center for Disease Control: Langlye Park. Web.
Livingston, M. (2006). Newcomer’s handbook for moving to and living in Washington D.C.: Including northern Virginia and suburban Maryland. Washington, DC: First Books.