GEIS-新闻详情

Rockville’s Twinbrook keeps cozy vibe as city grows

2023-12-11 00:00:00.0 华盛顿邮报-华盛顿特区原网页

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As a child, Khali Isreal and his friends used to joke about the way Rockville’s Twinbrook neighborhood got its name. It was, they said, because all the neighborhood’s little Cape Cod homes in their street rows looked so similar — they could all be twins.

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As Isreal got older, and at one point in his 20s rented a home in Twinbrook, he realized he loved the unassuming feel of the neighborhood. One day, he thought, he’d love to own a home there. In 2021, that dream came true: He, his wife and their young daughter moved into a “teeny” Cape Cod dating to the neighborhood’s establishment at the end of World War II. At just shy of 1,100 square feet, the home’s bedrooms and living spaces are small. But out front, Israel said, is an giant, old elm tree, and the backyard has plenty of space for their daughter to play. Rockcrest Park, a favorite green space, is a short walk away, as is the Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, where Isreal works and his daughter enjoys the playground.

“We love it,” he said.

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For Isreal, Twinbrook is a reminder of what Rockville used to be decades ago: a community where neighbors recognize each other on walks and look out for each other; a place still evocative of a small town despite its proximity to big developments and the bustle of Washington.

“This little section of the city,” he said, “has its own little vibe.”

The name of Twinbrook, originally Twin-Brook, comes not from its architecture but from the two streams feeding into bordering Rock Creek, which cut through the development’s original 200 acres. According to a historical account from the Twinbrook Community Association, the development dates to October 1946, when four developers purchased farmland to build little frame houses designed for easy expansion and development. They were a perfect fit for young GIs seeking to build a life for their families after the war, and the federal government made the transition easy, fully backing the mortgages and enabling veterans to move in for a $50 down payment.

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Real estate agent William “Mac” McCord, with McCord Realtor LLC, said Twinbrook residents tend to opt for modest house expansions rather than tearing down original structures to make room for the multimillion-dollar “monstrosities.” Twinbrook, he said, is a “mature neighborhood,” where residents treasure green spaces and larger yards rather than big, new houses.

“If you have family, pets, you have a little bit of your own space and a little separation from your neighbors,” he said.

While many residents have expanded houses, the neighborhood remains relatively affordable. Of the 63 homes sold within neighborhood boundaries in the last year, according to Redfin data, the highest sale price was just under $670,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with 1,500 square feet and a detached three-car garage on a quarter-acre of land. The lowest was $250,000 for a 1951 Cape purchased for the property. There are seven homes now on the market, ranging from a 1,000-square foot Cape with three bedrooms for $515,000 to a 2,000-square foot, five-bedroom home with substantial additions to the 1953 floor plan, for $779,000.

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“Twinbrook is one of the last neighborhoods that people can afford, compared to the rest of Rockville,” said Mary van Balgooy, a resident since 2001. The former executive director of Peerless Rockville, which preserves the city’s history, Van Balgooy is vice president of the Twinbrook Community Association and is the neighborhood’s de facto historian. She has enjoyed uncovering interesting details about Twinbrook’s past — for example, F. Scott Fitzgerald was buried for a time in Rockville Cemetery, along the neighborhood’s northern boundary — and especially relishes speaking with past residents as she traces the backstories of the various homes.

“Meeting these people, they’re talking about their experiences and such, it’s always been with joy,” she said. “I’ve never heard anything that’s been negative.”

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Multiple residents said Twinbrook has changed in some meaningful ways. Once a predominantly White enclave, it now embodies more of the diversity of the region, as new, young residents replace original owners. Its proximity to all the major local highways and easy access to the Rockville Amtrak station and WMATA’s Red Line make it popular with D.C. commuters. Twinbrook Quarter, a development project set to be complete by 2025, will place a 12-story mixed-use building and 800,000-square foot Wegmans grocery store just outside neighborhood boundaries.

Some changes, though, are making the neighborhood more intimate and resident-friendly.

The Twinbrook Community Association has worked in recent years on sidewalk improvements, curb cuts and barrier removal to make the neighborhood less car-centric and safer, said Vincent Russo, association president.

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“There’s a lot of interest in improving the pedestrian and bicycling experience around the neighborhood,” he said. “So as we mature the neighborhood, we’re seeking other types of design elements that promote other types of mobility.”

Boundaries: Twinbrook, an irregular triangle shape, is bounded by the rail line just inside Rockville Pike to the south; by Twinbrook and Rock Creek Park to the east; and by Baltimore and Veirs Mill roads to the north.

Schools: Divided by a major thoroughfare, Twinbrook has homes in two school districts within the Montgomery County School System. For homes south of Veirs Mill Road, the public schools are Twinbrook Elementary, Julius West Middle and Richard Montgomery High. Homes north of Veirs Mill are assigned to Meadow Hall Elementary, Earle B. Wood Middle and Rockville High School.

Transportation: The Twinbrook Metro station on the Red Line is within neighborhood boundaries. The Q2, Q4 and Q6 buses stop along Veirs Mill Road, while the 44 makes stops along Broadwood Drive. Rockville Station, served by the MARC train and Amtrak’s Capitol Limited line, is just north of the neighborhood.

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