Considering moving to DC

[Anonymous]

*pretty good*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to rent a place in DC send kids to public elementary and not be crazy rich? I am considering moving to DC. I am tired of living in Baltimore City the cost of living went up so much but nothing else has improved. My employer is also DC based.

I am also interested in the universal prek at age 3 that dcps offers. I know very little about DCPS. Can someone please give me a brief run down or just tell me if I am wasting my time even considering moving to DC.

Are all the good schools charters and do.you need to be a resident before entering the lotteries? Are there any zone schools that are good with at or under 3k a month for a 3 bedroom? I am assuming buying anything affordable is out of the question.

It's a crap shoot-all of it. I'd recommend looking at the suburbs for some degree of assurance and continuity. Families move all the time when the Lottery doesn't go there way. That's the honest truth...

[Anonymous]

If your income is under $102k (family of 3) you can qualify for an Inclusionary Zoning apartment. 3 bedrooms max rent will be $2690 but potentially less if your income is less. There may be a small wait as it’s lottery-based but the lottery and waitlist moves fast if you’re ready to move in. You can also call the new apartments in down Connecticut Ave and inquiry if they have any “affordable dwelling units” outside the IZ program. They’ll know what you’re referring to. The newer the apartment building, the more likely they will have a fast moving waitlist.


https://dhcd.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dhcd/publication/attachments/2022-6-24%20IZ%20ADU%20price%20schedule.pdf
https://dhcd.dc.gov/service/inclusionary-zoning-iz-affordable-housing-program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Kids are between 8 and 3. Could squeeze in a 2bedroom. What areas would you recommend that are zoned to a solid elementary? Do most families flee the city for middle and high school? That is what happens where I live now.

Look at apartments in ward 3. there are great buildings up and down wisconsin and connecticut, Mass and Cathedral (even if GGW claims otherwise -- the local densifying lobbying group). These are family friendly neighborhoods, walk to shop etc. You'll love it.

If you do this, you will not have in-bounds PreK3, and you may not get in for PreK4 either, though with older siblings enrolling your odds are good.

But there are a ton of Free Community Preschools now in Ward 3.
All the CommunitKids programs. 2 Birds. St. Albans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. If (white) families aren’t going to Wilson, they are either moving or going private. That’s the reality. If you get into a school that feeds to Wilson, you are all set.

fixed it for you!

Well your fix is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Kids are between 8 and 3. Could squeeze in a 2bedroom. What areas would you recommend that are zoned to a solid elementary? Do most families flee the city for middle and high school? That is what happens where I live now.

Look at apartments in ward 3. there are great buildings up and down wisconsin and connecticut, Mass and Cathedral (even if GGW claims otherwise -- the local densifying lobbying group). These are family friendly neighborhoods, walk to shop etc. You'll love it.

But search for information on the nuisance buildings, especially if looking along Connecticut. There is info on the DCUM real estate forum about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Kids are between 8 and 3. Could squeeze in a 2bedroom. What areas would you recommend that are zoned to a solid elementary? Do most families flee the city for middle and high school? That is what happens where I live now.

This will cause an argument, I'm sure, but really the only decent non-charter HS in DC is Jackson Reed (fka Wilson). So whatever the elementaries are that feed to that. They are in Ward 3. Can you get a 3-bedroom for $3K in Ward 3? I don't think so, but maybe a 2br.

I have seen 3 bedrooms for rent in McLean Gardens that go for about $3K a month. I also agreed with other posters that there are so many apartments and condos for rent in the Wisconsin and Connecticut corridor that a family could find a workable option for a school that feeds to Jackson-Reed, either a 3 bedroom or 2 bedroom plus den.

Also not all the schools in the Deal/Jackson-Reed feeder pattern are in Ward 3. There's Shepherd Park and Bancroft, and I believe Lafayette is in Ward 4 as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to rent a place in DC send kids to public elementary and not be crazy rich? I am considering moving to DC. I am tired of living in Baltimore City the cost of living went up so much but nothing else has improved. My employer is also DC based.

I am also interested in the universal prek at age 3 that dcps offers. I know very little about DCPS. Can someone please give me a brief run down or just tell me if I am wasting my time even considering moving to DC.

Are all the good schools charters and do.you need to be a resident before entering the lotteries? Are there any zone schools that are good with at or under 3k a month for a 3 bedroom? I am assuming buying anything affordable is out of the question.

You're wasting your time for considering of moving to DC for the schools. No one, absolutely no one does that, ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to rent a place in DC send kids to public elementary and not be crazy rich? I am considering moving to DC. I am tired of living in Baltimore City the cost of living went up so much but nothing else has improved. My employer is also DC based.

I am also interested in the universal prek at age 3 that dcps offers. I know very little about DCPS. Can someone please give me a brief run down or just tell me if I am wasting my time even considering moving to DC.

Are all the good schools charters and do.you need to be a resident before entering the lotteries? Are there any zone schools that are good with at or under 3k a month for a 3 bedroom? I am assuming buying anything affordable is out of the question.

You're wasting your time for considering of moving to DC for the schools. No one, absolutely no one does that, ever.

I agree with this. And I have three kids in DCPS schools.
Not worth the headache and aggravation. You are better off staying in MD.
Howard County is supposed to have good schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to rent a place in DC send kids to public elementary and not be crazy rich? I am considering moving to DC. I am tired of living in Baltimore City the cost of living went up so much but nothing else has improved. My employer is also DC based.

I am also interested in the universal prek at age 3 that dcps offers. I know very little about DCPS. Can someone please give me a brief run down or just tell me if I am wasting my time even considering moving to DC.

Are all the good schools charters and do.you need to be a resident before entering the lotteries? Are there any zone schools that are good with at or under 3k a month for a 3 bedroom? I am assuming buying anything affordable is out of the question.

You're wasting your time for considering of moving to DC for the schools. No one, absolutely no one does that, ever.

I know someone who moved to the DC area for work and chose DC (rather than VA) because of the schools. The family wanted a diverse language immersion school and that's what they got.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to rent a place in DC send kids to public elementary and not be crazy rich? I am considering moving to DC. I am tired of living in Baltimore City the cost of living went up so much but nothing else has improved. My employer is also DC based.

I am also interested in the universal prek at age 3 that dcps offers. I know very little about DCPS. Can someone please give me a brief run down or just tell me if I am wasting my time even considering moving to DC.

Are all the good schools charters and do.you need to be a resident before entering the lotteries? Are there any zone schools that are good with at or under 3k a month for a 3 bedroom? I am assuming buying anything affordable is out of the question.

You're wasting your time for considering of moving to DC for the schools. No one, absolutely no one does that, ever.

I know someone who moved to the DC area for work and chose DC (rather than VA) because of the schools. The family wanted a diverse language immersion school and that's what they got.

There is always someone who does the unexpected

[Anonymous]

Contrarian here: I've worked in Baltimore (community engagement/politics) and yes, it has issues, and even more charm than just its tagline. I can see wanting to move to DC instead. When I took a fellow organizer from Baltimore on a tour of DC a few years back, she commented "it's amazing what a solid tax base can do." It's true. DC certainly has its own issues but the city services are a step above Baltimore and I've always had wonderful neighbors across 20 years and four homes here.

Yes, Jackson Reed is "the good high school" but we've been very happy at our neighborhood Ward 4 (top of the District, east of Rock Creek Park) public elementary and middle schools, and I know lots of other people who are too. And some people get those lottery spots at charters.

Please look at myschooldc.org to understand how the lottery works. There will be lots of informal parent-led info sessions over the next few months that you can join to ask more detailed questions--sign up for their newsletter for those updates.

I'd love to talk with you--let me figure out how to do that respects the anonymity of this board

[Anonymous]

i think lots of people choose dc for prek and then do in large numbers stay, elementary school is good, middle school is tolerable, and dc has application high schools in addition to JR and the charter schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contrarian here: I've worked in Baltimore (community engagement/politics) and yes, it has issues, and even more charm than just its tagline. I can see wanting to move to DC instead. When I took a fellow organizer from Baltimore on a tour of DC a few years back, she commented "it's amazing what a solid tax base can do." It's true. DC certainly has its own issues but the city services are a step above Baltimore and I've always had wonderful neighbors across 20 years and four homes here.

Yes, Jackson Reed is "the good high school" but we've been very happy at our neighborhood Ward 4 (top of the District, east of Rock Creek Park) public elementary and middle schools, and I know lots of other people who are too. And some people get those lottery spots at charters.

Please look at myschooldc.org to understand how the lottery works. There will be lots of informal parent-led info sessions over the next few months that you can join to ask more detailed questions--sign up for their newsletter for those updates.

I'd love to talk with you--let me figure out how to do that respects the anonymity of this board

Hi, it's me (above), you can reach me at [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. If (white) families aren’t going to Wilson, they are either moving or going private. That’s the reality. If you get into a school that feeds to Wilson, you are all set.

fixed it for you!

Well your fix is wrong.

Why is that?