Help: which area is better for families, Georgetown or Bethesda (downtown)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between Bethesda and Georgetown, I’d choose Chevy Chase Viilage.

No. No to Wesley Heights or any other areas. OP will not hit any of her 2 conflicting priorities (Gtown or living close to school). She needs to choose between one or anther. Living elsewhere she will get none of the things she wants.

Agree with this.

If OP is dead set on a school in Bethesda, they need to live in Bethesda. Live in Georgetown if you're willing to send your kids to one of the many private, charter, or public schools in DC.

We live in Georgetown and our child's occupational therapist is in downtown Bethesda after school one day per week at 5pm. It's a miserable drive one day per week. I can't imagine doing it daily.

Ngl, the traffic in upper NW and downtown Bethesda is a lot worse than the traffic I experience driving between my downtown DC office and our home in Georgetown. So many cars in Bethesda during the rush hours hauling their kids around to activities or just people coming back to MoCo from their workplace in DC. Traffic is easier in DC once you get away from the bridge & tunnel chokepoints.

[Anonymous]

Another thing to think about is whether your kids are likely to do any sports. All the sports teams practice in the exurbs. I am not a sports person and never thought my kids would be doing travel anything but it turns out that it’s basically expected if you want to play on school teams. I don’t know what the families in Georgetown are doing about this.

[Anonymous]

Parking is a nightmare in Georgetown unless you are wealthy enough to buy a house with parking. Imagine driving your kids to and from school everyday and having to hunt for parking spots each time.

People complain about chain restaurants in Bethesda, but the chains originate from a single restaurant who has done well and manage to expand. What's wrong with that? The food is delicious!

[Anonymous]

Not Georgetown anymore. Too much crime. Bethesda all the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between Bethesda and Georgetown, I’d choose Chevy Chase Viilage.

No. No to Wesley Heights or any other areas. OP will not hit any of her 2 conflicting priorities (Gtown or living close to school). She needs to choose between one or anther. Living elsewhere she will get none of the things she wants.

Agree with this.

If OP is dead set on a school in Bethesda, they need to live in Bethesda. Live in Georgetown if you're willing to send your kids to one of the many private, charter, or public schools in DC.

We live in Georgetown and our child's occupational therapist is in downtown Bethesda after school one day per week at 5pm. It's a miserable drive one day per week. I can't imagine doing it daily.

Ngl, the traffic in upper NW and downtown Bethesda is a lot worse than the traffic I experience driving between my downtown DC office and our home in Georgetown. So many cars in Bethesda during the rush hours hauling their kids around to activities or just people coming back to MoCo from their workplace in DC. Traffic is easier in DC once you get away from the bridge & tunnel chokepoints.

This is so true. You have to be leaving Bethesda/Upper NW by 3:30pm to avoid the very worst of the traffic. If your kid does after school activities, you are toast.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda, of course. No brainer.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda. Georgetown is fine but honestly I don’t get the hype. Before kid we lived in the West End right next to Georgetown and it gets old. Traffic, crime, smells…. And if your kids are going to school in Bethesda get them close to their friends and after school activities. Otherwise they’ll just be so separate from it all. It’s not easy to just over to a friends from Georgetown. And you can def do in car. Esp with husband WFH. My husband and I WFH with my occasional need to get into the office near Farragut and his need to occasionally get to various client homes all across the metro. It works. We schedule and I even ride my bike in when the weather cooperates, and we are not in downtown Bethesda but a bit more north.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another thing to think about is whether your kids are likely to do any sports. All the sports teams practice in the exurbs. I am not a sports person and never thought my kids would be doing travel anything but it turns out that it’s basically expected if you want to play on school teams. I don’t know what the families in Georgetown are doing about this.

The families in Georgetown, like ours, do sports with practices close by. Our DC has most practices in Tenleytown and Palisades. It is absolutely not true that all sports are in the exurbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another thing to think about is whether your kids are likely to do any sports. All the sports teams practice in the exurbs. I am not a sports person and never thought my kids would be doing travel anything but it turns out that it’s basically expected if you want to play on school teams. I don’t know what the families in Georgetown are doing about this.

OP again. This is an issue if they want to continue with figure skating / hockey. Seems like MoCo has multiple rinks but there are no rinks or programs close to Gtown and would be impossible on weekdays if we live in Gtown. Interests can change so that might all be moot in a year or two but the school won’t change (foreign language school, the only reason we have to be in Maryland).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another thing to think about is whether your kids are likely to do any sports. All the sports teams practice in the exurbs. I am not a sports person and never thought my kids would be doing travel anything but it turns out that it’s basically expected if you want to play on school teams. I don’t know what the families in Georgetown are doing about this.

OP again. This is an issue if they want to continue with figure skating / hockey. Seems like MoCo has multiple rinks but there are no rinks or programs close to Gtown and would be impossible on weekdays if we live in Gtown. Interests can change so that might all be moot in a year or two but the school won’t change (foreign language school, the only reason we have to be in Maryland).

You couldn't make an after-school practice from Bethesda, but the ice rink in Ballston is 12-15 mins from Gtown at times when there isn't traffic on the Key Bridge. I still think Bethesda is a better option for you, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No doubt Bethesda. Best of both worlds

+1. I think that this is a no-brainer -- live in Bethesda.

Your kids will want to be near friends. And there are a lot more amenities in Bethesda that are useful for tweens -- namely a ton of sports teams in which to participate and their facilities. (I don't know of even a pool in Georgetown (except one public one), whereas there are tons of neighborhood pools in Bethesda.)

I have lived in Bethesda for 15 years, and our youngest is a 9th grader at a private school here. It's a really pleasant to live. I highly recommend 20816 for your zip code.

The folks I know who live in Georgetown aren't concerned about a public pool. They go to the club.

OK. Forgive my ignorance, but what swim/tennis clubs or country clubs are near Georgetown? I don't know of any. I presume they drive to the club in Arlington? (IMHO, I think Georgetown residents would love some fancy pool club, as they seem to lack amenities.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another thing to think about is whether your kids are likely to do any sports. All the sports teams practice in the exurbs. I am not a sports person and never thought my kids would be doing travel anything but it turns out that it’s basically expected if you want to play on school teams. I don’t know what the families in Georgetown are doing about this.

OP again. This is an issue if they want to continue with figure skating / hockey. Seems like MoCo has multiple rinks but there are no rinks or programs close to Gtown and would be impossible on weekdays if we live in Gtown. Interests can change so that might all be moot in a year or two but the school won’t change (foreign language school, the only reason we have to be in Maryland).

Simplify your life, and live in Bethesda. It's a nice place to live.

My DD attends school in Bethesda, and my DH and I work in Farragut North. So we are very similar!

Our commute to Farragut North is 7 miles from 20816. It takes 25-35 minutes by car down Mass Ave. (We also live near the Friendship Heights Metro, and so my DH often takes Metro instead of driving. I always just drive it.)

Our older DD was very in to figure skating. If your kids are into figure skating and hockey, then I definitely recommend Bethesda. You'd be near Cabin John Ice Rink.

(As the PP mentioned, the Medstar Iceplex is also great for figure skating and hockey, but that is in Arlington. You don't want to be pulled in that many directions. Simplify your life and live in Bethesda, to take advantage of Cabin John Ice Rink. (If your kids were going to school in Arlington, then I would suggest living in Georgetown or Arlington, and skating at Medstar, as that rink is nicer than Cabin John. But you said that the school is in Bethesda.) And there are tons of amazing figure skating coaches at Cabin John.

(Note: there is an overall shortage of ice rinks in the DMV, relative to the population. That may be helpful to know if you're coming from a city with a lot of rinks.)

[Anonymous]

As someone who lives in Burleith (adjacent to Georgetown but with much better parking), we actually do a lot of stuff across the bridge in Arlington. On the weekend, it's a quick drive to cross the bridge if you want to go to Rosslyn, Courthouse, VA Square for a meal or errands/service providers or doctors/therapists.

GWU Mt Vernon campus has a summer pool club and swim team that competes in the local pool club league. 5 min drive from Georgetown. Georgetown U has swim lessons for kids year round.

Cabin John is a pleasant 12-15 minute drive on the weekends.

We prefer it to Bethesda (where we have lots of other family members). It feels like we live in a walkable village, but can easily take advantage of the best of nearby NoVA or downtown DC via car. For example, going to a museum in DC is not a big production for us - its a 10-15 minute drive on the weekend. If kids only want to do an hour in a museum, that's fine.

[Anonymous]

Figure skating happens in Maryland or Virginia. Not in DC.

You would have easier access from Bethesda(Cabin John and Rockville). From Georgetown would definitely have to get across to Virginia, could be a huge pain depending on time of day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another thing to think about is whether your kids are likely to do any sports. All the sports teams practice in the exurbs. I am not a sports person and never thought my kids would be doing travel anything but it turns out that it’s basically expected if you want to play on school teams. I don’t know what the families in Georgetown are doing about this.

OP again. This is an issue if they want to continue with figure skating / hockey. Seems like MoCo has multiple rinks but there are no rinks or programs close to Gtown and would be impossible on weekdays if we live in Gtown. Interests can change so that might all be moot in a year or two but the school won’t change (foreign language school, the only reason we have to be in Maryland).

You couldn't make an after-school practice from Bethesda, but the ice rink in Ballston is 12-15 mins from Gtown at times when there isn't traffic on the Key Bridge. I still think Bethesda is a better option for you, though.

Are your kids doing the French school? If so and you want to live in Georgetown, put them in WIS. And see if Ballston could work for figure skating/hockey. If you insist on Rochambeau, please live in Bethesda. We had French friends in Palisades sending their kid on the bus and she really struggled. They moved her to Key (the local public) after a year.