Bethesda v. Kensington

[Anonymous]

We have 2 DC that will be in ES next year. We want a house that we could be in for 10+ years. Commute is not a factor.

Please vote:
House 1: In Bethesda. BH/Pyle/Whitman cluster. 1400 sq ft. 4 bed/2 bath but 2 of the bedroom are on a lower level so we would be separate from our kids. Not updated since 80s. Tiny kitchen

House 2: In Bethesda. Wyngate/N Bethesda/WJ cluster. 4 bed/2 bath 2000 sq ft. Better layout with bigger kitchen. 40k more expensive and kitchen is really outdated.

House 3: In Kensington KPES/N Bethesda/WJ cluster. 3 bed/2 bath and says its only 1000 sq feet but feels much bigger and is completely renovated. The least expensive.

[Anonymous]

Having lived in both Bethesda and Kensington, I would have to go with the Kensington house. I really like where we live and feel that it is a great place to raise kids. I liked living in Bethesda but feel that Kensington is a bit more down to earth and has a small-town feel.

My kids are not in school yet so I can't speak to the schools. I think any school that you mentioned would be great--they all have good reputations. Many will say that Whitman is more desirable (and in some ways, maybe it is) but its also super competitive so it depends on what you want.

[Anonymous]

I would go with the BH/Pyle/Whitman Cluster school. I've lived throughout Bethesda and in Kensington. I enjoyed Kensington, but prefer the Bethesda neighborhoods for proximity to downtown Bethesda and DC. When your children get to middle school and HS you will appreciate the Pyle/Whitman cluster.

My family is in real estate, and they would tell you that your Bethesda house (although outdated) will ultimately have greater value then your Kensington house. Don't get me wrong, Kensington is nice and you will get more bang for your buck; however, long-term, Bethesda is a better investment.

Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

House 2. 10 years is a long time. Those kids will get bigger. You'll want the extra space. Schools are good with any of your options, so take that off the table when considering which house to go with.

[Anonymous]

I love Kensington, but if you can swing the extra money, go for house #2. The extra space will mean you don't feel the need to move again in 5 years. Can you make some initial kitchen fixes and then budget for a remodel in a few years? (i.e. maybe paint the cabinets and upgrade the appliances and hardware, and then later do the counters/cabinets/flooring?)

[Anonymous]

I live in Kensington and LOVE it. The neighbors are wonderful, it feels like an oasis. I like that I can drive to Bethesda easily and do everything there, but then I get to go home and not deal with Bethesda. If you are in the Kensington-Parkwood/WJ cluster, you will be fine in 10 years with resale value. Resale is dicier in Kensington Heights and "North Kensington" aka Wheaton, but if you are in Town Of Kensington or anywhere in Parkwood district you are making a good bet.

It takes DH 45 minutes to get to downtown (front door to garage in his building). When we rented in Bethesda, on average, his commute was 5-10 minutes shorter, so, a gain of 20 minutes max per day, which he wasn't bothered by enough to pay to live in Bethesda.

With House #2, you would have to pay $40k more PLUS a kitchen reno, which will cost you WAY more than you think.

Downside to Kensington house - only 3 bedrooms. Is there a den or other smaller room that could be used as a guest bedroom/office/escape? We have 3 BR and would LOVE to have 4. That is the only thing we don't love about our house.

[Anonymous]

Kensington. Hands down.

More bang for the buck, great schools, fabulous community. It feels like a small town, but you are close to everything. Very down to earth and not McMansion-y.

[Anonymous]

Wyngate neighborhood hands down, but I'm partial cause I live there. It's a great neighborhood and Wyngate is a fantastic school and they are doing a big renovation sometime next year. Close toshops, restaurants, metro, ymca, pools and very walkable.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone living in Parkwood noticed the impact of Walter Reed closing and the additional people commuting to the naval hospital in terms of more traffic in the area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone living in Parkwood noticed the impact of Walter Reed closing and the additional people commuting to the naval hospital in terms of more traffic in the area?

IF the transition to naval has happened I haven't noticed a difference. But last I heard the transition was delayed until 2012. I'm scared of the impact on both the local roads, Rockville Pike, and 495...

[Anonymous]

Kensington - far more family friendly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wyngate neighborhood hands down, but I'm partial cause I live there. It's a great neighborhood and Wyngate is a fantastic school and they are doing a big renovation sometime next year. Close toshops, restaurants, metro, ymca, pools and very walkable.

Another Wyngate neighborhood fan. If your budget could handle it I would go for more space and better layout. We look back and there was one house in Potomac that would have stretched our budget further than we were comfortable at the time but we realize in hindsight we would have spent a lot less updating it because the layout was fine although the kitchen wasn't shiny and new. It had a flat back yard a garage, decent size bathrooms etc. It cost a lot more to renovate when you start talking adding onto the back, moving around plumbing, moving interior walls, needing to build exterior walls because you lost what little flat back yard you had to the addition.

If you are organized "a place for everything and everything in its place", disciplined, and have the kids clean up after themselves, I think you can get by with less space and not feel stressed about it. I think Kensington would be my next choice.

[Anonymous]

So what are the best neighborhoods in Kensington? I see that Parkwood is a favorite. Any others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what are the best neighborhoods in Kensington? I see that Parkwood is a favorite. Any others?

When we looked at Kensington, we considered all the neighborhoods feeding into Kensington Parkwood Elementary School (which includes a sliver of Bethesda that is part of the Parkwood neighborhood).

[Anonymous]

Most people on this board would tell you that Kensington Parkwood ES is the only good ES in Kensington. Oakland Terrace is a school that many of my neighbors send their children to and they are very happy with it. I have volunteered at events there and find the community to be engaged and welcoming. Homewood feeds into OTES and you can find some great houses there. Everyone plays outside and at the park and it is an awesome place for families.