Moving to DC Area from Westchester, NY, Want a Different Vibe...Where Should We Definitely Avoid?

[Anonymous]

You said,
"This is exactly it!! It's not real diversity if everyone is rich and living the same lifestyle. I hear people in Westchester saying all the time, "It's so diverse here!" Because they have a friend from South America and a friend from former USSR and a friend from France and a friend from China...but they all work in finance or law or consulting and live the same materialistic, competitive lifestyle. I really hope to escape this BS."

Best of luck OP, try perhaps West VA, the Dakotas or Alabama. Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You said,
"This is exactly it!! It's not real diversity if everyone is rich and living the same lifestyle. I hear people in Westchester saying all the time, "It's so diverse here!" Because they have a friend from South America and a friend from former USSR and a friend from France and a friend from China...but they all work in finance or law or consulting and live the same materialistic, competitive lifestyle. I really hope to escape this BS."

Best of luck OP, try perhaps West VA, the Dakotas or Alabama. Give me a break.

What? I think this is a valid concern, and you can find areas that have some economic diversity. Sounds like they should look at Chevy Chase MD (the elementary school is economically diversity) some of the Wilson High School elementary school areas (closer in - not AU Park/Chevy Chase) or Arlington.

You could also look at neighborhoods east of the Park in DC, but maybe be prepared to pay for private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You said,
"This is exactly it!! It's not real diversity if everyone is rich and living the same lifestyle. I hear people in Westchester saying all the time, "It's so diverse here!" Because they have a friend from South America and a friend from former USSR and a friend from France and a friend from China...but they all work in finance or law or consulting and live the same materialistic, competitive lifestyle. I really hope to escape this BS."

Best of luck OP, try perhaps West VA, the Dakotas or Alabama. Give me a break.

What? I think this is a valid concern, and you can find areas that have some economic diversity. Sounds like they should look at Chevy Chase MD (the elementary school is economically diversity) some of the Wilson High School elementary school areas (closer in - not AU Park/Chevy Chase) or Arlington.

You could also look at neighborhoods east of the Park in DC, but maybe be prepared to pay for private school.

OP also specified she wants to meet educated, smart people from all over the world. But they should all be working in low paying menial jobs to satisfy OP’s need for economic diversity? Best of luck finding that neighborhood!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people living in Fairfax city would move to Mclean or Vienna in a minute if they could afford it. Same with Westin and Silver Spring.

Pretty sure this is the type of uppity, self important arrogance that OP is actively trying to avoid. With good reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You said,
"This is exactly it!! It's not real diversity if everyone is rich and living the same lifestyle. I hear people in Westchester saying all the time, "It's so diverse here!" Because they have a friend from South America and a friend from former USSR and a friend from France and a friend from China...but they all work in finance or law or consulting and live the same materialistic, competitive lifestyle. I really hope to escape this BS."

Best of luck OP, try perhaps West VA, the Dakotas or Alabama. Give me a break.

OP can find what she needs right here in MoCo.
3 of the top 15 most diverse overall.
#1& 2 in socioeconomic diversity.
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-diverse-cities/12690

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You said,
"This is exactly it!! It's not real diversity if everyone is rich and living the same lifestyle. I hear people in Westchester saying all the time, "It's so diverse here!" Because they have a friend from South America and a friend from former USSR and a friend from France and a friend from China...but they all work in finance or law or consulting and live the same materialistic, competitive lifestyle. I really hope to escape this BS."

Best of luck OP, try perhaps West VA, the Dakotas or Alabama. Give me a break.

What? I think this is a valid concern, and you can find areas that have some economic diversity. Sounds like they should look at Chevy Chase MD (the elementary school is economically diversity) some of the Wilson High School elementary school areas (closer in - not AU Park/Chevy Chase) or Arlington.

You could also look at neighborhoods east of the Park in DC, but maybe be prepared to pay for private school.

PP, i'm glad you get OP's concerns. But you don't seem to get OP's desire for .25 acre and a budget of $1.2M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You said,
"This is exactly it!! It's not real diversity if everyone is rich and living the same lifestyle. I hear people in Westchester saying all the time, "It's so diverse here!" Because they have a friend from South America and a friend from former USSR and a friend from France and a friend from China...but they all work in finance or law or consulting and live the same materialistic, competitive lifestyle. I really hope to escape this BS."

Best of luck OP, try perhaps West VA, the Dakotas or Alabama. Give me a break.

What? I think this is a valid concern, and you can find areas that have some economic diversity. Sounds like they should look at Chevy Chase MD (the elementary school is economically diversity) some of the Wilson High School elementary school areas (closer in - not AU Park/Chevy Chase) or Arlington.

You could also look at neighborhoods east of the Park in DC, but maybe be prepared to pay for private school.

So very delusional.

[Anonymous]

I'd suggest Mount Pleasant or the areas right near 16th Street there. The Calvert Hills part of College Park is very diverse racially except that we don't have many African Americans. Same for University Park and Historic Hyattsville. I used to live in Brookland and don't see that fitting what she's looking for, at all. Rockville is all strip malls and big expanses where you can't walk safely on the street. Not that you'd want to walk on the Rockville Pike.

Here's a perfect house for you. Under $1M and on a .37 acre lot. Your neighbors would be professors, engineers, health care providers at places like the VA, senior level fed workers, etc... The kids on my block have mostly gone to DeMatha High School or the magnet school. They attend college at places like the Naval Academy, Penn, Penn State, and so on. About a third of the houses on my particular block have someone with a doctorate degree. We have Latinos, African Americans, Asian American, immigrants from SE Asia, and some European immigrants. The Green line on Metro gets you downtown in about 25 minutes. Since it's near the end of the line, you always get a seat in the morning. I do my email and catch up on the news as I commute in. Well, I used to do that pre-COVID. This area is very walkable and we often walk to dinner in the many nearby restaurants. The University of Maryland flagship campus abuts these neighborhoods.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4339-Clagett-Rd_University-Park_MD_20782_M67401-05677

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi op. Lots of really good advice already. I can only speak to the MD/NW side as we bought in Chevy chase MD, but I did grow up in Westchester and know what you are describing.

Honestly, you are looking for a unicorn and you’ll have to decide what you can live with giving up. DC does have a different vibe than westchester but it is still very affluent, attending private school is a real thing, the county based schools can be very frustrating, and quite honestly, MD is really not convenient for day to day stuff: sports, grocery, stores, etc. Nothing is under a 20m drive and that gets tiring day in and day out.

You may not like the small town feel of Westchester, but there are some really sweet perks to having kids grow up there. I really think you’d be trading a lot for not much of a difference in mentality.

Definitely come visit and spend some time seeing if it’s the right place for you.

Best of luck!

Sorry, but this is not true in my experience. I live in Silver Spring, and can walk to loads of places in 10 minutes. I can drive to Takoma Park in 10-15 minutes. Kids' soccer practices/games are also 10 minutes away. There's a target on the DC/ Silver Spring, MD border

[Anonymous]

Deanwood

[Anonymous]

Where are you guys from originally (hometowns)? I think NoVa would fit the bill for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Budget? Commute? Where in Westchester did you live?

This area just doesn’t have the town centers like Westchester does. And lots tend to be small, so you may have to look around for .25 acres if that’s important to you.

OP here. What does the area have instead of town centers? Strip malls?

We were in the Rivertowns, but looked all over Westchester and talked to people in Scarsdale, Bronxville, Rye, Mamaroneck, etc and it all seems to be the same. One exception is White Plains - we like that vibe a lot.

We're flexible on budget, finding the right area to live is more important. If it's expensive, we can just buy a smaller house. Hoping to stay under a million but could go up to 1.2. Commute under an hour.

I live in Westchester, in a river town, and you didn't look hard enough, OP. I work in another river town that is extremely diverse. Ossining, Peekskill, Yonkers- all river towns. I'm guessing those didn't even hit your radar. They all have million-dollar homes, btw.

[Anonymous]

OP one big different between Westchester and the DC area is that many more people in the suburbs here send their kids to private schools. That is both good and bad but it does mean that that crowd likely won't be in your social orbit, which is likely a plus for you.

[Anonymous]

I think you’d like Crestwood or Shepherd Park.

[Anonymous]

Take a look at the census map
https://mtgis-portal.geo.census.gov/arcgis/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=2566121a73de463995ed2b2fd7ff6eb7