Private school and living in Capitol Hill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:24 here. Often hill families default into early arrival plus pick up at end of aftercare. That's 9+ hours at school plus 1.5 hours minimum for crossing city and car line. 10.5 hours gone. Then breakfast, dinner, a bit of homework. Sleep. Repeat. If you could select housing closer to your preferred school maybe it's worth it.

Sounds crazy to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The top private schools attract families from all over DC, MD and VA. Almost every family commutes from outside the school's neighborhood.

The overwhelming majority of most kids at the top private schools live in NWDC and MoCo. You have a showing from Nova, but I have seen very few from Capitol Hill.

I lived on Capitol Hill for many years. I'd never sign up to do the commute to a NW private- you have to drive through downtown traffic. I also found Capitol Hill to be a crappy place to have kids- you have parking issues, tons of petty crime, parks that reek of urine. Between the commute and the perception that it's dangerous, you'll have a hard time scheduling playdates with your private school friends (at least that was my experience). You can get a decent house in Chevy Chase for about the same price. Spend a little more, and you can get a decent house in Chevy Chase, MD and have public schools as an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The top private schools attract families from all over DC, MD and VA. Almost every family commutes from outside the school's neighborhood.

The overwhelming majority of most kids at the top private schools live in NWDC and MoCo. You have a showing from Nova, but I have seen very few from Capitol Hill.

I lived on Capitol Hill for many years. I'd never sign up to do the commute to a NW private- you have to drive through downtown traffic. I also found Capitol Hill to be a crappy place to have kids- you have parking issues, tons of petty crime, parks that reek of urine. Between the commute and the perception that it's dangerous, you'll have a hard time scheduling playdates with your private school friends (at least that was my experience). You can get a decent house in Chevy Chase for about the same price. Spend a little more, and you can get a decent house in Chevy Chase, MD and have public schools as an option.

I grew up on Capitol Hill and am now raising my two children here. I couldn't disagree with the above post more - I think Capitol Hill is wonderful place to be a child and to have a family. While I understand that some folks might not be comfortable with public middle and high schools, there is no denying you can send your children to a DCPS school on the Hill through 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

Capitol Hill is great, with bikes lanes, good sidewalks on flat land, and lots of attractions. WotP, you need a car for everything.

There are carpools and such to quality schools WotP. Just go on MoTH and search or post. If you're in a carpool, the "burden" of getting your kids to a great and safe school is negligible. Some schools may have a bus service.

[Anonymous]

Our child did elementary school on the Hill. Starting in 6th grade commuted to his private middle school via metro, as did most of his friends. Having an urban kid means they learn to get around on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The top private schools attract families from all over DC, MD and VA. Almost every family commutes from outside the school's neighborhood.

The overwhelming majority of most kids at the top private schools live in NWDC and MoCo. You have a showing from Nova, but I have seen very few from Capitol Hill.

I lived on Capitol Hill for many years. I'd never sign up to do the commute to a NW private- you have to drive through downtown traffic. I also found Capitol Hill to be a crappy place to have kids- you have parking issues, tons of petty crime, parks that reek of urine. Between the commute and the perception that it's dangerous, you'll have a hard time scheduling playdates with your private school friends (at least that was my experience). You can get a decent house in Chevy Chase for about the same price. Spend a little more, and you can get a decent house in Chevy Chase, MD and have public schools as an option.

I grew up on Capitol Hill and am now raising my two children here. I couldn't disagree with the above post more - I think Capitol Hill is wonderful place to be a child and to have a family. While I understand that some folks might not be comfortable with public middle and high schools, there is no denying you can send your children to a DCPS school on the Hill through 5th grade.

+1. I think it's a wonderful place to raise a family. We don't want to live in the suburbs or a neighborhood that feels like the suburbs, so any trade-offs are worth it to us. For us those trade-offs have been a small house and yard and having to figure out middle school. Both are manageable and well worth it in our opinion.

[Anonymous]

We are in the process of moving to NW from Capitol Hill should our DD get in to one of the NW privates we applied to next month. While we loved living here before kids and with a baby, but tried one year of free PK3 at the local public school and have been tremendously disappointed. That plus the crime wave and the amount people are willing to pay for our tiny row house means it's time to flee to NW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in the process of moving to NW from Capitol Hill should our DD get in to one of the NW privates we applied to next month. While we loved living here before kids and with a baby, but tried one year of free PK3 at the local public school and have been tremendously disappointed. That plus the crime wave and the amount people are willing to pay for our tiny row house means it's time to flee to NW.

You'll be pleasantly surprised and the reduced crime in your new neighborhood. btdt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill is great, with bikes lanes, good sidewalks on flat land, and lots of attractions. WotP, you need a car for everything.

There are carpools and such to quality schools WotP. Just go on MoTH and search or post. If you're in a carpool, the "burden" of getting your kids to a great and safe school is negligible. Some schools may have a bus service.

this is hilarious. Do you actually know anyone who lives here? Our kids walk to their PRIVATE SCHOOL -- you know, what this thread is actually about -- in Cleveland Park. They also walk to: athletic practice, the movies on Conn. Ave, restaurants, CVS, the parks. They walk/bike by themselves to the pool. Our daughter walks to ballet practice on Wisconsin. They both walk to buy art supplies on Wisconsin for silly diorama school projects. We walk to the pediatrician. We walked to the library when they were little (hill too steep for little bikes).

It's clear from threads like this that for every racist jerk who tries to Wllie Horton-ize life on CapHill, there is also an unenlightened, yet cocksure, poster who claims to know life in Ward 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill is great, with bikes lanes, good sidewalks on flat land, and lots of attractions. WotP, you need a car for everything.

There are carpools and such to quality schools WotP. Just go on MoTH and search or post. If you're in a carpool, the "burden" of getting your kids to a great and safe school is negligible. Some schools may have a bus service.

this is hilarious. Do you actually know anyone who lives here? Our kids walk to their PRIVATE SCHOOL -- you know, what this thread is actually about -- in Cleveland Park. They also walk to: athletic practice, the movies on Conn. Ave, restaurants, CVS, the parks. They walk/bike by themselves to the pool. Our daughter walks to ballet practice on Wisconsin. They both walk to buy art supplies on Wisconsin for silly diorama school projects. We walk to the pediatrician. We walked to the library when they were little (hill too steep for little bikes).

It's clear from threads like this that for every racist jerk who tries to Wllie Horton-ize life on CapHill, there is also an unenlightened, yet cocksure, poster who claims to know life in Ward 3.

oh, and for better and for worse, we have all the big-box stores over this way, so we also walk/bike to your container store, best buy and the like when we need a new xBox controller. And, we win the walkable grocery stores sweepstakes by a mile, don't even start

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and have worked at private schools in both SE and NW. I can honestly say, in the time I taught in Ward 3, I knew of only 4 families who consistently walked to school (and I was on arrival/dismissal duty every other week). On the Hill, easily 2/3 of the families walked/biked to school on a regular basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill is great, with bikes lanes, good sidewalks on flat land, and lots of attractions. WotP, you need a car for everything.

There are carpools and such to quality schools WotP. Just go on MoTH and search or post. If you're in a carpool, the "burden" of getting your kids to a great and safe school is negligible. Some schools may have a bus service.

this is hilarious. Do you actually know anyone who lives here? Our kids walk to their PRIVATE SCHOOL -- you know, what this thread is actually about -- in Cleveland Park. They also walk to: athletic practice, the movies on Conn. Ave, restaurants, CVS, the parks. They walk/bike by themselves to the pool. Our daughter walks to ballet practice on Wisconsin. They both walk to buy art supplies on Wisconsin for silly diorama school projects. We walk to the pediatrician. We walked to the library when they were little (hill too steep for little bikes).

It's clear from threads like this that for every racist jerk who tries to Wllie Horton-ize life on CapHill, there is also an unenlightened, yet cocksure, poster who claims to know life in Ward 3.

oh, and for better and for worse, we have all the big-box stores over this way, so we also walk/bike to your container store, best buy and the like when we need a new xBox controller. And, we win the walkable grocery stores sweepstakes by a mile, don't even start

Um. Your meds called. They want you to come back. Chill.

[Anonymous]

Kid is now in college. Growing up, she went OOB to wotp DCPS schools and then to Burke. TBH, she resented having to metro over to Burke and once accused me of making her live in the "ghetto." Too bad. She survived. I still laugh at the memory of that.

Kids learn to use public transportation in DC by the time they hit middle school and many do it even younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill is great, with bikes lanes, good sidewalks on flat land, and lots of attractions. WotP, you need a car for everything.

There are carpools and such to quality schools WotP. Just go on MoTH and search or post. If you're in a carpool, the "burden" of getting your kids to a great and safe school is negligible. Some schools may have a bus service.

this is hilarious. Do you actually know anyone who lives here? Our kids walk to their PRIVATE SCHOOL -- you know, what this thread is actually about -- in Cleveland Park. They also walk to: athletic practice, the movies on Conn. Ave, restaurants, CVS, the parks. They walk/bike by themselves to the pool. Our daughter walks to ballet practice on Wisconsin. They both walk to buy art supplies on Wisconsin for silly diorama school projects. We walk to the pediatrician. We walked to the library when they were little (hill too steep for little bikes).

It's clear from threads like this that for every racist jerk who tries to Wllie Horton-ize life on CapHill, there is also an unenlightened, yet cocksure, poster who claims to know life in Ward 3.

oh, and for better and for worse, we have all the big-box stores over this way, so we also walk/bike to your container store, best buy and the like when we need a new xBox controller. And, we win the walkable grocery stores sweepstakes by a mile, don't even start

Calm down, dayum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live on the Hill and find the 20 minutes to sidwell tough to swallow.

+1 Today it took me 20 minutes to get from Capitol Hill near Brent to NoMa at 6 pm, rush hour. Maybe you can get to Sidwell in 20 minutes by helicopter.

NoMa is a harder commute. I assume those going the Georgetown route are taking Rock Creek Parkway. I think 20-30 mins to Sidwell is doable.