What to do when you've picked the wrong suburb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a NYer I fully agree with others who have said that NY suburbs are a different ballgame. Since it's mostly town-based there, it's really the overall town that makes the difference whereas in the D.C. Area it's more street by street or neighborhood by neighborhood. The only glaring exception being Takoma Park which has a distinctly personality.

NY suburbs tend to be demarcated based on religion, race and socio-economics. Here, socioeconomics obviously play a role but I cannot think of a whole area Around D.C. that is predominately one religion or another, some neighborhoods are, but not a whole "town." I use town in quotes since there are no real towns in the suburban sprawl that is the DMV.

It is very different in this area, on top of what you described, so there is no comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I picked the wrong suburb. I live in Arlington. I like my particular neighborhood and am lucky enough to like my neighbors, but I don't like Arlington.

Now I feel like even if/when we move we are limited to NoVa so that we don't totally change everything in my kids' lives. At least if we move to McLean or Falls Church we can still go to some of the same family restaurants, parks, see the same doctors, and most importantly, they (my oldest at least) can still have playdates with her closest friends.

I'm trying to understand the personalities of each of these places but even after living here 3 years I can't quite figure it out... Or is it the case that unlike NYC suburbs the DC suburbs just don't have distinct personalities?

What is it you dislike about Arlington that you think you won't encounter in McLean or Falls Church?

[Anonymous]

So where I can find what they found in Katonah here in the DC region? But it was Katonah, a hamlet of Bedford an hour north of the city with a vibrant main street, that won out.

“It was so down-to-earth,” Ms. Colaco said. “I didn’t need to put on a full face of makeup to bring my kids to school. I met a lot of artists and could talk about politics and travel.” One recent evening, “a few kids playing in the backyard turned into everyone pulling leftovers out of the fridge and holding an impromptu outdoor dinner party,” she said. “It’s a good life, the life we imagined.”


(Although I used to date a guy from Katonah and he was super jappy and I'm not looking for that!!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I picked the wrong suburb. I live in Arlington. I like my particular neighborhood and am lucky enough to like my neighbors, but I don't like Arlington.

Now I feel like even if/when we move we are limited to NoVa so that we don't totally change everything in my kids' lives. At least if we move to McLean or Falls Church we can still go to some of the same family restaurants, parks, see the same doctors, and most importantly, they (my oldest at least) can still have playdates with her closest friends.

I'm trying to understand the personalities of each of these places but even after living here 3 years I can't quite figure it out... Or is it the case that unlike NYC suburbs the DC suburbs just don't have distinct personalities?

What is it you dislike about Arlington that you think you won't encounter in McLean or Falls Church?

Each are different - more different than you think. None of the issues are tangible, they just are. Different PP here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So where I can find what they found in Katonah here in the DC region? But it was Katonah, a hamlet of Bedford an hour north of the city with a vibrant main street, that won out.

“It was so down-to-earth,” Ms. Colaco said. “I didn’t need to put on a full face of makeup to bring my kids to school. I met a lot of artists and could talk about politics and travel.” One recent evening, “a few kids playing in the backyard turned into everyone pulling leftovers out of the fridge and holding an impromptu outdoor dinner party,” she said. “It’s a good life, the life we imagined.”


(Although I used to date a guy from Katonah and he was super jappy and I'm not looking for that!!)

Kinda reminds me of our Fairlington days, though people tend to leave once their kids approach elementary age.

[Anonymous]

would anyone post their neighborhoods? good/bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I picked the wrong suburb. I live in Arlington. I like my particular neighborhood and am lucky enough to like my neighbors, but I don't like Arlington.

Now I feel like even if/when we move we are limited to NoVa so that we don't totally change everything in my kids' lives. At least if we move to McLean or Falls Church we can still go to some of the same family restaurants, parks, see the same doctors, and most importantly, they (my oldest at least) can still have playdates with her closest friends.

I'm trying to understand the personalities of each of these places but even after living here 3 years I can't quite figure it out... Or is it the case that unlike NYC suburbs the DC suburbs just don't have distinct personalities?

What is it you dislike about Arlington that you think you won't encounter in McLean or Falls Church?

Each are different - more different than you think. None of the issues are tangible, they just are. Different PP here.

That is a wildly amorphous and ultimately meaningless answer. If there is no actual difference you can name, it sure seems to support folks who seem to feel the areas are quite similar and one would be equally happy/unhappy in either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:would anyone post their neighborhoods? good/bad?

Of course not!

Any "pros" would be inflated, and any "cons", could be for that matter. You know this board is anon, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So where I can find what they found in Katonah here in the DC region? But it was Katonah, a hamlet of Bedford an hour north of the city with a vibrant main street, that won out.

“It was so down-to-earth,” Ms. Colaco said. “I didn’t need to put on a full face of makeup to bring my kids to school. I met a lot of artists and could talk about politics and travel.” One recent evening, “a few kids playing in the backyard turned into everyone pulling leftovers out of the fridge and holding an impromptu outdoor dinner party,” she said. “It’s a good life, the life we imagined.”


(Although I used to date a guy from Katonah and he was super jappy and I'm not looking for that!!)

I basically grew up in Katonah and I settled here in Falls Church City and have been happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I picked the wrong suburb. I live in Arlington. I like my particular neighborhood and am lucky enough to like my neighbors, but I don't like Arlington.

Now I feel like even if/when we move we are limited to NoVa so that we don't totally change everything in my kids' lives. At least if we move to McLean or Falls Church we can still go to some of the same family restaurants, parks, see the same doctors, and most importantly, they (my oldest at least) can still have playdates with her closest friends.

I'm trying to understand the personalities of each of these places but even after living here 3 years I can't quite figure it out... Or is it the case that unlike NYC suburbs the DC suburbs just don't have distinct personalities?

What is it you dislike about Arlington that you think you won't encounter in McLean or Falls Church?

Each are different - more different than you think. None of the issues are tangible, they just are. Different PP here.

NP. IMO in this area the biggest differences are between neighborhoods or even down to the street. You can have a fun, diverse street with gobs of kids in any of them. Just like you can get a quiet street of mostly retirees.

[Anonymous]

We looked at commute, schools, kids playing on the block and then livable house in that order and got really lucky. Compromised a lot on the house for the other factors and updated the house years later.

Very happy in AU Park, great block, great neighbors. Love my kids friends and their families. Not everything is perfect but on balance it works well. We (DH and I) are happy and the kids are happy and thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked at commute, schools, kids playing on the block and then livable house in that order and got really lucky. Compromised a lot on the house for the other factors and updated the house years later.

Very happy in AU Park, great block, great neighbors. Love my kids friends and their families. Not everything is perfect but on balance it works well. We (DH and I) are happy and the kids are happy and thriving.

Is this an acknowledgement AU Park is essentially suburban? Otherwise, it's off-topic.

[Anonymous]

Chevy Chase makes the most sense for us in terms of schools/ commutes etc but we are haunted by the feeling that the people there aren't "our" people. The hippie/crunchy small-town feeling seems to be a hallmark of Takoma Park but we hate all the houses there. Glen Echo and Palisades feel too far away. Ditto Potomac. We feel sort of stuck trying to chose the "right" neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chevy Chase makes the most sense for us in terms of schools/ commutes etc but we are haunted by the feeling that the people there aren't "our" people. The hippie/crunchy small-town feeling seems to be a hallmark of Takoma Park but we hate all the houses there. Glen Echo and Palisades feel too far away. Ditto Potomac. We feel sort of stuck trying to chose the "right" neighborhood.

Kensington, Garrett Park, or getting over yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chevy Chase makes the most sense for us in terms of schools/ commutes etc but we are haunted by the feeling that the people there aren't "our" people. The hippie/crunchy small-town feeling seems to be a hallmark of Takoma Park but we hate all the houses there. Glen Echo and Palisades feel too far away. Ditto Potomac. We feel sort of stuck trying to chose the "right" neighborhood.

we feel similarly although we like the houses in takoma park and it also feels far away.