Relocating from Chicago -- Neighborhood Recommendations in DC, MD and VA?

[donewithchicago]

I am in the process of relocating to the DMV area from Chicago.

My husband and I are self-employed and work from home, so we are flexible in terms of where we live. We plan to rent initially, but when we buy the upper limit of our budget is $3000/month mortgage or $575,000 purchase price for a single family home.

We are looking for a neighborhood that is affordable (for our price range), culturally diverse (any and all cultures; Black, Latino, Asian, White, whatever), family friendly, safe, walkable, bikeable, with lots of green space, a solid tax base and a good public school district. We are entrepreneurs, so it would be nice to live somewhere with a strong small business community. We are fine with living in DC proper, as well as in MD or VA.

Our son is 3 and a half, so kindergarten is looming and we will need to transfer him to a good quality preschool. So we need an area with strong preschool, elementary schools, etc. We are partial to public school, but have budgeted for private if necessary.

For those familiar with the Chicago area, we are looking for a neighborhood like Oak Park, or a diverse version of Roscoe Village or North Center/Wicker Park.

Any and all suggestions and advice are welcome!

[Anonymous]

The problem with that budget is going to be good schools. How "good" do you want them to be?

[donewithchicago]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that budget is going to be good schools. How "good" do you want them to be?

Well funded schools with good student/teacher ratios, STEM resources and art. How do you suggest I quantify 'goodness'. I'm coming from a different state with a radically different approach to public education, so some context would help.

[Anonymous]

Look near Rockville Town Center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that budget is going to be good schools. How "good" do you want them to be?

You have plenty of money for good schools in both Maryland (Montgomery County) and Virginia (Fairfax County), I don't know about DC and maybe not enough for places like Arlington County (not sure). But the poster above thinks there are ONLY good schools in Bethesda, MD or similar places and that is just not true. So know when you are getting information on this forum to people who think there is no life besides Bethesda, Chevy Chase or Potomac, MD or maybe certain other areas like McLean VA.

I hope you are going to do more research than just posting on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that budget is going to be good schools. How "good" do you want them to be?

You have plenty of money for good schools in both Maryland (Montgomery County) and Virginia (Fairfax County), I don't know about DC and maybe not enough for places like Arlington County (not sure). But the poster above thinks there are ONLY good schools in Bethesda, MD or similar places and that is just not true. So know when you are getting information on this forum to people who think there is no life besides Bethesda, Chevy Chase or Potomac, MD or maybe certain other areas like McLean VA.

I hope you are going to do more research than just posting on DCUM.

Agree. This message board is loaded with overprotective helocopter parents and Asian tiger mom's.

[Anonymous]

I would look in Reston zoned for hunter woods elementary.

[Anonymous]

Why are you done with Chicago?

[Anonymous]

Came from Chicago as well.

You'll struggle to find comparable neighborhoods - there are some but they tend to be in less desirable areas academically speaking.

If you are open to private, check out the area around eastern market and Capital hill. Certain sections will feel like buck town or wicker park. Budget will be hard, but worth a look. True Chicago like areas are very few and far between. As soon as you cross over the river to VA you see a lot more places like Schaumburg / Evanston, equivalents. Lower density, mostly SF homes.

If you are willing to look further out or in MD, parts of Reston town center or Vienna might get somewhat close - but you won't find the same density as Chicago. Arlington is probably out due to cost. Another possibility, if condos are an option might be somewhere in Bethesda. It'll be more like Lincoln park than wicker park, but it's a decent approximation of Chicago living.

Welcome.

And if you don't know yet : prepare for sticker shock. $600 in wicker park gets you a nice 3bd duplex up - it'll get you a lot less here.

[Anonymous]

Silver spring

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park,MD

[Anonymous]

^^

+2 SS and TKP are right up your alley compared to what you saw in Chicago. Stay away from anything with "Town Center" in the name, McManufactured and Trumanesque

[Anonymous]

On the VA side, the affordability plus really good schools part is going to limit you to Burke or Hendon/Chantilly if you want a SFH. Vienna is a nice idea, but there is no way to buy a SFH house you would live in under 600k. Reston is nice, but the parts that can be bought into under 600k feed to less desireable schools. South Lakes seems to be doing well after rezoning, but lots of the feeders aren't great.

You are probably looking for houses that feed into Robinson SS or Lake Braddock SS on the Burke side, or Carson or Franklin for MS and Chantilly or Oakton or HS. There might also be pockets in this price range in Fairfax/Fair Oaks that feed to Woodson.

I personally would never do South County, and don't know a lot about it, but the secondary school has an okay reputation and the housing prices are still pretty reasonable.

Here is where housing is in your price range, but you want to avoid based on schools-- Annandale, Alexandria, parts of Falls Church and Springfield, especially schools feeding to Lee, Stuart, Mt. Vernon and Annandale.

DC public school are just bad once you get out of the ES charters. I don't see buying in your budget and going public.

I'm sure Maryland folks have other ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^

+2 SS and TKP are right up your alley compared to what you saw in Chicago. Stay away from anything with "Town Center" in the name, McManufactured and Trumanesque

+3!

[Anonymous]

Silver spring or takoma park, or if DC proper, somewhere in the adjacent neighborhoods. The schools are all fine for lower grades and there's time for charter lotteries and for improvements. DC schools less crowded than the moco ones, is the advantage.