Moving to DC. Kids will be in K and PK-3 in the Fall -where to begin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your future self will thank you if you move WOTP park along the redline. Best for ease of commute and top schools. DuPont for Ross. Cleveland Park for Eaton. And Van Ness for Hearst/Murch.

This. But if you insist on EOTP, try for a Stuart-Hobson feeder. Or Seaton-- you can definitely live in Bloomingdale for $4K a month, and your K will easily get in OOB and pull in the sibling. Last year I got into Seaton as a post-lottery applicant for K in early summer. You might really love Bloomingdale-- tons of kids and a pool!

NP here but really?! We live in Bloomingdale and I didn't think Seaton was realistic for us to ever get into. You think if we hold out until K (DD will be PK3 next year) we could? Seaton is pretty decent through grade 5 right?

OP I cosign the Bloomingdale rec, we live here with two young ones, love it here and never want to leave! I think it does get a little more questionable when your kids reach, maybe, 8 years old or so (mostly based on the fact that I don't see many kids that age around tbh) but since you're renting I'm assuming you're not looking for a place you can stay in for 5-10 years? Bloomingdale will be a lovely neighborhood to enjoy a few years and get to know the city and make a longer term plan. And $4k will get you a great place here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your future self will thank you if you move WOTP park along the redline. Best for ease of commute and top schools. DuPont for Ross. Cleveland Park for Eaton. And Van Ness for Hearst/Murch.

This. But if you insist on EOTP, try for a Stuart-Hobson feeder. Or Seaton-- you can definitely live in Bloomingdale for $4K a month, and your K will easily get in OOB and pull in the sibling. Last year I got into Seaton as a post-lottery applicant for K in early summer. You might really love Bloomingdale-- tons of kids and a pool!

NP here but really?! We live in Bloomingdale and I didn't think Seaton was realistic for us to ever get into. You think if we hold out until K (DD will be PK3 next year) we could? Seaton is pretty decent through grade 5 right?

OP I cosign the Bloomingdale rec, we live here with two young ones, love it here and never want to leave! I think it does get a little more questionable when your kids reach, maybe, 8 years old or so (mostly based on the fact that I don't see many kids that age around tbh) but since you're renting I'm assuming you're not looking for a place you can stay in for 5-10 years? Bloomingdale will be a lovely neighborhood to enjoy a few years and get to know the city and make a longer term plan. And $4k will get you a great place here.

Oh yes. Seaton has three PK3, three Pk4s, and three K classrooms right now, so they need a net gain of 12 kids in each cohort just to fill their seats. My child is in K elsewhere but for K and PK4 a Seaton offer was easily forthcoming despite terrible lottery numbers. That may change as the issue with having enough aftercare is fixed, but still, should not be too hard.

[Anonymous]

I'd post lottery app now for Hyde-Addison and Frances Stevens with planted addresses-- your K will likely pull in your PK3 at both.

How does using a planted address work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! We are relocating to DC in about a month for work and are trying to figure out where to begin. Our understanding is that since we’ve missed the deadline for the lottery we should plan to rent in-boundary for a school we are ok with for our kindergartener, and hope she can pull in the 3 year old. My husband’s soon to be office is in NOMA and mine will be between DuPont and Logan Circle. We’ll be renting at first with the intent to buy in a year or so. Prefer to live east of the park and keep rent below $4k per month (less if we are going to have to send the 3yo to private preschool.) Where do we begin? Thanks!

What will be your budget for buying?

OP here, thanks everyone! Our budget for buying will be roughly $750, with a place that needs some updating being ok. We're interested in Columbia Heights but would renting there now make any sense school-wise?

[Anonymous]

Garrison

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! We are relocating to DC in about a month for work and are trying to figure out where to begin. Our understanding is that since we’ve missed the deadline for the lottery we should plan to rent in-boundary for a school we are ok with for our kindergartener, and hope she can pull in the 3 year old. My husband’s soon to be office is in NOMA and mine will be between DuPont and Logan Circle. We’ll be renting at first with the intent to buy in a year or so. Prefer to live east of the park and keep rent below $4k per month (less if we are going to have to send the 3yo to private preschool.) Where do we begin? Thanks!

What will be your budget for buying?

OP here, thanks everyone! Our budget for buying will be roughly $750, with a place that needs some updating being ok. We're interested in Columbia Heights but would renting there now make any sense school-wise?

Depends on your IB. Columbia Heights crosses boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! We are relocating to DC in about a month for work and are trying to figure out where to begin. Our understanding is that since we’ve missed the deadline for the lottery we should plan to rent in-boundary for a school we are ok with for our kindergartener, and hope she can pull in the 3 year old. My husband’s soon to be office is in NOMA and mine will be between DuPont and Logan Circle. We’ll be renting at first with the intent to buy in a year or so. Prefer to live east of the park and keep rent below $4k per month (less if we are going to have to send the 3yo to private preschool.) Where do we begin? Thanks!

What will be your budget for buying?

OP here, thanks everyone! Our budget for buying will be roughly $750, with a place that needs some updating being ok. We're interested in Columbia Heights but would renting there now make any sense school-wise?

Depends on your IB. Columbia Heights crosses boundaries.

Are there IBs there we should check out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! We are relocating to DC in about a month for work and are trying to figure out where to begin. Our understanding is that since we’ve missed the deadline for the lottery we should plan to rent in-boundary for a school we are ok with for our kindergartener, and hope she can pull in the 3 year old. My husband’s soon to be office is in NOMA and mine will be between DuPont and Logan Circle. We’ll be renting at first with the intent to buy in a year or so. Prefer to live east of the park and keep rent below $4k per month (less if we are going to have to send the 3yo to private preschool.) Where do we begin? Thanks!

What will be your budget for buying?

OP here, thanks everyone! Our budget for buying will be roughly $750, with a place that needs some updating being ok. We're interested in Columbia Heights but would renting there now make any sense school-wise?

Depends on your IB. Columbia Heights crosses boundaries.

Are there IBs there we should check out?

Bancroft for one

[Anonymous]

^^ Sorry misread.

Bancroft is in Adams Morgan, not Columbia heights.

[Anonymous]

OP - have you searched by schools by addresses on the lottery website?

http://find.myschooldc.org/

Also these school by school reports have a lot of data in them
https://dcschoolreportcard.org/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ Sorry misread.

Bancroft is in Adams Morgan, not Columbia heights.

Bancroft is Mt. Pleasant - not Adams Morgan. But I don't think you can get anything other than a condo for that budget IB for Bancroft

Here is a link to the boundaries:
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Bancroft.pdf

[Anonymous]

Check for rentals in the Marie Reed boundary which extends to the southern edge of Columbia Heights. Great elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your future self will thank you if you move WOTP park along the redline. Best for ease of commute and top schools. DuPont for Ross. Cleveland Park for Eaton. And Van Ness for Hearst/Murch.

I recommend this as well. Or AU park for Janney. I’ve seen quite a few for rent signs in the area lately!

Agree. These neighborhoods have a lot of families who do stints abroad for 3-5 years and rent their homes while they are gone.

[Anonymous]

you may want to consider what housing type you like. Rowhouse types vary, some yards exist in different areas.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t pick Columbia Heights. Too much crime and loitering in many parts, and the schools are no good.
It’s not that convenient for your commute either.
In your place I would rent in Upper NW. Janney, Oyster, Eaton, Hearst are all pretty convenient to the red line.
No PK3, so you could try to lottery into one of the charters, though getting a spot seems unlikely at this stage. Or else do a nanny share, or try to find a daycare for a year - many of them have spots for three year olds once kids leave for PK3.
But with a kid already enrolled your second would have a very good chance of getting in to PK4, we know several families who’ve had that happen.