where should we move?! around 650k, kids, work downtown dc...

[Anonymous]

I welcome all your opinions! We currently live 16th st heights DC but have baby and toddler and while we will try the charter school/OOB thing for a while, we are most likely looking at moving for better schools--plus I feel like we are not really in "the city" as it stands--I hvae to take a bus to the metro every day, so my commute to my downtown job is still nearly an hour.

So, we are looking for family friendly neighborhood with good schools all the way to high school, and a not horrible commute to DC (yes, the holy grail, I know).

House: We can afford probably 6 to 700k (depending on what our house sells for); would prefer 4 bedroom, but 3 with a renovated basement or extra den, etc, might work (we have 2 little ones and an older one, part time—the ilttle ones can share a room for a while, I think). A small yard would be nice.

Commute: work near Penn quarter, parking is expensive, so would love metro or bus accessible. DH will most likely change jobs so his commute not yet a factor but likely will also be in DC.

Neightborhood Amenities—I’m not going to be too picky here, but a decent grocery store or too and not feeling like I live in strip mall heaven would be nice. Good parks, a couple restaurants, etc.

so, what neighborhoods should we target? I feel like I know nothing about MD or VA, except that we go to the downtown silver spring (AFI and farmer's market)....and that we can't afford Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I live in the Truro neighborhood in Annandale and commute downtown. 30 minutes with no traffic, 45 minutes more typically. I drive, but my neighbor takes a bus to metro and has a less than an hour commute in.

Great schools, trails and playgrounds, very family friendly, 4 bedroom solidly within your budget.

[Anonymous]

The parts of Kensington that feed in to Parkwood ES, North Besthesda Middle and Walter Johnson would fit your bill. The houses in that price range go quickly, so be prepared to act. It would also be likely that your house would be 3 bedrooms plus a basement, or if you are ok with 2 up and 2 down, a cape.

[Anonymous]

Downtown Silver Spring (the Woodsides) up to the Beltway (incl. Woodmoor) might be a good bet...good schools, great commute (30 minutes by car to White House), metro is accessible, and good family neighborhoods. you should be able to find a decent amount of house in your price range.

[Anonymous]

SILVER SPRING...FOREST GLEN OR 4 CORNERS

[Anonymous]

Just curious. We have lived in 16th Street Heights and work downtown too. The express bus on 16th street gets me door to door 30 minutes or less. Really an hour?

Anonymous wrote:I welcome all your opinions! We currently live 16th st heights DC but have baby and toddler and while we will try the charter school/OOB thing for a while, we are most likely looking at moving for better schools--plus I feel like we are not really in "the city" as it stands--I hvae to take a bus to the metro every day, so my commute to my downtown job is still nearly an hour.

So, we are looking for family friendly neighborhood with good schools all the way to high school, and a not horrible commute to DC (yes, the holy grail, I know).

House: We can afford probably 6 to 700k (depending on what our house sells for); would prefer 4 bedroom, but 3 with a renovated basement or extra den, etc, might work (we have 2 little ones and an older one, part time—the ilttle ones can share a room for a while, I think). A small yard would be nice.

Commute: work near Penn quarter, parking is expensive, so would love metro or bus accessible. DH will most likely change jobs so his commute not yet a factor but likely will also be in DC.

Neightborhood Amenities—I’m not going to be too picky here, but a decent grocery store or too and not feeling like I live in strip mall heaven would be nice. Good parks, a couple restaurants, etc.

so, what neighborhoods should we target? I feel like I know nothing about MD or VA, except that we go to the downtown silver spring (AFI and farmer's market)....and that we can't afford Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Agree with 13:21. Also, Ashburton/Wildwood neighborhoods in Bethesda feed into good schools (Ashburton ES/N. Bethesda MS/Walter Johnson HS), have easy access to Grosvenor Metro, and houses in your price range.

[Anonymous]

You could maybe afford Arlington, you'd just have to compromise. We found a 4BR/2BA in North Arlington for under $600K last year. 0.12 acre yard, driveway, finished basement, living room and family room. The bedrooms are split between the main level and upper level (it's a cape) and the bathrooms aren't renovated, but the schools and neighborhood are great. I commute into Penn Quarter using metro from Ballston. (monthly pass at the Ballston Commons mall.) Things go quickly here though so you'd have to be prepared to snap something up right after you see it, and 4 BR is tough at that price range.

[Anonymous]

Ha - we have two little ones and are just about to move TO 16th Street Heights BECAUSE of the schools (Deal, we are in a charter for elem). Different strokes.

[Anonymous]

with that budget and two kids we bought a SFH in CC DC and are very happy so far (our schools are Murch, Deal and Wilson, one kids in ES, the other in daycare). I work downtown and commute by metro, my DH works in Rockville and drives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Downtown Silver Spring (the Woodsides) up to the Beltway (incl. Woodmoor) might be a good bet...good schools, great commute (30 minutes by car to White House), metro is accessible, and good family neighborhoods. you should be able to find a decent amount of house in your price range.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:with that budget and two kids we bought a SFH in CC DC and are very happy so far (our schools are Murch, Deal and Wilson, one kids in ES, the other in daycare). I work downtown and commute by metro, my DH works in Rockville and drives

You will get a teeny, tiny rambler with old fashioned kitchen and bathrooms for 650K in CC DC. Get real. You need min 800k to get an updated house with 3 full bedrooms (and not some little nursey/sewing room for the 3rd bedroom, a real bedroom that can accommodate a twin bed)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The parts of Kensington that feed in to Parkwood ES, North Besthesda Middle and Walter Johnson would fit your bill. The houses in that price range go quickly, so be prepared to act. It would also be likely that your house would be 3 bedrooms plus a basement, or if you are ok with 2 up and 2 down, a cape.

+1 Kensington has some shops that are walkable. Also, you may want to check out areas of North Bethesda near the White Flint or Grosvenor metro. The commute from there to Penn quarter should be about 30 minutes.

[Anonymous]

PP here. To clarify, the commute from those two metro stops is about 30 minutes. Not sure about Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Don't buy in The Lafayette school district. The school has the worst test scores of all upper NW schools. Our kids learned very Lipitor during their time there due to over crowding and sub par teachers. Janney an Eaton families seem happy and the scores are much better in those schools.