Moving to DC with 3mo old - DC or NoVA?
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Anonymous
| My husband and I are moving with our first baby (3 months old) from the West Coast. Quite a different environment. We can rent from someone in Chinatown/Penn Qtr. We can also chose outlying suburban areas as far Tyson's Corner/Mclean. Husband's work will be in downtown and near Georgetown. I'll be a stay-at-home mom. Input on raising a little baby in Penn Quarter? Input on raising a baby in urban vs. suburban areas of DC? |
Anonymous
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There are many more babies in Penn Quarter/Chinatown than there used to be. However, there are not currently any playgrounds in the immediate area. There's a group of neighborhood parents working to fix that. Personally, I prefer living in the city where I can easily walk places and take the bus/metro to activities, but Chinatown wouldn't be my 1st choice for living with kids because of the lack of playgrounds. I suppose it wouldn't be that different from living in the suburbs where you have to drive to the playground...
The burbs might be more like what you're used to depending on where on the west coast you're from. |
Anonymous
| Tyson's is like a small slice of traffic-filled hell. |
Anonymous
| If DH will be at Georgetown, I would look in Glover Park, which is close to Georgetown and has a lot of young families. Rent for a couple of years until you figure out what you want in terms of schools. |
Anonymous
| NoVa any day over DC. |
Anonymous
|
Penn Quarter is great, but until their playground initiative takes off, you'll find more playgrounds and amenities for kids in slightly uptown neighborhoods like Dupont and Adams Morgan. Your DH will still be able to walk to work in both Downtown and Georgetown from both of these, and transit links to Penn Quarter are easy.
I have nothing nice to say about either Tysons or McLean and find Glover Park rather dull, myself. |
Anonymous
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Renting or buying? Limit on price? How long to plan on being here?
^^BIG factors, although you've probably already noticed the sticker prices everywhere here are daunting. NOVA has the lowest income taxes and is in general a lot safer & family friendly than many 'affordable' neighborhoods in DC. But it is a question of commute. Where is your DH working (near a metro station?) Some commutes may look do-able from west coast standards that are nightmarish by DC standards. If he's working near a metro station Falls Church or North Arlington near the orange line may be good options in NOVA. In DC an affordable, safe neighborhood is Silver Spring (red line). |
Anonymous
| Silver Spring is MD, correct? |
Anonymous
| Look at Capitol Hill. So many babies and young kids and most of the local elementary schools have in-bounds preschool programs starting at 3, so you can save on daycare/preschool costs. Also, tons of parks/playgrounds. |
Anonymous
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McLean or North Arlington both have great parks and plenty of moms (SAHMs and working) with small children. Both offer an easy commute to Georgetown. You don't want to live in Tysons, but it does have the best shopping in the DC area. A lot of DCUM posters are snobs about the suburbs until they realize they are stuck with lousy public schools in DC, and then they reconsider.
If you do prefer DC, Glover Park is bland, but very convenient to Georgetown. Penn Quarter is mostly office buildings and restaurants. There are a few apartment buildings that are largely home to singles, empty nesters, and corporate types who need a pied-a-terre in DC. There aren't many practical amenities in the immediate area. Capitol Hill is great if you like old rowhouses, but it's also somewhat lacking in the amenities department, and parts of it have a lot of car break-ins and petty theft. Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan and Cleveland Park are safer alternatives. |
Anonymous
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Is there any park like this in DC now?
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/clemyjontri/ |
Anonymous
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I say go for convenient places to Georgetown. You do NOT want to be in a situation where you always have to drive to Georgetown if you don't have to.
Glover Park is nice, but I agree, a bit boring. However, Dupont is very close and has a lot of young families and a lot to do. It has a metro and a bus stop for the Georgetown University bus. I would never buy right away. You need at least a year to figure our your needs and to explore different neighborhoods and school districts. |
Anonymous
| Think about Arlington or someplace nearby. I wouldn't want to have a kid in the Penn Quarter area, but I wouldn't want to commute from Tysons. Arlington is a nice compromise: kid friendly and a decent commute. |
Anonymous
| My office is in Penn Quarter and I wouldn't want to live there with a baby. I'm all for a semi-urban environment but Penn Quarter is too urban for my tastes. McLean is the opposite end of the spectrum--too suburban. If I were you I'd go for someplace in-between that's along the orange line near a Metro station. |
Anonymous
No, and DC generally doesn't have a great track record of retaining families. Lots of strollers, even in the hipster neighborhoods, but not so many kids over 10. Penn Quarter is a business/entertainment area. It's not a practical place to live with a baby. |