Thoughts About Olney, MD
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Anonymous
| My husband and I currently own a condo in Bethesda and our child is a toddler. We are looking at buying a home, but are certainly priced out of our current neighborhood. We've looked in Rockville, Potomac, North Potomac and Gaithersburg, but have just expanded the search to Olney. It seems like a lovely place - the homes we've seen tend to be well maintained. My experience in Potomac and Rockville has been somewhat the opposite. We are both professionals. My husband works downtown; I work in Rockville/Bethesda. We are Jewish. Our priority is to find a home in a good school cluster with other young professional families and a Jewish population. I'd love feedback on the town of Olney, as we really know less about it than the other areas we've been searching. Also, any specific thoughts on Brooke Grove Elementary are welcome. According to GreatSchools, it's ranked a 7. I'm curious to hear parent experiences/thoughts. Thank you! |
Anonymous
| A hellish commute into downtown. |
Anonymous
My girlfriend is Jewish and lived in Brookeville for 15 years - essentially Olney. Her neighborhood had a good sized Jewish population from what she's told me in the past. And there's a synagogue very close by that seems to have a fairly large congregation. Her DH worked in Bethesda and made the commute on a daily basis. The drive was not fun but that was before the ICC. I understand that traffic has gotten a lot better since the opening of the ICC- which has eased a great deal of the burden on Georgia. The area has grown tremendously. A lot of good retail and restaurants. And people that live there seem to really love it. Good Luck OP! |
Anonymous
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Brooke Grove is a great school.
B'nai Shalom is one synagogue in Olney with a fantastic preschool. Schools are good. In fact, we moved for the schools. |
Anonymous
meant to add - an easy commute to Rockville as there are tons of side roads to take |
Anonymous
| OP we are in a similar situation and thinking about Olney. Jewish as well. Our main reservation is that DH works in Bethesda. Would love thoughts about Olney as well. |
Anonymous
| Poors |
Anonymous
| I don't think many opt for Olney over Potomac due to well maintained houses but that doesn't mean it isnt a fine place to live. |
Anonymous
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The Olney/Brookeville area is great! If you are considering the Brooke Grove area, then be sure to check out the 20833 zip for neighboring Brookeville (which feeds into Greenwood Elementary which is excellent). We looked in Olney for two years and ended up in Brookeville on the border with Olney. What's your price range, and what are you looking for in a house? Bnai Shalom is great and the preschool is excellent (not cheap, but excellent). One of the best things about this area is the sense of community. Olney/Brookeville feels like a small town. Google Olney Days, our annual celebration that includes a parade and fireworks. Check out our weekly farmers market. Drive by OBGC to see our sports fields (check it out on a Saturday once baseball, soccer and lacrosse seasons begin). Come to our strawberry festival at the Sandy Spring museum. Head to the town center one night once it's warmer to see families hanging out around the splash fountain eating ice cream. Check out our annual picnic that raises money for the local hospital. We have ponds for fishing, walking trails, and fun neighborhood pools. I could go on.
While DC is a schlep (60-90 mins depending on when you commute), we can get to Baltimore or Annapolis rather easily. This means weekend trips to the maryland zoo which is amazing. And dinner and ice cream in Annapolis when the weather is nice. We have farms within easy driving distance, and lots of girls take riding lessons. Feel free to post specific questions. |
Anonymous
| OP here...thanks for the feedback. regarding our price range, we would like to be in the mid-600s. We just can't stomach spending $750k for a fixer-upper, which is what we'd be looking at in Potomac or Rockville. It seems that $650k can buy a lot in Olney. |
Anonymous
| $650 will get you a nice home. You'll have tons of options once the spring market begins. |
Anonymous
| I would look closer to Silver Spring...good commute into DC and very active Jewish community. Olney does have a strong Jewish community but the commute downtown is hellish. But you do get more for your money...it's all about tradeoffs around here. |
Anonymous
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I commute from Brookeville to K street via Comnecticut Ave every day. It's 50 mins to one hour as long as I leave before rush hour (by 6:45am; and by 4:30pm). It's anywhere between one hour and ninety mins during peak rush depending on whether you hit the lights.
We moved here from Silver Spring. No regrets. The commute is the trade off for the bigger house, nice yard, great schools and family-centric environment. |
Anonymous
Have you driven around Ashton, Brookeville (extended) We're talking lots that are zoned for 2+ acres. some beautiful custom homes, McMansions, older homes, some cool contemporaries. not in the $5m range - but around $1m We are in an outer burb of Olney - in a modest home on 2 acres with a pool, surrounded by some top-dollar houses. I wouldn't trade this area for anything. It's quiet, still rural, and filled with retirees, young families and professionals. |
Anonymous
says the one living in a one-BR apt in Bethesda |