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Bethesda vs. Arlington
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Anonymous
| My husband and I are considering moving out of DC. This makes us pretty sad, but we have a baby now and don't think we can afford to stay in the district anymore. That said, can people give me their thougths on the best places to live. Bethesda vs. Arlington? Or any other places. We need access to the metro, as we both still work in DC. Thanks. |
Anonymous
|
arlington is not that diff from dc.
depending on where you are the traffic/safety seems the same to me. i love the parks we have here but school district... hm... fairfax i love. i go to bethesda only for socializing so nothing to add there. |
Anonymous
| I live in Arlington off the orange line and I love it. It is safe, super convenient (I can get to work in the District in ten minutes), lots of young families, and good schools. That being said, there is very little charm, I do not really like the style of most of the housing stock (DC has much cuter houses), and it is definitely not less expensive (other than taxes) than living in the District. In fact, many of the comparable houses in good locations in Arlington are more expensive than those I would find in AU Park or Palisades for example. Bethesda is also nice from what I hear. |
Anonymous
| I don't think there is much difference between bethesda and arlington, to be honest. Both are nice and convenient. Bethesda is maybe a little more international, arlington feels a little more like the "real america", if you like that kind of thing. |
Anonymous
what? how many diff ethnic rest you see going down wilson blvd? churches for russian community, latino, asian... nvcc has the most diverse international population among all community colleges in the us. have you visited south arlington lately? reality check needed here... |
Anonymous
| I did the same move 2 years ago and considered both Bethesda and Arlington. You can't go wrong with either location. They both are beautiful areas with lots of wonderful family-friendly neighborhoods, great schools, restaurants, and activities. We ended up in North Arlington just because of the very short commute downtown to our jobs. Bethesda is also close, but you have to commute over surface roads, so it takes longer. The one downside I've found in North Arlington is the complete lack of full-day daycare options for working moms. If you want a daycare near your home (as opposed to your office downtown), Bethesda might have more options. |
Anonymous
|
Not that different, really. I prefer Arlington but Bethesda is pretty nice, too.
NOVA - things I like: Ballston is a $15 cab ride from the white house, and takes minutes (longer during rush hour). Thus, I can always catch a cab from down town when I have to. I like that my kid isn't that far away from me during the day. Bethesda is just as close to DC, but not very close to the parts of DC I use. Arlington is very international. The distribution of nationalities and incomes is different than in Bethesda. Arlington is WAY cheaper than the district. Not just taxes, but housing stock - I think 12:20 is mistaken. Neither Arlington nor Bethesda are cheap, but they are both cheaper than the district. Schools in both communities have good reputations, but are large. Some folks who intend to use the public schools eventually find it doesn't work for them. This is true in Arlington and Bethesda. Both communities have traffic, and we both claim the other has worse traffic. I never go on Rt 1, the beltway, or Rockville Pike because I can't cope with traffic. I think Maryland is worse, but it may just be I know my way around. I've grown to like Ballston - it may be "charmless" but it has everything. |
Anonymous
I disagree with this completely. I'm the North Arlington poster, and I think that Arlington is very different from DC. Unless you live right in Clarendon, you really can't walk anywhere. It's very much a driving area. You have beautiful residential neighborhoods, but they are completely cut off from restaurants, shopping, etc. Unlike in DC, where you can pretty much walk from one end of town to another, even if you live in one of the more residential areas like Woodley or Cleveland Park. (The one exception to that would be AU Park, which is probably most like the suburbs.) |
Anonymous
| We live in Arlington, but I've also lived in DC and Bethesda. You can't go wrong with either Arlington or Bethesda, but some pluses on Arlington County vs. MD include -- lower income taxes, lower property taxes, lower car insurance, lower closing costs when you buy a house, and a MUCH broader selection of top tier state schools to choose from if you're in for the long haul to college. |
Anonymous
i live in bluemont... strictly residential... you quoted me. i walk to grocery, metro, pharmacy, school, bank, 7-11, bus, daycare, park, trail.... you name it. |
Anonymous
| ^^ by the way i mentioned the safety/traffic relation to dc residential areas. |
Anonymous
| I am confused in what way Arlington and Bethesda are cheaper than the District. Housing is expensive in all three areas (at least in the neighborhoods with good elementary schools), but if you work & live in DC, the commuting costs are less and DC taxes are generally less, esp. when compared to MoCo. What am I missing? |
Anonymous
OP- tell me where you envision yourself with your family....in the suburbs:parks within walking distance but drive everywhere else, possibly be close to a metro stop OR in a planned community around a metro stop: you can walk to grocery stores, etc.? This decision will also be made on how much money you want to spend or if you want a townhouse or single family home.. |
Anonymous
| If you're talking about income taxes, no. DC incomes taxes are highest. |
Anonymous
Well, I guess that's true -- Arlington is a big place, so there are areas where you can live and walk everywhere. I am in CC Hills and you can't walk anywhere. Not that I'd trade it for anything, but I wouldn't want to mislead OP into thinking that if she moved into my neighborhood, it would be equivalent to city living. It's certainly not. The biggest advantage as far as I'm concerned is the super short commute into DC. |