Why is Bethesda so expensive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the safe, human-sized, walkable, leafy, sidewalked, small town neighborhoods with reputable public schools close to DC are expensive.

I lived in downtown Silver Spring, and moved close to downtown Bethesda for the schools and the better quality of life as a pedestrian. Downtown Silver Spring does not have that small town feel, and it is unsafe in the evening (and sometimes during the day). As a pedestrian, it's much more pleasant to walk in downtown Bethesda than downtown Silver Spring (there are more street crossings, the shops/restaurants are closer together and the buildings mostly aren't as tall). I've personally witnessed multiple fights in the pedestrian alley in Silver Spring, none in Bethesda.

- multiethnic foreigner, living on a Bethesda street full of people from all over the world.

Don’t let your guard down. Things happen in Bethesda, too.

Pp you replied to. Yes, I stay on top of the news, because my kids are teens and out and about. But statistically, there is no comparison between the two downtowns.

And to the person laughing that there might be diversity in Bethesda, maybe they're forgetting that foreigners can be white but still provide plenty of diversity. I can tell you what I'm living - that there are more foreigners living next to me than there ever were when I lived in Silver Spring. BCC high school has a significant percentage of international students. There are World Bank families and NIH families. My kids go to the French weekend school at St Jane de Chantal, just 5 minutes away. There is a Spanish weekend school right across the street. There is a community of Japanese families in the luxury downtown apartments (because most of the mothers don't drive), and a Japanese weekend school not far away. As another PP said, the international feel is one of the things I really like about this little place.

Walked right into that “right type of diversity” racism. Good girl.

Ha! PP you replied to. I'm not white, so I think it's you who is making all the assumptions. You or someone else also indicated right off the bat that no diversity counts except if skin color is different, which, as a non-white foreigner, I find offensive.

Sorry, but you have no idea what you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Great marketing, just read here in real estate and all the promotions are about Bethesda everywhere else is dangerous.

[Anonymous]

We live in Bethesda's Westmoreland Hills neighborhood.

The homes have character and the neighborhood is leafy and hilly -- with topographical variation and winding streets, which I prefer to a flat grid. There are block parties, the ice cream man (Phil), and trick-or-treating. Cars can't cut through to go anywhere, so there's no through-traffic and the kids walk between the houses. The Capital Crescent trail runs 1 1/2 blocks from our house, and our young teenagers get on their bikes and go with friends into downtown Bethesda for ice cream, etc. It takes 3 minutes to get to Sibley Hospital, 2 minutes to get to our pediatrician. When we walk to Wagshal's deli, everyone knows us. I wish there were more interesting restaurants nearby, but with Westbard being developed, I'm hopeful there will be soon. Until then, it's nice to be regulars at Pizza Paradisio, Compass, and Millie's. American University provides a ready supply of babysitters and dog walkers. Westmoreland Hills is akin to Spring Valley but with less expensive homes and no arsenic.

I can't speak for all of Bethesda, which is a pretty big geographical area. But this neighborhood is absolutely amazing and we'll never move until we're physically unable to keep the house and yard up. Our neighbors must feel the same, because the only house for sale for a few months has been the one priced at $9M.

[Anonymous]

I lived in downtown Bethesda and found it annoying. I did see attraction.

Few reasons. Metro closes early in DC so if I did go to DC at night I ended up expensive Uber back.

Now many practical stores. No cheap take out. No good bars or late night places.

The huge busy roads made it hard to walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the safe, human-sized, walkable, leafy, sidewalked, small town neighborhoods with reputable public schools close to DC are expensive.

I lived in downtown Silver Spring, and moved close to downtown Bethesda for the schools and the better quality of life as a pedestrian. Downtown Silver Spring does not have that small town feel, and it is unsafe in the evening (and sometimes during the day). As a pedestrian, it's much more pleasant to walk in downtown Bethesda than downtown Silver Spring (there are more street crossings, the shops/restaurants are closer together and the buildings mostly aren't as tall). I've personally witnessed multiple fights in the pedestrian alley in Silver Spring, none in Bethesda.

- multiethnic foreigner, living on a Bethesda street full of people from all over the world.

Don’t let your guard down. Things happen in Bethesda, too.

Pp you replied to. Yes, I stay on top of the news, because my kids are teens and out and about. But statistically, there is no comparison between the two downtowns.

And to the person laughing that there might be diversity in Bethesda, maybe they're forgetting that foreigners can be white but still provide plenty of diversity. I can tell you what I'm living - that there are more foreigners living next to me than there ever were when I lived in Silver Spring. BCC high school has a significant percentage of international students. There are World Bank families and NIH families. My kids go to the French weekend school at St Jane de Chantal, just 5 minutes away. There is a Spanish weekend school right across the street. There is a community of Japanese families in the luxury downtown apartments (because most of the mothers don't drive), and a Japanese weekend school not far away. As another PP said, the international feel is one of the things I really like about this little place.

I think the guffaw is bc it’s a diversity of extremely rich people.

[Anonymous]

The housing stock generally sucks. People live here because of its location, schools, metro, safety, shops.

[Anonymous]

Why is Bethesda expensive?
Why is Chevy Chase expensive?
Why is McLean expensive?
Why is Arlington expensive?

The answer is the same for all of them. It's really not that complicated.

[Anonymous]

School ratings and transportation.

[Anonymous]

It’s like a slice of heaven. Flawless and spectacular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the safe, human-sized, walkable, leafy, sidewalked, small town neighborhoods with reputable public schools close to DC are expensive.

I lived in downtown Silver Spring, and moved close to downtown Bethesda for the schools and the better quality of life as a pedestrian. Downtown Silver Spring does not have that small town feel, and it is unsafe in the evening (and sometimes during the day). As a pedestrian, it's much more pleasant to walk in downtown Bethesda than downtown Silver Spring (there are more street crossings, the shops/restaurants are closer together and the buildings mostly aren't as tall). I've personally witnessed multiple fights in the pedestrian alley in Silver Spring, none in Bethesda.

- multiethnic foreigner, living on a Bethesda street full of people from all over the world.

Don’t let your guard down. Things happen in Bethesda, too.

Pp you replied to. Yes, I stay on top of the news, because my kids are teens and out and about. But statistically, there is no comparison between the two downtowns.

And to the person laughing that there might be diversity in Bethesda, maybe they're forgetting that foreigners can be white but still provide plenty of diversity. I can tell you what I'm living - that there are more foreigners living next to me than there ever were when I lived in Silver Spring. BCC high school has a significant percentage of international students. There are World Bank families and NIH families. My kids go to the French weekend school at St Jane de Chantal, just 5 minutes away. There is a Spanish weekend school right across the street. There is a community of Japanese families in the luxury downtown apartments (because most of the mothers don't drive), and a Japanese weekend school not far away. As another PP said, the international feel is one of the things I really like about this little place.

Walked right into that “right type of diversity” racism. Good girl.

Ha! PP you replied to. I'm not white, so I think it's you who is making all the assumptions. You or someone else also indicated right off the bat that no diversity counts except if skin color is different, which, as a non-white foreigner, I find offensive.

Sorry, but you have no idea what you're talking about.

Wow! You are like a master class in how to be racist.

I didn’t bring up skin color. Your skin color is irrelevant.

I’m not white so I can’t be racist, lol. I’m a “foreigner” … oh do your an expert.

It’s amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is Bethesda expensive?
Why is Chevy Chase expensive?
Why is McLean expensive?
Why is Arlington expensive?

The answer is the same for all of them. It's really not that complicated.

Why isn’t Oxen Hill expensive? Forest Heights? Hillcrest Heights?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it mostly the proximity to DC and good schools? And downtown Bethesda…? What else about it makes the houses so expensive? All these small, old houses that going for 1.2M+ and it just seems absurd.

Are you sure about good schools? Not public anyways. That’s the rub: such expensive real estate and then you realize you need to factor in tuition as well - no mortgage interest deduction for that debacle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in downtown Bethesda and found it annoying. I did see attraction.

Few reasons. Metro closes early in DC so if I did go to DC at night I ended up expensive Uber back.

Now many practical stores. No cheap take out. No good bars or late night places.

The huge busy roads made it hard to walk.

Metro closes at 1am on weekends. Not ideal compared to when they used to close at 3am, but if you're going out all the time for nightlife, move to DC.

As for cheap take-out, just on the block of Wisconsin by Woodmont, there's Moby Dick, and Don Pollo. Then plenty more in "old" Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it mostly the proximity to DC and good schools? And downtown Bethesda…? What else about it makes the houses so expensive? All these small, old houses that going for 1.2M+ and it just seems absurd.

Are you sure about good schools? Not public anyways. That’s the rub: such expensive real estate and then you realize you need to factor in tuition as well - no mortgage interest deduction for that debacle.

Aren’t MoCo schools among the very best and most rigorous in the country?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it mostly the proximity to DC and good schools? And downtown Bethesda…? What else about it makes the houses so expensive? All these small, old houses that going for 1.2M+ and it just seems absurd.

Are you sure about good schools? Not public anyways. That’s the rub: such expensive real estate and then you realize you need to factor in tuition as well - no mortgage interest deduction for that debacle.

Aren’t MoCo schools among the very best and most rigorous in the country?

There is nationally good, then there is striver good.