Safe neighborhoods in DC

[Anonymous]

We also live in Columbia Heights, and have for 6 years, and find it "safe enough" for us. But schools are the real issue. We were completely shut out of the DCPS and charter lotteries for PS. Our neighborhood school is not an option. We'll try again next year and for K, but then we're moving to Montgomery County. When we first moved to CH, we were very optimistic about staying in the city for good and getting into a good out-of-boundary or charter school. Unfortunately, reality set in this year--you really can't count on charters and the lottery. And while the blocks immediately around my house have improved a lot in terms of crime in the last few years, I've found it harder to tolerate crime in general since we had a baby.

[Anonymous]

C'mon people. OP's question is so loaded.

Safe= euphemism for white
Transitional = euphemism for non-white

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We also live in Columbia Heights, and have for 6 years, and find it "safe enough" for us. But schools are the real issue. We were completely shut out of the DCPS and charter lotteries for PS. Our neighborhood school is not an option. We'll try again next year and for K, but then we're moving to Montgomery County. When we first moved to CH, we were very optimistic about staying in the city for good and getting into a good out-of-boundary or charter school. Unfortunately, reality set in this year--you really can't count on charters and the lottery. And while the blocks immediately around my house have improved a lot in terms of crime in the last few years, I've found it harder to tolerate crime in general since we had a baby.

soooo if you were to live in the housing cost equivillent in MOCO or FC, how "safe" and how "bad" would the schools be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We also live in Columbia Heights, and have for 6 years, and find it "safe enough" for us. But schools are the real issue. We were completely shut out of the DCPS and charter lotteries for PS. Our neighborhood school is not an option. We'll try again next year and for K, but then we're moving to Montgomery County. When we first moved to CH, we were very optimistic about staying in the city for good and getting into a good out-of-boundary or charter school. Unfortunately, reality set in this year--you really can't count on charters and the lottery. And while the blocks immediately around my house have improved a lot in terms of crime in the last few years, I've found it harder to tolerate crime in general since we had a baby.

soooo if you were to live in the housing cost equivillent in MOCO or FC, how "safe" and how "bad" would the schools be?

Not the PP you're responding to, but based on recent appraisals and sales, I could buy a $900,000 home in the burbs if I sold my place in Columbia Heights. I'm pretty sure I could fins a safe area with good schools for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't anyone read about the recent claw hammer killings? OP only you know how safe you would feel in a more urban environment. Living in Shepherd Park may be nice but it won't help with schools or a commute downtown.

Shepherd ES: 30% FARMS, 9/10 on GS. Is it up there with the JKLMM elementaries? No.

But 27% for Brent, 32% for Oyster-Adams ... I've seen parents praising those schools to the skies, I don't see anything about Shepherd ES that should cause people to run and scream in panic.

Deal/Wilson are the only general enrollment MS/HS combo in DCPS I've ever seen anyone comfortable with attending. You could do far worse with the neighborhood schools, IMO.

And as for the commute downtown, it's a long haul down the Red Line or Georgia Avenue, but then again, how is that better than the other leg of the Red Line or Wisconsin Avenue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't anyone read about the recent claw hammer killings? OP only you know how safe you would feel in a more urban environment. Living in Shepherd Park may be nice but it won't help with schools or a commute downtown.

Shepherd ES: 30% FARMS, 9/10 on GS. Is it up there with the JKLMM elementaries? No.

But 27% for Brent, 32% for Oyster-Adams ... I've seen parents praising those schools to the skies, I don't see anything about Shepherd ES that should cause people to run and scream in panic.

Deal/Wilson are the only general enrollment MS/HS combo in DCPS I've ever seen anyone comfortable with attending. You could do far worse with the neighborhood schools, IMO.

And as for the commute downtown, it's a long haul down the Red Line or Georgia Avenue, but then again, how is that better than the other leg of the Red Line or Wisconsin Avenue?

You are very wrong about Shepherd ES. My kids attend a charter b/c we moved to the neighborhood after they were already settled. The school seems to have tremendous support among neighbors. I posted a link to a Shepherd Park listserv entry the other day. The couple is moving out of state and wanted to thank their neighbors for being great. They also thanked Shepherd ES because their kid is choosing b/t Harvard and Yale and believes that Shepherd made all the difference.

The school has had it's struggles, but it really is supported and people are happy there. Shepherd Park is a different neighborhood than West of the Park and Capitol Hill. You have a more quiet activism, but activism just the same.

[Anonymous]

Where did the student go to high school? I don't think it was Coolidge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't anyone read about the recent claw hammer killings? OP only you know how safe you would feel in a more urban environment. Living in Shepherd Park may be nice but it won't help with schools or a commute downtown.

Shepherd ES: 30% FARMS, 9/10 on GS. Is it up there with the JKLMM elementaries? No.

But 27% for Brent, 32% for Oyster-Adams ... I've seen parents praising those schools to the skies, I don't see anything about Shepherd ES that should cause people to run and scream in panic.

Deal/Wilson are the only general enrollment MS/HS combo in DCPS I've ever seen anyone comfortable with attending. You could do far worse with the neighborhood schools, IMO.

And as for the commute downtown, it's a long haul down the Red Line or Georgia Avenue, but then again, how is that better than the other leg of the Red Line or Wisconsin Avenue?

You are very wrong about Shepherd ES. My kids attend a charter b/c we moved to the neighborhood after they were already settled. The school seems to have tremendous support among neighbors. I posted a link to a Shepherd Park listserv entry the other day. The couple is moving out of state and wanted to thank their neighbors for being great. They also thanked Shepherd ES because their kid is choosing b/t Harvard and Yale and believes that Shepherd made all the difference.

The school has had it's struggles, but it really is supported and people are happy there. Shepherd Park is a different neighborhood than West of the Park and Capitol Hill. You have a more quiet activism, but activism just the same.

[Anonymous]

OP, check out Mt. Pleasant (the neighborhood across 16th St. from Columbia Heights). We love living here. It's super walkable (its walkscore is around 90), there are tons of families with young children, a GREAT community feel, fabulous farmers market, short walk to the metro, walkable to shopping, restaurants, the zoo, Rock Creek Park, etc. We feel very safe here, and the elementary school, while not top-notch, is acceptable. You should be able to get something decent for $600K. Most of Mt. Pleasant is a historic neighborhood, so it's really a beautiful area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We also live in Columbia Heights, and have for 6 years, and find it "safe enough" for us. But schools are the real issue. We were completely shut out of the DCPS and charter lotteries for PS. Our neighborhood school is not an option. We'll try again next year and for K, but then we're moving to Montgomery County. When we first moved to CH, we were very optimistic about staying in the city for good and getting into a good out-of-boundary or charter school. Unfortunately, reality set in this year--you really can't count on charters and the lottery. And while the blocks immediately around my house have improved a lot in terms of crime in the last few years, I've found it harder to tolerate crime in general since we had a baby.

soooo if you were to live in the housing cost equivillent in MOCO or FC, how "safe" and how "bad" would the schools be?

Not the PP you're responding to, but based on recent appraisals and sales, I could buy a $900,000 home in the burbs if I sold my place in Columbia Heights. I'm pretty sure I could fins a safe area with good schools for that.

I am the first-quoted PP and while we don't expect to make a huge profit on our house in CH--we bought in 2006 fairly near the top of the market--we're still probably comfortable going up to about $700k for our next. Even sticking with what we paid for our house--just about $500k--will get us into Silver Spring or Takoma Park, which is where we're looking to move anyway if it comes to that (or if kid #2 makes the house claustrophobically small). Both of those are "safer" than CH and I would be perfectly happy with the schools. I have no idea about what that buys us in NoVa, as you couldn't pay me to move there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did the student go to high school? I don't think it was Coolidge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't anyone read about the recent claw hammer killings? OP only you know how safe you would feel in a more urban environment. Living in Shepherd Park may be nice but it won't help with schools or a commute downtown.

Shepherd ES: 30% FARMS, 9/10 on GS. Is it up there with the JKLMM elementaries? No.

But 27% for Brent, 32% for Oyster-Adams ... I've seen parents praising those schools to the skies, I don't see anything about Shepherd ES that should cause people to run and scream in panic.

Deal/Wilson are the only general enrollment MS/HS combo in DCPS I've ever seen anyone comfortable with attending. You could do far worse with the neighborhood schools, IMO.

And as for the commute downtown, it's a long haul down the Red Line or Georgia Avenue, but then again, how is that better than the other leg of the Red Line or Wisconsin Avenue?

You are very wrong about Shepherd ES. My kids attend a charter b/c we moved to the neighborhood after they were already settled. The school seems to have tremendous support among neighbors. I posted a link to a Shepherd Park listserv entry the other day. The couple is moving out of state and wanted to thank their neighbors for being great. They also thanked Shepherd ES because their kid is choosing b/t Harvard and Yale and believes that Shepherd made all the difference.

The school has had it's struggles, but it really is supported and people are happy there. Shepherd Park is a different neighborhood than West of the Park and Capitol Hill. You have a more quiet activism, but activism just the same.

Didn't say, but I am sure it was not Coolidge. Shepherd Park is in the Deal/Wilson cluster. You only go to Coolidge if you opt out of Deal for middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, check out Mt. Pleasant (the neighborhood across 16th St. from Columbia Heights). We love living here. It's super walkable (its walkscore is around 90), there are tons of families with young children, a GREAT community feel, fabulous farmers market, short walk to the metro, walkable to shopping, restaurants, the zoo, Rock Creek Park, etc. We feel very safe here, and the elementary school, while not top-notch, is acceptable. You should be able to get something decent for $600K. Most of Mt. Pleasant is a historic neighborhood, so it's really a beautiful area.

Ha ha. Bancroft does not attract many children west of 16th Street. It's a hike to Metro and shopping is poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, check out Mt. Pleasant (the neighborhood across 16th St. from Columbia Heights). We love living here. It's super walkable (its walkscore is around 90), there are tons of families with young children, a GREAT community feel, fabulous farmers market, short walk to the metro, walkable to shopping, restaurants, the zoo, Rock Creek Park, etc. We feel very safe here, and the elementary school, while not top-notch, is acceptable. You should be able to get something decent for $600K. Most of Mt. Pleasant is a historic neighborhood, so it's really a beautiful area.

Ha ha. Bancroft does not attract many children west of 16th Street. It's a hike to Metro and shopping is poor.

Yeah, my 5 minute walk to the metro is *such* a hike that I get exhausted just thinking about it. Same with my 10 minute walk to the zoo. Same with my 10 minute walk to Adams Morgan. Yeah, there's just nowhere to go and nothing to do... Btw, I know a fair amount of parents in the neighborhood (yes, west of 16th Street) who send their kids to Bancroft. Sheesh, the mentality of so many of the DCUMers on this board... Yes, we get it. You want the suburban lifestyle, but the caché of living in the city...

Again, OP, look into Mt. Pleasant. It's safe, affordable, neighborly, and provides actual city living.