Wheaton? Opinions? New to the area

[Anonymous]

Dear DC Urban moms (and dads)
My husband and I are searching for houses in Wheaton and would like to know if anyone has an opinion on the neighborhood. We have a two year old and I work in DC and my husband in Alexandria. Other than a long commute, what is it like to leave in Wheaton? Is it dangerous? Nice? How are the schools? Who do you think my neighbors will be? Families? Younger people? Professionals? What is it like in Wheaton? As a family what do you do? Where do you hang out? Where do you go for shopping.etc We just want and need a sense of the area and are clueless,
Every comment and opinion will be super useful!!!
Thanks
Tamara

[Anonymous]

Personally, I would live in Silver Spring over Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

I would live in VA--that is a crazy commute.

[Anonymous]

Wheaton is one of the less desirable neighborhoods in the area and has (one of) the lowest rated schools in Montgomery County. Why is Wheaton your only option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wheaton is one of the less desirable neighborhoods in the area and has (one of) the lowest rated schools in Montgomery County. Why is Wheaton your only option?

Plus 1. I work there.

[Anonymous]

Let me be a little more positive! Wheaton is not a defined town. There is a downtown near the metro and there are many adjacent neighborhoods. Some are poorer and some are more middle class. I am very familiar with the neighborhoods in Kensington just south and west of downtown Wheaton between Einstein High School and 495, and it's a wonderful and close-knit community. North and east of downtown Wheaton will be a little lower income but there are great things around like Brookside Gardens, every kind of restaurant imaginable, and impossibly affordable homes within walking distance to metro.

[Anonymous]

You should live in Wheaton only if you work nearby. The commute to VA is insane if you have to do it every day.
Schools: atrocious
Homes: many older, not updated homes on small lots
Population: not many professionals, mostly immigrants and blue collar. Mostly families
Safety: our neighborhood around Sargent Shriver elementary is perfectly safe, but I can't speak for all of Whaeton
Property values do not appreciate, period.
Unless you have excellent reasons you should look into other places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wheaton is one of the less desirable neighborhoods in the area and has (one of) the lowest rated schools in Montgomery County. Why is Wheaton your only option?

Get over yourself. Wheaton High School has a GreatSchools rating of 6. Bethesda Chevy Chase High School has a GreatSchools rating of 7. Do we think that point is worth paying 4x as much for a house?

[Anonymous]

You will be living amongst group houses of illegal immigrants.

[Anonymous]

The traffic is bad and COSTCO (at Wheaton Mall) brings a lot of traffic into Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wheaton is one of the less desirable neighborhoods in the area and has (one of) the lowest rated schools in Montgomery County. Why is Wheaton your only option?

Get over yourself. Wheaton High School has a GreatSchools rating of 6. Bethesda Chevy Chase High School has a GreatSchools rating of 7. Do we think that point is worth paying 4x as much for a house?

What a drama queen. Arcola ES scores a 2. The schools are one of several reasons as to why a Bethesda home is worth 4x more than a Wheaton home. It is what it is - get over it.

[Anonymous]

Why Wheaton? What about Kensington or more toward Rockville Pike?
Ugly small houses on ugly lots all over Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

Wheaton is kind of gross. Plus you will both have awful commutes and the public schools are subpar. Why did you hone in on Wheaton?

[Anonymous]

Pack heat, put bars on your windows, expect to spend hours each day commuting, and I hope you don't need to use the public schools

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/582986.page

This thread (recent) may help a bit.