College Park is the fifth-best Washington, D.C., suburb to live in, according to Livability, a website that helps people find the best cities to live and work.

Livability highlighted the city’s bike-friendly trails and diversity among residents as factors that contributed to its ranking. Alexandria, Virginia, was named the best Washington, D.C., suburb, and Gaithersburg, Frederick, Fairfax and Fredericksburg rounded out the top six in last month’s rankings.

College Park was the only Prince George’s County city in the top six.

Livability also noted the College Park Aviation Museum, Lake Artemesia and the University of Maryland’s “vibrant art scene” as important factors in the fifth-place ranking. This university was also named the best college for LGBTQ+ students in the 2023 BestColleges annual rankings, which contributed to Livability’s assessment.

The rankings referenced a 2019 Business Insider story that named College Park the fourth-best college town in the United States to begin a career.

College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir expressed his excitement about the ranking and said he agreed with the factors Livability considered.

Kabir emphasized College Park’s public transportation system, noting that it improves the city’s accessibility to Washington, D.C. The city’s diversity and unique demographics are other positive factors, Kabir said.

“There’s so much to celebrate,” Kabir said. “I’m not really surprised, but we are very thankful.”

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District 3 city council member Stuart Adams said the ranking was a “warranted accolade,” especially due to the city’s public transportation, business scene and walkability to this university’s campus.

He appreciated that Liveability’s ranking cited specific city initiatives, including its free summer concert series.

Avery Bonner, a freshman biology major at this university, said although she lives on campus, she enjoys spending time in downtown College Park.

Bonner, who used to live in Arlington, Virginia, compared the city to College Park. While College Park is smaller, she has noticed growth across the city.

“There’s a lot of new construction, and all the apartment buildings are super nice,” Bonner said.

Bonner added that she is excited for the Purple Line to be completed.

The light rail project will make public transportation from College Park to Washington, D.C., more accessible, Bonner said. Bonner said the city’s Green Line metro station is difficult to reach from campus.

The Purple Line, which will have five stops in or around this university’s campus, will connect New Carrollton to parts of Montgomery County. The light rail is scheduled to begin carrying passengers in December 2027, according to the project’s website.

Julie Nusraty, who is from Potomac, Maryland, said she was surprised to learn about College Park’s high ranking.

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Nusraty, who is originally from Potomac, Maryland, said she did not expect College Park to rank so highly among the other nearby suburbs.

“It’s a happy surprise,” the sophomore, who is enrolled in letters and sciences, said. “I have a lot of pride being a Terp.”

But Nusraty said she would like to see the city focus on improving public safety. She referenced the frequency of University of Maryland Police crime alerts and added that she does not feel safe walking around the city alone at night.

Moving forward, Kabir hopes to continue rebuilding and improving Route 1, which runs through the middle of College Park.

He also hopes to increase job opportunities in the city and further economic development, specifically in the Discovery District — an incubator space for startups and research that stretches from Route 1 to River Road.

Adams wants to make affordable housing more accessible in the area.

Affordable housing is critical to retain residents and attract new ones, specifically post-graduate students at this university who want to stay close, Adams explained.

Despite the concerns, Adams emphasized the positive direction the city is moving toward.

“The city is doing a really good job and we just got to continue with the momentum that we have,” Adams said.