Watching your friends relocate to the burbs for "schools"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our children have now attended two well-regarded DC schools: one a dcps and one a charter.

We are heading to dtss and are THRILLED about it. Yes, the class sizes will be larger. But so will the opportunities. And it is a functional city. I'm telling you, as another Clinton Hill expat, DC is not the same thing. Not any part of it. Not even close.

One of the most annoying tropes on DCUM is the "nothing in DC can compare to NYC so therefore we are moving to the suburbs" trope.

My theory is that some (not all) people who live in NYC end up having a lot of their identity tied up in it, and when they leave New York they experience an identity dislocation, plus they don't have the money for the best DC neighborhoods, so they reach for the trope.

DC is definitely not NYC, but I don't understand that as an excuse for moving to the burbs. That's like the Bernie Bros voting Trump because they're mad Hillary isn't Bernie.

Ha, good one! Agree!

Please the utter lack of decent public schools, playgrounds in any neighborhood other than NW, and literally no stores for children stuff it makes sense to move to suburbs if you have a family. NYC is completely different landscape, and DC proper lacks much of what functions in a city.

This is a literally insane comment. I can only conclude you've never been to Capitol Hill. We have 5 playgrounds w/in a 10 minute walk of our home (Love Joy for toddlers, Lincoln Park x 2, Maury and Sherwood).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our children have now attended two well-regarded DC schools: one a dcps and one a charter.

We are heading to dtss and are THRILLED about it. Yes, the class sizes will be larger. But so will the opportunities. And it is a functional city. I'm telling you, as another Clinton Hill expat, DC is not the same thing. Not any part of it. Not even close.

One of the most annoying tropes on DCUM is the "nothing in DC can compare to NYC so therefore we are moving to the suburbs" trope.

My theory is that some (not all) people who live in NYC end up having a lot of their identity tied up in it, and when they leave New York they experience an identity dislocation, plus they don't have the money for the best DC neighborhoods, so they reach for the trope.

DC is definitely not NYC, but I don't understand that as an excuse for moving to the burbs. That's like the Bernie Bros voting Trump because they're mad Hillary isn't Bernie.

Ha, good one! Agree!

Please the utter lack of decent public schools, playgrounds in any neighborhood other than NW, and literally no stores for children stuff it makes sense to move to suburbs if you have a family. NYC is completely different landscape, and DC proper lacks much of what functions in a city.

Not true at all.

Where can I buy a stroller and a kids book in DC? target in Columbia heights, Costco, and $$$$ boutiques in Georgetown.

How often do you need to buy strollers? Order books online.

Same problem in Ny. I don't remember living anywhere near a big box store for strollers or a bookstore.

Dawn Price Baby for both in one place, right in the heart of the Hill (by Eastern Market). But there's also East City Bookshop a block away, which has a large kids' section complete with chairs, chalkboard, toys, kids programming, etc. Noma also has a Walmart, if you want cheaper. And, yeah, Costco being a 10-15 minute drive is also a good deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm very happy on the Hill, but the one thing that SS/Takoma have that we don't is good zoned MS and HS ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm very happy on the Hill, but the one thing that SS/Takoma have that we don't is good zoned MS and HS ...

I am the PP and I completely agree. Our zoned middle school (EH) is awful. My kids are 2 and -4 weeks, so I'm not concerned yet since who knows what things will look like in ~10 years. That said, as of now, like many others, we'd lottery for a few charters that have middles (e.g., 2R), lottery for the two standalone charter middles that everyone on the Hill lotteries for, apply to a few privates nearby (CHDS would be our ideal, but they rarely take middle school transfers and we can't afford it for elementary/can't justify it when we're happy with our zoned option), apply to the NW privates (if we got in/decided on one, we'd then consider moving somewhere more convenient to them) and, as a last option, move to the suburbs for the relevant ~8 years. I totally get that we may end up in the suburbs for 8 years for school reasons, but that's very different than saying the suburbs are the most like NYC (I grew up in Manhattan and this claim blows my mind) or there are no kids/playground/amenities/diverse/walkable neighborhoods in DC with useable schools for ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

NP. I can only guess that you are using a very extended definition of Capitol Hill. And what about MS and HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

NP. I can only guess that you are using a very extended definition of Capitol Hill. And what about MS and HS?

I am not using an extended definition of CH. I mean, I assume that some old timers would say that I am, but I think I am pretty squarely within what is now considered the Hill (south of H and west of 14th in NE). That said, I am the PP who admitted MS and HS could be a problem depending on lottery results/private admissions/etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

So, part of this is because Redfin is misleading/we may disagree on what counts as sqf. We bought (4 years ago, as I indicated) in the Maury zone in the $600-$650 range. Redfin claims our house is about 1500 sqf, but that's because they weirdly don't count our fully finished English basement, which I do... because we use it like we use any other space in the house/it has windows and a door. (They also have the number of bedrooms off by one (too high) and the number of bathrooms wrong (too low), so suffice it to say their info is misleading in general.) Redfin does claim our house has appreciated more than $200K in those 4 years (which is why I asked how recently you were buying), which will be awesome if it proves true/we do have to move.

[Anonymous]

^^ Also, if you're just looking at what's available now/as opposed to owned home estimated value, then that's also a bit misleading since there's WAY more inventory in the late spring/early summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

+1 We use to rent a house on the Hill, zoned for Maury, but sent our kid to one of the language immersion charters. We used to live in Brooklyn and I found the Hill closest to my experience in NYC in comparison to other DC neighborhoods. But like the previous poster, we were priced out of the neighborhood when we finally were in a position to buy. We could have bought our rental, but it was too small for a growing family. We ended up in Takoma Park MD for a few reasons. Primarily because we could get more house compared to the Hill, TP feels closer to our lifestyle in Brooklyn, and frankly, we didn't see a path to MS and HS staying in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

+1 We use to rent a house on the Hill, zoned for Maury, but sent our kid to one of the language immersion charters. We used to live in Brooklyn and I found the Hill closest to my experience in NYC in comparison to other DC neighborhoods. But like the previous poster, we were priced out of the neighborhood when we finally were in a position to buy. We could have bought our rental, but it was too small for a growing family. We ended up in Takoma Park MD for a few reasons. Primarily because we could get more house compared to the Hill, TP feels closer to our lifestyle in Brooklyn, and frankly, we didn't see a path to MS and HS staying in DC.

Is it possible that you have made the same determination had you stayed in Brooklyn? To move out to the suburbs for more space and a clearer path to decent middle and high school? In other words, is this a problem for all urban neighborhoods, or is it something especially problematic about Capitol Hill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

+1 We use to rent a house on the Hill, zoned for Maury, but sent our kid to one of the language immersion charters. We used to live in Brooklyn and I found the Hill closest to my experience in NYC in comparison to other DC neighborhoods. But like the previous poster, we were priced out of the neighborhood when we finally were in a position to buy. We could have bought our rental, but it was too small for a growing family. We ended up in Takoma Park MD for a few reasons. Primarily because we could get more house compared to the Hill, TP feels closer to our lifestyle in Brooklyn, and frankly, we didn't see a path to MS and HS staying in DC.

Is it possible that you have made the same determination had you stayed in Brooklyn? To move out to the suburbs for more space and a clearer path to decent middle and high school? In other words, is this a problem for all urban neighborhoods, or is it something especially problematic about Capitol Hill?

Not the pp, but I'll bite,as an ex-Brooklynite. Of course, there's an exodus of people from the city (THAT city, not the district) all the time for schools. But there are also a ton more school options. A lot larger population and functional transit does wonders, as does an application middle and high school policy with... as I've said, a lot of options. DC doesn't have that. It has a much healthier charter school thing going; but there's only so much you can do with luck of the draw. We did okay with it, we rented in a good neighborhood with a good middle and high school as well. But when it came time to buy, the in-city options were grim compared to the close in burbs. I'm not knocking Capitol Hill, if we could afford it, I'd move there, go with Stuart Hobson and try to get the kid into Ellington or SWW. Kid has a pretty good shot at both. We only have the one, so we're also fortunate, in terms of how much space we need. But there's nothing. Seriously nothing there we could afford.

And also, not for nothing, I've lived in gentrifying neighborhoods my entire life. There's a certain tolerance I have... and there's a certain tolerance I do not. I do not want to live in a place where everyone hates me and my kids. I feel a lot of tension when I walk around the Hill, and I don't get that vibe at all in silver spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

+1 We use to rent a house on the Hill, zoned for Maury, but sent our kid to one of the language immersion charters. We used to live in Brooklyn and I found the Hill closest to my experience in NYC in comparison to other DC neighborhoods. But like the previous poster, we were priced out of the neighborhood when we finally were in a position to buy. We could have bought our rental, but it was too small for a growing family. We ended up in Takoma Park MD for a few reasons. Primarily because we could get more house compared to the Hill, TP feels closer to our lifestyle in Brooklyn, and frankly, we didn't see a path to MS and HS staying in DC.

Is it possible that you have made the same determination had you stayed in Brooklyn? To move out to the suburbs for more space and a clearer path to decent middle and high school? In other words, is this a problem for all urban neighborhoods, or is it something especially problematic about Capitol Hill?

OP here: no, because in Brooklyn we had a good middle school path and plenty of application high schools to consider. I liked our life on the Hill, but school options are not there, at least not for MS. I didn't want to take a chance on DCI (too new and too far away), hoping to get the 5 OOB spots at Deal is delusional and although I like the curriculum at BASIS, didn't think it was a good fit for my kid. Can't afford private school--so moved to TP where we are zoned for a diverse GS 10 MS or attend the diverse IB/language program at SSIMS (GS 7). Both great opportunities for our child to attend schools with neighborhood friends. Not saying there are no problems in MCPS, but so far the balance between neighborhood kids going to the same school, which was not our experience going to a charter school living on the Hill, and opportunities for advanced curriculum in math and science is working for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm AA and left for the burbs because I sought more diversity for my children. DC is pretty segregated along race and class.

I am considering a move to the DC area from Brooklyn and am also concerned about the lack of diversity in many of the neighborhoods I have looked at in the District. Several people have told me I may find more diversity in certain suburbs - Silver Springs and Takoma Park? Are there others I should consider? I was very reluctant to consider suburban living because I love urban life. But the things I value about urban life - walkability to local businesses/parks/playgrounds, diversity (racial/religious/socio-economic/family makeup), and community activism/involvement - I am realizing are not a guarantee in the District. If these things are priorities for me - along with schools and, let's be honest, getting more house for the money - which suburbs should I consider?

NP, NYC transplant here. We are from Manhattan so not exactly the same as Brooklyn but struggled at first with the move for the same reasons you've mentioned. I found everything west of the park to be painfully suburban. We ended up in what they're calling North Shaw now (I know, I know, but I'm lazy and it's an easy description) and it's not so bad. It's not NYC, but it's pretty lively, good restaurants, walkable (we don't own a car) and relatively diverse. Having just looked around, the cost per square foot is very high here relative to other neighborhoods but it probably won't phase you if you're coming from New York. Everything still feels like a deal here. Our DCPS schools, especially at the upper levels, are stiff iffy though.

I wanted to weigh in specifically on this question, since we moved (not from NYC but from another major city) and ended up buying in Silver Spring. For us, because we already had school-aged kids, we wanted someplace that was walkable to public transportation and amenities but where we could feel comfortable with the school situation even if we didn't get one of the handful of spots that came open at that grade.

Now, PP might have a different financial situation coming from NYC. We had a budget of about $650K to spend on a house and that just wasn't getting us anything in the District. I'm really happy with where we landed, though. Our local public is extremely diverse and our kids are doing well, we are walkable to Metro and shops/schools/restaurants, and we have about 1400 square feet plus a small yard, which feels just right for our family. For us, Silver Spring gave us the diversity that we wanted as a family with kids of different backgrounds, as well as letting us live with a minimal dependence on our car.

We bought within that budget, on Capitol Hill, 4 years ago. We have all the things you're talking about, are closer in and have 1.5x the number of square feet. Maybe you bought in the last year or two and were just barely priced-out? Otherwise, I'm confused by your post.

I'm the PP and we did buy relatively recently. I have to agree with another PP, though, that you have got to be using a very generous definition of "on Capitol Hill." I just did a search of homes zoned for Maury and there was nothing other than condos under $750K, and nothing approaching 2000 square feet (which you claim to have) for under $1 million. When I expand the search to the entire Hill, not just the part zoned for Maury, there's still nothing under $995,000 at that square footage.

If you have that kind of money, Capitol Hill is an amazing choice. I didn't, and a lot of folks don't. For those of use with a housing budget of under $1 million, who want walkability, diversity, and decent public schools without the charter lottery (or who have kids too old to get into the lottery), the close-in suburbs on the Metro line are the most logical choice.

This is not meant to slag off the Hill or any other part of DC. I'm not one of the folks on this thread saying DC has nothing to offer. DC has tons to offer if you can afford it. I'm just saying that many of us ended up either leaving the district or moving to the suburbs out of economic necessity as housing prices have skyrocketed while the charter school system has sucked any momentum out of the neighborhood school option. Since this thread started with someone upset at people leaving for the suburbs, it's relevant to talk about the challenges of staying in the city if you didn't buy five years ago but would like to own a home at some point.

+1 We use to rent a house on the Hill, zoned for Maury, but sent our kid to one of the language immersion charters. We used to live in Brooklyn and I found the Hill closest to my experience in NYC in comparison to other DC neighborhoods. But like the previous poster, we were priced out of the neighborhood when we finally were in a position to buy. We could have bought our rental, but it was too small for a growing family. We ended up in Takoma Park MD for a few reasons. Primarily because we could get more house compared to the Hill, TP feels closer to our lifestyle in Brooklyn, and frankly, we didn't see a path to MS and HS staying in DC.

Is it possible that you have made the same determination had you stayed in Brooklyn? To move out to the suburbs for more space and a clearer path to decent middle and high school? In other words, is this a problem for all urban neighborhoods, or is it something especially problematic about Capitol Hill?

OP here: no, because in Brooklyn we had a good middle school path and plenty of application high schools to consider. I liked our life on the Hill, but school options are not there, at least not for MS. I didn't want to take a chance on DCI (too new and too far away), hoping to get the 5 OOB spots at Deal is delusional and although I like the curriculum at BASIS, didn't think it was a good fit for my kid. Can't afford private school--so moved to TP where we are zoned for a diverse GS 10 MS or attend the diverse IB/language program at SSIMS (GS 7). Both great opportunities for our child to attend schools with neighborhood friends. Not saying there are no problems in MCPS, but so far the balance between neighborhood kids going to the same school, which was not our experience going to a charter school living on the Hill, and opportunities for advanced curriculum in math and science is working for my kid.

Great Schools? The PARCC info is more reliable.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like most of the people on this thread who were formerly in nyc were renting there, and in some cases pre-kids. That's a different story. You can suck it up and rent a small place in a very fun walkable area. Had you stayed, could you have afforded a row house in Park Slope? If you could, then you could also afford Eastern Market here in DC or really any nice DC neighborhood. If, on the other hand, you are moving to SS or TP because you can't afford $1m, then it is possible you would have ended up in New Jersey had you stayed in nyc. The small apartment would have gotten old pretty soon after the arrival of your second kid. So this is not really a dc vs nyc thing it's a childfree renting versus parent homeowner thing. Indeed DC is a lot cheaper to buy which is a big attraction. You can own square footage in neighborhoods here that would be totally out of reach there.