Moving to Maryland - Can you help me narrow my search for neighborhoods?

[Anonymous]

Toddler stuff - oh, yes - a ton of stuff - and cheaper than NYC, I think. Plus, there's a ton of free (that's right, free) stuff in DC because of the museums (which are free ) Your best bet for finding out everything to do is to check out one of the many online resources. I like www.our-kids.com as it is comprehensive across the area. Also, some of the best children's theater in the country is in Bethesda at Imagination Stage and Glen Echo Park at Adventure Theater and The Puppet Co.

That said, it's not like the City - you will have to drive 5-20 minutes to get to any of these activities, or Metro to DC.

Some other websites to help you:

www.imaginationstage.org
www.strathmore.org
www.visartscenter.org
www.littlegym.com
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rectmpl.asp?url=/content/rec/index.asp (recreational guide for all the county programs, including swimming lessons, movement, sports, arts, etc.)
www.jccgw.org (The Jewish Community Center has lots of stuff for little ones)
www.ymcadc.org (The Y also has lots of stuff - but is not as convenient - about 5 minutes further away)

And the list goes on.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP -
I have not read thru all the other posts, but I am a DC native that has moved away from DC and come back twice. So I have a really good perspective on how we compare to other cities.

My advice: BUY INSIDE THE BELTWAY. Anything "inside the beltway" is coveted. And if your DH works in Bethesda, you don't want him traveling the beltway. the traffic is treacherous :O

*In the DC area, older construction that is inside the beltway is sought after and you will get your investment back.
*These areas include: Bethesda (20816, 20814, 20817), Chevy Chase (20815) You cannot go wrong in these zip codes, especially 20816 and 20815.
*They have the best schools in Montgomery County. All the way from Elementary thru High School.
*$1M will buy you a lot of house in these areas, but less land. Homes are usually older (anywhere from 1900, but you will find knock-downs), The older homes are usually well cared for and updated, especially at the $1M level.
*If you insist on buying outside the beltway, look at Potomac. Lots are larger, homes are newer, beautiful area, Churchill HS - one of the best in the nation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP -
I have not read thru all the other posts, but I am a DC native that has moved away from DC and come back twice. So I have a really good perspective on how we compare to other cities.

My advice: BUY INSIDE THE BELTWAY. Anything "inside the beltway" is coveted. And if your DH works in Bethesda, you don't want him traveling the beltway. the traffic is treacherous :O

*In the DC area, older construction that is inside the beltway is sought after and you will get your investment back.
*These areas include: Bethesda (20816, 20814, 20817), Chevy Chase (20815) You cannot go wrong in these zip codes, especially 20816 and 20815.
*They have the best schools in Montgomery County. All the way from Elementary thru High School.
*$1M will buy you a lot of house in these areas, but less land. Homes are usually older (anywhere from 1900, but you will find knock-downs), The older homes are usually well cared for and updated, especially at the $1M level.
*If you insist on buying outside the beltway, look at Potomac. Lots are larger, homes are newer, beautiful area, Churchill HS - one of the best in the nation.

Is North Bethesda and Rockville not inside the beltway? I'm assuming the beltway is 270?

[Anonymous]

Not PP, but nope - Beltway is 495. North Bethesda is basically at the cross of 495 and 270, making it very convenient, but not inside the beltway. PP is correct, and getting something in North Bethesda is an exercise in foresight, in that the development that you are so excited about will take time to occur - and will change the nature of the area into a more urban environment. If you want that feel right away, by all means, try to find 3000 sf+ near downtown Bethesda for less than a $1MM that is either fully renovated or a brand new house. I think you'll probably be disappointed. That said there are houses in the Ashburton and Wildwood area that are inside the beltway that might qualify - both of those areas feed in to Walter Johnson.

Also, be very wary about someone saying "X is the best school" in the area or the country. It may be on some scale, but all schools have their plusses and minuses, and I do not believe you would go astray with any of the schools that have been discussed in this thread. If you are worried about status, and some are, the "status" areas (and probably the ones that are most expensive and may hold their value better) are the areas that feed into Pyle/Whitman, and the areas that feed into Churchhill. Many areas that feed into Whitman and Churchhill, however, are not "walkable", not convenient to shopping, etc., so keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

Also, if your DH works in Bethesda, the chances of him driving on the Beltway are none from North Bethesda - he'll just go down Old Georgetown Road or Rockville Pike, or take the Metro (which some view as anathema, but a NYer such as yourself may appreciate.)

[Anonymous]

OP, you are getting some good advice here, but it is all very subjective. It depends on what you are looking for in schools. I suggest researching the schools at the Montgomery Country website. Check the "at a glance" reports It will give you information about class sizes, test scores, qualified teachers, disicplinary problems etc etc.

For example, Richard Montgomery has goof test-scores, almost all highly-qualfied teachers, and 80% of students in some sort of honors program. It also has a highly-diverse student body and was completely renovated in 2007. WJ is comparable in all respects and is currently being renovated. (Obviously, the elementary school rankings will be most important to you now.)

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schoolodex/schooloverview.aspx?s=04424

Also check out www.greatschools.net

[Anonymous]

OP here again - My husband and I have decided to rent for the first year so that we can learn and become familiar with the area. We want to buy a house that we will raise our family in and do not want to make any hasty decisions. We simply can't get a feel for the neighborhoods without really living there and meeting people in the community.

We will be going down in May and checking out apartment communities.

Can you recommend some toddler friendly apt communities in North Bethesda, Rockville, Potomac or Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

I would suggest renting a home, not an apartment. You really need to "live in a neighborhood", get the feel of the area.
You can get killer deals on home rentals right now, Go on Craigslist, you will find what you need.

Again, look in Bethesda and Chevy Chase. I keep pushing these two areas because they have historically retained home values like no other area of the DC Metro, and their school are wonderful.