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

[Anonymous]

I posted uphread with some suggestions but just responding to a few points—
I don’t know what pP is talking about with the 20 min drive in Md. we live in the upper part of bethesda and it’s a 5 min drive to grocery stores, 2 libraries, parks, the Y, the mall is maybe 10 minutes. Target is 15. And now the kids are older soccer practices are often 10-15 minutes away.

I don’t think you have the “everyone works in finance” problem even in the UMC areas of MoCo. My neighbors work in medical research, law, public policy including stuff like environmental protection, refugee advocacy, and food insecurity, some teachers and professors, IT professionals, psychologists, accountants, some military, etc. it’s very mixed. And I don’t think there’s one way to live. There’s the types that spend weekends at the country club and the type with chickens in their backyard and pretty much everything in between. It’s all good. Unless you’re a Trump supporter—there’s a few of them and I do think they feel ostracized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I don’t think you’re all that familiar with Westchester. People pay through the nose for school taxes there to send their kids to the public schools. It does not have the same private school culture that this area does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted uphread with some suggestions but just responding to a few points—
I don’t know what pP is talking about with the 20 min drive in Md. we live in the upper part of bethesda and it’s a 5 min drive to grocery stores, 2 libraries, parks, the Y, the mall is maybe 10 minutes. Target is 15. And now the kids are older soccer practices are often 10-15 minutes away.

I don’t think you have the “everyone works in finance” problem even in the UMC areas of MoCo. My neighbors work in medical research, law, public policy including stuff like environmental protection, refugee advocacy, and food insecurity, some teachers and professors, IT professionals, psychologists, accountants, some military, etc. it’s very mixed. And I don’t think there’s one way to live. There’s the types that spend weekends at the country club and the type with chickens in their backyard and pretty much everything in between. It’s all good. Unless you’re a Trump supporter—there’s a few of them and I do think they feel ostracized.

The Trump supporters hang out at the country clubs with other like minded folks and couldnt care less what you think. They have their own crowd and would want to belong with the chicken coop brigade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No to North Arlington. (I live here).

I'm curious to hear more about Arlington. A friend is planning to move there because it's close to DC, more urban feel with things to do, and she says it's diverse and not snobby. But it hasn't been mentioned much on this thread one way or the other.

She’s priced out of Arlington for what she wants.

[Anonymous]

I'm not going to read the entire 9 pages, but OP, we recently moved down from Westchester (northern, past the "hip" rivertowns...) and I'd suggest considering city of Alexandria or Alexandria/Annandale/Falls Church part of Fairfax County.

While it's very different than White Plains - there is true diversity in Alexandria and inside-the-Beltway Fairfax Co, more like what you want instead of the "you're my neighbor no matter where you're from" signs in every yard on a street full of white ex-brooklynites from Ohio. (While there were things we loved about our place in NY, the performative diversity charade was not one of them). The biggest downside to much of the area is the transit access, but that's something you get used to in the area.

[Anonymous]

Wow, OP, you’ve gotten a lot of good feedback, as well as some conflicting info about specific areas.

You’ve not mentioned commute. What is “not far” from DC to you? Would you drive or metro?

I think your biggest disappointment will be the school systems here, as well as the random crime.

How old are your kid(s)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I don’t think you’re all that familiar with Westchester. People pay through the nose for school taxes there to send their kids to the public schools. It does not have the same private school culture that this area does.

Exactly - I am very familiar with Westchester, having family in Scarsdale and grew up nearby. In DC the kinds of people like the ones OP is describing (and that she would like to avoid) send their kids to private schools. In Westchester, those people tend to send their kids to the excellent public schools, so OP has to interact with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No to North Arlington. (I live here).

I'm curious to hear more about Arlington. A friend is planning to move there because it's close to DC, more urban feel with things to do, and she says it's diverse and not snobby. But it hasn't been mentioned much on this thread one way or the other.

She’s priced out of Arlington for what she wants.

She can afford some parts of N Arlington if she is willing to wait for the right house and compromise. She may be able to get a house on a busier street that meets her needs. THis one is still a bit out of her price range, but I have seen cheaper homes in Pershing or nearby https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/3501-N-Pershing-Dr-22201/home/11256599

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not going to read the entire 9 pages, but OP, we recently moved down from Westchester (northern, past the "hip" rivertowns...) and I'd suggest considering city of Alexandria or Alexandria/Annandale/Falls Church part of Fairfax County.

While it's very different than White Plains - there is true diversity in Alexandria and inside-the-Beltway Fairfax Co, more like what you want instead of the "you're my neighbor no matter where you're from" signs in every yard on a street full of white ex-brooklynites from Ohio. (While there were things we loved about our place in NY, the performative diversity charade was not one of them). The biggest downside to much of the area is the transit access, but that's something you get used to in the area.

OP here. Can we be friends? But seriously, thanks for the rec, it's helpful to hear from someone who knows both areas

[Anonymous]

OP, where did you grow up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, OP, you’ve gotten a lot of good feedback, as well as some conflicting info about specific areas.

You’ve not mentioned commute. What is “not far” from DC to you? Would you drive or metro?

I think your biggest disappointment will be the school systems here, as well as the random crime.

How old are your kid(s)?

OP here. They are in early elementary. Most Westchester schools are really not great (despite their reputation), so I am confident I'll like DC ones more no matter where we end up. But I am concerned about the random crime. Can you say more? Where, and what kind of crime? Like, will someone break into my home in Silver Spring or attack me and my kids while I'm walking down the street?


Re: commute, I don't know, we haven't started researching this piece yet. Would want to be under an hour door to door and open to either metro or driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, where did you grow up?

So, I grew up in a small city, which has poor people, rich people, and everyone in between. Lots of Hispanic immigrants, sizable Black population, lots of immigrants from the USSR, lots from East and South Asia, some from Europe.

Today, I discovered from a "diverse cities list" someone posted upthread that my hometown is one of the most diverse cities in America, as are all the places I've lived since then (except for Westchester). I had no idea. Now I see why I hated Westchester so much...I was coming from my own "bubble" of diversity, and didn't realize that most places are a lot more segregated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, where did you grow up?

So, I grew up in a small city, which has poor people, rich people, and everyone in between. Lots of Hispanic immigrants, sizable Black population, lots of immigrants from the USSR, lots from East and South Asia, some from Europe.

Today, I discovered from a "diverse cities list" someone posted upthread that my hometown is one of the most diverse cities in America, as are all the places I've lived since then (except for Westchester). I had no idea. Now I see why I hated Westchester so much...I was coming from my own "bubble" of diversity, and didn't realize that most places are a lot more segregated.

And where exactly was that city? Like state/major geographical region? It's easier to give you advice on what part of the DC area would fit you knowing that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, OP, you’ve gotten a lot of good feedback, as well as some conflicting info about specific areas.

You’ve not mentioned commute. What is “not far” from DC to you? Would you drive or metro?

I think your biggest disappointment will be the school systems here, as well as the random crime.

How old are your kid(s)?

OP here. They are in early elementary. Most Westchester schools are really not great (despite their reputation), so I am confident I'll like DC ones more no matter where we end up. But I am concerned about the random crime. Can you say more? Where, and what kind of crime? Like, will someone break into my home in Silver Spring or attack me and my kids while I'm walking down the street?


Re: commute, I don't know, we haven't started researching this piece yet. Would want to be under an hour door to door and open to either metro or driving.

I mean, probably not, but maybe. There is more crime than in Westchester. It comes with the true economic diversity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OP. I skipped all the details of our Westchester experience as this post is on a DC board asking for advice about DC area living, but yes, they hit our radar. We've visited all of the places you listed and many more all over the county, talked to people who live there, etc. For various reasons they're not the right fit. For example, too far from NYC/long commutes (Ossining, Peekskill, and whole swaths of northern Westchester), too small and insulated (even Tarrytown is like 10K people), etc.