Bethesda or McLean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy decision...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/14/youngkin-menstrual-data-abortion-virginia/

Are you of aborting age

[Anonymous]

McLean is an easier drive into D.C. People are extremely private. Better public schools - even if you choose not to use them that means more $$ in resale. Taxes are lower.

[Anonymous]

Not interested in a pissing contest but will say there is conspicuous consumption in both areas. In Bethesda it’s more evidenced by the retail stores and in McLean it’s more evidenced by the size of the houses, and Bethesda has a larger Jewish population whereas McLean has a larger Asian population.

As for crossing a bridge, if you take Metro from VA that’s less relevant. If you drive into DC from Bethesda, you’re going to hit a lot of traffic lights and deal with the stop-and-go traffic.

Excellent schools in both areas. Whitman is the least diverse, Langley is the wealthiest, and McLean and B-CC are also top-notch and more diverse. Walter Johnson in North Bethesda would be considered more down-to-earth than the other four but keep in mind we are talking about Bethesda and McLean here (so all things are relative) plus WJ’s boundaries are going to change in a few years when another school (Woodward) is reopened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends. Are you a country club type? If so, Bethesda.
Do you make over $500k? If so, McLean.
Does paying taxes on your car bother you? If so, Bethesda
Does paying 50% more in state income tax bother you? If so, McLean
Do you want to send your kids to private school? If so, Bethesda
Do you want to drive through miserable traffic and stop at a red right every block? If not, then McLean.

Hi in response to these questions:
Are you a country club type? Not really Plenty of so-called country club and non-country club people in both locations.
Do you make over $500k? Yes (combined HHI) Both locations have plenty of people with higher and lower HHI levels than yours.
Does paying 50% more in state income tax bother you? Depends how much difference between the two states? I’ve lived in both states. MD has a very high income tax burden along with high property taxes. Both the state and Montgomery County (where Bethesda is located) have income taxes levied on residents. VA has high property taxes and a larger number of consumption taxes (e.g., food, car), but the overall burden is less than Maryland. I also think there is a growing difference between both states. Virginia is more business-friendly and continues to see more job growth and development in multiple business sectors. The state is also investing heavily in its transportation infrastructure. Maryland’s job growth is not nearly as robust.
Do you want to send your kids to private school? If the privates are significantly better, then would consider. Privates are not significantly better. Both Fairfax and Montgomery County schools aren’t perfect, but your kids will get an excellent education in the schools that serve McLean and Bethesda respectively.
Do you want to drive through miserable traffic and stop at a red right every block? I heard this is the case everywhere in the DC suburbs? Actually, stopping at a red light every block is a problem more in DC than in either VA or MD. Traffic is bad in the region but it’s not gridlocked 24-7. You learn what times are better than others and most destinations have multiple routes to get there.

On balance, both McLean and Bethesda are good locations with plenty to offer. With that said, I think Virginia provides better overall value than Maryland. If you can, visiting both locations and pick whatever one works best for you. Don’t let DCUM decide for you!

[Anonymous]

I live in Mclean and like it a lot for us.

Maybe this is shallow, but the housing stock in Bethesda is much nicer if you like more mature neighborhoods with older houses, more of a northeast neighborhoody feel. A lot of Mclean is either new builds or not very charming 30-50 year old homes. Not all of Mclean, there are pretty areas, but it's mostly just not that pretty. I live in an expensive house in Mclean and it's definitely not the kind of house i imagined when i was growing up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Mclean and like it a lot for us.

Maybe this is shallow, but the housing stock in Bethesda is much nicer if you like more mature neighborhoods with older houses, more of a northeast neighborhoody feel. A lot of Mclean is either new builds or not very charming 30-50 year old homes. Not all of Mclean, there are pretty areas, but it's mostly just not that pretty. I live in an expensive house in Mclean and it's definitely not the kind of house i imagined when i was growing up.

+1

Agree. Not sure about Bethesda, but McLean has few sidewalks, which tends to be very dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Is your second home in the mountains? Mclean. On the Eastern Shore? Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both are nice places to live with good public schools.

I would NOT want to cross the river every day to work. That commute is just awful. Not many bridges across the river, so alternate routes are very limited. Every day the Potomac bridges’ multiple issues-du-jour are mentioned during commute times on WTOP-FM’s traffic reports.

If I worked in MD, I would live in MD. If I worked in VA, then I would live in VA. If worked in DC, I might live either place, but only after understanding the specific commute options for my workplace.

West Bethesda inside the beltway has a TON of ways to get downtown to World bank area in 20 mins no traffics, 30 mins (MacArthur, mass Ave, Clara Barton, River Road) as well as north and to the beltway in like 3-5 stop signs of driving not 20 mins like DC.

Comparable Bethesda house not along subway will cost less than in McLean (inside beltway for both locations).

The bridges can really get you, be careful if you pick NiVA and need to get to office in WDC daily.

Also, more private schools are in MoCo and NW DC should you need those at any time.

[Anonymous]

obviously as you can tell -- there are MD people and VA people -- we don't cross state lines ... ever. Both are really great places to live -- why limited yourself? Find the right house.

[Anonymous]

At the same price point, you can buy a nicer house with a bigger lot in McLean than Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the same price point, you can buy a nicer house with a bigger lot in McLean than Bethesda

I don’t think think this is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the same price point, you can buy a nicer house with a bigger lot in McLean than Bethesda

I don’t think think this is true.

How is it not? There is more land in McLean. Cheaper lots per Sq foot means you can build bigger houses at a similar price

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean is an easier drive into D.C. People are extremely private. Better public schools - even if you choose not to use them that means more $$ in resale. Taxes are lower.

McLean is easier? You need to cross bridges. I can walk into DC from Bethesda..plus the red line is a much better artery for DC.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda hands down for me- I like the vibe and the charm of the neighborhoods and overall an easy commute to DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is an easier drive into D.C. People are extremely private. Better public schools - even if you choose not to use them that means more $$ in resale. Taxes are lower.

McLean is easier? You need to cross bridges. I can walk into DC from Bethesda..plus the red line is a much better artery for DC.

Most people in the OP's household income range are unlikely to be using the metro