Elementary School Recommendations for Family moving to DC from Australia

[Anonymous]

[guardian]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the most depressing thread ever. For all the rah raving about diversity and picking on posters who want high performance and diversity, when it comes down to it everyone merely pushes the rich white wannabe suburbs known as WOTP?? Screw that.

This OP has been looking in Takoma and Brookland. Stop steering them toward the elites. OP, I’m in Brookland and it’s great. You can try the lottery and have a pathway. If it’s a no go, move to Takoma Park. Skip the snooty NW and it’s oh so diverse World Bank employees and share the true diversity of DC with your children as much as you can.

I have lived in AU Park and EotP. I will take my EoTP neighborhood hands down. We are far happier EotP than in AU Park. I agree with you! FWIW, the crime is the same in both neighborhoods.

What is your IB Middle School? Are you sending your child there?

Deal MS. Yes, my daughter went there and is at Wilson now.

So were you able to stay at Janney OR was your new property EOTP IB for a feeder to Deal?

She went private when we lived in AU Park but we are zoned for Deal and Wilson in CV.

So for the OP who is looking for a public school option - you are recommending live in Colonial Village and said kids to Shepherd?

If the OP comes from an urban environment, I highly doubt she would prefer Colonial Village over AU Park. Colonial Village is not walkable at all, unless you are in that tiny corner from which you can walk to Silver Spring. It's a much sleepier neighborhood than AU.

Colonial Village has much nicer houses than AU Park. It’s a much nicer neighborhood. OP should definitely keep CV on her list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[guardian]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the most depressing thread ever. For all the rah raving about diversity and picking on posters who want high performance and diversity, when it comes down to it everyone merely pushes the rich white wannabe suburbs known as WOTP?? Screw that.

This OP has been looking in Takoma and Brookland. Stop steering them toward the elites. OP, I’m in Brookland and it’s great. You can try the lottery and have a pathway. If it’s a no go, move to Takoma Park. Skip the snooty NW and it’s oh so diverse World Bank employees and share the true diversity of DC with your children as much as you can.

I have lived in AU Park and EotP. I will take my EoTP neighborhood hands down. We are far happier EotP than in AU Park. I agree with you! FWIW, the crime is the same in both neighborhoods.

What is your IB Middle School? Are you sending your child there?

Deal MS. Yes, my daughter went there and is at Wilson now.

So were you able to stay at Janney OR was your new property EOTP IB for a feeder to Deal?

She went private when we lived in AU Park but we are zoned for Deal and Wilson in CV.

So for the OP who is looking for a public school option - you are recommending live in Colonial Village and said kids to Shepherd?

If the OP comes from an urban environment, I highly doubt she would prefer Colonial Village over AU Park. Colonial Village is not walkable at all, unless you are in that tiny corner from which you can walk to Silver Spring. It's a much sleepier neighborhood than AU.

Colonial Village has much nicer houses than AU Park. It’s a much nicer neighborhood. OP should definitely keep CV on her list.

No, sorry. It has some larger houses on larger lots, but overall it has a lot of the same colonials and tudors as AU Park, and it lacks the 1920s bungalows and circa 1900 farmhouses you find in AU Park (Colonial Village was first developed in the 1930s). You may well prefer CV, but even just on architectural grounds, it is not "a much nicer neighborhood". If you were talking Cleveland Park historic district here, I would agree. Aside from that, it is further from transit and amenities, which is reflected in its lower prices per square foot.

[Anonymous]

Advice to the relocating parents - do your research with people IRL and not rumor mongering half-truthing stereotyping anonymous posters on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

OP would be very happy at Eaton. Purchase your home in Cleveland Park, or if you are open to high rise living, buy a condo in one of the luxury buildings on Wisconsin, Connecticut or Cathedral Avenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP would be very happy at Eaton. Purchase your home in Cleveland Park, or if you are open to high rise living, buy a condo in one of the luxury buildings on Wisconsin, Connecticut or Cathedral Avenue.

What about what OP said made you think Eaton would be a good choice for her? It sounds like she wants high performing by traditional measures. Eaton does ok on that front, but trails lots of other UNW schools. Plus it sounded like Deal might be a stretch for OP and Hardy may be a bridge too far. Plus, where is she going to find a home/condo big enough for her family in Cleveland Park for $1.25m?

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thanks everyone for the replies- I'm taking a lot of notes. Quick note- I'm American Lived in Seattle and NYC for 30 years. Been to DC many, many times but just as a visitor; I wasn't paying attention at all to neighborhoods where I would be permanently living. Wish I had!

We would prefer to be in an area where the ES-MS (at least) are calm, happy and safe. Then, happy to look into other options for HS as that's a ways a way. I think it's wonderful that there are so many options for parents and children.

We would prefer to live in a house. It does not need to be large.

Commute is very important to me- definitely want to limit it so I can maximise time with my children. I need to determine how much time I'll be in the Georgetown office vs travelling to the other wards. Thank you for flagging that for me!

[Anonymous]

Just move to AU Park.
It's exactly what you're you're looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just move to AU Park.
It's exactly what you're you're looking for.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks everyone for the replies- I'm taking a lot of notes. Quick note- I'm American Lived in Seattle and NYC for 30 years. Been to DC many, many times but just as a visitor; I wasn't paying attention at all to neighborhoods where I would be permanently living. Wish I had!

We would prefer to be in an area where the ES-MS (at least) are calm, happy and safe. Then, happy to look into other options for HS as that's a ways a way. I think it's wonderful that there are so many options for parents and children.

We would prefer to live in a house. It does not need to be large.

Commute is very important to me- definitely want to limit it so I can maximise time with my children. I need to determine how much time I'll be in the Georgetown office vs travelling to the other wards. Thank you for flagging that for me!

Don’t get caught up in the neighborhood boosters. Just save search on Redfin for Deal middle
School. You will happy in any neighborhood that feeds there. All have pros and cons. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks everyone for the replies- I'm taking a lot of notes. Quick note- I'm American Lived in Seattle and NYC for 30 years. Been to DC many, many times but just as a visitor; I wasn't paying attention at all to neighborhoods where I would be permanently living. Wish I had!

We would prefer to be in an area where the ES-MS (at least) are calm, happy and safe. Then, happy to look into other options for HS as that's a ways a way. I think it's wonderful that there are so many options for parents and children.

We would prefer to live in a house. It does not need to be large.

Commute is very important to me- definitely want to limit it so I can maximise time with my children. I need to determine how much time I'll be in the Georgetown office vs travelling to the other wards. Thank you for flagging that for me!

Don’t get caught up in the neighborhood boosters. Just save search on Redfin for Deal middle
School. You will happy in any neighborhood that feeds there. All have pros and cons. Good luck!

I'm one of the SP posters but agree with this advice. Inventory is limited and there are often bidding wars, so it's good not to get stuck on one neighborhood.

The only particulars I'd have is trying for a WOTP home if most of the time at Gtown office, but consider Shepherd Park/Colonial Village if most time in Wards 4/5 and 7/8. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks everyone for the replies- I'm taking a lot of notes. Quick note- I'm American Lived in Seattle and NYC for 30 years. Been to DC many, many times but just as a visitor; I wasn't paying attention at all to neighborhoods where I would be permanently living. Wish I had!

We would prefer to be in an area where the ES-MS (at least) are calm, happy and safe. Then, happy to look into other options for HS as that's a ways a way. I think it's wonderful that there are so many options for parents and children.

We would prefer to live in a house. It does not need to be large.

Commute is very important to me- definitely want to limit it so I can maximise time with my children. I need to determine how much time I'll be in the Georgetown office vs travelling to the other wards. Thank you for flagging that for me!

Don’t get caught up in the neighborhood boosters. Just save search on Redfin for Deal middle
School. You will happy in any neighborhood that feeds there. All have pros and cons. Good luck!

I'm one of the SP posters but agree with this advice. Inventory is limited and there are often bidding wars, so it's good not to get stuck on one neighborhood.

The only particulars I'd have is trying for a WOTP home if most of the time at Gtown office, but consider Shepherd Park/Colonial Village if most time in Wards 4/5 and 7/8. Good luck!

Thank you!- OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also funny: how come nobody is recommending Capitol Hill?

BC there aren't 5 BR houses in Cap Hill for $1.25M.

And because she wants decent schools through high school.

Dumb question but...so does everyone with kids basically leave CH by high school? That seems so dumb. I just mean you'd think with all the money and power centered there they'd have gotten a good HS by now.

There used to be a strip that was zoned for Wilson. I am not kidding.

Yep-- when we bought our house it was zoned for Wilson. Totally insane (what an coincidence that it happened to be the whitest, richest, most powerful part of Capitol Hill). Anyway, our high schooler happily attends charter school -- Washington Latin. Lots of his friends that he attended the local elementary school with are also there and also at private schools and BASIS. If I were OP I'd buy in Capitol Hill but definitely go for a house zoned in good elementary school. Charters, privates, and Jefferson and S-H are all likely choices for middle school for OP's family in a few years time. I suppose its a gamble yes, there are only a couple families that have moved out to the suburbs after going through elementary school. But to my eye it's a guarantee that living WOTP while doing much of your work on the east side of the city would be an immediate pain in the rear. Point is, most of my kid's friends that he went through elementary school with have stayed on the Hill and I think the odds of good school options in middle and high school would be even stronger a few years from now.

Aussie pals recently moved from the Hill back to Sydney for better schools after 6 or 7 years in the hood. Don't buy it OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also funny: how come nobody is recommending Capitol Hill?

BC there aren't 5 BR houses in Cap Hill for $1.25M.

And because she wants decent schools through high school.

Dumb question but...so does everyone with kids basically leave CH by high school? That seems so dumb. I just mean you'd think with all the money and power centered there they'd have gotten a good HS by now.

There used to be a strip that was zoned for Wilson. I am not kidding.

Yep-- when we bought our house it was zoned for Wilson. Totally insane (what an coincidence that it happened to be the whitest, richest, most powerful part of Capitol Hill). Anyway, our high schooler happily attends charter school -- Washington Latin. Lots of his friends that he attended the local elementary school with are also there and also at private schools and BASIS. If I were OP I'd buy in Capitol Hill but definitely go for a house zoned in good elementary school. Charters, privates, and Jefferson and S-H are all likely choices for middle school for OP's family in a few years time. I suppose its a gamble yes, there are only a couple families that have moved out to the suburbs after going through elementary school. But to my eye it's a guarantee that living WOTP while doing much of your work on the east side of the city would be an immediate pain in the rear. Point is, most of my kid's friends that he went through elementary school with have stayed on the Hill and I think the odds of good school options in middle and high school would be even stronger a few years from now.

Aussie pals recently moved from the Hill back to Sydney for better schools after 6 or 7 years in the hood. Don't buy it OP.

I hope you mean neighborhood, because if you think CH is “the hood,” I can only assume you never leave your lily white block in Palisades.

[Anonymous]

Hearst is the closest geographically Deal/Wilson feeder to downtown, so there’s that. Great small school with large international population. Wide range of housing options. You could live in Cleveland Park and take metro or get on Rock Creek Parkway for quick drive downtown. Really can’t go wrong with any of the Ward 3 Deal feeder schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks everyone for the replies- I'm taking a lot of notes. Quick note- I'm American Lived in Seattle and NYC for 30 years. Been to DC many, many times but just as a visitor; I wasn't paying attention at all to neighborhoods where I would be permanently living. Wish I had!

We would prefer to be in an area where the ES-MS (at least) are calm, happy and safe. Then, happy to look into other options for HS as that's a ways a way. I think it's wonderful that there are so many options for parents and children.

We would prefer to live in a house. It does not need to be large.

Commute is very important to me- definitely want to limit it so I can maximise time with my children. I need to determine how much time I'll be in the Georgetown office vs travelling to the other wards. Thank you for flagging that for me!

If you are going to be mostly in Georgetown, you could look in the Palisades, which is just a little north and would be a very easy commute. If you decided you preferred to avoid DC schools (I am not saying you should or shouldn't, just if) you could go just across the border to Sangamore or other MD neighborhoods along Mass Ave and you would have only a slightly longer commute.

Downside of Palisades or some of the MD neighborhoods is that you wouldn't have the easiest metro access, but it sounds like you will be driving anyway.