NWDC or Potomac, MD

[Anonymous]

If your kids went to school at a NW private and you liked a house in both places would you live in Potomac or NWDC (Forest Hills, Spring Valley, Foxhall area)? House in the $2-3m range. Would the drive be hell vs lack of services in DC (roads not plowed, mail, safety).

[Anonymous]

Lack of service? The roads in my NWDC neighborhood get plowed, mail always on time, and very safe.

[Anonymous]

Well, that is a first world problem! If you like city life, you can't beat NWDC. If you want a large manse in the suburbs, you cant beat Potomac! There is a substantial Jewish, Chinese, Catholic and Iranian population in Potomac, so if you are one of those, you will find a community. (Potomac is ethnically very diverse, but not economically diverse) It is a great place to live, but it is not DC.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I'd choose the city. Where is the job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I'd choose the city. Where is the job?

Downtown DC

[Anonymous]

You do not need $3 mil or even close to buy a very large, beautiful house in Potomac. You have to drive everywhere, which I hate. I wish they'd put more bike trails out here.

[Anonymous]

What are your plans for after the kids are out of the house - where do you see yourself & what will you be doing...

Thinking about who you'll be/ what you'll want 15+ years from now may help you make the decision.

[Anonymous]

Definitely NWDC. And frankly, having lived in NWDC and MoCo, I can say that the only service that's worse in DC is the DMV. The roads are often paved sooner in DC than in MoCo and all other services are comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would the drive be hell vs lack of services in DC (roads not plowed, mail, safety).

Huh?

[Anonymous]

I live in between those two in MD and would pick DC over Potomac unless you wanted a lot of land. $3 million will buy a nice house in DC.

I don't think safety is a big issue in Spring Valley and Foxhall, at least any more than it is in Potomac. Although you should certainly check the crime stats for the neighborhoods you are interested in. Mail is federal so has nothing to do with DC vs. MD. We've had recent problems with mail service in MD in fact. Plowing is a problem in MD as well - especially in some of the farther out neighborhoods in Potomac. Sure on balance I prefer MD, which is why I chose to live here, but not if it requires driving all the way out to Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would the drive be hell vs lack of services in DC (roads not plowed, mail, safety).

Huh?

She has clearly not spent any time in DC in the last 20 years! OP, the DC services are right on par with MD. In fact, maybe better as the recycling is single stream. Our car was broken into many more times in Bethesda than in our house in NWDC.

Anyhow- pick which neighborhood you like best. The rest will be fine.

[Anonymous]

You could not pay me to live in Potomac. Lack of restaurants, no walkability, the relentless vulgarity...

[Anonymous]

Where are your jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could not pay me to live in Potomac. Lack of restaurants, no walkability, the relentless vulgarity...

But you get to see Casa del Amor in your commute!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kids went to school at a NW private and you liked a house in both places would you live in Potomac or NWDC (Forest Hills, Spring Valley, Foxhall area)? House in the $2-3m range. Would the drive be hell vs lack of services in DC (roads not plowed, mail, safety).

DC is excellent on those services you listed. Weird you mention them. I work in Fairfax County and live in DC and our streets are always plowed before Fairfax's. And if you are concerned about safety in Foxhall, I don't know what to tell you.