Young couples with kids---Where did you move to from the DC area?

[Anonymous]

I can't tell you because I am pulling up the ladder.

[Anonymous]

Suburb of Detroit. Very cool place to be these days. Our HHI is about $150,000, and we live in a 5 bedroom house with dock on the lake. Our little city is very walkable -- we stroll by the lake most mornings when the weather is good, and we have a lovely park right on the lake. Some things are walkable, but not groceries.

But that's OK, because in Detroit, cars rule.

We have about a 35 minute easy commute to downtown, which is coming alive. Lots of museums and things to do there and around Metro Detroit. And 35 minutes north of us is studded with beautiful county and state parks.

[Anonymous]

How different was your life in KC though? You saved a lot of money and got a great house. How about walkability? Activities? Entertainment (museums, plays, cultural parties)? I just did a google search and KC itself doesn't seem to have many condos or even 'non-suburban' homes. They all look like planned lots that you need to drive in and out along major highways. Is there a downtown historic section of homes that I could look at (generally close to everything)?

Thanks for your questions. There are quite a few "walkable" neighborhoods in Kansas City: W. 39th Street Corridor/Historic Westport; Brookside, Waldo, Hyde Park, and Southmoreland. For those looking for a loft experience rather than SFHs, there's a ton of activity going on in the Midtown Arts District. For classic, pre-war 2 and 3 bedroom apartments centered on retail, consider Country Club Plaza.

If we go back, Brookside (centered on W. 63rd Street and Brookside Blvd.) is probably where we'll buy. A bit pricy for KC, but walkable with a great retail corridor - places like Reading Reptile and Brookside Science and Toys alone are fantastic kid-centered stores. It also has good school options - St. Peter's (Catholic) and Academie Lafayette (French language immersion PCS).

Kansas City is currently building a streetcar line along Main Street from downtown (City Market) to Union Station. From Union Station south to West 75th Street, Kansas City has the MAX Bus along Main Street and Brookside Boulevard. It is similar in concept to the Circulator and about a 20 minute trip from Brookside to downtown. It runs 7 days a week with service every 10-30 minutes depending on day/time.

Before we went to KC, I'd been in DC for 7 years and my spouse for 11. We probably took in more "culture" during our single year in KC than in any 3 year span in DC. We fell in love with Unicorn Theater and got to attend two opening night celebrations ("Grounded" and "Other Desert Cities"). We were welcomed with open arms and felt right at home. I became involved with KKFI, Kansas City's community radio station and found it very welcoming. I even got the chance to DJ a 3 hour show that celebrates my favorite music genre (80s New Wave, synth, and industrial) just prior to leaving - that was one of the highlights of my year. There are many cultural events, book talks, concerts, etc. UMKC is a fairly comprehensive university and that brings much to the city. Also, a fair number of KU faculty live in KC, MO and reverse commute to Lawrence for work.

For families, there is so much so close - Union Station, The Royals, Children's Science Museum, the Aquarium, Zoo, Kids Shows at Sprint Center, Crown Center, City Market, Schlitterbahn, easy access to nature/farms. There's even a small ski facility north of KC.

In short, we found a great community spirit and things just seemed so much more accessible to families on a Federal salary than in DC. KC also has a very vibrant civic activist culture which I personally loved. Again, it was just so much easier to "plug into" than DC. I really enjoyed the opportunity to join with Stand Up KC and the Heartland Labor Forum on the Fight for 15 and other causes. I haven't had opportunities like this since before I came to Washington.

Of course, there's also the suburban option if that's what people want. The Johnson County (KS) suburbs are all quite accessible to KC with many amenities.

I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply on Kansas City - more information than I had hoped for and great explanations on life in KC.

[Anonymous]

Charlottesville or Salem, VA if you want to stay in Virginia. Salem has great schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How different was your life in KC though? You saved a lot of money and got a great house. How about walkability? Activities? Entertainment (museums, plays, cultural parties)? I just did a google search and KC itself doesn't seem to have many condos or even 'non-suburban' homes. They all look like planned lots that you need to drive in and out along major highways. Is there a downtown historic section of homes that I could look at (generally close to everything)?

Thanks for your questions. There are quite a few "walkable" neighborhoods in Kansas City: W. 39th Street Corridor/Historic Westport; Brookside, Waldo, Hyde Park, and Southmoreland. For those looking for a loft experience rather than SFHs, there's a ton of activity going on in the Midtown Arts District. For classic, pre-war 2 and 3 bedroom apartments centered on retail, consider Country Club Plaza.

If we go back, Brookside (centered on W. 63rd Street and Brookside Blvd.) is probably where we'll buy. A bit pricy for KC, but walkable with a great retail corridor - places like Reading Reptile and Brookside Science and Toys alone are fantastic kid-centered stores. It also has good school options - St. Peter's (Catholic) and Academie Lafayette (French language immersion PCS).

Kansas City is currently building a streetcar line along Main Street from downtown (City Market) to Union Station. From Union Station south to West 75th Street, Kansas City has the MAX Bus along Main Street and Brookside Boulevard. It is similar in concept to the Circulator and about a 20 minute trip from Brookside to downtown. It runs 7 days a week with service every 10-30 minutes depending on day/time.

Before we went to KC, I'd been in DC for 7 years and my spouse for 11. We probably took in more "culture" during our single year in KC than in any 3 year span in DC. We fell in love with Unicorn Theater and got to attend two opening night celebrations ("Grounded" and "Other Desert Cities"). We were welcomed with open arms and felt right at home. I became involved with KKFI, Kansas City's community radio station and found it very welcoming. I even got the chance to DJ a 3 hour show that celebrates my favorite music genre (80s New Wave, synth, and industrial) just prior to leaving - that was one of the highlights of my year. There are many cultural events, book talks, concerts, etc. UMKC is a fairly comprehensive university and that brings much to the city. Also, a fair number of KU faculty live in KC, MO and reverse commute to Lawrence for work.

For families, there is so much so close - Union Station, The Royals, Children's Science Museum, the Aquarium, Zoo, Kids Shows at Sprint Center, Crown Center, City Market, Schlitterbahn, easy access to nature/farms. There's even a small ski facility north of KC.

In short, we found a great community spirit and things just seemed so much more accessible to families on a Federal salary than in DC. KC also has a very vibrant civic activist culture which I personally loved. Again, it was just so much easier to "plug into" than DC. I really enjoyed the opportunity to join with Stand Up KC and the Heartland Labor Forum on the Fight for 15 and other causes. I haven't had opportunities like this since before I came to Washington.

Of course, there's also the suburban option if that's what people want. The Johnson County (KS) suburbs are all quite accessible to KC with many amenities.

I hope this helps.

Wow!
Is there anything about DC that you missed in KC?

[Anonymous]

Wow!
Is there anything about DC that you missed in KC?

Really, the only thing we missed was our church community at Sacred Heart on 16th Street. It was a lot tougher coming back than we thought. We also came back East with our second child, who was born in KC. That definitely made the 2600 --> 1100 square foot downsize even more pronounced.

I'll be here 10 years in September and my spouse for 14. In 371 days in KC, we truly felt that we had developed more friends/neighbors we could rely on in a pinch than we have in Washington. So many great people have moved on from our time in DC that this observation really spurred active thoughts of relocation.

The sense of community support we got from our neighbors when our second child was born in KC (surprise baby shower, child care for our oldest, and coordinated hot meals delivered to our home for a week) was absolutely humbling and are things I won't ever forget, no matter where we eventually end up. They knew we were "short timers" and treated us as if we had lived there for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How different was your life in KC though? You saved a lot of money and got a great house. How about walkability? Activities? Entertainment (museums, plays, cultural parties)? I just did a google search and KC itself doesn't seem to have many condos or even 'non-suburban' homes. They all look like planned lots that you need to drive in and out along major highways. Is there a downtown historic section of homes that I could look at (generally close to everything)?

Thanks for your questions. There are quite a few "walkable" neighborhoods in Kansas City: W. 39th Street Corridor/Historic Westport; Brookside, Waldo, Hyde Park, and Southmoreland. For those looking for a loft experience rather than SFHs, there's a ton of activity going on in the Midtown Arts District. For classic, pre-war 2 and 3 bedroom apartments centered on retail, consider Country Club Plaza.

If we go back, Brookside (centered on W. 63rd Street and Brookside Blvd.) is probably where we'll buy. A bit pricy for KC, but walkable with a great retail corridor - places like Reading Reptile and Brookside Science and Toys alone are fantastic kid-centered stores. It also has good school options - St. Peter's (Catholic) and Academie Lafayette (French language immersion PCS).

Kansas City is currently building a streetcar line along Main Street from downtown (City Market) to Union Station. From Union Station south to West 75th Street, Kansas City has the MAX Bus along Main Street and Brookside Boulevard. It is similar in concept to the Circulator and about a 20 minute trip from Brookside to downtown. It runs 7 days a week with service every 10-30 minutes depending on day/time.

Before we went to KC, I'd been in DC for 7 years and my spouse for 11. We probably took in more "culture" during our single year in KC than in any 3 year span in DC. We fell in love with Unicorn Theater and got to attend two opening night celebrations ("Grounded" and "Other Desert Cities"). We were welcomed with open arms and felt right at home. I became involved with KKFI, Kansas City's community radio station and found it very welcoming. I even got the chance to DJ a 3 hour show that celebrates my favorite music genre (80s New Wave, synth, and industrial) just prior to leaving - that was one of the highlights of my year. There are many cultural events, book talks, concerts, etc. UMKC is a fairly comprehensive university and that brings much to the city. Also, a fair number of KU faculty live in KC, MO and reverse commute to Lawrence for work.

For families, there is so much so close - Union Station, The Royals, Children's Science Museum, the Aquarium, Zoo, Kids Shows at Sprint Center, Crown Center, City Market, Schlitterbahn, easy access to nature/farms. There's even a small ski facility north of KC.

In short, we found a great community spirit and things just seemed so much more accessible to families on a Federal salary than in DC. KC also has a very vibrant civic activist culture which I personally loved. Again, it was just so much easier to "plug into" than DC. I really enjoyed the opportunity to join with Stand Up KC and the Heartland Labor Forum on the Fight for 15 and other causes. I haven't had opportunities like this since before I came to Washington.

Of course, there's also the suburban option if that's what people want. The Johnson County (KS) suburbs are all quite accessible to KC with many amenities.

I hope this helps.

This message has been brought to you by: The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Realtors' Association, and the Kansas City Tourism Board.

PP, I'm glad you enjoyed your time there. Sounds too good to be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How different was your life in KC though? You saved a lot of money and got a great house. How about walkability? Activities? Entertainment (museums, plays, cultural parties)? I just did a google search and KC itself doesn't seem to have many condos or even 'non-suburban' homes. They all look like planned lots that you need to drive in and out along major highways. Is there a downtown historic section of homes that I could look at (generally close to everything)?

Thanks for your questions. There are quite a few "walkable" neighborhoods in Kansas City: W. 39th Street Corridor/Historic Westport; Brookside, Waldo, Hyde Park, and Southmoreland. For those looking for a loft experience rather than SFHs, there's a ton of activity going on in the Midtown Arts District. For classic, pre-war 2 and 3 bedroom apartments centered on retail, consider Country Club Plaza.

If we go back, Brookside (centered on W. 63rd Street and Brookside Blvd.) is probably where we'll buy. A bit pricy for KC, but walkable with a great retail corridor - places like Reading Reptile and Brookside Science and Toys alone are fantastic kid-centered stores. It also has good school options - St. Peter's (Catholic) and Academie Lafayette (French language immersion PCS).

Kansas City is currently building a streetcar line along Main Street from downtown (City Market) to Union Station. From Union Station south to West 75th Street, Kansas City has the MAX Bus along Main Street and Brookside Boulevard. It is similar in concept to the Circulator and about a 20 minute trip from Brookside to downtown. It runs 7 days a week with service every 10-30 minutes depending on day/time.

Before we went to KC, I'd been in DC for 7 years and my spouse for 11. We probably took in more "culture" during our single year in KC than in any 3 year span in DC. We fell in love with Unicorn Theater and got to attend two opening night celebrations ("Grounded" and "Other Desert Cities"). We were welcomed with open arms and felt right at home. I became involved with KKFI, Kansas City's community radio station and found it very welcoming. I even got the chance to DJ a 3 hour show that celebrates my favorite music genre (80s New Wave, synth, and industrial) just prior to leaving - that was one of the highlights of my year. There are many cultural events, book talks, concerts, etc. UMKC is a fairly comprehensive university and that brings much to the city. Also, a fair number of KU faculty live in KC, MO and reverse commute to Lawrence for work.

For families, there is so much so close - Union Station, The Royals, Children's Science Museum, the Aquarium, Zoo, Kids Shows at Sprint Center, Crown Center, City Market, Schlitterbahn, easy access to nature/farms. There's even a small ski facility north of KC.

In short, we found a great community spirit and things just seemed so much more accessible to families on a Federal salary than in DC. KC also has a very vibrant civic activist culture which I personally loved. Again, it was just so much easier to "plug into" than DC. I really enjoyed the opportunity to join with Stand Up KC and the Heartland Labor Forum on the Fight for 15 and other causes. I haven't had opportunities like this since before I came to Washington.

Of course, there's also the suburban option if that's what people want. The Johnson County (KS) suburbs are all quite accessible to KC with many amenities.

I hope this helps.

This message has been brought to you by: The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Realtors' Association, and the Kansas City Tourism Board.

PP, I'm glad you enjoyed your time there. Sounds too good to be true.

It sounds a lot like how I'd describe my own Midwestern hometown. Or really, any midsize US city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tried to move to Charlotte, but couldn't find a job.

we looked very seriously at Austin. My husband is a security/defense gov't contractor, and we worried about the market for that in Austin. Jobs in that field just aren't as plentiful as they are here. He's not really an IT/computer guy, so working for Dell didn't appeal. And I didn't want to live in any OTHER part of Texas that wasn't Austin. There are opportunities for him in Fort Hood area, but you couldn't pay me to live there.

We had also considered Raleigh at one point.

[Anonymous]

we looked very seriously at Austin. My husband is a security/defense gov't contractor, and we worried about the market for that in Austin. Jobs in that field just aren't as plentiful as they are here. He's not really an IT/computer guy, so working for Dell didn't appeal. And I didn't want to live in any OTHER part of Texas that wasn't Austin. There are opportunities for him in Fort Hood area, but you couldn't pay me to live there.

He could do the reverse commute to Ft. Hood while he looks for something else. It's a long drive, but people do it. It's not uncommon for Army personnel in the JAG and Medical Corps' who have non-military professional spouses who work in Austin. Depending on pay levels, he could even get something (room/efficiency) in Killeen really cheap if he didn't want to make the drive to/from Austin every day. Being there (in TX), will probably make the job search for an Austin-based position easier.

Just a thought... not ideal, but living in Austin and commuting to Ft. Hood is not unheard of.

Austin just beats DC on so many levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Suburb of Detroit. Very cool place to be these days. Our HHI is about $150,000, and we live in a 5 bedroom house with dock on the lake. Our little city is very walkable -- we stroll by the lake most mornings when the weather is good, and we have a lovely park right on the lake. Some things are walkable, but not groceries.

But that's OK, because in Detroit, cars rule.

We have about a 35 minute easy commute to downtown, which is coming alive. Lots of museums and things to do there and around Metro Detroit. And 35 minutes north of us is studded with beautiful county and state parks.

+1

The old Detroit homes of the auto industry execs are so huge and beautiful - and relatively cheap! Good on you!

[Anonymous]

We moved here from Chicago pre-kids. Now we have kids, no local family here (they are not in Chicago) and no community support. We're considering moving out of the area but we don't know where (our families don't live in our hometowns, and we don't want to move to where they are).

We're thinking about Richmond, Raleigh, and Pittsburgh. My husband can get a job anywhere and I'm a SAHM. I question why we are here on a daily basis (we have no ties to the area, no local family and cost of living is so high).

[Anonymous]

Anyone move to Asheville and can give us the scoop?

[Anonymous]

I've vacationed in Asheville and there is ZIP to do there if you're not on vacation - hiking, lodge spas, touring Biltmore. I might want a second home there so I can skip about the 10 shops or so that are in the historical parts of town, but its hard to imagine living there. But then again I gave up something similar by leaving my southern locale for DC (which for me is a good mix of not too far north and not too far south).