Wealthiest Neighborhood in the District

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here, sweetie, here is the place for you. It's in the Woodland-Normanstone neighborhood, which is the most expensive neighborhood in DC.

Note the price reduction! http://franklymls.com/default.aspx?m=R&l=350K&h=ALL&s=DC7688983

If you were as rich as you are trying to appear, you wouldn't be "driving" yourself "around" anyway. You'd pay someone to do that. You wouldn't care where the stores were, because your staff would do the shopping for you. The boutiques would present private trunk shows in the home for you and a few high wealth friends.

Also, you'd stay in California and let your husband do his work here and fly home to see you once in a while.

This. She can't let hubby tool around DC alone. Dcumers would bag him and tag him before you could say: "second husband".

[Anonymous]

Our budget is maximum $3million. We're not that rich. However I assumed, correctly, it would land us in the best neighborhoods. Thanks for the advice. I like the area near Chef Geoff's anyone live in that neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Also before you start the debate about whether we can afford it the answer is yes. We're paying cash. DH and partners sold a company 5 years ago so we don't need a mortgage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our budget is maximum $3million. We're not that rich. However I assumed, correctly, it would land us in the best neighborhoods. Thanks for the advice. I like the area near Chef Geoff's anyone live in that neighborhood?

You cannot get a "nice big home" in a super high end neighborhood in DC for $3 million. You could get a very nice but not jaw dropping house in Spring Valley for that. Sorry, OP, but DC prices are not that much behind San Fran, etc.

[Anonymous]

I get that this is an anonymous board, but I hope you'd never ask anyone in person to name the wealthiest neighborhood in the District. It would be considered terribly gauche. The East Coast is quite different from places like California, Texas and Florida where people are showy about their wealth. Here, it is almost the opposite. You will just as likely find people with loads of money driving an old Volvo as a new Range Rover. You'd never guess who the top donors at your private school are because they don't necessarily stand out from the other families and they certainly don't necessarily live in $3M houses. Yes, you'll see some, but you won't see nearly as much flashy jewelry or designer labels as you did in CA. Material displays of wealth are considered tacky. Your fellow private school moms will label you a social climber and/or "new money." If you're the type of person who likes flashy things, then you'd probably fit in better in McLean or Potomac than in the District. You can find plenty of $3M houses either of those places. Just about all the mothers that I know (and I know several that either live in or could afford homes in your price range) would think, "What is the best family neighborhood with nice, large homes that would fit our needs?" I can't think of anyone whom I could see saying, "What is the wealthiest neighborhood?" Welcome to D.C.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our budget is maximum $3million. We're not that rich. However I assumed, correctly, it would land us in the best neighborhoods. Thanks for the advice. I like the area near Chef Geoff's anyone live in that neighborhood?

That is Kent. I suggested it. Along with Spring Valley and Forest Hills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also before you start the debate about whether we can afford it the answer is yes. We're paying cash. DH and partners sold a company 5 years ago so we don't need a mortgage.

Fake.

[Anonymous]

Totally troll like.

Plus $3mil cash doesn't buy you into the nicest neighborhood in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also before you start the debate about whether we can afford it the answer is yes. We're paying cash. DH and partners sold a company 5 years ago so we don't need a mortgage.

Fake.

Not op but I don't see why this can't be possible. I've met a number of people that fit this description.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our budget is maximum $3million. We're not that rich. However I assumed, correctly, it would land us in the best neighborhoods. Thanks for the advice. I like the area near Chef Geoff's anyone live in that neighborhood?

That is Kent. I suggested it. Along with Spring Valley and Forest Hills.

Actually, the neighborhood right by Chef Geoff's is Wesley Heights. Kent is further north, closer to MD.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to take OP at her word and give her my opinion.

Each of the named neigborhoods is sufficiently wealthy, although all of the neighborhoods have some lower priced housing (either condominiums or older homes).

I would probably shy away from Georgetown if a wealthy neighborhood is particularly important. In the other neighborhoods there are people of less means, but who still value nice properties and things (but buy less or smaller). In Georgetown there is still a lot of people who were never wealthy, but their neighborhood went up in value very considerably. It is the only neighborhood I know where someone lives in a $5M house with a $300K mortgage and struggles to pay the mortgage.

Spring Valley is very nice and wealthy. I would say the greatest amount of wealth is in that section of the city. But it is very suburban. If you don't mind short drives, it might be the neighborhood for you.

Personally I like to be able to walk to places and prefer Kalorama. It is wealthy. Very hard to get a single family home for less than $3M or $4M. A lot of embassies, but more social people. Lots of parties and networking and socialites. Of course you would have several cars if you lived in the neighborhood and a lawn service and housekeeper. But you would go places just as much by cab or walking.

Mass Avenue Heights is theoretically very nice, but too suburban for me. It feels more like Rockville, rather than Bethesda. Some beautiful homes, but I think there are neighborhoods which are all around better.

Finally, there are a few streets on the opposite side of Rock Creek from Kalorama, in Woodley Park. Totally different feel. A very good combination of suburban and urban. Not for me. We have a substantial housing budget, but could not afford that neighborhood ($7M+) and frankly didn't love the housing stock as much anyway. But it might be for you.

Best of luck. I'd love to hear your thoughts thus far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to take OP at her word and give her my opinion.

Each of the named neigborhoods is sufficiently wealthy, although all of the neighborhoods have some lower priced housing (either condominiums or older homes).

I would probably shy away from Georgetown if a wealthy neighborhood is particularly important. In the other neighborhoods there are people of less means, but who still value nice properties and things (but buy less or smaller). In Georgetown there is still a lot of people who were never wealthy, but their neighborhood went up in value very considerably. It is the only neighborhood I know where someone lives in a $5M house with a $300K mortgage and struggles to pay the mortgage.

Spring Valley is very nice and wealthy. I would say the greatest amount of wealth is in that section of the city. But it is very suburban. If you don't mind short drives, it might be the neighborhood for you.

Personally I like to be able to walk to places and prefer Kalorama. It is wealthy. Very hard to get a single family home for less than $3M or $4M. A lot of embassies, but more social people. Lots of parties and networking and socialites. Of course you would have several cars if you lived in the neighborhood and a lawn service and housekeeper. But you would go places just as much by cab or walking.

Mass Avenue Heights is theoretically very nice, but too suburban for me. It feels more like Rockville, rather than Bethesda. Some beautiful homes, but I think there are neighborhoods which are all around better.

Finally, there are a few streets on the opposite side of Rock Creek from Kalorama, in Woodley Park. Totally different feel. A very good combination of suburban and urban. Not for me. We have a substantial housing budget, but could not afford that neighborhood ($7M+) and frankly didn't love the housing stock as much anyway. But it might be for you.

Best of luck. I'd love to hear your thoughts thus far.

Hopefully you guys will end up right next door to each other.

[Anonymous]

totally fake

There's something odd - almost Aspie-like - in how she writes her posts.

[Anonymous]

Material displays of wealth are considered tacky.

I would agree to an extent. People here still get caught up in "the largest house", and same with autos. I know people who have gorgeous homes, in classy and expensive areas, who don't have a pot to piss in. Because this board is anonymous, I will say this: we have a lot of money tucked away, invested and mortgage free BUT we live in the smallest house in a terrific neighborhood. We drive simple autos (although foreign). No one would ever guess what we have and I like it like that.

OP is a snob, who wants everyone to know that her family is RICH. She's shallow.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the animosity toward PP. It's their money, why would it bother these posters that she wants to live in a wealthy area?