Does anyone else hate Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

Whitman added an extension building because enrollmnet was so high. Walter Johnson is one of the highest population schools in the county. Nearly all Whitman feeder ESes are over capacity. The middle school feeder (Pyle) was the most overcrowded middle school in the county until the recent addition.

But... everyone sends their kids to private?

Now.. I will agree that privates are popular in Bethesda, but I saw a big uptick during/after Covid. If you look at the current dumpster fire of scandal-ridden and mismanaged MCPS, it's not really surprising.

As for commute, we live in "suburban" Bethesda and there's a Ride-On bus in front of our house that runs every 15-20 minutes to DT Bethesda. I'll take that if I need to metro to DC for meetings.. easier than driving.

[Anonymous]

It took me a couple years after moving to the burbs to find my community. Probably the biggest pluses have been joining a neighborhood pool in a different nearby neighborhood that I've found is much friendlier and has more kids. I've also gotten involved in community activities where I've been able to meet more people that share my interests. I'm a lot happier now than I was in the year or two after moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’ve lived here for 3 years and dislike the area. Everyone said Bethesda was amazing - great schools, easy commute to DC, nice DT. What we’ve found is that most people in our neighborhood send their kids to private schools, so the great schools don’t seem to matter. The commute to DC is good, but the only option is driving unless you live in or near the congested DT area near the metro.

Most love it. You're an anomaly. I'm guessing you'd find problems with any neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Um....no. If you hate, you're making an effort to hate it and no effort to enjoy it. I've lived a lot of places and this is a genuinely nice place to live. There are trade-offs to things being convenient. I'm cool with that.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Bethesda a few miles from downtown. Couldn't afford to buy there as an adult. We landed in Silver Spring outside the Beltway. I would not want to move to where I grew up. It's so expensive now and DH and I would not fit in there. Also wasn't truly walkable to anything where I was. We love our current neighborhood and feel like we've found our people here.

Downtown Bethesda has a lot going for it. I'd love to live walkable to there but that's definitely out of reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Bethesda a few miles from downtown. Couldn't afford to buy there as an adult. We landed in Silver Spring outside the Beltway. I would not want to move to where I grew up. It's so expensive now and DH and I would not fit in there. Also wasn't truly walkable to anything where I was. We love our current neighborhood and feel like we've found our people here.

Downtown Bethesda has a lot going for it. I'd love to live walkable to there but that's definitely out of reach.

Same (had to double check I didn’t write this)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t like it or the people. When I am out there, it usually makes me sad.

Are you talking downtown Bethesda? The suburban neighborhoods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you picked the wrong neighborhood for you.

Agree. I live in Wyngate and it’s full of kids who go to the local schools. Easy to get around by bike or Ride On to the metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’ve lived here for 3 years and dislike the area. Everyone said Bethesda was amazing - great schools, easy commute to DC, nice DT. What we’ve found is that most people in our neighborhood send their kids to private schools, so the great schools don’t seem to matter. The commute to DC is good, but the only option is driving unless you live in or near the congested DT area near the metro.

Its fine for what it is, a bit overrated in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in CC spending most of my time in Bethesda. I share your sentiment. I now live in a lovely part of NoVa and find it to be way happier, more diverse, less elitist, and safer as well. Maybe part of it is because I went to UVA and become more Virginia-ey, but yeah I would never move back to MoCo unless you paid me.

[Anonymous]

I thought the people were very aggressive. Always yelling in the parking lots. In stores. It was a big joke around how much shouting went on. Much quieter more polite in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Downtown Bethesda has worse traffic than DC. Such a mess, it's not pleasant. I abhor our weekly drive to/from for a medical appointment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought the people were very aggressive. Always yelling in the parking lots. In stores. It was a big joke around how much shouting went on. Much quieter more polite in Virginia.

Geez, no one believes this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Five years ago, I think the nicer parts of Bethesda were 75/25 or 80/20 public/private enrollment. During the pandemic, many families moved their kids to private and have kept them there. I suspect the pendulum will swing back to public in a few years.

It’s already swung back in our Bethesda neighborhood, which is now about 80/20 public/private (Whitman cluster).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in CC spending most of my time in Bethesda. I share your sentiment. I now live in a lovely part of NoVa and find it to be way happier, more diverse, less elitist, and safer as well. Maybe part of it is because I went to UVA and become more Virginia-ey, but yeah I would never move back to MoCo unless you paid me.

Close-in VA so much nicer now. Amazon and all the businesses have changed it even more. National Landing and the pedestrian areas are really moving forward. It's clean.

Walkability from your SFH is 100% better than Bethesda. Literally a block or two to anything you need--dentist, vet, WF, Trader's, Gyms (so many studios and gyms), trails, parks, Metro, etc. 5 min to Reagan National Airport. 1.5 miles from Georgetown--so quick to the Kennedy Center, downtown, etc. $10 Ubers to anywhere in DC.

BUT--the best and what all my MD & DC friends (and NY and Conn. friends) complain they don't have: in-state options for college. This, by far, IS IT. Instead of just UMD CP--we have UVA, VA Tech, William & Mary (the big 3 and such variety: small liberal arts, big Tech univ, and a mix of both), JMU, VCU (great for arts), GMU, CNU, Radford.