Do you regret moving to the suburbs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We currently live in NW DC and have a 18 month old son w #2 on the way. We are completely torn about whether to stay in DC or move to Virginia. We love living in the city, being able to walk places, etc but would also love a house (live in a townhouse now) and more space in general. We are in a good elementary school district now (mann)so schools wouldn't be an issue for awhile. I just keep thinking that if we move we'll miss the conveniences of the city but it would also be so nice to have more space. Has anyone been in a similar situation and moved and then wished they hadn't? We are so torn so I'd love to hear thoughts.

If you're in-bounds for Mann you're already missing most of the city's conveniences. Would it be so different just over one state line or the other?

Agree with this. We live literaly just over the line in Maryland, and there is not much difference between this side of the street or the DC side of the street (except DC side got cleaned faster than our maryland side in the snow). I think you can find walkability, facilities, etc... in DC but also in some areas of the suburbs, so see what are important factors for you and specifically look for areas that have these - but again, if you want walkability and a large house, it may be on the expensive side even in the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

i love the city. about once a month, i get frustrated by the small space. in the end, though, the space is not worth it to me to sacrifice everything else. if i were zoned for mann, i would be staying put for sure.

[Anonymous]

OP, you gotta just do your HW. Get the name of neighborhoods and go spend a little time there. Watch the pace, see where people walk, take note of parks, grocery stores, parking, etc. You COULD leave the city and just experience more inconveniences somewhere else.

My DH and I ask ourselves about moving about every year, but we are staying in our little house in DC b/c I just cannot stomach a try suburban move. I can walk to everything (both schools for kids, grocery stores, pediatrician, couple of parks....) and cannot handle living in my car.

Just do the research and listen to your instincts...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you gotta just do your HW. Get the name of neighborhoods and go spend a little time there. Watch the pace, see where people walk, take note of parks, grocery stores, parking, etc. You COULD leave the city and just experience more inconveniences somewhere else.

My DH and I ask ourselves about moving about every year, but we are staying in our little house in DC b/c I just cannot stomach a try suburban move. I can walk to everything (both schools for kids, grocery stores, pediatrician, couple of parks....) and cannot handle living in my car.

Just do the research and listen to your instincts...

We moved from Cleveland Park to Bethesda and actually have more freedom to do things on foot than before. We are within a 10-minute walk of everything - metro, gym, doctor, dentist, groceries, schools (for future), parks, trails, library. We don't own a car and don't plan to for several more years. I do miss the energy of living in the city, and knowing I could walk to work downtown if metro/buses weren't running. And our neighbors in general are much older and more family-oriented, though I expect we will care about that less when we have children. What I miss most is the convenience of apartment living ... but as you're already in a house, that shouldn't be a problem for you.

I agree with this PP - you won't know what a neighborhood is like until youv'e spent some time on the ground. Before we bought, we spent every other weekend for 4 months scoping out different neighborhoods in MD and VA - just walking around, looking at layout and conveniences. It really helped us make a decision.

[Anonymous]

Moved from NW to Clarendon (1.5 blocks from Clarendon metro). We walk Everywhere, 4gyms within 3blocks, tons of great bars restaurants, great parks--with splash in the summer, whole foods,farmers market, drugstores,shops. DH is out our front door and at Metro Center in 10 min. Great public schools to boot. If you want the charm of NW check out Lyon Village, but inventory is extremely low.

My old neighborhood is less than 2 miles away-so if I miss it I can jog in--truthfully my NW neighborhood didn't have a metro stop so it's even easier to get places from here.

Plus---I love my new house.

[Anonymous]

"this area is all about trade offs"

Wise Woman. LIFE is all about trade offs. HAPPINESS is all about trade offs. If only more people knew this!