Relocating - Searching for a neighborhood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When are you moving? If you are moving for this school year then you need to move to a place where you can use the IB school because you will not be able to get an OOB spot in DCPS or a charter spot at this time for this year.

You might consider Mount Pleasant...leafy, suburban feeling close in. Very diverse. On bus lines and the green line - Columbia Heights stop. The IB school, Bancroft, is dual language. There are a lot of neighborhood families excited about the school but it is definitely an up-and-comer, not an established school like Oyster.

The old adage about Brazil "it's the country of the future, and always will be" could also be said of Bancroft. People have been hoping it would improve for a very long time, and it never does.

[Anonymous]

Take a look at Tenleytown and Friendship Heights, too. Both red line and you could get something for your budget. The IB privates are very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park is the obvious choice. With that budget, you can buy within walking distance to Metro and not have to worry about the whole lottery/charter/OOB gamble that you would have to contend with in the District. You could also apply for Spanish or French immersion programs within MCPS.

But the bolded above is a huge gamble also - I think Oyster is the no-brainer here.

[Anonymous]

Were you guys in that episode of Modern Family?

[Anonymous]

Silver spring and Takoma park has a 35% African Americans I think it would be a good fit. My only concern is that the AA community can be less open to gays then other demographics.

Here is a thread on takoma park.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/307049.page

[Anonymous]

We live in Sligo Park Hills in 20910 and adore it. (We moved from DC). We are also multi-racial family. We can walk everywhere but it is very leafy community with lovely neighbors. It also can be cheaper than Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

Lots of families with small children near Van Ness metro but they tend to go private once they hit elementary. I believe there are good elementary schools in the area but make sure you research it carefully.

The Cleveland park/DC area is closer to the greener parts of NYC (assuming you were living in NYC proper or Brooklyn). If you leave the district, there are tons of walkable areas but you will need to live near a metro.

[Anonymous]

dsmoves wrote:The kids are 7 and 5.

We're in a very suburban-feeling part of NYC right now. There are lots of trees, parks, etc., but you can still hail a cab or get on the subway a few blocks away. My guess is we'd pick a suburban feel over urban... as long as that didn't mean we'd feel like we were in the middle of nowhere or couldn't go out to eat.

One of us will be working in DC on 17th and K, so commute will be important, too.

Honestly, commute should drive your decision, because pretty much all of the areas you mentioned are pretty progressive. But the commute could be vastly different.

Have you driven down to the area? Come down, get a hotel, and do a few test drives from those neighborhoods to your expected place of work. It really is amazing how what seems like a short distance can turn into a nightmare commute in rush hour DC traffic. During certain times of day, it can take an hour to get from Capitol Hill to Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only DOMA section 3 was overturned. Section 2 is still valid. States do not have to recognize gay marriages celebrated in other states as they do opposite-sex marriages. VA may not be hostile, but it is not supportive either.

Another PP here. Yeah, I second this. I wouldn't risk it moving to VA. I think there are still too many legal question marks in states that don't recognize (and still don't have to) gay marriage, especially if you have children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

dsmoves wrote:The kids are 7 and 5.

We're in a very suburban-feeling part of NYC right now. There are lots of trees, parks, etc., but you can still hail a cab or get on the subway a few blocks away. My guess is we'd pick a suburban feel over urban... as long as that didn't mean we'd feel like we were in the middle of nowhere or couldn't go out to eat.

One of us will be working in DC on 17th and K, so commute will be important, too.

Honestly, commute should drive your decision, because pretty much all of the areas you mentioned are pretty progressive. But the commute could be vastly different.

Have you driven down to the area? Come down, get a hotel, and do a few test drives from those neighborhoods to your expected place of work. It really is amazing how what seems like a short distance can turn into a nightmare commute in rush hour DC traffic. During certain times of day, it can take an hour to get from Capitol Hill to Georgetown.

I agree commute is important, but I would disagree that you should assume you are driving. 17th and K is Farragut North (a block from Farragut West), so finding something near a red line station would work well (or you could metro from Capitol Hill as well).

[Anonymous]

Bannockburn! It's a close-knit neighborhood in Bethesda. You and your children will feel very comfortable there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of families with small children near Van Ness metro but they tend to go private once they hit elementary. I believe there are good elementary schools in the area but make sure you research it carefully.

The Cleveland park/DC area is closer to the greener parts of NYC (assuming you were living in NYC proper or Brooklyn). If you leave the district, there are tons of walkable areas but you will need to live near a metro.

Not true about kids near Van Ness, at least north of the metro station, which feeds Murch and Deal. Most kids in that neighborhood go to Murch, and many/most stay on to Deal. It is true that people in the Hearst neighborhood (south of Yuma, I believe?) are more likely to go private.

I think Cleveland Park is also a great choice--Eaton is a very nice school--although $900K is probably not realistic there.

Also want to reinforce what others are saying about Virginia. It's true that Arlington and Alexandria are progressive enclaves, but Virginia is still unremittingly conservative at the state level, and Arlington and Alexandria are not exempt from the retrograde policy decisions--about LGBT issues, immigration, health care, women's health, voting rights, etc.--made in Richmond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn! It's a close-knit neighborhood in Bethesda. You and your children will feel very comfortable there.

I would never raise kids in Bannockburn. The "hook-up" culture there is out of control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of families with small children near Van Ness metro but they tend to go private once they hit elementary. I believe there are good elementary schools in the area but make sure you research it carefully.

The Cleveland park/DC area is closer to the greener parts of NYC (assuming you were living in NYC proper or Brooklyn). If you leave the district, there are tons of walkable areas but you will need to live near a metro.

Not true about kids near Van Ness, at least north of the metro station, which feeds Murch and Deal. Most kids in that neighborhood go to Murch, and many/most stay on to Deal. It is true that people in the Hearst neighborhood (south of Yuma, I believe?) are more likely to go private.

I think Cleveland Park is also a great choice--Eaton is a very nice school--although $900K is probably not realistic there.

Also want to reinforce what others are saying about Virginia. It's true that Arlington and Alexandria are progressive enclaves, but Virginia is still unremittingly conservative at the state level, and Arlington and Alexandria are not exempt from the retrograde policy decisions--about LGBT issues, immigration, health care, women's health, voting rights, etc.--made in Richmond.

Yes - I agree. I was referring to Hearst.

[Anonymous]

Eastern Market is very gay friendly, if that's the right way to put it. I have no idea how the school there is, but if schools weren't a factor, that would probably be the #1 spot for you. Maybe somebody else on here could tell you.

Forget chevy chase - that's just a bunch of snobs and not very progressive either. but nice.

silver spring is a lower echelon (sp?) than what you are looking for.

Wit your budget, I think you can do much better than takoma park too.