Does anyone else hate Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like it either. Much less community than DC. No one plays after school at the elementary school or middle school -- or on the weekend. I knew we weren't walking distance to stores, but thought it would be OK. It is blah.

What school are you at? We are at Bradley hills and there are constantly kids meeting up there and playing after school and on weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, great, we haven't had a Bethesda-bashing in a long time. The last wealthy neighborhood to get tweaked last week was only Chevy Chase!

OP, you should have done your due diligence. We moved to Bethesda 10 years ago for the public schools, and picked an area walkable to downtown where practically everyone sent their kids to Bethesda Elementary, Westland and BCC. During the pandemic, half of those families switched to private (mostly Sidwell, St Albans, Landon). This means now we're 50/50 in our neighborhood, which is perfectly fine.

hahaha. No, Sidwell and St. Albans didn't absorb half the families in downtownish Bethesda during an 18 month pandemic window -- unless the applications were submitted at a regular intake year (K, 4, 9 etc.). Those 2 schools don't accept off-year "switchers" or mid-year applications.

I bring this up because OP needs to understand that all your neighbors were always going to go private, anyway, at the right intake year (4, 6, 9) and so OP and similar should not expect to have an intact school cohort K-12 when moving to certain parts of Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

[Anonymous]

I just find it very meh. It’s a commuter dormitory with a flight path and mosquitos. What’s the point?

[Anonymous]

I don’t like it or the people. When I am out there, it usually makes me sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I grew up there. I moved to Arlington, and I'm so much happier here.

Why?

[Anonymous]

Would love more boutique/local places in downtown Bethesda or friendship heights. It’s a bit generic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would love more boutique/local places in downtown Bethesda or friendship heights. It’s a bit generic.

It’s actually a mix of both. Actually lots more boutique places than not. You probably spend all your time in the Apple Store then complain that there are not enough local places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love more boutique/local places in downtown Bethesda or friendship heights. It’s a bit generic.

It’s actually a mix of both. Actually lots more boutique places than not. You probably spend all your time in the Apple Store then complain that there are not enough local places.

Wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Fairfax. Hate everything in MD

I wouldn’t be bragging about fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I grew up there. I moved to Arlington, and I'm so much happier here.

Why?

Because people aren’t as showy with their money. There really isn’t the private school scene (but I’m starting to see it more for high school), not as much country club type people, and just a lot less keeping up with the Jones’. You don’t see a lot of women in golden goose or Canada goose. Just nicer and not vapid. Most people live in $2m houses and they are happy to send their kids to the neighborhood public. Tons more shopping options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like it either. Much less community than DC. No one plays after school at the elementary school or middle school -- or on the weekend. I knew we weren't walking distance to stores, but thought it would be OK. It is blah.

What school are you at? We are at Bradley hills and there are constantly kids meeting up there and playing after school and on weekends.

+ 1

We go to Bradley hills and it’s almost always packed. Sometimes my kids head over just to see who might be there they want to play with.

[Anonymous]

We live in Bethesda and like it. Green neighborhoods, good schools, safer than lots of other areas, decent commute to downtown DC and easy access to the Beltway.

It's a suburb that ticks most of the boxes for families, nothing more, nothing less. It's just too expensive, but what can you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t like it or the people. When I am out there, it usually makes me sad.

Me too! I was afraid to say it, but it really makes me sad. Why do you think that is? There must be an explanation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love more boutique/local places in downtown Bethesda or friendship heights. It’s a bit generic.

It’s actually a mix of both. Actually lots more boutique places than not. You probably spend all your time in the Apple Store then complain that there are not enough local places.

It used to be. I lived in Bethesda yin the late 90s and loved it. Now DT is full on construction and high rises. It reminds of the construction in college park when I visit my kid at school. I think many UMC and UC families now send their children to private because the public schools aren’t the same post Covid.

[Anonymous]

Just because people send their kids to privates doesn't mean that the publics aren't still good.

I understand that some people might not like parts of bethesda for different reasons, but to write off the whole area for OP's issues, or to say unequivocally that you're happier in arlington with zero context just feels like an illegitimate post imo.