NW DC vs. NoVa

[Anonymous]

Long time resident of a "hot" area in DC. Tons of restaurants/shopping/etc... It was great before kids, but now that I have a full house, my row house is feeling rather tight. Also, lamenting the lack of reliable schools, no green space, mean/jaded people etc... I'm thinking of cashing in while I can and jump ship for NoVa. I know the grass is always greener, but would this be a wise decision? The worst schools there are 10 x better than most DCPS's. Also, I can't stand that my kids don't have any woods to hike around in like I did growing up. Plus, most restaurants tolerate kids, but really they're more adult friendly. So, can someone chime in? What would I be missing by crossing the river? Also, is a $700K budget doable for a 3 bed, 2 bath in some kind of wooded setting?

[Anonymous]

You can get everything on your list in ward 3 nwdc, contrary to your assertions. The problem is your budget. Not going to happen unless there's a freak fluke seller (out of town seller of parents estate, I've seen that one, for example)


So I agree that you need to move to the suburbs to get all that you need.

[Anonymous]

Maybe something like this in Lake Barcroft - nature-like setting, with a man-made lake, and about eight miles to DC: http://franklymls.com/FX8072426

Some people with a NoVa sensibility ("must have a GreatSchools 8 or higher") crap on the schools, but they're better than most DCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of woods are by my house in Chevy Chase DC. You can sometimes still find houses like you describe in the 700s. Lafayette, Janney, Murch schools?

I find it hard to believe that anyone who lived in a townhouse in a "hot" area in DC would ever consider moving to Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of woods are by my house in Chevy Chase DC. You can sometimes still find houses like you describe in the 700s. Lafayette, Janney, Murch schools?

I find it hard to believe that anyone who lived in a townhouse in a "hot" area in DC would ever consider moving to Virginia.

We moved from a EOTP rowhouse in NW to Vienna and had neighbors who moved there from an apartment in Cleveland Park. It's not that uncommon.

By the way, in this area, I thought "townhouses" meant post-WWII attached housing in the suburbs and "rowhouses" meant pre-WWII attached housing in DC.

[Anonymous]

God don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God don't do it.

If you are selfish than stay you generally do it for the kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of woods are by my house in Chevy Chase DC. You can sometimes still find houses like you describe in the 700s. Lafayette, Janney, Murch schools?

I find it hard to believe that anyone who lived in a townhouse in a "hot" area in DC would ever consider moving to Virginia.

There are tons of us in Clarendon.

I think just about every neighbor is a transplant from Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Dupont...came for good public schools and SFH vs rowhouse.

We don't have the woods though and the price tag is double what want to spend. Check out farther out in N.Arlington for woods. Westover is fantastic area.

[Anonymous]

second vote for n. arlington - check out the neighborhoods (22207 and 22205) around bellvue forest, broyhills, dover, country club hiils, larchmont, etc. tons of green space (b/c lot sizes are small but parks abound), lots of areas are walkable, tons of kids and kid-friendly shops/restaurants, and schools are fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would I be missing by crossing the river? Also, is a $700K budget doable for a 3 bed, 2 bath in some kind of wooded setting?

I don't know about a "wooded setting", but you can get a nice house with a yard within walking distance from parks with woods on that budget in parts of Arlington. I think that if you're an involved parent who pushes education and reading, your kid can get a great education at any Arlington public school, although I know some folks on here will try to tell you otherwise.

What you will miss:
- seeing DC friends who don't drive to the 'burbs a lot
- diversity (economic and racial)
- the amount of retail and food/entertainment options
- a short commute without driving in traffic (assuming you currently walk/metro/bus to work in DC)
- not having to drive; walking or biking a lot
- frequent casual encounters with other people
- the excitement that you never know what you might come across when you're out an about.

The last three are part of that "hustle and bustle" of city life. Even in the most urban parts of Arlington (i.e., around the metro stops) it's not quite the same hustle and bustle that you have in DC (even in the more quiet residential areas).

Good luck with your decision!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would I be missing by crossing the river? Also, is a $700K budget doable for a 3 bed, 2 bath in some kind of wooded setting?

I don't know about a "wooded setting", but you can get a nice house with a yard within walking distance from parks with woods on that budget in parts of Arlington. I think that if you're an involved parent who pushes education and reading, your kid can get a great education at any Arlington public school, although I know some folks on here will try to tell you otherwise.

What you will miss:
- seeing DC friends who don't drive to the 'burbs a lot
- diversity (economic and racial)
- the amount of retail and food/entertainment options
- a short commute without driving in traffic (assuming you currently walk/metro/bus to work in DC)
- not having to drive; walking or biking a lot
- frequent casual encounters with other people
- the excitement that you never know what you might come across when you're out an about.

The last three are part of that "hustle and bustle" of city life. Even in the most urban parts of Arlington (i.e., around the metro stops) it's not quite the same hustle and bustle that you have in DC (even in the more quiet residential areas).

Good luck with your decision!

that couldn't be farther from the truth! A lament from somebody that lives one block from Clarendon Metro and has to wait for the 2-3 light changes to even make a turn due to the sheer number of people getting on and off the Metro. We've been here for 3 years now and in the last year or so population and street/sidewalk traffic has doubled---if not tripled. Also--has to do with a new condo building on every corner every other month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would I be missing by crossing the river? Also, is a $700K budget doable for a 3 bed, 2 bath in some kind of wooded setting?

I don't know about a "wooded setting", but you can get a nice house with a yard within walking distance from parks with woods on that budget in parts of Arlington. I think that if you're an involved parent who pushes education and reading, your kid can get a great education at any Arlington public school, although I know some folks on here will try to tell you otherwise.

What you will miss:
- seeing DC friends who don't drive to the 'burbs a lot
- diversity (economic and racial)
- the amount of retail and food/entertainment options
- a short commute without driving in traffic (assuming you currently walk/metro/bus to work in DC)
- not having to drive; walking or biking a lot
- frequent casual encounters with other people
- the excitement that you never know what you might come across when you're out an about.

The last three are part of that "hustle and bustle" of city life. Even in the most urban parts of Arlington (i.e., around the metro stops) it's not quite the same hustle and bustle that you have in DC (even in the more quiet residential areas).

Good luck with your decision!

This is absolute BS.

My kids' school in Alexandria is 20% white, 20% black, 25% Asian, and 25% Hispanic, the rest "other." 60% free and reduced lunch. Puhlease.

The are great food and retail options in Virginia. The NOVA suburbs actually house most of the ethnic food options in the area. DC has none except for Ethiopian and a few random other things. It's all overpriced new American cuisine. And DC isn't exactly known as a shopping mecca.

Regarding the commute, we live 10 miles outside the city and my commute is 40 minutes door-to-door with bus and metro. It would be faster if my office wasn't a 10 minute walk from the metro.

Don't get me wrong--I like DC just as much as NOVA, but you are way off base with your assumptions.

[Anonymous]

12:12 says: The last three are part of that "hustle and bustle" of city life. Even in the most urban parts of Arlington (i.e., around the metro stops) it's not quite the same hustle and bustle that you have in DC (even in the more quiet residential areas).

Good luck with your decision!

--
um, much of DC is pretty dead actually. I'm always surprised when I'm in the city on the weekend during the day. Dead, Dead, Dead. Except for the tourist spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would I be missing by crossing the river? Also, is a $700K budget doable for a 3 bed, 2 bath in some kind of wooded setting?

I don't know about a "wooded setting", but you can get a nice house with a yard within walking distance from parks with woods on that budget in parts of Arlington. I think that if you're an involved parent who pushes education and reading, your kid can get a great education at any Arlington public school, although I know some folks on here will try to tell you otherwise.

What you will miss:
- seeing DC friends who don't drive to the 'burbs a lot
- diversity (economic and racial)
- the amount of retail and food/entertainment options
- a short commute without driving in traffic (assuming you currently walk/metro/bus to work in DC)
- not having to drive; walking or biking a lot
- frequent casual encounters with other people
- the excitement that you never know what you might come across when you're out an about.

The last three are part of that "hustle and bustle" of city life. Even in the most urban parts of Arlington (i.e., around the metro stops) it's not quite the same hustle and bustle that you have in DC (even in the more quiet residential areas).

Good luck with your decision!

DC is not diverse is is basically black and white, you are missing out on others, NOVA is diverse

[Anonymous]

I am a die-hard city fan, but PP is mistaken about the diversity. You will get way more racial and economic diversity in Fairfax County than you will in NWDC. It is one of the things that makes me feel better about living here in the burbs: diversity, safe drinking water, good public schools. I do miss greater walkability and pretty architecture, though we intentionally moved somewhere we could walk to a lot of things.