Remorse Upon Remorse

[Anonymous]

wtf, commuting to silver spring at 6am is great for you, but the fact that it's quick for you is not relevant in a discussion of commuting to DC.

[Anonymous]

It's all about trade offs. Lots of people move out to the burbs for a variety of reasons - better schools, more family friendly/community oriented neighborhoods, bigger houses (for bigger families, not just for show). Commutes vary, as do tolerance levels for commutes. I commute from olney/brookeville to dc. If I leave by 6:30am, I can miss traffic and head home before rush hour. It still takes an hour each way (longer if it's raining or if there's an accident), but it's worth it (I love my house, my friendly neighbors, the small town feel, the schools, and the location). And I honestly enjoy my quiet time in the car...it's the only quiet time I have for myself.

I'm kind of stunned by the folks urging the op to sell the house this spring. How could hat be financially possible or prudent if the op just built this house? What planet do you people live on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

wow, the first honest comment about commute time from arlington I've ever heard on this forum.

LOL! I was thinking that too! From Cleveland Park (near Mass) to Downtown takes me 15 mins @ rush hour. Everyone I know IRL tells me it takes them 30 mins from N. Arl, but somehow for everyone on DCUM it's always 15 mins???

Anyway, some of you are being really mean to OP. She already feels bad. OP, if you can't telecommute or work during off hours, maybe think about using your house as a weekend home and move back into your house in the city. Then you'd have the best of both worlds!

I bet you could get from Upper Marlboro to D.C. in thirty minutes it is all in which route you take.

WTF? google's calling it 25 minutes to the nationals stadium at 11:00 pm at night... you must be drinking the water in arlington. I used to live in sw dc, and just to drive over to the faragut north area during rush hour takes 20 minutes on a normal day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Arlington PP here.

You are a liar if you think your situation has an bearing on OP's.

1. You don't commute into DC, you commute into a suburb.

2. You commute at crazy-ass hours.

3. You work a non-traditional schedule (PT)

I telecommute 9 days out of every 10 (and generally only go in for short meetings, hence my 8-minute commute during non-rush), so I actually have it better than you...sorry if you can't do the same.

P.S. I don't know what "Ho Co" is, but you definitely sound like a ho, so I guess it makes sense you're happy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Arlington PP here.

You are a liar if you think your situation has an bearing on OP's.

1. You don't commute into DC, you commute into a suburb.

2. You commute at crazy-ass hours.

3. You work a non-traditional schedule (PT)

I telecommute 9 days out of every 10 (and generally only go in for short meetings, hence my 8-minute commute during non-rush), so I actually have it better than you...sorry if you can't do the same.

P.S. I don't know what "Ho Co" is, but you definitely sound like a ho, so I guess it makes sense you're happy there.

Ahem... I believe "HoCo" is short for Howard County, MD.

Let's face it people, if you live in this area and you have less than 500k to spend on a house (or sometimes more) you're just F*****. Either you live close to your job in some sort of ridiculously tiny old shoebox of a house, or you have to navigate a two hour commute just so that you can have a two car garage and a room for your ILs when they visit, or you have a one hour commute with a gorgeous home but deal with the stigma, crime, and bad schools in PG County. None of these scenarios are ideal and people just have to figure out what they're willing to give up. Personally, I took the PG county route because DH works there already but I may pay for that when my kid starts school or when someone breaks into my house and/or steals my car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

What's your favorite thing on the Applebee's menu?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Arlington PP here.

You are a liar if you think your situation has an bearing on OP's.

1. You don't commute into DC, you commute into a suburb.

2. You commute at crazy-ass hours.

3. You work a non-traditional schedule (PT)

I telecommute 9 days out of every 10 (and generally only go in for short meetings, hence my 8-minute commute during non-rush), so I actually have it better than you...sorry if you can't do the same.

P.S. I don't know what "Ho Co" is, but you definitely sound like a ho, so I guess it makes sense you're happy there.

Ahem... I believe "HoCo" is short for Howard County, MD.

Let's face it people, if you live in this area and you have less than 500k to spend on a house (or sometimes more) you're just F*****. Either you live close to your job in some sort of ridiculously tiny old shoebox of a house, or you have to navigate a two hour commute just so that you can have a two car garage and a room for your ILs when they visit, or you have a one hour commute with a gorgeous home but deal with the stigma, crime, and bad schools in PG County. None of these scenarios are ideal and people just have to figure out what they're willing to give up. Personally, I took the PG county route because DH works there already but I may pay for that when my kid starts school or when someone breaks into my house and/or steals my car.

+1. DC is an impossible puzzle. Unless you have the $$ to live close-in/pay for private schools, you will be angsting about something. Schools, commute, getting mugged or broken into, or your astronomical mortgage. Or it could be that you can afford to live close in or private schools, but then you have to put up with the insuffrable assholes you must associate with.

[Anonymous]

Can't you go onto Pennsylvania Ave somewhere over on Forestville side of MD coming from PG County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

silver spring is still the exurbs in my book... and you're completely missing the point, leaving at 6 am is not normal commuting hours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Arlington PP here.

You are a liar if you think your situation has an bearing on OP's.

1. You don't commute into DC, you commute into a suburb.

2. You commute at crazy-ass hours.

3. You work a non-traditional schedule (PT)

I telecommute 9 days out of every 10 (and generally only go in for short meetings, hence my 8-minute commute during non-rush), so I actually have it better than you...sorry if you can't do the same.

P.S. I don't know what "Ho Co" is, but you definitely sound like a ho, so I guess it makes sense you're happy there.

Ahem... I believe "HoCo" is short for Howard County, MD.

Let's face it people, if you live in this area and you have less than 500k to spend on a house (or sometimes more) you're just F*****. Either you live close to your job in some sort of ridiculously tiny old shoebox of a house, or you have to navigate a two hour commute just so that you can have a two car garage and a room for your ILs when they visit, or you have a one hour commute with a gorgeous home but deal with the stigma, crime, and bad schools in PG County. None of these scenarios are ideal and people just have to figure out what they're willing to give up. Personally, I took the PG county route because DH works there already but I may pay for that when my kid starts school or when someone breaks into my house and/or steals my car.

Arlington PP here. You are SO right. We had to save up for 6 years to afford the downpayment on our house, during which time DH and I lived in a 1-bedroom craptacular apartment that had no amenities (including no air conditioning :shock just so we could scrape together enough. It's a crazy market around here, and people (unless they are rich) can't have it all -- they can't even have most of it.

PG county does have a stigma, but many parts of it are a hidden gem. With the market as tight as it is, I'll be shocked if the stigma remains on those nice areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

silver spring is still the exurbs in my book... and you're completely missing the point, leaving at 6 am is not normal commuting hours

Not PP or Silver Spring resident but there's no way Silver Spring is exurbs! Georgia Avenue, anyone?

[Anonymous]

@10:33 which parts of PG county are gems? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@10:33 which parts of PG county are gems? Just curious.

23:39 here.

We bought in PG County, and I feel like the amount of research I did beforehand was the equivalent of my college thesis. Parts of Hyattsville, Bowie, Mitchelville, Woodmore, Glenn Dale, parts of Upper Marlboro, Brandywine, Waldorf, Fort Washington, parts of Greenbelt, parts of College Park, and parts of Lanham-Seabrook (where we bought) are all very nice. Property crime is higher the closer you are to the metro/beltway. You have to look up schools and crime individually with basically every house. The southern part of the county inside the Beltway is a no-go zone. And almost all of your neighbors, particularly outside Bowie, will be black or Hispanic. There are better school and shopping options in the northern part of the county, although Fort Washington has National Harbor and Alexandria nearby. If you need access to NOVA basically the only viable option in PG County is Fort Washington. We bought my dream house in Lanham-Seabrook, very close to Marc, metro, and some magnet schools I am interested in, but also a lot of property crime, but not much worse than Silver Spring or D.C. itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Arlington PP here.

You are a liar if you think your situation has an bearing on OP's.

1. You don't commute into DC, you commute into a suburb.

2. You commute at crazy-ass hours.

3. You work a non-traditional schedule (PT)

I telecommute 9 days out of every 10 (and generally only go in for short meetings, hence my 8-minute commute during non-rush), so I actually have it better than you...sorry if you can't do the same.

P.S. I don't know what "Ho Co" is, but you definitely sound like a ho, so I guess it makes sense you're happy there.

Ahem... I believe "HoCo" is short for Howard County, MD.

Let's face it people, if you live in this area and you have less than 500k to spend on a house (or sometimes more) you're just F*****. Either you live close to your job in some sort of ridiculously tiny old shoebox of a house, or you have to navigate a two hour commute just so that you can have a two car garage and a room for your ILs when they visit, or you have a one hour commute with a gorgeous home but deal with the stigma, crime, and bad schools in PG County. None of these scenarios are ideal and people just have to figure out what they're willing to give up. Personally, I took the PG county route because DH works there already but I may pay for that when my kid starts school or when someone breaks into my house and/or steals my car.

+1. DC is an impossible puzzle. Unless you have the $$ to live close-in/pay for private schools, you will be angsting about something. Schools, commute, getting mugged or broken into, or your astronomical mortgage. Or it could be that you can afford to live close in or private schools, but then you have to put up with the insufferable assholes you must associate with.

Too true.

[Anonymous]

I have a commute that lasts an hour. Live in a house with a 2 car garage. This is a sacrifice we make for the kids. Schools are something that is difficult for us to compromise on. And a family does need space and the cost of raising one is high.
We might reconsider once the kids are done with school. But that will take some time