Thoughts About Olney, MD
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Anonymous
| If you want to sign your children up for sports or swimming lessons, do you have to deal with waiting lists, having to sign up on the 1st day registration, etc. We're dealing with this right now, and it's adding another layer of stress. I prefer a more laid back approach to activities. |
Anonymous
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We moved to Olney from Bethesda 5 years ago. At the time, folks were telling us it was too far out based on our commutes (I worked in downtown DC and DH worked in Bethesda). We decided that our lifestyle was more important and that jobs can change. Thus, we were not going to choose a place to live based on our commutes at the time. Due to reorgs and transfers, I now work in Frederick and DH works in Columbia so now the location is perfect (both commutes about 45 minutes)
We wanted a bigger lot, more space and a slower pace. We have been pleased. Olney definitely has a smaller more intimate feel to it. We are active in a parish out there and we also run into neighbors all over town. We have a familiarity with folks in the neighborhood that we never had in Bethesda. |
Anonymous
Google Montgomery County Schools at a Glance- you'll find that info there. OP, where downtown does your DH work? Glenmont metro is not far if he's on the red line. As someone else pointed out shady grove isn't either. We would have considered Olney if my DH didn't commute to Arlington (I work in SS). |
Anonymous
This - Connecticut at the Beltway to 97 and 108 - took me half an hour today at 4:15 pm with traffic at normal speed, and I am a fairly speedy and aggressive driver. The lights aren't synchronized at all. So I call BS on the 20 minute figure above. |
Anonymous
| You were in rush hour, pp or the lights were off. I commute from Brookeville to DC every single day, and I assure you it is 20-25 mins to the beltway in Kensington. |
Anonymous
I call BS too, unless you are a very aggressive dangerous driver. |
Anonymous
| My family is literally in the exact same situation! Same life’s stage, etc., this chain of feedback has been amazing to read! Really confirms our choice for olney - thank you all for sharing your thoughts! Extremely helpful!! |
Anonymous
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I lived in Olney and at different times commuted to Rockville and DC. If you take the metro to dc, it isn't bad. I took a Rideon bus that picked up in Olney and then made no other stops until Glenmont. The is a metro bus that runs often but it isn't as pleasant. Or I parked at Glenmont or Shady Grove. Olney is fairly convenient to both ends of the metro
The Rockville commute was a breeze. |
Anonymous
| OP - as lots of posters are pointing out you should think about kid school logistics which is trickier than daycare. If you leave before you can drop off at before care you will need nanny who can drive in the morning. You will probably need two cars. I mention this because they are all costs you should consider when comparison shopping. Also if you have multiple kids the logistics of two parents with long commutes gets pretty tricky. If one of you is a low earner it can get to a point where it doesn’t make sense financially for you both two work. My vision for what life would be like with us both working when DD was little was different from the reality. You might want to wait a bit to buy until you know how many kids, how school is going etc, before you sign up for such a long commute. |
Anonymous
| Definitely would be a great option. Commute to DC is not that bad, houses in that price range are quite nice, I highly recommend it. We did the same, moved from a Bethesda 3 bedroom condo to Olney, and are very happy here. |
Anonymous
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I'm (probably) the Brookeville poster from the 2015 thread, and I want to point out that traffic is dramatically worse now in 2019. It's easily 90 minutes by car from the Olney 7-11 to K Street via CT Ave. Sometimes it's closer to 2 hours.
Housing is more affordable, schools are good, and it's a great place to raise kids. But had we been able to afford a million dollar home, we would have bought closer in. |
Anonymous
I think OP said she commutes to Rockville? There is no long commute from Olney to Rockville. |
Anonymous
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I would not recommend this for DC commuters
I live near Wheaton and sometimes when I turn onto my street I feel bad for the people that have many extra miles to travel on Georgia Ave |
Anonymous
GA is the worst, but CT is slightly better. And for those commuting to the Hill, the icc to 270 is an option. |
Anonymous