Cultural differences between Rockville vs. Takoma Park?

[Anonymous]

I haven't met many homeschoolers beyond preschool. From everyone we have met private school is about as common as public school. I haven't met anyone that openly polygamous either.

On lawyers - lawyers are to the DMV what alligators are to Florida. There is one nearby every 10 feet. I don't think that there is ANY area in the DMV that doesn't have lawyers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had no idea the heart of Langley Park was technically TP. It goes all the way to New Hampshire and University

This can't be the TP people are raving about

I was thinking that, too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by non-trad family?

I'm asking because I know gay families happily living in straight-laced neighborhoods (Chevy Chase) and cul-de-sacs (Howard and AA counties).

OP here. We're a polyamorous marriage.

Rockville has been great BTW. Everyone has been super cool.

So you invite all your lovers to the family thanksgiving, eh?

Yep.

So your kids know mommy and daddy are bunking a bunch of people on the side?

OP here. We're not bunking a bunch of people on the side. I'd otherwise be happy clarify what I mean by a polyamorous marriage, but I sense that you're just trying to cast aspersions.

My child has an incredible life, and I am very grateful for that.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in TPKP for 8 years and we do know one openly polyamorous couple in TKPK. OP, you'll be fine here.

[Anonymous]

I found people in Rockville far more humble and down to earth. They make jokes about Rockville. They have no problem with whether Rockville is considered not hip or not cool. They'd simply laugh and say well I'm not cool either and be on their way. TP feels much more judgmental. Its cliquey and the classes/sub areas tends to stick together. The obsession with the magnets is disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I found people in Rockville far more humble and down to earth. They make jokes about Rockville. They have no problem with whether Rockville is considered not hip or not cool. They'd simply laugh and say well I'm not cool either and be on their way. TP feels much more judgmental. Its cliquey and the classes/sub areas tends to stick together. The obsession with the magnets is disturbing.

Agree on the judgmental in TP — very much so. However, the magnets are largely the obsession of people who do not live in TP (and who are on this list serve). Most kids in TP are not in the magnets and they generally are into interesting things and do great.

- Longtime TP resident

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found people in Rockville far more humble and down to earth. They make jokes about Rockville. They have no problem with whether Rockville is considered not hip or not cool. They'd simply laugh and say well I'm not cool either and be on their way. TP feels much more judgmental. Its cliquey and the classes/sub areas tends to stick together. The obsession with the magnets is disturbing.

Agree on the judgmental in TP — very much so. However, the magnets are largely the obsession of people who do not live in TP (and who are on this list serve). Most kids in TP are not in the magnets and they generally are into interesting things and do great.

- Longtime TP resident

I live in TP and don't think we are an overly judgmental group (except about Republicans). I find people to be pretty self-deprecating and think it's so super ridiculous the amount of angst there is about developing a parking lot or cutting down a tree. We even have our own little version of the Onion - Takoma Torch - which is soley focused on Takoma Park being sooo "Takoma Park".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found people in Rockville far more humble and down to earth. They make jokes about Rockville. They have no problem with whether Rockville is considered not hip or not cool. They'd simply laugh and say well I'm not cool either and be on their way. TP feels much more judgmental. Its cliquey and the classes/sub areas tends to stick together. The obsession with the magnets is disturbing.

Agree on the judgmental in TP — very much so. However, the magnets are largely the obsession of people who do not live in TP (and who are on this list serve). Most kids in TP are not in the magnets and they generally are into interesting things and do great.

- Longtime TP resident

I live in TP and don't think we are an overly judgmental group (except about Republicans). I find people to be pretty self-deprecating and think it's so super ridiculous the amount of angst there is about developing a parking lot or cutting down a tree. We even have our own little version of the Onion - Takoma Torch - which is soley focused on Takoma Park being sooo "Takoma Park".

Or a caricature of it. Sort of the other person was talking about being Academic. More interesting than it really is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had no idea the heart of Langley Park was technically TP. It goes all the way to New Hampshire and University

This can't be the TP people are raving about

I was thinking that, too!

Me three, surprised that isn’t the defining thought of when the name comes up. I guess most middle class people have never been there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A striver is the term for someone focused on positioning and rankings above actual results while an academic (as a pejorative) is an over educated nerd who tries to flex their educational chops or title to compensate for lower income comparatively. They do thing that they think makes them look interesting or deep similar to how pretty people over exaggerate on Instagram pictures.

Somewhat agree.

A striver is going for the expensive historic house or hoping to upgrade as soon as they can. A striver moved because of the magnet ranking and is intent that their kid get into the magnet. A striver will be in the admin office at PBES on day 2 going off on how little Brodie or little Ivy is not being challenged. A striver will have a stash of prep books hidden in their desk. When their kid does OK on the test, it will be due to natural genius not all the hours with the secret books that the kid lets on about with friends and teachers. A striver will humble brag about loving diversity and that why they moved there but then will be only be friends with the people at their own "level". A striver is usually an intense hypocrite.

An academic in this context is anyone that either A.) has any job in a university or B.) graduated from a well known university with a degree that you can not do much with so you end up in odd administrative type jobs. This groups loves the descriptor "academic" because they know it sounds like you are talking about a tenured professor or expert in their field. There are no experts here only the vast array of lower paid support people that surround them or the English lit major that is managing events for a non profit.

I don't find TP hippie at all. The young residents are very interested in being perceived as being hip. There are some that like the idea of being a hippie but are more faux hippies. The crunchiness is far more mainstream crunchiness now.

Whatever. You sound bitter and eager to put people in snooty boxes that upset you.

A striver is someone who is always looking for better, and probably is well positioned to get there.

An academic is a professor or writer or researcher.

And sometimes, kids do well and score high because they just....do well and score high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I found people in Rockville far more humble and down to earth. They make jokes about Rockville. They have no problem with whether Rockville is considered not hip or not cool. They'd simply laugh and say well I'm not cool either and be on their way. TP feels much more judgmental. Its cliquey and the classes/sub areas tends to stick together. The obsession with the magnets is disturbing.


Agree on the judgmental in TP — very much so. However, the magnets are largely the obsession of people who do not live in TP (and who are on this list serve). Most kids in TP are not in the magnets and they generally are into interesting things and do great.

- Longtime TP resident

Maybe it calms down after 6th grade when its pretty much done who gets in and who does not but in elementary school the amount of CES and magnet obsession is over the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I found people in Rockville far more humble and down to earth. They make jokes about Rockville. They have no problem with whether Rockville is considered not hip or not cool. They'd simply laugh and say well I'm not cool either and be on their way. TP feels much more judgmental. Its cliquey and the classes/sub areas tends to stick together. The obsession with the magnets is disturbing.


Agree on the judgmental in TP — very much so. However, the magnets are largely the obsession of people who do not live in TP (and who are on this list serve). Most kids in TP are not in the magnets and they generally are into interesting things and do great.

- Longtime TP resident

Maybe it calms down after 6th grade when its pretty much done who gets in and who does not but in elementary school the amount of CES and magnet obsession is over the top.

Hmmm, not among parents where I live in TP.

--TP resident and parent of an two kids in elementary school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by non-trad family?

I'm asking because I know gay families happily living in straight-laced neighborhoods (Chevy Chase) and cul-de-sacs (Howard and AA counties).

OP here. We're a polyamorous marriage.

Rockville has been great BTW. Everyone has been super cool.

So you invite all your lovers to the family thanksgiving, eh?

Yep.

So your kids know mommy and daddy are bunking a bunch of people on the side?

OP here. We're not bunking a bunch of people on the side. I'd otherwise be happy clarify what I mean by a polyamorous marriage, but I sense that you're just trying to cast aspersions.

My child has an incredible life, and I am very grateful for that.

I suspect you're more into trying to be alternative and describing yourself as "polyamorous" to be cool and distinctive when in reality you're just a boring conventional couple just like everyone else. Everyone is technically "polyamorous" in that we're fully capable of being attracted to multiple people, so what's so special about you? Do you go around telling all your neighbors you're polyamorous and start support groups for polyamorous couples and tell your kid how open minded you are because you're polyamorous (even though you aren't bunking a bunch of people on the side?). That's where I'm confused at wanting to be in Takoma Park because it's apparently "polyamorous friendly?" Because how would people know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by non-trad family?

I'm asking because I know gay families happily living in straight-laced neighborhoods (Chevy Chase) and cul-de-sacs (Howard and AA counties).

OP here. We're a polyamorous marriage.

Rockville has been great BTW. Everyone has been super cool.

So you invite all your lovers to the family thanksgiving, eh?

Yep.

So your kids know mommy and daddy are bunking a bunch of people on the side?

OP here. We're not bunking a bunch of people on the side. I'd otherwise be happy clarify what I mean by a polyamorous marriage, but I sense that you're just trying to cast aspersions.

My child has an incredible life, and I am very grateful for that.

I suspect you're more into trying to be alternative and describing yourself as "polyamorous" to be cool and distinctive when in reality you're just a boring conventional couple just like everyone else. Everyone is technically "polyamorous" in that we're fully capable of being attracted to multiple people, so what's so special about you? Do you go around telling all your neighbors you're polyamorous and start support groups for polyamorous couples and tell your kid how open minded you are because you're polyamorous (even though you aren't bunking a bunch of people on the side?). That's where I'm confused at wanting to be in Takoma Park because it's apparently "polyamorous friendly?" Because how would people know?

OP here. You don't seem very informed about how polyamorous relationships work. You also seem to have a desire to make me feel bad, which is sad.

When I say that I am in a "polyamorous marriage," I don't mean that I am in an "open marriage" or that I am "attracted to multiple people." I mean that I am in a long-term committed relationship with multiple people whom I live with and co-parent with. I don't go around telling people this, because I don't want to illicit random hostility (as I am experiencing in my conversation with you). However, the unusual composition of my household is obvious to anyone who sees the family pictures in my house or who hears my child mention having three parents. So sometimes it comes up.

I never said that I wanted to move to Takoma Park because they were poly-friendly. As you indicated, it doesn't usually come up. I just mentioned that I had a non-traditional family and clarified that we were poly when someone asked for additional detail.

[Anonymous]

For what it is worth, I know two polyamorous families, and I'm on the border of Takoma Park. They are, like OP, in committed relationships and raising children together.

I won't say no one ever bats an eye, since it does take a tiny bit of clarification at times, but I have never heard any judgement. More like an "Oh, okay. Duly noted."