What are DC's equivalents to NYC suburbs?

[Anonymous]

What are the DC metro's closest equivalents to Long Island, Westchester, Fairfield CT and Northern/Central NJ?

[Anonymous]

As a NJ native who lived in nyc then westchester before moving here, I've tried to play that game but I just think the city and 'burbs here have such a different vibe and appearance that you just can't compare. I could say, Scarsdale is most like Bethesda, Chappaqua is most like Potomac, Great Falls is most like Alpine, etc but it just doesn't work. There are just so many more wealthy and attractive commutable towns in NJ/NY/CT than there are in the DC burbs.

[Anonymous]

Great Falls = Westchester. Other than that I got nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the DC metro's closest equivalents to Long Island, Westchester, Fairfield CT and Northern/Central NJ?

NoArl like the village

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a NJ native who lived in nyc then westchester before moving here, I've tried to play that game but I just think the city and 'burbs here have such a different vibe and appearance that you just can't compare. I could say, Scarsdale is most like Bethesda, Chappaqua is most like Potomac, Great Falls is most like Alpine, etc but it just doesn't work. There are just so many more wealthy and attractive commutable towns in NJ/NY/CT than there are in the DC burbs.

Well, but there's so many more wealthy and commutable towns right close to downtown DC, as opposed to a 1+hr train ride from NYC.

[Anonymous]

Actually some of DC itself is like the burbs... Spring Valley, Kent, even Glover Park is kind of suburban. These are beautiful neighborhoods with various levels of walkability.

[Anonymous]

McLean/CCMD= Greenwich

[Anonymous]

Equivalent from the what standpoint? Location or general vibe? Long island etc are too big and diverse to generalize general scene. I've lived in Essex county and the outer boroughs. We are happy in Montgomery county and the commute to dc is similar enough to my old commute to NYC from NJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean/CCMD= Greenwich

No, not nearly monied enough. Potomac, maybe.

[Anonymous]

I lived in NY and its suburbs for 12 years before moving here. It's just not really comparable. There are a lot of lovely, picturesque suburban towns in West Chester and N. Jersey, more so than in DC. On the other hand, we like DC because you can live in a single family home in a nice neighborhood but be in or very close to the city itself. The city is just so much smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in NY and its suburbs for 12 years before moving here. It's just not really comparable. There are a lot of lovely, picturesque suburban towns in West Chester and N. Jersey, more so than in DC. On the other hand, we like DC because you can live in a single family home in a nice neighborhood but be in or very close to the city itself. The city is just so much smaller.

Agree, and generally, you go further out from NYC to find nicer, desirable towns (think Summit, Short Hills, Chatham, Madison, Mendham, Bernardsville in NJ; Greenwich, Darien CT). And there are soooo many more options up there. I could go on and name dozens of beautiful small towns with nice homes and good schools. With a few exceptions, the closest suburbs (Bethesda, Arlington, McLean, Chevy Chase) are the most desirable (expensive) in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in NY and its suburbs for 12 years before moving here. It's just not really comparable. There are a lot of lovely, picturesque suburban towns in West Chester and N. Jersey, more so than in DC. On the other hand, we like DC because you can live in a single family home in a nice neighborhood but be in or very close to the city itself. The city is just so much smaller.

+1
As long as you're not living in Leesburg, commutes here in the DC are pretty short (mileage wise) than many people who commute into NYC from the suburbs on a daily basis. I have friends who take Metro North + Subway each way to get from further suburbs down to Wall Street each morning. It's a slog. But at least they're not driving. I swear, NYC commuters who drive easily live 5 years shorter due to the stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in NY and its suburbs for 12 years before moving here. It's just not really comparable. There are a lot of lovely, picturesque suburban towns in West Chester and N. Jersey, more so than in DC. On the other hand, we like DC because you can live in a single family home in a nice neighborhood but be in or very close to the city itself. The city is just so much smaller.

+1

I lived in and around NYC for 32 years before coming here and there is no comparison. The closest suburbs are a 40 minute train ride away (and that is time on the train - does not include time getting to the train and time from Grand Central to your office). Same goes for Long Island.

[Anonymous]

Agree with pp's that it just doesn't translate. DC is so much smaller and less dense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean/CCMD= Greenwich

No, not nearly monied enough. Potomac, maybe.

The median HHI in McLean is higher than in Potomac, and the median HHI in each of McLean, Potomac and Chevy Chase is higher than in Greenwich. Of course, there are more hedge fund gazillionaires in Greenwich, but they are a small subset of the total population in Greenwich.