Help a single parent find the right neighborhood and school (MD)
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Anonymous
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Kemp Mill of course:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemp_Mill,_Maryland The Yeshiva of Greater Washington is putting in a wicked new playground as we speak. |
Anonymous
Why would anyone who is culturally but not religiously Jewish be comfortable in an Orthodox Jewish enclave? |
Anonymous
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I would buy a condo in downtown Bethesda. Great public schools, lots of kids, lots of Jews but also diverse with a lot of international families.
A condo will be easier to take care of, many come with a pool which will be nice for DS and there is tons within walking distance - grocery, parks, library, restaurants, movie theater. You likely wouldn't need a car if you also work in Bethesda. |
Anonymous
| Look for houses in your price range that feed into College Gardens ES or Beall ES (both feeding into Richard Montgomery HS), Walter Johnson HS, or Wootton HS. I think that's the best mix of strong schools and price. |
Anonymous
| Forest Glen, Silver Spring |
Anonymous
Indeed. |
Anonymous
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Rockville will be the best fit for you. There is a sizable jewish community, especially in the areas near the JCC (Walter Johnson High School), but it isn't an orthodox enclave like Silver Spring. Bethesda/Potomac are a little too pricy unless you wanted to consider a condo in Bethesda.
Walter Johnson/Wooton/Churchill high school clusters are generally considered better than Richard Montgomery. However, your money will go further in Richard Montgomerg and your son certainly won't be the only jew there. This house in Potomac could work https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/8549-Bells-Ridge-Ter-20854/home/10923359 |
Anonymous
Well, I'm Catholic and love living in Kemp Mill, so there's that. But I wish I could get a pizza on Friday night now that it's Lent! |
Anonymous
| Silver Spring or Kensington - Look at Forest Knolls, Flora Singer, Highland View, and Oakland Terrace elementary schools for great schools with relatively lower housing prices. These are all great diverse communities. |
Anonymous
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As a single mom who makes more than you, I couldn't comfortably afford a mortgage on a $515K unless I had a very hefty - upwards of 50% - down payment.
I could qualify for a mortgage in that range but actually paying it with all the other monthly expenses would be tough because everything in this area is expensive. Commute costs, food costs, child care/after school/summer camp costs, house repairs (even in a small home I have never had a repair under $200 because the service call cost is so high, then parts, then labor, etc ) Of course, I don't know your particular situation but you mentioned moving here from out of the area and I think until you live here you can't really appreciate how every single thing costs more and eats into a budget. |
Anonymous
WTF? We live in that neighborhood and are a mixed religion family - neither of us are Jewish. |
Anonymous
That is true. You should know that before and aftercare at most schools in Bethesda and likely Silver Spring is $600/month. Summer camp ranges from $275-450/week and that does not include before and aftercare. Activities here are expensive too so keep that in mind. |
Anonymous
So, part of the issue is that if you are a non-observant Jew living in an Orthodox enclave, you will get Chabad at your door asking what you're doing for Passover, or whether you want to come for Shabbat. Orthodox Jews are not interested in converting Gentiles, but are VERY interested in bringing non-observant (cultural) Jews back into the religious fold. They consider it a mandate. |
Anonymous
Silver Spring does have deep Jewish roots, but having grown up over there, I know that many have moved to the western part of the county Rockville/North Potomac/Potomac/Bethesda. Several synagogues including Shaare Tefila off of Lockwood Drive could no longer survive over there because their congregants had moved out of that area. The synagogue moved to Olney. |
Anonymous
| I'd look in Rockville, Potomac Woods, Woodley Gardens, New Mark Commons, College Gardens....they all have what you are looking for. |