A friendly, family-oriented, down-to-earth community

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone, I'm hoping I can crowdsource some info. We lived in the D.C. area for about a decade 10 years ago. We are looking to move back and really hoping to find a place that fits us well. We want great public schools (doesn't have to be the absolute best of the best though), less than a 40-minute commute to the Union Station area of D.C., and the piece that's harder to assess from afar- a friendly and laid-back community. And I really mean genuinely friendly and nice, not just a thin veneer of politeness. We like to talk to people. I'm not going to hold you hostage in the grocery store, but I will say hi and ask how you're doing. We want to know at least some of our neighbors and have families over to hang and chat while our kids play. Would really love the kind of neighborhood where people are walking around and running into each other. We'd like a place that embraces a slower pace (at least on the weekends) so people aren't too busy to connect with each other. We don't want to trade stories about how busy our weeks were if it's just a way to humble-brag about how important everyone is, talk about how many people you supervise or how big the budget you manage is, or hear what GS level people are. It's fine if people are important and all those things, but just hoping to find a place where people are capable of talking about things other than their jobs (and want to). Any leads on where to look?

[Anonymous]

Pimmit Hills

[Anonymous]

22205 the neighborhoods around westover in Arlington. Mixed housing stock, houses close together, and schools, shops/restaurants, library all walkable means folks are out and about walking and running into each other a lot. Farmers market on Sunday mornings, then all the families hang at the playground at cardinal elementary. Lots of impromptu hang outs from that. Definitely feels like what you describe to me and when I’ve had friends visit who live in DC they’ve commented on it (how we’re always running into people we know, close with neighbors etc).

In todays world you’re definitely not going to find anywhere where there aren’t families who are super busy every weekend, it’s become a thing for sure. But I feel like we have a good contingent and neighbors/friends that also value not having slower weekends and evenings. Middle school kids hang out in Westover after school. If you go there around 2:30 you’ll see them everywhere, kids bike to each others houses etc.

I also think kings park west is worth looking at. You can take the train to union station but it probably doesn’t meet the time requirements. But we have friends there and it seems warm, neighbors are close, lots of cul de sacs.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, value HAVING slower weekends**

[Anonymous]

Falls Hill, 22043 but sadly the houses are selling for over a million and the snobby SAH millennial mamas are starting to change the feel. We need normal people to move back in!!!

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park?

[Anonymous]

Not Virginia until you are sure it keeps turning more blue.

Youngkin is headed to do as much damage as he can before leaving office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park?

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park?

+2

And also East Silver Spring/Seven Oaks/South Woodside. Basically 20910.

[Anonymous]

Burke probably is a bit too far. Maybe forest glen or Kensington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And also East Silver Spring/Seven Oaks/South Woodside. Basically 20910.

If you're on a budget (for this area), 20901 or 20902. Red Line is 20 min to Union Station plus a 10-20 min drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22205 the neighborhoods around westover in Arlington. Mixed housing stock, houses close together, and schools, shops/restaurants, library all walkable means folks are out and about walking and running into each other a lot. Farmers market on Sunday mornings, then all the families hang at the playground at cardinal elementary. Lots of impromptu hang outs from that. Definitely feels like what you describe to me and when I’ve had friends visit who live in DC they’ve commented on it (how we’re always running into people we know, close with neighbors etc).

In todays world you’re definitely not going to find anywhere where there aren’t families who are super busy every weekend, it’s become a thing for sure. But I feel like we have a good contingent and neighbors/friends that also value not having slower weekends and evenings. Middle school kids hang out in Westover after school. If you go there around 2:30 you’ll see them everywhere, kids bike to each others houses etc.

I also think kings park west is worth looking at. You can take the train to union station but it probably doesn’t meet the time requirements. But we have friends there and it seems warm, neighbors are close, lots of cul de sacs.

+1. Westover, Dominion Hills, Madison Manor, Overlee Knolls.

[Anonymous]

Everyone has over-scheduled weekend plans - sports leagues, Scouts, birthday parties, seeing relatives, travel, etc.

It sounds like you want a place that has "freerange kids" who just find each other and play. That's certainly not happening our neighborhood (Georgetown/Glover Park area).

Maybe University Park in MD? Have some friends there and they seem to have a pretty laid back life, kids roam the neighborhood, etc.

Things definitely get less over-scheduled the further away you get from DC. But then you're looking at a longer commute. If you're willing to do MARC train, that may be more feasible.

[Anonymous]

Mt. Pleasant

[Anonymous]

my kid is still toddler at the playground age-- but my neighborhood (alta vista in Bethesda)- has neighborhood front yard gatherings, halloween party, easter egg roll, parent whatsapp groups, and lots of families at the neighborhood park.. people seem friendly. but again i'm not at the age for my kid to have reasons to be overly busy (and also hope to avoid that)