Since the Lafayette Thread was Removed

[Anonymous]

I didn't see the entire thread about Lafayette vs. HRCs (can't remember which they were) but I see that it has been removed. I just want to put out a plea to EOTP families, esp. as you consider schools. I know you have a stereotype about those of us who live WOTP, but I promise you, 70-80% of people here don't fit that stereotype. I'm sure that the same is true for the EOTP stereotype. But honestly, I see reference to the "typical WOTP" family much more than I see derision of EOTP families, so I just really want to dispel the myths.

Many of us aren't rich. Yes, there are expensive houses here, but there are also ones that are similar in price to what you'd pay in many EOTP neighborhoods. We have a very average HHI but made a nice profit on a condo we bought early in our marriage, and that allowed us to buy our house. Some parents stay home, but many are 2-working parent households. We have pretty normal jobs-- feds, nonprofits, universities, etc. School stability was a major reason we choose to live here, but for many of us it's about other practical issues, like where our jobs are. In my case, I work downtown and my husband works in Bethesda, so it made infinitely more sense for us to live on the west side of the red line. Others drive to jobs in VA, and not having to drive across the city cuts quite a lot of time off the commute.

We wish we had cooler bars and restaurants but we don't, but that doesn't mean we stay in and are boring. We go to local places, hang in each other's backyards, etc. It is nice to have lots of classmates nearby, but we (and our kids) also have friends in different parts of the city so are out and about a lot.

I can assure you I don't own a piece of Lululemon clothing (although I don't really get why that is worthy of mocking). I don't drive a minivan or SUV, not because I loathe them but because I only have 2 kids and it doesn't seem necessary for us. We have one very un-fancy car but we walk and metro a lot so we don't use it very much. In thinking about it I can honestly say that the only people I know that fall into any of these categories (yoga pants, minivan, fancy cars) all live EOTP. I have never heard more conversations about expensive cars as I have at a party in Petworth.

We don't have a nanny. Our kids don't have really nice things. They mostly wear hand-me-downs and get bikes, toys, etc. from people in our neighborhood giving things away.

In other words, most of us are like most of you. We made different choices on where to live not because we are rich and only want to live near white people, but for very practical reasons like schools and commutes. I grew up walking to school so that was a priority for my family, but I can totally understand why one would choose to live in a different type of neighborhood and to attend one of the many awesome charter schools.

Let's just agree that we all make decisions based on our individual priorities, and although stereotypes exist for a reason, most of us don't fall into them. And even if we do, that doesn't automatically make us bad people. I know very cool people who also happen to fall into the "typical WOTP" category.

Good luck to everyone searching for the right school or your kids!

[Anonymous]

OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

+ 1

[Anonymous]

I don't think the issue is the stereotyping - we all know that those are generalizations and that parents everywhere have more in common than not. We're all guilty of it a bit now and then.

The issue is the stereotyping WHILE pondering whether to access/leverage an area's benefits -- in this case an elementary school -- while at the same time propping up the stereotype. That's why posters got so angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

Given that this is DC, maybe that's the problem? Do you understand the corruption inherent to one-party states? If not, see: Russia, Stalin; China, Mao; Cuba, Castro; etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

Housing can be higher, but how is the overall cost of living higher? And if you live on the red line and next to 4 bus lines, how is transit limited?

This is exactly the point. There is not a premium on EVERYTHING in upper NW. You are making these pronouncements that just aren't true. If I lived in Petworth our household commuting costs would double.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

What is the liberal lifestyle in practice, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

+ 1

-1 And this is exactly the problem. Assuming that people choose to live WOTP just to be segregated. Sigh. So when your Petworth block becomes majority white people, are you going to move?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, this is the schools forum, but most of the above seems like a self-justification entitled, "why I chose to be on the right side of residential segregation and don't want to be judged."

There's a premium for everything in Upper NW, from higher cost of housing to higher cost of living to limited transit, etc., that makes living there a deliberate choice.

Live with it. We all vote Dem, we just don't all live the liberal lifestyle in practice. We can all do better from the position we're in, so just try to do that.

Given that this is DC, maybe that's the problem? Do you understand the corruption inherent to one-party states? If not, see: Russia, Stalin; China, Mao; Cuba, Castro; etc.

Terrific analysis. From whcih of the Fox-bots did ya get this? Hannity? Beck? O'Reilly? Palin?

[Anonymous]

I get that the OP doesn't appreciate the generalizations often made about WOTP vs. EOTP, but I don't understand how this has anything to do with a schools thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get that the OP doesn't appreciate the generalizations often made about WOTP vs. EOTP, but I don't understand how this has anything to do with a schools thread.

Because this discussion always comes up when discussing which schools to target, and was the major part of a thread about Lafayette vs. charter schools--whether an EOTP family would be happy at a WOTP school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the issue is the stereotyping - we all know that those are generalizations and that parents everywhere have more in common than not. We're all guilty of it a bit now and then.

The issue is the stereotyping WHILE pondering whether to access/leverage an area's benefits -- in this case an elementary school -- while at the same time propping up the stereotype. That's why posters got so angry.

I'm an EOTPer and I agree. The OP of that thread (a strong EOTPer herself) was mocking WOTP families while looking at a WOTP school. I love being EOTP, it's the right choice for me and my family (and I even tease my best friend who lives WOTP that I can't drive so far to visit) but I also wouldn't mock WOTP families while still using the WOTP schools.

[Anonymous]

I hear you, OP. When we were looking to buy a little while ago being new to the area, we looked at EOTP and WOTP homes that fit our criteria (yard, preferably SFH, close access to Rock Creek Park trails, midway between our commutes in Bethesda and closer to downtown, Deal/Wilson feeder elementary, etc.). We ended up putting bids on two homes in in close succession: one in CCMD close to DC line, and one in Ward 4. Both homes fit our criteria, and were in the same general price range. It's only luck of the draw that the latter bid was accepted and we ended up EOTP.

We do like that our current neighborhood is more diverse in terms of having visible minorities (we are AA), but I think we would've been fine WOTP as well. I think people in this forum like to exaggerate differences based on where you live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get that the OP doesn't appreciate the generalizations often made about WOTP vs. EOTP, but I don't understand how this has anything to do with a schools thread.

If you don't get how generalizations about WOTP vs. EOTP doesn't have anything to do with schools, you are either new to DC or have been living under a rock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear you, OP. When we were looking to buy a little while ago being new to the area, we looked at EOTP and WOTP homes that fit our criteria (yard, preferably SFH, close access to Rock Creek Park trails, midway between our commutes in Bethesda and closer to downtown, Deal/Wilson feeder elementary, etc.). We ended up putting bids on two homes in in close succession: one in CCMD close to DC line, and one in Ward 4. Both homes fit our criteria, and were in the same general price range. It's only luck of the draw that the latter bid was accepted and we ended up EOTP.

We do like that our current neighborhood is more diverse in terms of having visible minorities (we are AA), but I think we would've been fine WOTP as well. I think people in this forum like to exaggerate differences based on where you live.

PP here. Just to clarify: we were looking at homes on either side of Western Ave. in addition to EOTP (before someone corrects me and says CCMD is not WOTP!). As long as close to green space/trails and okay for our commutes, exactly where didn't matter as much.