Moving to DC with many questions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great. Thanks for all that! I appreciate it. Is it easy to meet people? We have great friends here and don't really know people in DC. Also, does Bethesda seem like it's own thing or part of DC? Do you mainly stay in your area or do you spend more time in DC? Does one area have better activities for the kids?

Well, if you ask DCUM no one is friendly or will give you the time of day. That certainly isn't my experience. You'll meet people through the kids' activities and school if nothing else. What is nice about Bethesda/Chevy Chase MD is that there is a seamless flow from DC into them. So while they are suburban (well, downtown Bethesda isn't but aside from that) it's the same type of suburban in NW DC. Kids' stuff is all over the place but there are plenty of activities in all of the neighborhoods which have been suggested. Also, because there are little parks everywhere and good neighborhood cohesion, you will find that there are kid-centered fairs and neighborhood activities in all these places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great. Thanks for all that! I appreciate it. Is it easy to meet people? We have great friends here and don't really know people in DC. Also, does Bethesda seem like it's own thing or part of DC? Do you mainly stay in your area or do you spend more time in DC? Does one area have better activities for the kids?

Bethesda is definitely isolated from DC. It might technically be walkable but not in the same way NW DC is. I only have an infant but I feel like if you're in DC proper it's that much easier to do all the free museums and other fun activities DC has to offer. You'd probably end up doing a fair amount of driving to places if you lived in Maryland.

Bonus is that your spouse could easily use public transport to get to Georgetown if you're as close in as Cleveland park. Bethesda would be a long commute and traffic is awful here. I know you're coming from manhattan but trust me, it's awful.

Oh that is such crap. The redline goes right through Bethesda and frankly, there's a ton more kid-centered activities up there (and a much more urban flavor in downtown Bethesda) than many of the NW DC neighborhoods. And WAY better shopping and food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you'll prefer AU Park to Bethesda. And since you're doing private school, you don't need to be in MD. Look at 21:52's suggestions, based on the size of house and price you are looking at.

I'm sure you'll meet people through school.

AU Park has almost zero SAHMs of school aged kids. I know because I am one and have been for 5+ years.
It's a neighborhood of 2 working professionals. There are moms who stay home while the kids are very young but many don't and those who do go back to work when the kids hit later preschool or early elementary.

If you want career SAHMs, you need to look at Chevy Chase MD and Wesley Heights/Spring Valley. Almost all my SAHM friends live in those neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

I don't think Spring Valley is what OP is looking for if she wants something walkable and not too suburban (leaving aside the munitions issue).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great. Thanks for all that! I appreciate it. Is it easy to meet people? We have great friends here and don't really know people in DC. Also, does Bethesda seem like it's own thing or part of DC? Do you mainly stay in your area or do you spend more time in DC? Does one area have better activities for the kids?

Bethesda is definitely isolated from DC. It might technically be walkable but not in the same way NW DC is. I only have an infant but I feel like if you're in DC proper it's that much easier to do all the free museums and other fun activities DC has to offer. You'd probably end up doing a fair amount of driving to places if you lived in Maryland.

Bonus is that your spouse could easily use public transport to get to Georgetown if you're as close in as Cleveland park. Bethesda would be a long commute and traffic is awful here. I know you're coming from manhattan but trust me, it's awful.

Oh that is such crap. The redline goes right through Bethesda and frankly, there's a ton more kid-centered activities up there (and a much more urban flavor in downtown Bethesda) than many of the NW DC neighborhoods. And WAY better shopping and food.

Urban flavor. Lol! Have you been to Bethesda????

The redline has been a nightmare for years. I work off it and have had colleagues whose commutes should be 20 minutes quit their jobs or move into the city because they can't take it anymore. I am the most pro public transport person ever but I would live that far out if my life depended on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you'll prefer AU Park to Bethesda. And since you're doing private school, you don't need to be in MD. Look at 21:52's suggestions, based on the size of house and price you are looking at.

I'm sure you'll meet people through school.

AU Park has almost zero SAHMs of school aged kids. I know because I am one and have been for 5+ years.
It's a neighborhood of 2 working professionals. There are moms who stay home while the kids are very young but many don't and those who do go back to work when the kids hit later preschool or early elementary.

If you want career SAHMs, you need to look at Chevy Chase MD and Wesley Heights/Spring Valley. Almost all my SAHM friends live in those neighborhoods.

.
Neither of those places are remotely walkable.

[Anonymous]

True, but pp was right: that's where the sahm-for-life live.

[Anonymous]

Cleveland Park.

If you want something more urban, we love Shaw/U Street. There are a lot more SAHM moms in the area now.

[Anonymous]

So, sahm in AU park, but not walkable? Easy access to stuff though? Super suburban? Or ok mix? We are ok with townhouse or single family.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown! Walk able, lots of families. Good public elementary school. Great parks. We love it -- but real estate is pricey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hyattsville

*snort*

I did snort, but had little choice. Now I love it. Amazing mom community. We have s Busboys and Poets and they are puting a Whole Foods in. Buy now while it is cheap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry that I don't have time to answer all of your questions, but I have lived in DC for 10 years and can comment on neighborhoods on DC. Based on what you'be described, I'd suggest you'd look into Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase DC (MD also has a Chevy Chase), Glover Park, AU Park, Cathedral Heights, Spring Valley and Friendship Heights. Granted, I don't know what your budget is, but those neighborhoods have what you're looking for and are close to Georgetown.

These are all the areas you should look into - plus Wesley Heights. If you have a very large budget also: Georgetown, Kalorama, Wesley Heights. I think you'd probably really like Cleveland Park/Woodley Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, sahm in AU park, but not walkable? Easy access to stuff though? Super suburban? Or ok mix? We are ok with townhouse or single family.

Spring Valley/AU Park have a Starbucks, a Crate and Barrel, Le Pain Quotidien, Wagshalls Deli, a gas station and a CVS that you can walk to....

Wesley Heights is closer to the rest of DC and has a Starbucks, a couple of restuarants, a deli, and a few boutiques inside the shopping square.

Kalorama is gorgeous, amazing in the middle of urban DC (Dupont) with tree-lined streets and wow houses. Very walkable into Dupont.

Cleveland Park/Woodley Park- close to the private schools you're thinking about, a bit more urban/in the city than Wesley Heights or Spring Valley/AU PArk.

Georgetown - beautiful homes, very walkable, downside in my opinion is all of the visitors/traffic but it might be a great fit if hubby will work there

Glover Park - can walk into Georgetown, walkable with a While Foods, Safeway, Starbucks and a bunch of restaurants. Lots of young families. More affordable than the rest.

SAHM's - I think pretty equal amongst all of them.

How old are your kids?

[Anonymous]

Kids are 5 and 8. So would like to be near activities / sports / classes, etc for them and someplace that has a sense of community, you actually know your neighbors, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids are 5 and 8. So would like to be near activities / sports / classes, etc for them and someplace that has a sense of community, you actually know your neighbors, etc.

I definitely think either Wesley Heights or Cleveland/Woodley Park is what will fit your bill.