Md.'s Luxmanor Uses Ways of the Past and Present to Maintain the Ties That Bind

Bill King, who hates driving, jokes that his family has a two-mile rule. "We don't do anything unless it's within that," he said.

That's why in 2005, he and his wife, Karen, chose a mission-style home in Luxmanor, a neighborhood nestled between Old Georgetown Road and Tilden Woods Park, about three miles south of Rockville's center. Their half-acre property is within walking distance to Metro, White Flint mall and Cabin John Regional Park. His three teens can get themselves almost anywhere by public transportation.

Lauding the 20-minutes-from-everything convenience of Luxmanor, Lynn Waters laughed as she recalled how rural it seemed in 1976, when she moved in. Her mother, who lived in Chevy Chase, "cried because we'd moved so far out," she said. "There were cows across Tuckerman Lane."

Started in the late 1930s, Luxmanor has grown over the past 70 years into an eclectic mix of colonials, ramblers and a smattering of contemporary and Tudor-style homes. Homes sit on well-landscaped lots that are one-third acre or larger, with an abundance of mature trees. Even with some of the newer infill houses, most builders -- with a few glaring exceptions -- have tried to be sensitive to the setting.

Many Luxmanor streets end in cul-de-sacs with landscaped center islands. In the spring, many of the streets are enveloped in the pink canopy of decades-old cherry trees.

The varying topography encourages people of all ages to get out and walk or bike for the cardio effect. It's common to see parents on bicycles pulling their children along in bike wagons as they head to nearby Tilden Woods Park or Tilden Woods Pool, or to the elementary school, said Della Stolsworth, president of the Luxmanor Citizens Association.

Stolsworth moved to Luxmanor 12 years ago because she was particularly struck by its old-fashioned atmosphere. "It's convenient to Metro and shopping," she said, but there's always someone for stay-at-home moms to talk to. Kids are often out riding bikes or hosting lemonade stands.

The glue that holds everything together now is an active Listserv. "Even people who have very busy lives and aren't able to participate in social activities are still able to be connected," she said.

Have extra day lilies to give away? Lose a dog? Have an extra ticket to the Nats? Just need an extra hand for an afternoon? Assistance is just a few keystrokes away.

Rather than organizing holiday parties when everyone is busy, the civic association sponsors other events to help residents feel connected, drawing on the talents of those who aren't usually involved in traditional ways.

Newcomers are welcomed with a green fabric tote bag bearing the Luxmanor logo and including an association directory, a copy of the latest newsletter and some munchies. Once a year, new residents are honored at a cocktail buffet hosted by veterans of the community.

In the late summer and early fall, residents round up school supplies to be distributed to social workers for the foster children in their networks.