Of course they do. Just like I do too at 43. But in life, what you want doesn't necessarily mean it's possible based on what you have.. My young 32 yr old friend in VA wanted to live in ARlington but ended up in Herndon, so what. |
Sure, not everyone can afford to live close in, but there are many that can and do. The population of DC proper is up what 40% from 20 years ago? Also, many places that people want to live now from around Shaw, Union Market, or Petworth were sketchy a decade or two ago. Whether people want to admit it or not, the metro area is changing. |
Well let's just say, i have the money and I'd rather stay where i'm at rather than move to any of these places. Proximity to cool restaurants isn't on the top of my list. Schools are. |
There's always a small minority of people who go against the grain. However, the vast majority don't, and real-estate prices are a function of demand. |
I wouldn't call the vast number of families who live in the suburbs a small minority. |
Montgomery County has urban areas. And it has close-in suburbs. And it has way-out-there suburbs. People increasingly want to live in close-in areas, which is why the close-in areas are expensive. |
Exactly |
Again, nothing new. Always has been the case. Andta lot of families make sacrifices that make the most sense for them, hence lots of people are still moving further out. |
Not always... not too long ago, MCPS closed schools closer in as families moved out to the 'burbs for more room. Now, probably due to commute time and/or people wanting "walkability", people are wanting to move closer in. And this is why now the outer burb schools are not as crowded, too. There was an article on this with a map showing which schools closed during the 80s/90s. |
I remember the 60s and 70s too! However, there have been many more articles about the great inversion. More and more people are abandoning the burbs for more urban living. This is why the population of DC is up over 40% in recent years and the changes in demand are effecting the market now and will impact schools in the coming years. |
It's always been the case if you look over centuries, but in the last 100 years or so in the US, it was not at all the case. And particularly not after World War II. Are people still living a long way out because that's what they can afford? Yes. But that's the point. They would prefer to live closer in, but they can't afford to. |
Schools closed during the 1980s because enrollment dropped, because of the baby bust. |
Exactly, since 2000 DC's population has gone from 572k to 693k (20%) whereas Potomac MD population seems frozen in time at 45k. This is unlike the close in suburbs like Bethesda that are up around 10% in that same period. |
Where are you living that you think schools in far out burbs in this area will need to close due to underenrollment? Have you heard of Clarksburg? Have you heard that they are planning on building a new HS in Gaithersburg to address overcrowding in RM, QO and Gaithersburg HS? Have you heard that they're expanding Seneca Valley HS to address overcrowding in upcounty schools? Have you heard of the newly built Hallie Wells MS? And the planned building of another new elementary school to accommodate the new families moving to the new Cabin Branch development? |
Potomac residents don't want new development. It's not an area where there's a lot of building unlike Bethesda. And residents want it that way. |