Recommendations for DC area neighborhoods or towns
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Anonymous
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Hello,
We are moving from Cambridge to the DC area for a work opportunity. I am looking for recommendations for DC neighborhood or nearby cities or towns. I would prefer not to be in Virginia but Maryland could be fine. Budget: We can go up to 4 million for the perfect home. If we have to make a lot of concessions I’d rather go no higher than 3 if possible. Preferences: Walkable neighborhood with sidewalks, family friendly, kid friendly, easy access to the train (ideally this means walking distance but could also be driving distance with parking). This is not a requirement but I also prefer established neighborhoods with mature trees. I’d love to live in a place with a strong neighborhood association, and neighborhood events. We will most likely do private schools regardless but a community with good schools is preferred. I’d also really like easy access to restaurants and shops, and walkable proximity to a playground. I’m partial to neighborhoods with dead-ends or small parks that tend to accommodate kids riding bikes, neighbors being outside, etc. Also, I understand that the higher income areas tend to lack racial diversity which is fine, but we are a mixed race family so I would prefer to not be somewhere people would call the police or post messages to next door over seeing a Black person jogging in the neighborhood. |
Anonymous
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Cleveland Park --DC
Barnaby Wood--DC Spring Valley--DC Kalorama--DC Chevy Chase--DC Palisades--DC Lyon Village, Arlington VA Chevy Chase Village Bethesda (north of Bradley, west of Conn) |
Anonymous
| I’d add close in Edgemoor in Bethesda. |
Anonymous
| Is the commute to DC - where? |
Anonymous
| When you say train, do you mean the train train, like the MARC in Kensington and Garrett Park? Or the Metro, which most of us call the subway? |
Anonymous
Barnaby Woods and Spring Valley are not generally walkable to retail or the metro. Palisades is not near the metro. Kalorama trends too old for what you're looking for--not many kids and no neighborhood events that I know of. Based on your criteria, I would search the 20008, 20015 and 20016 zip codes in DC and 20815 in Maryland. (Not all of those zip codes are walkable, but if you stick to a house relatively close to Connecticut Ave or Wisconsin Ave it will be walkable. Good luck with your search! |
Anonymous
| There are a couple houses near Clarendon in Arlington for under $3M that are nice. |
Anonymous
| McLean VA or Bethesda md. You aren't going to find nice neighborhoods like you described in DC |
Anonymous
| Lol @ everyone ignoring OP’s criteria and recommending unwalkable neighborhoods in Virginia |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I’m compiling a list for further research.
To the PP who asked, yes, by train I meant subway. I knew it wasn’t called the T, the L, or the tube but I couldn’t remember what it’s called in the DC area. |
Anonymous
| OP, why are you anti-VA? Arlington seems to fit most of your criteria pretty easily, and it's a really lovely place to live, especially if you are planning to do private school anyhow. So many options. Northern VA is very different from the rest of the state. |
Anonymous
| Town of Somerset in Chevy Chase MD is all of these things. Neighborhood pool with swim team, walkable to metro, mature trees, sidewalks. Local elementary Somerset in neighborhood but lots of kids go there or private. Very family friendly. |
Anonymous
OP said prefers MD. |
Anonymous
+1 And no a lot of kids do not go to private. My daughter lives there all her neighbors are MCPS> |
Anonymous
| In Maryland, Chevy Chase Section 4 and Section 5, and Martin’s Additions (also Chevy Chase) |