I haven't figured out how people raise children in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:
12:10 raises a good point. I think we can try and split up the various areas in DC into a variety of "clusters."

My theory on DC and its suburbs:
1. Wealthy SFH nabes that are still fairly urban: upper NW, McLean, parts of Bethesda, North Arlington
2. Wealthy SFH nabes that are pretty rural: Great Falls, Potomac, Poolesville
3. Dense urban wealthy: Dupont, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, innermost Bethesda, Orange/Blue Line Arlington
4. Dense urban poor: SE DC, inner Prince George's, West End Alexandria, South Arlington, inner Silver Spring
5. Urban crunchy: Takoma (Park), Del Ray, College Park
6. Rural crunchy: Glen Echo, Middleburg
7. OK-but-generic suburbs: Centreville, Chantilly, upper Silver Spring, Burke, Springfield
8. OK-but-generic suburbs surrounding some historic core: Vienna, Herndon, Fairfax, Rockville, Gaithersburg
9. Wealthy exurbs: western PWC, Lake Ridge, western Howard, Loudoun (ex-Sterling)
10. Not wealthy exurbs: the rest of Eastern PWC, Sterling, outer Prince George's
11. Separate cities which got swallowed by exurbs: Winchester, Front Royal, Warrenton, Leesburg, Fredericksburg, Frederick, Annapolis.

Where does Brookland or NE DC fit in to this? I guess Dense urban poor or urban crunchy?

[Anonymous]

couldn't bear to read all 15 pages but I could have written OPs post. Only we own the house--DH bought before having kids, we live in upper NW but east of the park. quiet, pretty, relatively spacious houses, but far from metro, a 45min to 1 hr commute to work via public transportation, and shitty schools. I really want to move closer in--smaller, but more convenient to metro, but we would likely have to rent and houses are selling slowly in our hood. Add to it DH's oldest chid splits time betwen his mom and dad, and school all the way across town, so really, even if we did move, our logistics are not simple, esp with one car. I wish we lived close to family and that our families were able to help; alas they are far and elderly. we often feel consumed by logistics and finances. I crave simplicity a lot though--the only reason I'd like more money (we are around 160k) is to be able to live closer to metro and not have to put off things like fixing lead paint and our leaky roof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont think it can be done, which is why we have a plan to leave within 18 months. The only thing keeping us here is our jobs and we dont make enough to sustain living in the city anymore. Just have to figure out if that means suburbs or to a new city entirely where quality of life is better.

Yes, you're right. Totally impossible. All the kids that live here are totally screwed.

[Anonymous]

For you that insist on being facetious. It has to do with quality of life. Ever heard of it? You should try it sometime. Hear it makes people more sympathetic. What a concept!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Ewwww, Cleveland... I grew up there... Ewww, just ewwww.

I never heard of an apt in DC w/o a washer/dryer, central a/c, etc. Maybe you haven't looked at any since the 90ties but things have changed.

NP - Grew up near Cleveland and lived there for awhile and really liked it. But I have grown to love DC nevertheless. Probably because I moved to the neighborhood that reminded me more rather than less of Cleveland. Yes, I know I sound crazy. But there's "down to earth" in DC. You just have to look for it and you don't have to look far.

What neighborhood?

I moved from Georgetown to Hill East. I know lots of folks on DCUM prefer Georgetown and that's fine. It just wasn't for me.

Ward 7, represent!

Unkind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved out and are now moving back! I am so excited. Yes, it can be nicer away from DC but that is our home and where we want to be. It is just what you want for your life. I grew up on a farm so it took me quite some time to adjust to living in DC. We moved out -- to a farm, and it made me realize that my kids don't need a yard or wide open spaces or non-Maryland drivers. We are city people and while our house is going to be a lot smaller my kids just as happy to move back to our old row house without a yard and in NE and play frogger with the MD drivers to get to the park.


Ahhhhhhhh........

Welcome back to Capitol Hill. Best neighborhood I've lived in.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The crazy part is some people LOVE the weather here. I don't like the hot summers, but we have mild winters and exceptionally long spring and fall. Also, where is it that has year-round ideal weather? Maybe in Northern California which is just insanely expensive.

Are you kidding? Spring and fall are exceptionally short, here.

And to answer your weather...southern coastal California.

See this is where weather just becomes incredibly personal. I would hate to live someplace with no seasons. And I also think temps in the 80s (like they get in LA all summer) are honestly too hot. I think San Francisco has close to pretty perfect weather. Just personal preference.

I think in a place that truly experiences four seasons, 1-2 months for spring and fall can be pretty typical. We often get up to 3 months.

This absolutely true for me as well. Lived in Boulder, and the lack of weather drove me nuts. Can't even imagine what it would be like in Southern Cal. That plus the fact that it's a car-dependent nightmare of sprawl and dysfunctional development. I'll take the East Coast, thanks very much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are some good semi-rural, beautiful places that also have a lot of highly educated people & some culture? I mean besides Aspen.

I know, but I'm certainly not going to tell you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are some good semi-rural, beautiful places that also have a lot of highly educated people & some culture? I mean besides Aspen.

Santa Fe?
Santa Cruz?

Ew
Ew

Spoken like someone who has never been to either.

Or has and didn't like them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't like living in "DC" either, if I lived an hour away.

+10^83222

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:How shallow are you people to make the weather a major factor in where you live? It's all about jobs and education for the kids. Anything else, like real estate values, follows the jobs and education picture. Anything else is much less important.

Oh god, you're obnoxious. Weather matters because it's about being able to get out and enjoy the outdoors with your family. Where I grew up people spend most of the summer hiking/biking/camping/fishing and most of the fall and winter skiing, hunting, etc. It's about a lifestyle and values. And FWIW, I grew up in the sticks where people didn't obsess over jobs and education like they do here, and somehow I'm still smart and motivated enough to have a great job in this seriously competitive city. It's not so cut and dried.

You're right, it's about values. Jobs and education are more important to me than outdoor recreation. I spend maybe 2 hours a week outside except in the summers.

Right, but the DC area has incredible outdoor recreation opportunities. If you like whitewater, it's closer and more accessible here than if you lived in Denver/Boulder. Same with mountain biking--amazing opportunities only an hour or so away. And the road biking--from one's house in the city--is arguably better than it is in Denver/suburbs. Camping in GW Nat'l Forest. Beaches a couple of hours away. What's not to like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I sometimes feel the way you do, with our two young kids (6 and 3). And then this holiday weekend, I went back to my (small) hometown and realized that my friends' kids there are academically at least a year behind because their schools (even the private ones) are just not that good. They spend their time watching videos and driving everywhere they go, around their boring little suburbs. "Eating out" means going to Ruby Tuesdays or Chuck-E-Cheese. THE BIG DEAL is the local college football team and even little kids there know little beyond sports, in the way of experiences or entertainment. Much-talked-about vacations are usually trips to Disney World.

Yes, some things are harder here. But we've decided that life it the city is ultimately a much richer experience for children.

Amen.

Yup. DW's family lives in the Denver suburbs, and as far as I'm concerned, it's tantamount to child abuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also (I'm 12:03 above) OP, I grew up here. And in high school my friends and I went to museums, rallies, protests, and wandered around the monuments for fun (seriously). When I got to college my roommate was from a small town in upstate NY. In high school she and her friends sat in a parked car in the middle of a cow field and smoked weed. Just some longer term perspective.

I'm from upstate NY. Yep, that's about what we did. When we weren't going to the mall or the bowling alley or Friendly's.

I spent my teen years in Rockville, and this rings true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are some here who have not resided in a nicer place. 'Tis a shame, indeed. You can tell who has immediately. You seem like you have known nicer, so you have a point of comparison. Life is short. Explore your options! Those that do not, or are "Rah rah D.C." why are you even on this post? To be a typical, antagonistic, counter productive, bullyish, D.C. type? Really? How's that serving you so far? By the looks on your faces, not so good.

That said, I know what you mention, OP. I have found in my too many years here that those who try to act important, and are stumbling over themselves being snifflier than thou, are really just extemely pissed off about how little they have accomplished and how far they have not come in their time here. Consistently. Remember that. Laugh at it. It is funny.

As far as the PP who mentioned "shallow" and "weather" in the same sentence: I want to know where you score your crack, because I could use some of that while living here with the likes of you.

I was at a party recently and I heard someone's MIL mention that people are "friendly" here. The whole party responded in riotous laughter - literally! That is part of the issue, OP. As far as comparing this area to any other, you simply can not. If not only for the high concentration of those who think that D.C. is the be all and end all. Do you really want to know where they are coming from? Probably not. Holy sh*t! Let them think the rest of the nation and world sucks and that this must be heaven on earth (egads!). Then we won't have to deal with them when we vacation or retire

Know that you are still young and that most people do not and would never retire here, given an option. But that is another thread You have options, OP. Option one: laugh. Laugh often. There is so much around you that is amusing. Example: If you comment how rude someone is, they will counter you with how rude you must be, given that you did well, nothing. You can't buy this stuff!

This hell is not forever. It is overpriced, crowded, self important (read:amusing), stifling hot, incapable, blundering, extremely frustrated, tries to deflect and deny, can't drive and not so pretty, among many other things, but one thing it is not is forever.

Man, all I can say is, you must really live in a shitty neighborhood. I feel sorry for you. I hope you can manage to pick up the pieces and start over again somewhere else. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are some here who have not resided in a nicer place. 'Tis a shame, indeed. You can tell who has immediately. You seem like you have known nicer, so you have a point of comparison. Life is short. Explore your options! Those that do not, or are "Rah rah D.C." why are you even on this post? To be a typical, antagonistic, counter productive, bullyish, D.C. type? Really? How's that serving you so far? By the looks on your faces, not so good.

That said, I know what you mention, OP. I have found in my too many years here that those who try to act important, and are stumbling over themselves being snifflier than thou, are really just extemely pissed off about how little they have accomplished and how far they have not come in their time here. Consistently. Remember that. Laugh at it. It is funny.

As far as the PP who mentioned "shallow" and "weather" in the same sentence: I want to know where you score your crack, because I could use some of that while living here with the likes of you.

I was at a party recently and I heard someone's MIL mention that people are "friendly" here. The whole party responded in riotous laughter - literally! That is part of the issue, OP. As far as comparing this area to any other, you simply can not. If not only for the high concentration of those who think that D.C. is the be all and end all. Do you really want to know where they are coming from? Probably not. Holy sh*t! Let them think the rest of the nation and world sucks and that this must be heaven on earth (egads!). Then we won't have to deal with them when we vacation or retire

Know that you are still young and that most people do not and would never retire here, given an option. But that is another thread You have options, OP. Option one: laugh. Laugh often. There is so much around you that is amusing. Example: If you comment how rude someone is, they will counter you with how rude you must be, given that you did well, nothing. You can't buy this stuff!

This hell is not forever. It is overpriced, crowded, self important (read:amusing), stifling hot, incapable, blundering, extremely frustrated, tries to deflect and deny, can't drive and not so pretty, among many other things, but one thing it is not is forever.

Glad to know that I must be delusional because I find people nice here (and yes I have lived in other states). I am a genuine nice person. I smile, say hi and treat random strangers with kindness and you know what? People are friendly right back. I live in an apt complex and know the majority of my neighbors. Crazy enough we get together once a week to play trivia and recently started getting together to hang out by the pool. Granted I am crazy talkative but honestly I think you can find nice people everywhere...you might just have to make the first move.

This. I can't imagine how disappointed the gloom and doom crowd around here is going to be when they finally make it to their idealized Utopia (whether it be San Diego, Denver, or Santa Fe) and run into the same self-important, unfriendly idiots they see here.

You get back what you put out there.