Best metro-accessible, walkable neighborhood for kids

[Anonymous]

Takoma DC or Takoma Park (MD) and Downtown Silver Spring.

I walk to the red line every day from my house in 20910 (DTSS), or there are bus lines 5 minute walk from my house. We walk everywhere and are a 1-car family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Metro accessible neighborhood for kids in Arlington? Everything along the Orange line is tailor made for DINKs, not kids.

Ballston / Bluemont just west of Glebe is both urban and family friendly. Or anywhere just north or south of the buildings from Ballston to Clarendon (generally north of Washington Blvd or south of Wilson Blvd).

+2 you haven’t been to Ballston in a long time if you think Ballston isn’t family friendly. The bar scene has died down significantly

I see families at the Ballston Ted’s Bulletin all the time, said no one ever.

The only neighborhoods I see families at in Arlington are in sections of South and North Arlington that are far away from the Metro. Barcroft, Penrose, Westover, etc. Westover is WAY more family friendly than anything walkable to the Orange Line stations in Arlington. There might be families there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the 20 and 30 somethings who are living in the condos than line this area. Businesses in the area - unlike businesses in a place like Westover - cater to singles and DINKs first, families are an oversight.

Huh? What types of businesses does Westover have that can’t be found in orange line neighborhoods? Restaurants, barbers, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, ice cream shop, library, playground, sports field, etc.

Seems like those are all covered.



Have you been to these areas? You seem unfamiliar.

I grew up in Clarendon. Modern-day Clarendon, Ballston and Court House are more heavily weighted toward DINKs and singles, not families. I don’t know why this is a controversial point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Metro accessible neighborhood for kids in Arlington? Everything along the Orange line is tailor made for DINKs, not kids.

Ballston / Bluemont just west of Glebe is both urban and family friendly. Or anywhere just north or south of the buildings from Ballston to Clarendon (generally north of Washington Blvd or south of Wilson Blvd).

+2 you haven’t been to Ballston in a long time if you think Ballston isn’t family friendly. The bar scene has died down significantly

I see families at the Ballston Ted’s Bulletin all the time, said no one ever.

The only neighborhoods I see families at in Arlington are in sections of South and North Arlington that are far away from the Metro. Barcroft, Penrose, Westover, etc. Westover is WAY more family friendly than anything walkable to the Orange Line stations in Arlington. There might be families there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the 20 and 30 somethings who are living in the condos than line this area. Businesses in the area - unlike businesses in a place like Westover - cater to singles and DINKs first, families are an oversight.

Huh? What types of businesses does Westover have that can’t be found in orange line neighborhoods? Restaurants, barbers, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, ice cream shop, library, playground, sports field, etc.

Seems like those are all covered.

Have you been to these areas? You seem unfamiliar.

I grew up in Clarendon. Modern-day Clarendon, Ballston and Court House are more heavily weighted toward DINKs and singles, not families. I don’t know why this is a controversial point.

Then you should be able to answer: which businesses does Westover have that Clarendon/Courthouse/Ballston don’t have? Those business that “cater to families”?

Doesn’t really matter - OP was looking for red line anyway...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Between Friendship Heights and Bethesda--includes Brookdale, Somerset and Chevy Chase West

+1 of you have the budget, go with this

[Anonymous]

Another vote for friendship heights. Our kids are 3 and 5 and we absolutely love it here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Metro accessible neighborhood for kids in Arlington? Everything along the Orange line is tailor made for DINKs, not kids.

Ballston / Bluemont just west of Glebe is both urban and family friendly. Or anywhere just north or south of the buildings from Ballston to Clarendon (generally north of Washington Blvd or south of Wilson Blvd).

+2 you haven’t been to Ballston in a long time if you think Ballston isn’t family friendly. The bar scene has died down significantly

I see families at the Ballston Ted’s Bulletin all the time, said no one ever.

The only neighborhoods I see families at in Arlington are in sections of South and North Arlington that are far away from the Metro. Barcroft, Penrose, Westover, etc. Westover is WAY more family friendly than anything walkable to the Orange Line stations in Arlington. There might be families there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the 20 and 30 somethings who are living in the condos than line this area. Businesses in the area - unlike businesses in a place like Westover - cater to singles and DINKs first, families are an oversight.

Huh? What types of businesses does Westover have that can’t be found in orange line neighborhoods? Restaurants, barbers, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, ice cream shop, library, playground, sports field, etc.

Seems like those are all covered.

Have you been to these areas? You seem unfamiliar.

I grew up in Clarendon. Modern-day Clarendon, Ballston and Court House are more heavily weighted toward DINKs and singles, not families. I don’t know why this is a controversial point.

Then you should be able to answer: which businesses does Westover have that Clarendon/Courthouse/Ballston don’t have? Those business that “cater to families”?

Doesn’t really matter - OP was looking for red line anyway...

+1 Friendship Heights if you want red line. But, if you don't think there are lively family neighborhoods along the orange line, you haven't stepped far off of Wilson Blvd! We're in Ashton Heights and it's full of kids. Stop by Lyon Park some Saturday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love our Friendship Heights neighborhood. I wish Friendship Heights/Tenleytown were a little more interesting/urban, but worth it for the community. Kids absolutely everywhere.

+1. We have lots of friends in that area who love living there. The trade off with any neighborhood is that the more urban it is, the less kid friendly.

Once you have kids, you just need some family friendly places to go and maybe a couple date night spots. We used to live in the U ST/ Logan neighborhood and while it was fun, we couldn't let our kids roam the neighborhood with their friends the way they do here in UNW. It doesn't matter with really little kids because no one is sending their toddler out and about unsupervised, but it matters once they're a couple years older.

I think what you mean to say but won't is the more black an area is the less kid friendly it is.

Of course that is not really true and my definition or urban has nothing to do with race but more to do with the walkability, vibrancy and connectivity of a neighborhood.

NP. Leave your own hangups to yourself, PP. I didn't read that in the above post. It is generally true that more urban areas aren't as kid-friendly. They cater to DINKs and the like, have more apartment buildings and condos with less space for families, and fewer back yards for families. Many families like bigger houses and yards and kid-friendly amenities. This exists in abundance in suburban areas. Keep your race card to yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Metro accessible neighborhood for kids in Arlington? Everything along the Orange line is tailor made for DINKs, not kids.

Ballston / Bluemont just west of Glebe is both urban and family friendly. Or anywhere just north or south of the buildings from Ballston to Clarendon (generally north of Washington Blvd or south of Wilson Blvd).

+2 you haven’t been to Ballston in a long time if you think Ballston isn’t family friendly. The bar scene has died down significantly

I see families at the Ballston Ted’s Bulletin all the time, said no one ever.

The only neighborhoods I see families at in Arlington are in sections of South and North Arlington that are far away from the Metro. Barcroft, Penrose, Westover, etc. Westover is WAY more family friendly than anything walkable to the Orange Line stations in Arlington. There might be families there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the 20 and 30 somethings who are living in the condos than line this area. Businesses in the area - unlike businesses in a place like Westover - cater to singles and DINKs first, families are an oversight.

Huh? What types of businesses does Westover have that can’t be found in orange line neighborhoods? Restaurants, barbers, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, ice cream shop, library, playground, sports field, etc.

Seems like those are all covered.

Have you been to these areas? You seem unfamiliar.

I grew up in Clarendon. Modern-day Clarendon, Ballston and Court House are more heavily weighted toward DINKs and singles, not families. I don’t know why this is a controversial point.

Then you should be able to answer: which businesses does Westover have that Clarendon/Courthouse/Ballston don’t have? Those business that “cater to families”?

Doesn’t really matter - OP was looking for red line anyway...

You can find most of those amenities in Crystal City too. That doesn’t mean people are clamoring to raise families in Crystal City or that Crystal City meets the conventional definition of family friendly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Metro accessible neighborhood for kids in Arlington? Everything along the Orange line is tailor made for DINKs, not kids.

Ballston / Bluemont just west of Glebe is both urban and family friendly. Or anywhere just north or south of the buildings from Ballston to Clarendon (generally north of Washington Blvd or south of Wilson Blvd).

+2 you haven’t been to Ballston in a long time if you think Ballston isn’t family friendly. The bar scene has died down significantly

I see families at the Ballston Ted’s Bulletin all the time, said no one ever.

The only neighborhoods I see families at in Arlington are in sections of South and North Arlington that are far away from the Metro. Barcroft, Penrose, Westover, etc. Westover is WAY more family friendly than anything walkable to the Orange Line stations in Arlington. There might be families there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the 20 and 30 somethings who are living in the condos than line this area. Businesses in the area - unlike businesses in a place like Westover - cater to singles and DINKs first, families are an oversight.

Huh? What types of businesses does Westover have that can’t be found in orange line neighborhoods? Restaurants, barbers, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, ice cream shop, library, playground, sports field, etc.

Seems like those are all covered.

Have you been to these areas? You seem unfamiliar.

I grew up in Clarendon. Modern-day Clarendon, Ballston and Court House are more heavily weighted toward DINKs and singles, not families. I don’t know why this is a controversial point.

Then you should be able to answer: which businesses does Westover have that Clarendon/Courthouse/Ballston don’t have? Those business that “cater to families”?

Doesn’t really matter - OP was looking for red line anyway...

You can find most of those amenities in Crystal City too. That doesn’t mean people are clamoring to raise families in Crystal City or that Crystal City meets the conventional definition of family friendly.

Just because these areas are not the "conventional definition" doesn't mean that they aren't family-friendly. Maybe they aren't appealing to you but that doesn't mean they aren't appealing to others. To some, they offer everything Westover does and more.

OP specifically asked about the "best metro-accessible, walkable neighborhoods for kids". If you don't have anything constructive to add then maybe skip the thread.

[Anonymous]

Forest Glen, 20902--leafy, safe streets, extensive bike trails, friendly, Forest Glen metro on the Red Line

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forest Glen, 20902--leafy, safe streets, extensive bike trails, friendly, Forest Glen metro on the Red Line

Forest Glen is nice but it’s not walkable to much of anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forest Glen, 20902--leafy, safe streets, extensive bike trails, friendly, Forest Glen metro on the Red Line

Forest Glen is nice but it’s not walkable to much of anything.

Except the metro. That's what I was thinking of--OP mentioned walkable to Metro and neighborly feel, which FG has in spades. But yeah, sadly you're not going to walk to restaurants etc. Maybe someday, after Montgomery Hills redevelopment...but not now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is a Metro accessible neighborhood for kids in Arlington? Everything along the Orange line is tailor made for DINKs, not kids.

Ballston / Bluemont just west of Glebe is both urban and family friendly. Or anywhere just north or south of the buildings from Ballston to Clarendon (generally north of Washington Blvd or south of Wilson Blvd).

+2 you haven’t been to Ballston in a long time if you think Ballston isn’t family friendly. The bar scene has died down significantly

I see families at the Ballston Ted’s Bulletin all the time, said no one ever.

The only neighborhoods I see families at in Arlington are in sections of South and North Arlington that are far away from the Metro. Barcroft, Penrose, Westover, etc. Westover is WAY more family friendly than anything walkable to the Orange Line stations in Arlington. There might be families there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the 20 and 30 somethings who are living in the condos than line this area. Businesses in the area - unlike businesses in a place like Westover - cater to singles and DINKs first, families are an oversight.

Huh? What types of businesses does Westover have that can’t be found in orange line neighborhoods? Restaurants, barbers, pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, ice cream shop, library, playground, sports field, etc.

Seems like those are all covered.



Have you been to these areas? You seem unfamiliar.

I grew up in Clarendon. Modern-day Clarendon, Ballston and Court House are more heavily weighted toward DINKs and singles, not families. I don’t know why this is a controversial point.

I don’t believe that you grew up “in Clarendon.”

walking distance from the metro: barnes and noble, a toy store, jumping joeys, three preschools, some daycares. LV has a big Fourth of July parade for kiddos. There’s a Little Gym in Lyon park. And frankly those are the things that are almost exclusively geared to children. Not including all of the amenities for wider age ranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill. Lots of kids walking home from Union Station or Eastern Market in the afternoons, stopping for drinks/snacks, playing pickup baseball/basketball at the parks. I know because that's what my kids do. (They're middle schoolers.)

Capitol Hill resident here. Given the crime on the hill and the Union Station scene, I am unsure that I'd let an 11 year old walk home alone. Maybe a 14-15 year old. Love the hill up until now with a 7 year old, but it does not permit a lot of freedom for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Takoma DC or Takoma Park (MD) and Downtown Silver Spring.

I walk to the red line every day from my house in 20910 (DTSS), or there are bus lines 5 minute walk from my house. We walk everywhere and are a 1-car family.

Is it crazy that my main concern about kids and SS is the traffic at the corner of Colesville and Georgia?