True "Neighborhood" Schools?

[Anonymous]

We're still early in the process of deciding where to send our young children to school. We likely will go DCPS for elementary school, and that likely will mean moving in-boundary for one of the "usual suspects" in NW. We've scoured all the objective data, we've been on all the tours, and we've gotten a fair bit of subjective input as to the various schools' strengths and weaknesses. Where we still feel shaky is ascertaining how "neighborhood-y" the various neighborhoods are -- where do the parents all know each others' kids, and where can kids easily get themselves to school, their friends' houses, playgrounds, and other social centers?

It feels like the Lafayette and Janney neighborhoods are the most like Sesame Street in that regard. Murch feels carved up by big roads. Key and Mann feel both carved up by big roads and spread out. Eaton, Hyde, and Hearst all seem like neighborhoods conducive to the Lafayette/Janney feel, but have high enough OOB enrolments (~40% at Eaton, ~50% at Hyde, and ~80% at Heast, according to their respective principals) that we wonder how much is lost by not having the school really be central for the neighborhood. Oyster feels like it might have similar issues, but it has been tougher for us to get our arms around.

Are our perceptions generally consistent with reality, or are we off-base? Specific corrections and nuanced explanations would be very much appreciated -- TIA!!

[Anonymous]

Our kids aren't at Murch yet, but they will be, and we live on the opposite side of Conn. and Neb. from Murch. I have to say that the idea of those big roads "carving up" the neighborhood never would have occurred to me. We walk up to Murch to use the playground, and our immediate neighborhood (meaning, a couple of blocks' radius) is full of kids, so walking to friends' houses won't be a problem.

I don't love that my kids will need to cross the dreadful Conn/Neb intersection to get to and from school every day, but other than that, I feel like the Murch neighborhood is pretty...neighborhood-y.

Also keep in mind that the Lafayette/Murch boundaries aren't necessarily what you'd think; when people hear where we live, they assume we're in Lafayette. I'm not sure where the cut-off is, but it's not intuitive, so if you decide on Lafayette, do careful research before buying a house.

[Anonymous]

Same goes for Janney too- my house is districted for Murch but the house across the street is districted for Janney so the kids cross Wisconsin Avenue.

For what it's worth though, I wouldn't be that concerned with crossing either CT or Wisconsin. I had to cross Route 1 to get to my elementary school when I was a kid and never thought twice about it.

I definitely feel like the kids in Chevy Chase neighborhood know each other -they share the library, rec center classes, playgrounds etc. Yes, some may go to Lafayette and some to Murch but then they'll meet up at middle school at Deal and know more kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're still early in the process of deciding where to send our young children to school. We likely will go DCPS for elementary school, and that likely will mean moving in-boundary for one of the "usual suspects" in NW. We've scoured all the objective data, we've been on all the tours, and we've gotten a fair bit of subjective input as to the various schools' strengths and weaknesses. Where we still feel shaky is ascertaining how "neighborhood-y" the various neighborhoods are -- where do the parents all know each others' kids, and where can kids easily get themselves to school, their friends' houses, playgrounds, and other social centers?

It feels like the Lafayette and Janney neighborhoods are the most like Sesame Street in that regard. Murch feels carved up by big roads. Key and Mann feel both carved up by big roads and spread out. Eaton, Hyde, and Hearst all seem like neighborhoods conducive to the Lafayette/Janney feel, but have high enough OOB enrolments (~40% at Eaton, ~50% at Hyde, and ~80% at Heast, according to their respective principals) that we wonder how much is lost by not having the school really be central for the neighborhood. Oyster feels like it might have similar issues, but it has been tougher for us to get our arms around.

Are our perceptions generally consistent with reality, or are we off-base? Specific corrections and nuanced explanations would be very much appreciated -- TIA!!

We were at Eaton. Academics were mediocre. Parents and families were nice, but high OOB population means that the "neighborhoody" feeling was lost for us. Although kids had playdates, friends were often across town. There weren't very many kids in our immediate 3-4 block radius, which meant no one to walk to school with. Also, our experience was that while playdates happened, there was little socializing with parents and families outside of school events.

We moved to a different district, and the neighborhood feeling is great -- many many kids w/i a few block radius, playdates are all local, parents often invite another family over for dinner, kids can walk to school in big groups and to each other's houses. This was really "neighborhoody" for us. Kids are much happier and so am I.

To be clear, the lack of a neighborhood experience at Eaton was pretty much just due to a lack of enough in boundary kids (probably due to the fact that there aren't that many younger kids in the immediate area, and that many parents in Eaton district are very high income and send their kids to private schools in the Eaton district.) The out of boundary kids and parents were all very nice, but it was harder to make up for geographic disparity. We could have lived with the lack of neighborhoodiness if the academics worked for us, but they didn't so we left.

[Anonymous]

We have had a different experience at Eaton. My kids walk to school and have friends in the neighborhood, also in walking distance. My kids are friends with OOB families and we sometimes schedule playdates with them when schedules permit.

[Anonymous]

Oyster has a neighborhood feel. Yes, some of the Spanish speakers are OOB, but next to no primary English speakers are. The Oyster boundaries are so small that you can walk from one end to the other. Almost the whole thing is west of connecticut and north of Calvert. We're in the sliver to the east and so must cross but there is a good cross walk. The Calvert crosswalk is good too, and those are the only major roads in the boundary. We are able to walk to many students' houses. A big chunk of Oyster is rowhouses, which means that people are in a pretty compact space.

I uset to live in the Lafayette district and concur that it is very Sesame Street and has the most houses very close to the school with no thoroughfares to cross. Although I love Oyster I also think that Lafayette's park/playground is the nicest of all of the schools you mentioned, and from my time there I know that the park is a focal point for neighborhood families to meet and play.

[Anonymous]

You didn't mention Stoddert on your list. Glover Park is the most neighborhoody place I've ever been. We have a few close friends there and it's truly a throwback from when I was a kid in the 70s.

We're in Oyster and it's very much a neighborhood school. As you've heard, it's nearly impossible to get in w/o living in-bounds. There is a share of Spanish dominant OOB slots to keep the classes toward the target 50-50 model, but we haven't encountered any students that live further than Adams Morgan or Colombia Heights.

Lafayette would be my #3 for neighborhood feel just from the large volume of kids up there and the fact that everyone practically lives in the few blocks with the library, child's play, etc

[Anonymous]

Glover Park is indeed a lovely neighborhood. But Stoddert's reputation is definitely not as good as some of the other schools the OP mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glover Park is indeed a lovely neighborhood. But Stoddert's reputation is definitely not as good as some of the other schools the OP mentioned.

It's on the same level as Eaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glover Park is indeed a lovely neighborhood. But Stoddert's reputation is definitely not as good as some of the other schools the OP mentioned.

It's on the same level as Eaton.

I'm certain that this isn't the conversation OP is hoping this chain becomes. Let's stroll back to the various neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks so much, everyone (especially 10:53, 12:10, 12:33, 12:41, 12:43, and 13:49) -- these are just the sort of insights I was hoping for! Any more definitely would be welcome!!

[Anonymous]

I live in 20015, and I concur with your assessment completely, with the exception that I have no idea what Key's neighborhood feel is.

For predicting a "Sesame feel," I would go about it this way:

- ascertain what percentage of in-boundary students are in every given school. Hang onto only those schools with ~ 90% in-boundary. Then,

- Look at lot sizes and house set-back from the street in those schools' areas. The zones with smaller lots and houses closer to the street (and streets laid out in a grid, vs. cul-de-sac) are going to feel more cohesive and Sesame and spontaneous. ie, think of the visual difference between Kent and Woodley Park. Then,

- Ask yourself, is there a logical, walkable commercial *center* in this school's district, with family-oriented commerce and a library? Bonus points if there is. If not, then neutral. Stretches of MacArthur Blvd. and Conn. Ave by Md. come to mind. Wisc. Ave in Glover Park, too. Woodley park by the metro, not as much. Bustling, yes, but designed for tourists and singles.

- This one's trickier, but, try to ascertain the ages of the *parents* in a given boundary. The areas that skew younger will be more overflowing with kids and, IMO, more bustling and Sesame. www.census.gov

For example, I think Lafayette's zone would be near the top -- they draw their 99% inboundary kids from a tight area, and all the adults seem to be 30-48 years old, with a sprinkling of retirees. Where I live (Murch boundary), there are a LOT of retired households with adult children. You have to walk farther to find a house with a 7 yr old.

This obviously isn't scientific, but, I've lived here a long time in 20016, 20015 and 20008 and these are my observations. GL

[Anonymous]

For example, I think Lafayette's zone would be near the top -- they draw their 99% inboundary kids from a tight area, and all the adults seem to be 30-48 years old, with a sprinkling of retirees. Where I live (Murch boundary), there are a LOT of retired households with adult children. You have to walk farther to find a house with a 7 yr old.

Really? We live in-boundary for Lafayette (hoping for pre-K for fall 2009) but I feel like all my neighbors are retirees! Where are the 30-35 year olds? We are new to the area, so perhaps they will emerge in the Spring. We're hoping to find some!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For example, I think Lafayette's zone would be near the top -- they draw their 99% inboundary kids from a tight area, and all the adults seem to be 30-48 years old, with a sprinkling of retirees. Where I live (Murch boundary), there are a LOT of retired households with adult children. You have to walk farther to find a house with a 7 yr old.

Really? We live in-boundary for Lafayette (hoping for pre-K for fall 2009) but I feel like all my neighbors are retirees! Where are the 30-35 year olds? We are new to the area, so perhaps they will emerge in the Spring. We're hoping to find some!

I'm the 10:53 poster, and this is why I pointed out that the zones aren't intuitive. I live in exactly the type of neighborhood described above (houses close together, close to the street, tons of younger parents, kids spilling out onto the sidewalks, walkable to two family-friendly commercial corridors), but I'm in the part of Murch district that seems geographically as if it should be Lafayette. It really is about the microneighborhood, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For example, I think Lafayette's zone would be near the top -- they draw their 99% inboundary kids from a tight area, and all the adults seem to be 30-48 years old, with a sprinkling of retirees. Where I live (Murch boundary), there are a LOT of retired households with adult children. You have to walk farther to find a house with a 7 yr old.

Really? We live in-boundary for Lafayette (hoping for pre-K for fall 2009) but I feel like all my neighbors are retirees! Where are the 30-35 year olds? We are new to the area, so perhaps they will emerge in the Spring. We're hoping to find some!

I used to live there, and we called it a transitioning neighborhood-- from walkers to strollers. Every retiree who moved out sold to a couple that had a baby within a year!

I'm a Woodley/Oyster PP and I agree with these great neighborhood assessments, but not about the commercial things in Woodley. We have the International Cafe, where the proprietors positively dote on my daughter; Baskin Robbins, pizza places, the Zoo, a couple of the Open City for big waffle brunches, and it's a very easy walk to the Cleveland Park commercial strip, which has the library, pottery painting, the frozen yogurt place, and many other things my child loves (including that toy store next to the Uptown). Our walk to Cleveland Park is about the same as our old walk from Lafayette district to the Chevy Chase Circle commercial strip.

Again, they're both really good choices (as are a few others mentioned), but just want to say that the Woodley area has tons to offer a kid, and we absolutely love it as a kid-friendly neighborhood. That's not to say that the Lafayette/Chevy Chase DC area isn't great. It is. In fact, CCDC is a far better place to ride bicycles on the sidewalk, though we also have the Rock Creek bike path.

Personally-- and this ought to be obvious because I am a WOodley person-- I don't think that Wesley Heights/Cathedral Heights (Horace Mann) is as good of a "Sesame Street" choice as Lafayette, Janney, or Oyster. The houses are mostly much further apart, and there are many large streets. Turtle Park is fantastic and the houses are beautiful (and pricey), but it all has a suburban feel, with very little commerce, and far from Metro.

OP didn't ask for this, but I think that Metro is fantastic for people with kids. It is so much easier just to get on the escalator and head where you're going than to buckle everyone up in the carseat, then try to find parking, and fight traffic with littles in the back saying "why aren't we there yeeeeeeet?" I've been able to make playdates more interesting by bringing DD's friends to a museum or the mall when I wouldn't have driven there for anything. Kids under 5 ride free, by the way. For us, Metro added to that "neighborhood feel," even though it takes you away from the neighborhood!