Moving to DC with 3mo old - DC or NoVA?
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Anonymous
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As far as urban vs. suburban, it's a personal preference. It's been my experience that it's easier to meet people in urban areas. Moms and kids tend to congregate at the park vs. play in their backyards, you get to know your neighbors when your houses are closer together, etc. It's something to consider if you're new to town.
As fas as Tysons vs. Penn Quarter, I'd choose Penn Quarter but I don't think Penn Quarter it's ideal. Penn Quarter wouldn't be on my short (or even long) list of places I'd want to move unless I was younger and single w/o kids. However, I wouldn't want to commute from Tysons to Georgetown, plus Tysons has no character whatsoever and it's so far from everything except Tysons Corner mall. Frankly, as a SAHM, I don't think you'll meet many other moms in either Tysons or Penn Quarter and I would seriously consider broadening my search. I would look at the neighborhoods along the red line in NW DC. Your husband will have a shorter commute, you'll be near lots of parks and will be more likely to meet other SAHM. You can pretty much find any type of housing, from condo to SFH, along the red line. I do not recommend Capitol Hill- it's an awful commute to Georgetown b/c it's straight through the city. And some areas are really dicey as far as crime goes. |
Anonymous
NW DC has MANY times the amount of parks per square mile than anywhere in NoVa, and most neighborhoods have at least one park that is walking distance. Yes, Clemyjontri is an awesome park, but I'd rather live somewhere where we can walk to a park or if we want to drive, have several different park options in under 10 minutes. I'm guessing that from many places out in Tysons, the nearest park could be way more than a 10 minute drive away. |
Anonymous
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We moved here a few years back and started off renting a TH in Courthouse/Claredon walkable to metro and amenities- felt like the best of both worlds. Stroller patrol and a lot of kids activities through the County, parks etc. but also good restaurants, and a semi-urban vibe. Commute into the city was a breeze by metro or car (10 mins or less to the national mall by car on the weekend). If you can afford it...and if you're considering Penn Quarter too...then you sound like a pretty typical family you'd find in the N Arlington orange line corridor...
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Anonymous
| I would avoid Tysons. We lived in Penn Quarter with a baby/toddler while we were also living on the West Coast. Pluses are proximity to the National Mall and National Building Museum. We spent a lot of time at the NGA and the sculpture garden, which is a great outdoor space. NBM has a nice outdoor space too, and obviously the Mall is outdoor space. But as PPs have said, there are no playgrounds, and there aren't many babies or toddlers as far as I could tell. Still, it's nice with a baby because you can stroll to so many museums and gardens. I actually miss it, in some ways. Too urban for me now, too few children, and too many tourists. |
Anonymous
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NW DC has MANY times the amount of parks per square mile than anywhere in NoVa, and most neighborhoods have at least one park that is walking distance. Yes, Clemyjontri is an awesome park, but I'd rather live somewhere where we can walk to a park or if we want to drive, have several different park options in under 10 minutes. I'm guessing that from many places out in Tysons, the nearest park could be way more than a 10 minute drive away. When we lived in DC, Turtle Park was the only park we frequented (had to drive and find parking) and it was often overrun with kids who seemed incredibly spoiled and often accompanied by nannies. Otherwise, we always drove to parks in MD or VA, or just went to the zoo. The parks in silver Spring, Arlington and Fairfax are so much more relaxed and the children are better behaved. |
Anonymous
Quite a bit of Arlington would be a very easy commute to Georgetown. (I'm biased because I live there and love it.  (I commute to Penn Qtr.) I love Capitol Hill, too - lots of parks, very walkable and family-friendly.
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Anonymous
Arlington's also an easy bike ride to Georgetown. Lot of bike commuters in D.C. these days. |
Anonymous
North Arlington has more parks than I've ever seen in my life. Really exceptional parks too. I can walk to three parks within a few blocks of our house. Very easy commute to Georgetown, and much closer commute than other locations within the District lines. We have a far, far better local government and services here - it is safe, well-run, extremely pleasant. Parts of Arlington near the Orange line corridor are urban/semi-urban. Northernmost North Arlington is leafy neighborhoods, similar to what is right over the Chain Bridge from it in Palisades. Most people are nice and down to earth here too - friendly in my neighborhood. |
Anonymous
| With a 3 month old and staying at home in a new area, my biggest concern would be my husband having the shortest commute possible. If working in Georgetown, is your husband driving or taking public transportation? If driving, I would not choose to live in VA (especially not anywhere near Tysons, what a horrible commute!), he would have to drive over one of the bridges and traffic can be really tough. I would instead choose to live in upper NWDC in a family-friendly neighborhood like Spring Valley, Palisades, Tenleytown, or Cleveland Park, all of which have a relatively short drive to Georgetown. Tenleytown/Cleveland Park/Van Ness all are on metro stops a short ride to downtown DC as well and have parks/libraries close by. If taking the metro, I would confirm what is your closest metro and base my neighborhood on that -- if Foggy Bottom is the closest metro (blue line), then I would look to VA and not DC. If you haven't already, I would go to a bookstore and get an old-fashioned map of DC so you get a feel for where all of the neighborhoods are in relation to Georgetown/downtown. Keep in mind that most neighborhoods are defined by the closest metro stop. |
Anonymous
| It is really easy to get from N Arlington/Orange Line corridor to Georgetown - takes minutes only. You hop the 38B bus (known as the "Orange Line with a View") and you are there fast, convenient, and cheap without the nightmare of driving and parking. The 38B runs every 12 min on weekdays. |
Anonymous
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Don't buy just yet.
What are you thinking to pay for rent, and what do you want as far as house and lot size/age/condition? If you can only afford $2000 a month and want a new SFH, well, I'll be sure to walk over to the Loudoun County Government Center and ensure there's a place in Leesburg for you. If you're OK with a condo pick an area as close as you can get to work and parks, which the kid will need as he gets older. Schools you can make a judgment on in the next 3-4 years. |
Anonymous
| Try Capitol Hill. Lots of young families, parks, close to downtown and metro. We love it! |
Anonymous
I just saw this after I posted. Actually, the D6 bus goes right through Cap Hill to Georgetown. I work in Glover Park and take the bus everyday. I prefer to travel above ground, get on a block from my house, read the whole way, get off and walk a few blocks to work, and do the same thing on the way home. |
Anonymous
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This is an interesting newsletter:
http://www.capitolhillbid.org/Raising%20Kids%20on%20the%20Hill.pdf With an infant, you don't have to worry about schools or your kid walking around the neighborhood by himself or herself. I personally would not live in Capitol Hill with an older child, but right now you don't want your husband to have a long commute to work. You could always try it and see how it goes. The Hill certainly has a better vibe for families than Penn Quarter. |
Anonymous
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I live in Chinatown with a 3 year old and there are many more babies in the neighborhood than there used to be. Personally I love being downtown. We are a block from the Building Museum, and when I stayed at home we went there or down to the Mall practically every day. I didn't find the lack of playgrounds too bad when DS was young, but now I really would like somewhere for him to play outside. I don't think we are going to be getting a playground anytime soon though.
If you are going to stay at home then I'm not sure Georgetown is a good place to be. I used to take DC to the Rose Park in Georgetown when he was younger, and during the week the park was full of nannies rather than other moms. In fact, most of DC seems to be like this. |