Capitol Hill families - If you moved to NW or burbs for school, do you have any regrets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you considering moving to NW, or outside of DC? I am asking because before we got great 5th grade lottery luck we were having the same conversations in our house. We came to the conclusion that the NW burbs were really just that; burbs. Deal and JR are the best public schools in DC, but they do not compare favorably to the best public schools in MD or VA. If we were prepared to leave CH for schools, we weren't going to nibble around the edges for JR and were going to just pull the ripcord and decamp for true burbs and objectively better schools.

I think this is how we feel, too EXCEPT since we only have one kid, we've actually considered just moving into an apartment zoned for Deal/JR that is in the densest, most urban parts of the catchment. So basically Van Ness or Wisconsin Avenue near the Cathedral. Something pretty walkable and very close to public transportation. If we did this, we wouldn't even sell our house, just rent it out until DC finishes HS.

What we could afford to buy in NW would be far from the metro and very suburban, and if we're going to do that, we might as well leave DC and get a little more value/space for our money and really good schools.

Renting an apartment IB for Deal/Wilson was a viable strategy 5 years ago. But you should proceed with caution today. The city has placed hundreds (thousands?) of homeless in the buildings along CT and WI. It’s not at all a family friendly environment it once was. Also, there is a tremendous push from the ANCs and CM Frumin to add more affordable housing in Ward 3, which is obviously noble. But, the schools are already overcrowded and there is no relief in sight. MacArthur HS is a rounding error and won’t make a dent in the overcrowding. Do your homework.

I don’t know if the numbers are that high but yeah, DC turning middle class housing into homeless shelters was … quite the move. When I was considering the move to NW and renting, I learned that there are some buildings and management companies with better reps. Also renting in a condo building or renting a house (there are some small ones) is lower risk.

Oh stop with your Ward 3 Whining. There is homeless housing and low-income housing in every ward and you're not so special that you get a pass.

Maybe do some research before spouting off. The voucher program is a real problem. I’m sure you’d love to live in a building with an aggressive addicted and/or mentally ill tenant who cannot be evicted?

My point is this happens all over the city. It's only people in Ward 3 who think they should get a pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're considering that same thing. We have kids in middle school so we're really tied into the neighborhood for just about every aspect of our life. Starting over with older kids seems really hard. We've had friends who have left CH over the past couple years. They all seem to be doing fine but no one seems to love their new suburban life. Sure some things are better (like less crime and a bigger house) but other things are tougher. We have one friend who moved to Arlington who just can't get over how insanely competitive everything is for kids (schools, sports etc.). We have another friend who moved to Bethesda and still has no neighborhood friends after 2 years. Apparently their neighborhood has to many retired folks and not many families. I just don't know.

They wouldn’t have moved out of CH if they weren’t “insanely competitive” themselves. Pot meet kettle.

That's not true because we are not competitive at all and are considering moving out of CH. Though admittedly, we are looking more at Silver Spring or maybe even Howard County -- somewhere with decent schools and community, but not where people will commit crimes to get their kids into TJ or spend 3k a month on tutoring and private coaches to make sure their kid is at the top of everything.

Also, there are absolutely competitive people on CH, it's just a different kind of competitiveness. It's the nice-seeming mom who passive-aggressively talks about how much they love SWS's nurturing environment or earnestly explains how much their 7 year old loves kale. Or the person with 8 different versions of "Hate has no home here" signs in their postage stamp yard. It's almost worse because at least the hyper-competitive sports/academics parents are pretty up front about what they are doing and it's transparently about trying to ensure their kids are successful (albeit by a narrow metric). People on CH would never admit they're competitive, and might not even realize their behavior is competitive, and that lack of self-awareness is sometimes exhausting.

Very funny, very true. The signs are hopelessly pushy, judgmental, obnoxious and strongly indicative of a home for hate for anybody on the political right. If you're not a woke, equity-oriented sort of family, keeping your views to yourself can be hard work on CH. Still, we love the architecture, old friends and commutes by Metro, so won't leave 25 years in, come what may where schools go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glover Park resident chiming in here - we seem to get a good number of Capitol Hill refugees coming in for our school pyramid, and they all seem happy. The two neighborhoods have a lot in common.

+1. And we are zoned for Hardy (and now MacArthur).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you considering moving to NW, or outside of DC? I am asking because before we got great 5th grade lottery luck we were having the same conversations in our house. We came to the conclusion that the NW burbs were really just that; burbs. Deal and JR are the best public schools in DC, but they do not compare favorably to the best public schools in MD or VA. If we were prepared to leave CH for schools, we weren't going to nibble around the edges for JR and were going to just pull the ripcord and decamp for true burbs and objectively better schools.

We need density (it’s something my partner will not compromise on) so we are considering close-in NW (walkable to shops and restaurants). So, I think true burbs is out for us but could possibly do Bethesda.

We moved to Arlington. No regrets. it is just as walkable as our place on the Hill (I can walk to Clarendon metro), my commute is the same, I don't worry about crime anyone and schools are not perfect but are very good. Also, there are free school buses (including a late bus for days my kids have activities after school). that makes logistics so much easier. Also traffic is much less of an issue here for the times I do have to drive (but I run basic errands by walking around the neighborhood).

Same here. I left the Hill very unhappily several years ago, but almost everything has been easier living in Arlington. No more hand-wringing about schools and lotteries, no more car break-ins, no more driving my kids from the Hill to Hyde-Addison in rush hour traffic every morning. I am just a few blocks from a bus that runs straight down Langston Blvd (Lee Highway) to Rosslyn. I can also walk to Ballston in 15 minutes. Within a 5-15 minute walk: groceries, coffee, library, drug store, hardware store, parks, restaurants, farmer's market, a high school pool (with public hours). My kids walked to middle school and now walk to high school. We have used our in-boundary schools without a second thought--sheer bliss. On my in-office days, I commute via metro; DH rides his bike to work. We have really nice neighbors and have made good friends here. The Hill is about 20x more charming and yet I don't miss it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate to post this, since I don't want to slam Capitol Hill. We love our community here. But, I'm tired of the school angst (we are past the lottery so there isn't hope for a good HS path (or one that fits us)). I'm also tired of the crime. Wondering for those who moved for schools, was it worth it? Did you find a new community in your NW or burbs neighborhood?

If you have kids its time to move to Bethesda or Potomac...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you considering moving to NW, or outside of DC? I am asking because before we got great 5th grade lottery luck we were having the same conversations in our house. We came to the conclusion that the NW burbs were really just that; burbs. Deal and JR are the best public schools in DC, but they do not compare favorably to the best public schools in MD or VA. If we were prepared to leave CH for schools, we weren't going to nibble around the edges for JR and were going to just pull the ripcord and decamp for true burbs and objectively better schools.

We need density (it’s something my partner will not compromise on) so we are considering close-in NW (walkable to shops and restaurants). So, I think true burbs is out for us but could possibly do Bethesda.

We moved to Arlington. No regrets. it is just as walkable as our place on the Hill (I can walk to Clarendon metro), my commute is the same, I don't worry about crime anyone and schools are not perfect but are very good. Also, there are free school buses (including a late bus for days my kids have activities after school). that makes logistics so much easier. Also traffic is much less of an issue here for the times I do have to drive (but I run basic errands by walking around the neighborhood).

Same here. I left the Hill very unhappily several years ago, but almost everything has been easier living in Arlington. No more hand-wringing about schools and lotteries, no more car break-ins, no more driving my kids from the Hill to Hyde-Addison in rush hour traffic every morning. I am just a few blocks from a bus that runs straight down Langston Blvd (Lee Highway) to Rosslyn. I can also walk to Ballston in 15 minutes. Within a 5-15 minute walk: groceries, coffee, library, drug store, hardware store, parks, restaurants, farmer's market, a high school pool (with public hours). My kids walked to middle school and now walk to high school. We have used our in-boundary schools without a second thought--sheer bliss. On my in-office days, I commute via metro; DH rides his bike to work. We have really nice neighbors and have made good friends here. The Hill is about 20x more charming and yet I don't miss it at all.

I can ditto most of this. We have switched jobs, so we do drive to work, but we would have had to drive if we lived on the Hill too.

I'll add that it's really nice knowing that your kids can walk to school from elementary through high school. That's a huge benefit. We may drive to get groceries once a week, but the kids walk to and from school every day, if not more, as scouts and sports are often at school too. They also can walk to many friend's houses. It makes for a nice community.

[Anonymous]

We raised our kids in Arlington too, after moving to the DMV from elsewhere, not really being city people, and knowing nothing about DC. We’ve now lived in the area for decades, and moved to the city as young empty nesters several years ago.

There’s no doubt that our kids had a nice upbringing in a safe area with good schools. And they have fond memories of their childhood. And they like the DMV well enough that they have all settled here.

But none of them (four) is even considering living or raising their families in a place like Arlington (and, yes, they could afford it). It’s just that after being out of it for a while it’s now painfully obvious just how white, sterile and insular it was, and none of them want that either for themselves or their kids.

[Anonymous]

It is sad to see how DCPS' refusal to create a rigorous MS/HS path on CH (plus the increased crime) is sending CH backwards. When I moved there in the mid-90s, no one with kids would stay there once the kids were born. My neighbors all moved to Arlington. Then slowly over the last 25 years families stayed and invested in the neighborhood elementaries, and then played the charter lottery for MS/HS but since that is nowhere near a sure thing---now there's a return to the flight to suburbia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is sad to see how DCPS' refusal to create a rigorous MS/HS path on CH (plus the increased crime) is sending CH backwards. When I moved there in the mid-90s, no one with kids would stay there once the kids were born. My neighbors all moved to Arlington. Then slowly over the last 25 years families stayed and invested in the neighborhood elementaries, and then played the charter lottery for MS/HS but since that is nowhere near a sure thing---now there's a return to the flight to suburbia.

It’s not a “return.” It’s always been this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We raised our kids in Arlington too, after moving to the DMV from elsewhere, not really being city people, and knowing nothing about DC. We’ve now lived in the area for decades, and moved to the city as young empty nesters several years ago.

There’s no doubt that our kids had a nice upbringing in a safe area with good schools. And they have fond memories of their childhood. And they like the DMV well enough that they have all settled here.

But none of them (four) is even considering living or raising their families in a place like Arlington (and, yes, they could afford it). It’s just that after being out of it for a while it’s now painfully obvious just how white, sterile and insular it was, and none of them want that either for themselves or their kids.

Did your kids go to Yorktown? My kids are at Gunston. It is definitely not rich, white and entitled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is sad to see how DCPS' refusal to create a rigorous MS/HS path on CH (plus the increased crime) is sending CH backwards. When I moved there in the mid-90s, no one with kids would stay there once the kids were born. My neighbors all moved to Arlington. Then slowly over the last 25 years families stayed and invested in the neighborhood elementaries, and then played the charter lottery for MS/HS but since that is nowhere near a sure thing---now there's a return to the flight to suburbia.

Not sure where you're coming from on this. We've been on the Hill for more than 25 years. Most of the families of older kids and teens around our block, families we've known for more than a decade, now stay for middle and high school. For HS, kids go to Latin, BASIS, Banneker, Walls or maybe a Catholic school like DeMatha, SJC (co-ed), Gonzaga, St. Anselm's or Bishop O'Connell or Ireton in VA. Many of these kids have gone on to great colleges. When we bought our house almost 20 years ago, most high SES families of older kids were still leaving. Catholics were more likely to stay past ES than others for parochial schools, particularly families with boys. Yes, there's been an uptick in crime lately, but it's a post Covid issue that seems likely to subside eventually. For those of us who arrived in the last century, crime doesn't seem nearly as bad as it was 20 or 25 years ago. We work in Arlington but have zero desire to leave the 5-bedroom house we bought for less than 600K for the burbs, or our terrific church and BSA and GS scouting communities either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised our kids in Arlington too, after moving to the DMV from elsewhere, not really being city people, and knowing nothing about DC. We’ve now lived in the area for decades, and moved to the city as young empty nesters several years ago.

There’s no doubt that our kids had a nice upbringing in a safe area with good schools. And they have fond memories of their childhood. And they like the DMV well enough that they have all settled here.

But none of them (four) is even considering living or raising their families in a place like Arlington (and, yes, they could afford it). It’s just that after being out of it for a while it’s now painfully obvious just how white, sterile and insular it was, and none of them want that either for themselves or their kids.

Did your kids go to Yorktown? My kids are at Gunston. It is definitely not rich, white and entitled.

Our kids attended North Arlington schools. No one with any real money moves from DC to South Arlington for the schools. Not because they’re not good - they are - but because they’re not perceived as good.

You’re the minority if you did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sad to see how DCPS' refusal to create a rigorous MS/HS path on CH (plus the increased crime) is sending CH backwards. When I moved there in the mid-90s, no one with kids would stay there once the kids were born. My neighbors all moved to Arlington. Then slowly over the last 25 years families stayed and invested in the neighborhood elementaries, and then played the charter lottery for MS/HS but since that is nowhere near a sure thing---now there's a return to the flight to suburbia.

Not sure where you're coming from on this. We've been on the Hill for more than 25 years. Most of the families of older kids and teens around our block, families we've known for more than a decade, now stay for middle and high school. For HS, kids go to Latin, BASIS, Banneker, Walls or maybe a Catholic school like DeMatha, SJC (co-ed), Gonzaga, St. Anselm's or Bishop O'Connell or Ireton in VA. Many of these kids have gone on to great colleges. When we bought our house almost 20 years ago, most high SES families of older kids were still leaving. Catholics were more likely to stay past ES than others for parochial schools, particularly families with boys. Yes, there's been an uptick in crime lately, but it's a post Covid issue that seems likely to subside eventually. For those of us who arrived in the last century, crime doesn't seem nearly as bad as it was 20 or 25 years ago. We work in Arlington but have zero desire to leave the 5-bedroom house we bought for less than 600K for the burbs, or our terrific church and BSA and GS scouting communities either.

We are talking about PUBLIC schools. Isn’t that obvious to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised our kids in Arlington too, after moving to the DMV from elsewhere, not really being city people, and knowing nothing about DC. We’ve now lived in the area for decades, and moved to the city as young empty nesters several years ago.

There’s no doubt that our kids had a nice upbringing in a safe area with good schools. And they have fond memories of their childhood. And they like the DMV well enough that they have all settled here.

But none of them (four) is even considering living or raising their families in a place like Arlington (and, yes, they could afford it). It’s just that after being out of it for a while it’s now painfully obvious just how white, sterile and insular it was, and none of them want that either for themselves or their kids.

Did your kids go to Yorktown? My kids are at Gunston. It is definitely not rich, white and entitled.

Our kids attended North Arlington schools. No one with any real money moves from DC to South Arlington for the schools. Not because they’re not good - they are - but because they’re not perceived as good.

You’re the minority if you did.

I am the PP. My kids are in the bilingual program so my kids take a bus to Gunston instead of walking to our N. Arlington middle school. Gunston has great teachers and we are all glad we left the hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised our kids in Arlington too, after moving to the DMV from elsewhere, not really being city people, and knowing nothing about DC. We’ve now lived in the area for decades, and moved to the city as young empty nesters several years ago.

There’s no doubt that our kids had a nice upbringing in a safe area with good schools. And they have fond memories of their childhood. And they like the DMV well enough that they have all settled here.

But none of them (four) is even considering living or raising their families in a place like Arlington (and, yes, they could afford it). It’s just that after being out of it for a while it’s now painfully obvious just how white, sterile and insular it was, and none of them want that either for themselves or their kids.

Did your kids go to Yorktown? My kids are at Gunston. It is definitely not rich, white and entitled.

Our kids attended North Arlington schools. No one with any real money moves from DC to South Arlington for the schools. Not because they’re not good - they are - but because they’re not perceived as good.

You’re the minority if you did.

I am the PP. My kids are in the bilingual program so my kids take a bus to Gunston instead of walking to our N. Arlington middle school. Gunston has great teachers and we are all glad we left the hill.

That’s great - good for you. But you didn’t move to South Arlington I see.