Please advise: Capitol Hill or different neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Personally I'd recomment PG MD - Mt Rainer or Hyattsville.

[Anonymous]

I live in Takoma DC and wanted to chime in.

Takoma Park MD and Takoma DC feel pretty one in the same right around the metro stop. Crunchy, diverse, pretty peaceful...with some traffic. Maryland is much less diverse. The dense commercial areas begin near the metro and go about 4 blocks into MD. Commute to downtown is about 15-20 minutes on the red line. Many homes in DC and MD are a 5-10 minute walk to the metro. The DC school is walkable to the metro while the MD elementary is not really as close.

Maryland certainly has better schools but for very young kids Takoma Education Campus is not "terrible." In fact, many more neighborhood parents are sending their kids there. If your child is 3,4,5 I wouldn't hesitate. If your kids are 8 and 10 I see the concern. And yes I put my money where my mouth is because I have an elementary child at Takoma Education Campus.

In short I think Takoma sounds right up OP's alley.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

[Anonymous]

OP, what's your price range? That will make a BIG difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

We won't pounce. We are too tired from fleeing muggers to pounce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

Dupont is a very nice neighborhood ( I used to live there) but it was crunchy 20 years ago. Houses are lovely but expensive, so it is more of a yuppy vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

Not pouncing at all but it's interesting that to you it seems cut off from the rest of the city. I feel like it's one of the few really residential neighborhoods right by downtown and the mall (I can walk there on a nice day!) so downtown feels very accessible. Plus we are are close in on the east side of the orange and blue line so metro access is easy and we also have fantastic access to north/south interstates. But I think this is one of those perspective things that varies depending on where you live. Just found it interesting to see the different perceptions. Definitely not pouncing!

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park, Brookland, North Michigan Park, Columbia Heights...all better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

Not pouncing at all but it's interesting that to you it seems cut off from the rest of the city. I feel like it's one of the few really residential neighborhoods right by downtown and the mall (I can walk there on a nice day!) so downtown feels very accessible. Plus we are are close in on the east side of the orange and blue line so metro access is easy and we also have fantastic access to north/south interstates. But I think this is one of those perspective things that varies depending on where you live. Just found it interesting to see the different perceptions. Definitely not pouncing!

Yeah, I don't get the idea that Capitol Hill is "cut off" from the rest of the city. It's right on the expressway and there are several Metro stops easily accessible.

And the traffic in Dupont is a LOT worse than the Hill.

[Anonymous]

Capital kill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capital kill

Ha ha! What took you so long to get here? You're usually here by page 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

Dupont is a very nice neighborhood ( I used to live there) but it was crunchy 20 years ago. Houses are lovely but expensive, so it is more of a yuppy vibe.

And Capitol Hill houses are super affordable??? Ha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PPs who said Takoma Park MD is the most "crunchy" option but based on your description of wanting to be close to work I think you should move to part of Dupont that's zoned for Ross. You could bike or walk to work, there are playgrounds, at least 3 grocery stores that are walking distance (whole foods, trader joes and safeway) and lots of restaurants. The Dc Jcc at 16th and Q is also a great neighborhood resource. They have after school activities and camps for days and weeks that school is closed.

The hill folks will pounce on me but, while I think its nice, I think it's too cut off from the rest of the city and traffic from there is a pain. Crime is also an issue.

Not pouncing at all but it's interesting that to you it seems cut off from the rest of the city. I feel like it's one of the few really residential neighborhoods right by downtown and the mall (I can walk there on a nice day!) so downtown feels very accessible. Plus we are are close in on the east side of the orange and blue line so metro access is easy and we also have fantastic access to north/south interstates. But I think this is one of those perspective things that varies depending on where you live. Just found it interesting to see the different perceptions. Definitely not pouncing!

Yeah, I don't get the idea that Capitol Hill is "cut off" from the rest of the city. It's right on the expressway and there are several Metro stops easily accessible.

And the traffic in Dupont is a LOT worse than the Hill.

I guess it depends where you're going, but Dupont is much much closer to McPherson Square than Capitol Hill. Agree traffic is bad in Dupont but you're not going as far -- or you're not in your car at all. I put less than 5,000 miles on my car the entire 5 years I lived there.