Hyattsville, Maryland

History

The city is named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt (1799–1884), who purchased his first parcel of land in the area in 1845. Hyatt opened a store and began mail delivery, officially naming the nascent community "Hyattsville" in his 1859 application to become postmaster. The community's location at the intersection of the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike (modern day US 1) and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line made the land attractive for development. In the years following the Civil War, Hyatt and other local landowners subdivided their properties and sold lots, and the population of Hyattsville grew. Hyattsville was incorporated as a city on April 7, 1886.

The historic district of the city is home to a number of Victorian houses built in the late 1880s and Sears bungalows and Arts & Crafts houses built between the wars (late 1910s and early 1940s). Historic Hyattsville is roughly bounded by Madison Street, East West Highway, and Oliver Street to the north; Route 1 to the east; Magruder Park to the south; and 39th Avenue, 42nd Avenue, and 42nd Place to the west.

Neighborhood character

Hyattsville is mostly a leafy, semi-urban area with many trees and many small- to medium-sized houses with small yards. It also has some apartment complexes, notably on its north side and near the University of Maryland. It also has some small office buildings and housing projects in a small part of its north side. Baltimore Ave (U.S. Route 1) runs through the heart of the area.

Sections of the city are dominated by small red brick and wooden homes with porches (originally purchased by 1940s blue-collar residents). The area has always had a large presence of University of Maryland students, faculty and staff residents as well. It also has a large and growing Hispanic population and growing middle-class African American population.

As the area's most significant population growth occurred as part of America's post-war urban expansion, the varied traditions founded in that era are felt in the city to this day. There are a significant number of post-war era original residents and their descendants living in the cityand traditional community events are still well attended and reveal the old culture and community. Many of the long-time residents have classic Maryland accents; although not like the Baltimore accent, there are some similarities. Washington, D.C. and its close northern and northwestern suburbs once had large blue-collar Irish populations and some of this influence is still present in the remnants of the older community.

Hyattsville also once had a significant counter-cultural community, dating back to the 1960s, with many group houses and some small counter-cultural businesses and organizations present in the city.

Geography

Hyattsville is located at 38°57′25″N 76°57′5″W (38.956910, -76.951270).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.70 square miles (6.99 km²), of which, 2.67 square miles (6.92 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water.

Climate

Typical of central Maryland, Hyattsville lies within the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen: Cfa), characterized by hot humid summers and generally cool to mild winters, with high annual precipitation. Hyattsville lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 7a.

Demographics

Hyattsville has attracted a significant gay and lesbian population. In 2000, same-sex couples accounted for 1.3 percent of households, more than double the national average.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,557 people, 6,324 households, and 3,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,575.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,538.9/km²). There were 6,837 housing units at an average density of 2,560.7 per square mile (988.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 33.2% White, 35.6% African American, 0.8% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.4% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.0% of the population.

There were 6,324 households of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.39.

The median age in the city was 32.1 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 7.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,733 people, 5,540 households, and 3,368 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,885.9 people per square mile (2,658.2/km²). There were 5,795 housing units at an average density of 2,708.5 per square mile (1,045.5/km²). The ethnic makeup of the city was 41.03% African American, 39.53% White, 18.14% Hispanic or Latino 0.50% Native American, 4.02% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 10.91% from other races, and 3.98% from two or more races.

There were 5,540 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city, the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,355, and the median income for a family was $51,625. Males had a median income of $33,163 versus $31,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,152. About 7.9% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Religious institutions

Historic sites

The following is a list of historic sites in Hyattsville identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission: In 1982, a portion of the city was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Hyattsville Historic District; the district was extended in late 2004.

Public art

Various public artwork sculptures, murals, and mosaics have been commissioned throughout the City of Hyattsville, thanks to Prince George's Art in Public Places Program, M-NCPPC's Department of Parks and Recreation, the Hyattsville CDC and the Prince George's Arts & Humanities Council. A full Public Art Locator is located on HyattsvilleCDC.org.

Arts District

Downtown Hyattsville is also undergoing revitalization as part of the Gateway Arts District, in the form of the Arts District Hyattsville private development project, which includes townhomes, live-work units, and retail space. The master developer of the 25-acre neighborhood is Bethesda-based EYA. The "economic development town center" of the arts district, the development is being constructed by EYA, Pulte Homes, StreetSense, and Bozzuto Homes. A Busboys and Poets restaurant opened in July 2011; other retail offerings include Yes! Organic Market, Elevation Burger, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Spice 6 Modern Indian, and Tara Thai. In the winter of 2015, a traveling exhibition platform Visual Collaborative collaborated with the Arts District Hyattsville Master Association, utilizing the Lustine Center to host a group exhibition themed Vanity.

Government

When first incorporated, Hyattsville was run by a Board of Commissioners; in May 1900, it switched to a mayor and common council system. Today, the city government consists of a popularly elected mayor and a ten-person city council. Each of the five wards in the city are represented by two popularly elected councilmen.

In January 2015, the Hyattsville Council passed a charter amendment to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections, making Hyattsville one of the few jurisdictions in the United States that has done so. In December 2016, the city expanded voting rights again, granting non-citizen residents the right to vote in municipal elections.

Primary and secondary schools

Hyattsville Elementary, Felegy Elementary, Hyattsville Middle, and Northwestern High School, along with the College Park Academy charter school, Chelsea School, St. Matthews, DeMatha, and St. Jerome Academy are located within the city limits.

Public schools

The city is served by Prince George's County Public Schools, and its borders overlap with the enrollment areas for the following public schools:

Private schools

Public transit

As a community inside the Capital Beltway, Hyattsville enjoys access to Washington through the West Hyattsville and Prince George's Plaza metro stations, which are on the Metro subway system's Green Line. The city is also served by several Metrobus, TheBus, and Shuttle-UM routes. Hyattsville residents also have access to Baltimore Camden Station and Washington Union Station via the MARC commuter rail trains on the Camden Line in the neighboring town of Riverdale Park.

Revitalization projects

The city has undergone a major redevelopment over the last decade, including residential and retail development in the Arts District Hyattsville private development (located in the Gateway Arts District), and the area surrounding Prince George's Plaza.

One new major development is the University Town Center, which is located across Belcrest Road from The Mall at Prince Georges. UTC contains residential condos, student housing, office buildings, a public plaza, and retail space, including a 14-screen movie theater and several restaurants. The location is popular with university students, due to its close proximity to the University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, University College, and Prince George's Community College. There is also a bus stop located just outside the residential apartments, which services not only local county and city transit systems, but also several university shuttles, including the University of Maryland and Howard University.

The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is headquartered in Hyattsville and located at University Town Center.

In popular culture

The city of Hyattsville has expressed concern that crime in non-Hyattsville locations sharing the same ZIP codes and unincorporated communities designated as "Hyattsville" by the United States Postal Service creates an image problem for the city. The city was involved in a minor controversy in April 2006. In the episode airing April 27, the Geena Davis television series Commander in Chief depicted Hyattsville as having the highest murder rate in the United States; it also indirectly depicted the city as being an urban ghetto dominated by poor minorities. The city and Prince George's County were very upset at ABC. On May 1, ABC formally apologized to both the city and county.

The violent crime rate per 1,000 residents has significantly decreased, from 11.42 in 2007 to 5.59 in 2012.

Notable people