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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just starting the search and feeling overwhelmed because I don't know the DC area at all.

We definitely want to avoid the Westchester vibe - everyone is wealthy, white, and acts like their bubble is real life, and the towns are tiny with not much to do everyone knowing each other's business.

We also want to be somewhere where we can meet educated, smart people from all over the world, and can buy a house with a yard (.25 acres or more, so not right in the middle of the city). We don't want to be too far out from DC. And a bigger town with different parks, playgrounds, restaurants, nice library, nature center or other kids' activities would be great. Diverse schools so my kids don't stick out like they did in Westchester.

I realize we may be looking for the impossible here, but would love to hear thoughts about areas we should definitely avoid in our search, so we don't make the same mistake and end up in the DC equivalent of Westchester. And any ideas for areas that might fit most of our criteria would also be much appreciated.

I will add that in my immediate McLean (McLean HS) neighborhood of about 100 houses we have people from Cuba, Lebanon, Iran, Bolivia, Morocco, Netherlands, Jordan, Turkey, Russia, China, Norway, India as well as people from all over the US including white, black, Hispanic, Asian and including Democrats and Republicans and including atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish…… But, there is very little economic diversity or educational diversity (almost everyone went to college and most have post graduate degrees. McLean HS has some economic diversity. Same for Marshall. Langley HS does not.

Bethesda and McLean fit those bills. In McLean, aim for McLean HS or it you want IB in HS aim for Marshall.

FYI, schools here are by city and county. So, Montgomery County runs the schools in Bethesda and Fairfax County runs the schools in McLean. The HS are all large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would avoid Fairfax, Bethesda, and McLean based on your criteria. Maybe also Takoma Park — it is more diverse and crunchier but has a definite small town vibe.

For close in, I think Silver Spring could be a good fit for you, including the Kensington and Wheaton areas. In DC itself Brookland might also work, though schools can be challenging there (a lot of people do charters). But lots are bigger than elsewhere in DC. Upper Northwest is a possibility, but it may be whiter and cliquier than you’d like.

Upper NW certainly is white (although getting less so among young families) but “cliquey”???? Maybe if you’re one of the few dozen SAHMs in spring valley throwing coronavirus ballet galas. Everyone else is too busy working to have cliques.

OP, your yard size requirement will eliminate large swaths of the city you might otherwise like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m from Westchester and I live in Bethesda. I think you will find a tremendous amount of diversity here, it is quite multicultural and very educated. There is a lot to do, a lot of nature as well. It is close to DC also. Bethesda has many different areas, check out all of the different ZIP Codes: 20814, 20816, 20817.

Avoid Potomac like the plague, you will absolutely hate it.

My extended family live in Westchester and I agree with this. I do think that potomac has a lot of racial and ethnic diversity but no economic diversity (it is also far out of the city). Our county-based school system just does not create the same type of bubble as the small independent town systems that westchester has. If you want racial diversity and don't care about economic diversity Walter Johnson HS or Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS clusters would be a good area to target. If you want racial and economic diversity buy in-bounds for Blair HS (I'd look at houses zoned to Takoma Park MS.

Why are you moving and how old are your kids? My friends and family who live in westchester county seem to have almost private schools. If you are used to a town-based system, I doubt you will prefer our large county-based system. Schools are huge. Bureaucracy is huge. Most decision-making is made at the county level rather than school level so curriculum, etc. is very prescibed and one size fits all.

[Anonymous]

Burke

[Anonymous]

Sure, there's diversity and people who emigrated from all over the world. And became rich and are materialistic and just as self absorbed as any white Westchester clique. They're all over DC. Is that what she is looking for?

Takoma Park is her tribe. Hie there there and be happy in your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Silver Spring would be good. Further out, Columbia MD or West Springfield VA.

[Anonymous]

Avoid- north arlington, mclean, certain areas in Bethesda, Falls Church City

Consider- the portion of Bethesda zoned for BCC, Takoma Park, depending on if you are interested in private schools- college park, Mt. Rainier, maybe shepherd park

[Anonymous]

Greenbelt, University Park, college park, Berwyn heights?

[Anonymous]

I live in Potomac and I am literally the only white Catholic family on block. None of my kids friends are white Catholics.

And if then very few are even regular white Jewish.

Potomac is very diverse. I can safely say too diverse. I say that as my daughters friends are all different religions and races and long term friendships and dating is hard. My daughters has 13 year old friends who are not allowed to date and parents select groom. Hard to hang out post teen years. And same for that girl. Same for my orthodox Jewish friends my daughter has. Great for cultural learning. Also isolating for me to meet friends. I see my Muslim, Hindu, Orthodox neighbors and only their group is let in.

I like diverse but even diverse folks hard to find friends when a million little groups that don’t mix outside school or work

[Anonymous]

You can get a quarter acre lot in shepherd park and nearby neighborhoods if your budget allows: https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1825-Plymouth-St-NW-20012/home/10020377

Schools are diverse and high performing for dcps. Downtown silver Spring is nearby and more things are coming to Walter Reed. But some parts of the area are more car dependent than others.

If you can give up the big yard you might like capitol hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just starting the search and feeling overwhelmed because I don't know the DC area at all.

We definitely want to avoid the Westchester vibe - everyone is wealthy, white, and acts like their bubble is real life, and the towns are tiny with not much to do everyone knowing each other's business.

We also want to be somewhere where we can meet educated, smart people from all over the world, and can buy a house with a yard (.25 acres or more, so not right in the middle of the city). We don't want to be too far out from DC. And a bigger town with different parks, playgrounds, restaurants, nice library, nature center or other kids' activities would be great. Diverse schools so my kids don't stick out like they did in Westchester.

I realize we may be looking for the impossible here, but would love to hear thoughts about areas we should definitely avoid in our search, so we don't make the same mistake and end up in the DC equivalent of Westchester. And any ideas for areas that might fit most of our criteria would also be much appreciated.

The bad news for you, OP, is DC is heavily populated with Type A personalities who think their shit doesn't stink. It's one of the wealthiest areas in the world.

[Anonymous]

I would avoid Bethesda, Chevy Chase MD AND Chevy Chase DC.

I suggest you look at parts of DC in the Wilson. In high school, your kids could go there or apply to Banneker (mostly AA application only IB) or School without Walls (dual HS/GWU program)

Wilson is a large, diverse city HS approximately 40% white, 30% AA and 20% Hispanic. If you buy in this neighborhood, avoid Chevy Chase DC and the Lafayette ES neighborhoods - they are Westchester-like. The rest is OK. Plenty of houses with yards, but not .25 acres probs.

FYI, your yard size requirement and your non-Westchester-like requirement are fundamentally in tension. Except for your yard size requirement, the Tenleytown or Cleveland Park areas fit your bill - close to Rock Creek Park where there is a small Natire Center and stables for lessons and boarding open to the public, a library (Tenleytown or Cleveland Park), lots of kids playgrounds, plus there is a public indoor pool right next to Wilson HS, and plenty of kids sports (soccer, baseball) run in the local fields at Fort Reno and other schools and parks.

It’s the city, but it very quickly has a suburban feel once you get off the major avenues.

[Anonymous]

OP, I hope you are still reading because I can't believe this thread made it so far without mentioning Rockville, especially the western part between 355 (aka Wisconsin Ave, Rockville Pike, etc.) and I-270.

There are lovely older homes on lots close to .25 and up, the city is quite close and impressively diverse, with large Chinese-American, Latino, black, Iranian, etc. communities. The schools are still quite competitive. Many of your neighbors will be world-class scientists at places like NIH. And you will close, but not too close to the inside-the-beltway world.

I'd like more people to chime on this idea. I think it'll be a bit more time to commute into downtown DC, but really, this is to my mind one of the best ways to live well without wholly embracing the worst of what makes the world of educated, successful, and well-off folks so frequently insufferable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from Westchester and I live in Bethesda. I think you will find a tremendous amount of diversity here, it is quite multicultural and very educated. There is a lot to do, a lot of nature as well. It is close to DC also. Bethesda has many different areas, check out all of the different ZIP Codes: 20814, 20816, 20817.

Avoid Potomac like the plague, you will absolutely hate it.

My extended family live in Westchester and I agree with this. I do think that potomac has a lot of racial and ethnic diversity but no economic diversity (it is also far out of the city). Our county-based school system just does not create the same type of bubble as the small independent town systems that westchester has. If you want racial diversity and don't care about economic diversity Walter Johnson HS or Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS clusters would be a good area to target. If you want racial and economic diversity buy in-bounds for Blair HS (I'd look at houses zoned to Takoma Park MS.

Why are you moving and how old are your kids? My friends and family who live in westchester county seem to have almost private schools. If you are used to a town-based system, I doubt you will prefer our large county-based system. Schools are huge. Bureaucracy is huge. Most decision-making is made at the county level rather than school level so curriculum, etc. is very prescibed and one size fits all.

I mentioned Rockville earlier and fact is, Rockville and Potomac overlap a lot. I'd recommend looking in the parts of Potomac that feed into Wotton HS and avoid those that feel into Potomac. In a lot of ways, those places are at odds with each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from Westchester and I live in Bethesda. I think you will find a tremendous amount of diversity here, it is quite multicultural and very educated. There is a lot to do, a lot of nature as well. It is close to DC also. Bethesda has many different areas, check out all of the different ZIP Codes: 20814, 20816, 20817.

Avoid Potomac like the plague, you will absolutely hate it.

My extended family live in Westchester and I agree with this. I do think that potomac has a lot of racial and ethnic diversity but no economic diversity (it is also far out of the city). Our county-based school system just does not create the same type of bubble as the small independent town systems that westchester has. If you want racial diversity and don't care about economic diversity Walter Johnson HS or Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS clusters would be a good area to target. If you want racial and economic diversity buy in-bounds for Blair HS (I'd look at houses zoned to Takoma Park MS.

Why are you moving and how old are your kids? My friends and family who live in westchester county seem to have almost private schools. If you are used to a town-based system, I doubt you will prefer our large county-based system. Schools are huge. Bureaucracy is huge. Most decision-making is made at the county level rather than school level so curriculum, etc. is very prescibed and one size fits all.

I mentioned Rockville earlier and fact is, Rockville and Potomac overlap a lot. I'd recommend looking in the parts of Potomac that feed into Wotton HS and avoid those that feel into Potomac. In a lot of ways, those places are at odds with each other.

I meant "avoid those that feed into CHURCHILL HS*