Moving from NYC to DC suburbs...tell me why you like the DC suburbs

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, I know several NYC families who left during covid and they’ve been surprised at how happier they are in new states/burbs. It’s amazing how a different situation can positively impact your perspective—particularly if you view it through the lens of your kids or family rather than through your own lens.

Figure out your family’s priorities and try to check as many boxes as possible.

With more info, perhaps us locals can steer you in the right direction?

Housing budget?
Yard or no yard?
Diversity?
Schools? Pressure cooker/affluence or more normal?
Walking distance to what?
Politics? (It matters in certain areas)

[Anonymous]

Moved from downtown NYC here with kids and love it. We are close in Bethesda on the DC border. Wayyy less crowded, esp parks, wayy cleaner, feels a lot safer, tons more nature - right here. More close by playgrounds. No need to navigate a crazy school system where you don't know where your kid will be assigned.

[Anonymous]

Comparatively speaking, the difference between city and suburbs is not as great in the DC area as in the NYC area, for a host of reasons:

- Easier to get to the city from the DC suburbs than the NYC suburbs

- Less of a wealth disparity in general (wealthy DC suburbs are similar to wealthy NYC suburbs but the high-end wealth in DC is nothing like the UES, Tribeca, etc.)

- DC accounts for a considerably smaller percentage of the DC metropolitan area than NYC relative to the NYC metropolitan area.

That's not to say there isn't some city/suburb rivalry in the DC area; this forum provides ample evidence of that. But, overall (and I say this as someone who used to live in Manhattan), the difference is just not as great. When people leave NYC for the suburbs, it's viewed as a total lifestyle change/act of treason by their friends remaining in the city. When people leave DC for the suburbs, it's viewed as common sense.

[Anonymous]

We live in the Westover neighborhood of Arlington. We can walk to the elementary and middle schools. There's a library, post office, parks, a few restaurants/coffee/ice cream, weekend farmer's market, and a hardware store within walking distance. There's tons of kids in the neighborhood, and I like running into people when we're out for a walk. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to Foggy Bottom on most days. Even on the worst of the worst commuting days in my years of travel (one where the tunnel on I-66 was closed and traffic was backed up for a mile), I haven't spent more than 50 minutes in the car.

[Anonymous]

The nyc school stuff is bonkers. I know families who moved to other states and their kids were actually behind the curve despite being in good nyc schools and coming from affluent, educated families.

[Anonymous]

We did the opposite - moved from outside DC to Manhattan.
So I’ll tell you what I miss from the DC area.

1) the airports - especially BWI - so convenient, super cheap parking, love it! La Guardia/JFK/Newark are all a huge pain in the neck
2) Getting in and out of the car sounds annoying but it is easier than wrangling little kids on the subway
3) Schools in the DC burbs are good with no stressful middle school lottery
4) DC is cheaper
5) Easy to just jump in car and go out and explore in DC. In NYC every trip is bracketed by that awful drive into or out of Manhattan

[Anonymous]

If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

*Have

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

Go private, or give your kids some extra tutoring. Your quality of life will be infinitely better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

No. Close-in Arlington or Bethesda have excellent schools and walkable (to coffee) neighborhoods.

- resident of (the horror!!) Reston

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

No. Close-in Arlington or Bethesda have excellent schools and walkable (to coffee) neighborhoods.

- resident of (the horror!!) Reston

Sorry I don’t know anything about Reston schools, just heard that McLean schools are good.

What public schools in Arlington are good!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

No. Close-in Arlington or Bethesda have excellent schools and walkable (to coffee) neighborhoods.

- resident of (the horror!!) Reston

+1 I moved from another large city (not nyc) to Arlington (westover). What I like - best of both worlds, I can be downtown at a museum with my kid in about 10 minutes by car on a Saturday morning, I can still walk to coffee, a few of our favorite restaurants and the farmers market, lots of playgrounds, but I also can easily get to a grocery store (with my cargo bike on the trail or by car and enjoy the large parking lot and ease), I can easily drive places when it’s easier to with my kids but I also hate the in and out of car seats so we also have a cargo bike and tote the kids on the trails as much as possible. Next year my son will start kindergarten and we have a great public school that the neighbors all seem happy with a short walk away. No stress there which is very nice and obviously a huge privilege. Life is pretty easy. Parks and trails a block away. Neighbors who have become good friends, I can text on a Saturday morning and have impromptu get togethers with friends and their kids who are similar ages. I probably outed myself to anyone who knows me traipsing around westover on our bike but they are becoming more common by the day.

If you end up further out, we have family farther out in a suburb that isn’t walkable to shops etc and the benefits there I do see too - it’s quiet, there is a lake nearby, lots of culdesacs and neighbors are chill and friends. Kids run around (they do in Arlington too).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

No. Close-in Arlington or Bethesda have excellent schools and walkable (to coffee) neighborhoods.

- resident of (the horror!!) Reston

Sorry I don’t know anything about Reston schools, just heard that McLean schools are good.

What public schools in Arlington are good!?

What? most schools in Arlington are quite good. Just because arlington has more socioeconomic diversity in some places making test scores more variable does not mean it also doesn’t provide a great education like McLean and MANY other schools in this area. The idea that McLean is one for the only areas with “good” schools is incredibly inaccurate. It depends on what you’re looking for. None of these schools systems are perfect. There are pros and cons for everyone, I don’t prefer my kids to be in the pressure cooker like McLean personally, for example but I completely see how some of the other pros outweigh that for others. There are lots of other Fairfax schools that are great too. Anyway op I feel like the school stuff on here gets really nuts. Most people I actually know in person in both Fairfax and Arlington are happy with the schools generally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

No. Close-in Arlington or Bethesda have excellent schools and walkable (to coffee) neighborhoods.

- resident of (the horror!!) Reston

+1 I moved from another large city (not nyc) to Arlington (westover). What I like - best of both worlds, I can be downtown at a museum with my kid in about 10 minutes by car on a Saturday morning, I can still walk to coffee, a few of our favorite restaurants and the farmers market, lots of playgrounds, but I also can easily get to a grocery store (with my cargo bike on the trail or by car and enjoy the large parking lot and ease), I can easily drive places when it’s easier to with my kids but I also hate the in and out of car seats so we also have a cargo bike and tote the kids on the trails as much as possible. Next year my son will start kindergarten and we have a great public school that the neighbors all seem happy with a short walk away. No stress there which is very nice and obviously a huge privilege. Life is pretty easy. Parks and trails a block away. Neighbors who have become good friends, I can text on a Saturday morning and have impromptu get togethers with friends and their kids who are similar ages. I probably outed myself to anyone who knows me traipsing around westover on our bike but they are becoming more common by the day.

If you end up further out, we have family farther out in a suburb that isn’t walkable to shops etc and the benefits there I do see too - it’s quiet, there is a lake nearby, lots of culdesacs and neighbors are chill and friends. Kids run around (they do in Arlington too).

Whoa! This sounds great! Do you mind sharing the name of the elementary school? Is it Arlington Traditional? Is that hard to get into with the lottery? Sorry so many questions.