Yah you are basically running the heater or the AC. You will get like a week or two in the fall/spring where you can get away with not running it. I have put my heater on a couple times already this year but this past week it's basically been off as has the AC, but it's also been 80 during the day which isn't normal this time of year. But from November - March, the heater will be on. And on the flip side of that, the AC will be on from April - September with maybe a week or so off.
As for the neighborhoods, I had to google Lincoln Park and where it is, but it looks to be close to the Rockville Town Center and also pretty close to the Metro, so IMO it's kind of "busy" in that area. I'm not too aware of how the housing is in that area. If you go west of there towards 270 that is considered the old town Rockville area, and that neighborhood is pretty nice, however there are some older houses over there (obviously based on the name). As you said though the prices may be a bit more.
Around the civic center is decent too. I am a little bit east of there. That neighborhood also has smaller houses. They remind me of the size of house I grew up in, which is totally fine. But most houses in that area I believe are like 1 level with a basement. Across Norbeck over towards the Metro station that neighborhood is pretty similar as far as housing sizes and neighborhoods, but I'd say that area is slightly more cramped over on that side of things too.
You mentioned Asian grocery stores. There is a Lotte Supermarket that is very close by as well. The neighborhood that is right behind it to the east/north east is also nice. Before we moved where we did we actually put an offer in on a townhouse in that neighborhood but we didn't get it. I found out about that grocery store like 2 years ago and now I basically go to it weekly specifically for certain foods. They have cuts of meat that you can't get at the main chain grocery stores and then they also have a TON of fresh seafood there too. Aside from that though it's just a big international market and they have aisles of food from different countries.