I hate my new neighborhood

[Anonymous]

I hate mine too, OP. Moved to the DC burbs in late 2014 and have hated every minute of it since then. Did it for the schools but the commute to downtown DC is miserable and I hate not being able to walk to anything. Neighbors are perfectly nice but we just haven't really "clicked." We're going to move back to DC as soon as possible. Will try for a good elementary and figure out schools as we go along.

I think it's just a really personal thing. Some people love the burbs, some don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How could you hate McLean? It's so warm and friendly and welcoming...

A neighbor asked us if we were having money problems when he found out we were moving out of McLean but staying in the area.

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHSHAHAHAHAHAHHA

That is the most McLean thing I've ever heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate mine too, OP. Moved to the DC burbs in late 2014 and have hated every minute of it since then. Did it for the schools but the commute to downtown DC is miserable and I hate not being able to walk to anything. Neighbors are perfectly nice but we just haven't really "clicked." We're going to move back to DC as soon as possible. Will try for a good elementary and figure out schools as we go along.

I think it's just a really personal thing. Some people love the burbs, some don't.

Very true. We liked Adams Morgan, hated Mount Pleasant. Unfortunately, we only rented in the former and bought in the latter.

[Anonymous]

why are people reticent to say where they live and hate?

Because they want to sell eventually?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, OP. We had a similar experience with a move to another part of the country. We had tons of space, high ranked schools, and all the trappings of "the American Dream."

We were miserable. Miserable. The Stepford facade was masking all sorts of things in that community, including virulent racism against the residents of a nearby majority Black city.

We left and no intention of ever going back. Turns out it is more important to us to be happy and fulfilled people, who can then be present and patient for our kids, than to live where everyone said we should want to live.

Ah, the South!

Actually, the veiled racism makes it sound like a liberal northern city.

I thought Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How could you hate McLean? It's so warm and friendly and welcoming...

A neighbor asked us if we were having money problems when he found out we were moving out of McLean but staying in the area.

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHSHAHAHAHAHAHHA

That is the most McLean thing I've ever heard.

That's insanely rude for a regular person to say. Unless the guy has a super dry sense of humor I'd say he sounds like he is very much on the Asperger's spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate mine too, OP. Moved to the DC burbs in late 2014 and have hated every minute of it since then. Did it for the schools but the commute to downtown DC is miserable and I hate not being able to walk to anything. Neighbors are perfectly nice but we just haven't really "clicked." We're going to move back to DC as soon as possible. Will try for a good elementary and figure out schools as we go along.

I think it's just a really personal thing. Some people love the burbs, some don't.

Very true. We liked Adams Morgan, hated Mount Pleasant. Unfortunately, we only rented in the former and bought in the latter.

What's wrong with Mt. P vs. Adams Morgan? It seems super community oriented and more family-friendly than AdMo. Definitely less drunks. And you're only a 15 minute walk from Columbia Road.
We love living in Adams Morgan, but currently DINKs and thinking about a kid in the next 3 to 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Have a party. Seriously. This fall, while the weather is nice. get a keg, some burgers, invite all your neighbors and ask them to bring a side/dessert.

I live in a far-out 'burbs neighborhood where it's really hard to meet people. Thank god for my neighbors that host parties!!

[Anonymous]

You should've considered walkablity and playgrounds, community amenities, etc. as a factor when you looked at the house.

Wait until the first snow storm - neighbors all come out to shovel, talk about the weather, and become neighborly.

[Anonymous]

I followed my spouse to his dream house in the burbs. House is nice. Kinda hate it out here in the sticks. Only been a few months. I'm sure it will grow on me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should've considered walkablity and playgrounds, community amenities, etc. as a factor when you looked at the house.

Wait until the first snow storm - neighbors all come out to shovel, talk about the weather, and become neighborly.

12:40 here. We certainly considered all of that when we moved, but I think sometimes you don't realize how important stuff is to you until you don't have it anymore. We thought all of that would be outweighed by the extra space, the private yard, etc. But we just miss being urban.

[Anonymous]

Walk every day at about the same time. You'll soon get to know some people.

[Anonymous]

I agree that you need to give it a whole year. I would live in the NW DC area with yards or in the walkable areas of Arlington with a small yard but I live in western Fairfax for commute reasons. I don't love it but nothing is permanent, right now this is what is "best" but not ideal, why did you move- what made it a good choice, focus on that I think.

[Anonymous]

OP again. Thanks for the kind messages and great suggestions to feel more at home here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate mine too, OP. Moved to the DC burbs in late 2014 and have hated every minute of it since then. Did it for the schools but the commute to downtown DC is miserable and I hate not being able to walk to anything. Neighbors are perfectly nice but we just haven't really "clicked." We're going to move back to DC as soon as possible. Will try for a good elementary and figure out schools as we go along.

I think it's just a really personal thing. Some people love the burbs, some don't.

Very true. We liked Adams Morgan, hated Mount Pleasant. Unfortunately, we only rented in the former and bought in the latter.

What's wrong with Mt. P vs. Adams Morgan? It seems super community oriented and more family-friendly than AdMo. Definitely less drunks. And you're only a 15 minute walk from Columbia Road.
We love living in Adams Morgan, but currently DINKs and thinking about a kid in the next 3 to 4 years.

Bad retail, including few interesting restaurants (umpteen places selling papusas and little else)
Bad schools
Too much crime/too many locals with drug/alcohol problems that manifested themselves in vagrancy, harassment and EMT noise
Kids spread among all the area privates and not socializing with each other
Not quite close enough to either CP or CH Metro stations