Looking for info on various Bethesda/CC/etc neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have lived here a long time and if you want the most down to earth areas in and around Bethesda they would be in places adjacent to "North Bethesda"/Rockville or Kensington.

These neighborhoods include Ashburton or Wyngate where the houses are smaller and closer together. These neighborhoods have sidewalks which is really nice. They are near NIH so you get a lot of scientist families who are much for normal than the lobbyists.

North Bethesda and Kensington are also great places to live and there are more regular people there and less pressure. Also check out Garrett Park.

Any W-school feeder is going to have a level of academic pressure that many parents want to avoid. Wyngate has a ton of new builds and can be super cliquey. Ashburton, less so, but it's starting to trend that way.

Most "scientist families" can't afford the area, unless they have substantial financial help or a spouse who earns considerably more than what NIH pays.

-WJ grad who works at NIH and has no interest in living in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rock Creek Forest in Chevy Chase.

+1 or Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring but feeds into Chevy Chase schools.

I live in CC (RH-CCES) and my particular area is nice and down to earth relative to the rest of this area, but there are a vast majority that send their kids to private. This contributes to a disconnect in local community feel IMO.

Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have lived here a long time and if you want the most down to earth areas in and around Bethesda they would be in places adjacent to "North Bethesda"/Rockville or Kensington.

These neighborhoods include Ashburton or Wyngate where the houses are smaller and closer together. These neighborhoods have sidewalks which is really nice. They are near NIH so you get a lot of scientist families who are much for normal than the lobbyists.

North Bethesda and Kensington are also great places to live and there are more regular people there and less pressure. Also check out Garrett Park.

Any W-school feeder is going to have a level of academic pressure that many parents want to avoid. Wyngate has a ton of new builds and can be super cliquey. Ashburton, less so, but it's starting to trend that way.

Most "scientist families" can't afford the area, unless they have substantial financial help or a spouse who earns considerably more than what NIH pays.

-WJ grad who works at NIH and has no interest in living in Bethesda

You don't even live here. Half our neighbors work for NIH or are feds on government salaries. Both parents typically work, though. I don't think you could live here on one fed salary.

[Anonymous]

Einstein-zoned Kensington and adjacent areas in Silver Spring fit your description well. That's where we are, having had criteria similar to yours, and we're very happy. Lots of UMC (middle class for dcum) families driving Subarus and Hondas who could afford to live in Bethesda but choose not to. Some send kids to private but that's going to be the case anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have lived here a long time and if you want the most down to earth areas in and around Bethesda they would be in places adjacent to "North Bethesda"/Rockville or Kensington.

These neighborhoods include Ashburton or Wyngate where the houses are smaller and closer together. These neighborhoods have sidewalks which is really nice. They are near NIH so you get a lot of scientist families who are much for normal than the lobbyists.

North Bethesda and Kensington are also great places to live and there are more regular people there and less pressure. Also check out Garrett Park.

Any W-school feeder is going to have a level of academic pressure that many parents want to avoid. Wyngate has a ton of new builds and can be super cliquey. Ashburton, less so, but it's starting to trend that way.

Most "scientist families" can't afford the area, unless they have substantial financial help or a spouse who earns considerably more than what NIH pays.

-WJ grad who works at NIH and has no interest in living in Bethesda

You don't even live here. Half our neighbors work for NIH or are feds on government salaries. Both parents typically work, though. I don't think you could live here on one fed salary.

You're right, I don't live there. I grew up there, though, and know plenty who live there now. How many families who live there have family help when they buy, do you think?

Regardless, the academic pressure thing is real, even if it's "just" expressed as concern about their kids' peers and prioritizing living among scientists and physicians. That's... not typical, given only a third of Americans even have a bachelors degree.

I'm not saying they're terrible people, but the whole "down to earth" thing is really overplayed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Einstein-zoned Kensington and adjacent areas in Silver Spring fit your description well. That's where we are, having had criteria similar to yours, and we're very happy. Lots of UMC (middle class for dcum) families driving Subarus and Hondas who could afford to live in Bethesda but choose not to. Some send kids to private but that's going to be the case anywhere.

The nice thing about these “downcounty” areas like the Einstein catchment is that you can choose your neighborhood for the elementary school and for the overall feel. Then by the time the kids get to high school, there are a plethora of options, between the DCC Choice program and the application and lottery magnet programs.

As long as you’re in a Downcounty Consortium feeder area, you’re almost never locked into your zoned high school if it turns out not to be good fit for your kid a few years down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nowhere near downtown Bethesda is going to be down to earth. If you really want to get away from the luxury car market families, you’re going to need to head way out to areas where houses go for under a million.

OP here - I fully agree with that. I used "Bethesda/CC/etc" more generally, but don't want to be close to downtown. I didn't want to say "Mont County" as that is huge.

Thoughts on the areas that are far from luxury car owners? I mean that seriously.

Oakland terrace neighborhood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nowhere near downtown Bethesda is going to be down to earth. If you really want to get away from the luxury car market families, you’re going to need to head way out to areas where houses go for under a million.

OP here - I fully agree with that. I used "Bethesda/CC/etc" more generally, but don't want to be close to downtown. I didn't want to say "Mont County" as that is huge.

Thoughts on the areas that are far from luxury car owners? I mean that seriously.

Oakland terrace neighborhood

Former Oakland Terrace teacher here, it is a WONDERFUL school as well. I would highly recommend checking that area out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out the Rosemary Hills catchment, which includes parts of Chevy Chase, Kensington, and Silver Spring.

+1!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Einstein-zoned Kensington and adjacent areas in Silver Spring fit your description well. That's where we are, having had criteria similar to yours, and we're very happy. Lots of UMC (middle class for dcum) families driving Subarus and Hondas who could afford to live in Bethesda but choose not to. Some send kids to private but that's going to be the case anywhere.

When did Hondas and Subarus become the standard for not stuffy or snobbish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Einstein-zoned Kensington and adjacent areas in Silver Spring fit your description well. That's where we are, having had criteria similar to yours, and we're very happy. Lots of UMC (middle class for dcum) families driving Subarus and Hondas who could afford to live in Bethesda but choose not to. Some send kids to private but that's going to be the case anywhere.

When did Hondas and Subarus become the standard for not stuffy or snobbish?

OP specifically mentioned Lexuses, so it's relevant to her question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have lived here a long time and if you want the most down to earth areas in and around Bethesda they would be in places adjacent to "North Bethesda"/Rockville or Kensington.

These neighborhoods include Ashburton or Wyngate where the houses are smaller and closer together. These neighborhoods have sidewalks which is really nice. They are near NIH so you get a lot of scientist families who are much for normal than the lobbyists.

North Bethesda and Kensington are also great places to live and there are more regular people there and less pressure. Also check out Garrett Park.

Any W-school feeder is going to have a level of academic pressure that many parents want to avoid. Wyngate has a ton of new builds and can be super cliquey. Ashburton, less so, but it's starting to trend that way.

Most "scientist families" can't afford the area, unless they have substantial financial help or a spouse who earns considerably more than what NIH pays.

-WJ grad who works at NIH and has no interest in living in Bethesda

You don't even live here. Half our neighbors work for NIH or are feds on government salaries. Both parents typically work, though. I don't think you could live here on one fed salary.

You're right, I don't live there. I grew up there, though, and know plenty who live there now. How many families who live there have family help when they buy, do you think?

Regardless, the academic pressure thing is real, even if it's "just" expressed as concern about their kids' peers and prioritizing living among scientists and physicians. That's... not typical, given only a third of Americans even have a bachelors degree.

I'm not saying they're terrible people, but the whole "down to earth" thing is really overplayed.

I don't think it's down to earth. It's more down to earth than other parts of Bethesda and since we're playing this game I not only live here after spending a few years with the kids in DC but grew up here. I don't disagree about the academic pressure. Some of those Ph.D scientist types are worse than the lobbyists.

[Anonymous]

I live in Bethesda but really like Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Bradley Hills Elem has pretty down to earth families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area that feeds into Westbrook ES isn't quite as ritzy as Bethesda ES or Chevy Chase ES. Fewer Lexus and Volvo and more Honda and Subaru.

+1 So true. And not as many manicured lawns.

I think this school has a special program, kids are bused from other schools to this school for those services. Call the principal!