Why stay in DC when none (yes, including upper NW schools) seem to compare to Arlington?????????????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because life in the suburbs makes me want to spoon my eyes out.

again selfish parents not thinking of their kids

Why is it selfish of parents to raise their children in an urban area if they don't like the suburbs? My husband and I enjoy city living as do our children. We live in a condo, send our kids to a nurturing and very diverse public school, and we live within walking distance from our local grocery store, pizza place, parks, zoo, place of worship, library, coffe shop, community garden plot, sports fields and hiking creek. My husband bikes to work, and I have a short commute. I'm glad you like VA. Personally, I wouldn't move there. Get over it.

Not PP, but I live in Arlington and I live within walking distance to all of those things, except for the zoo (of course). My commute to DC is 8 minutes without traffic and 25 with. I can walk to my office in D.C. when I'm not telecommuting. I don't have to stress about private school (which is good, because like most Arlingtonians I had my kid a little on the younger side -- 30).

I am liberal and I hate that VA is, on the whole, not. However, I think that the growth of NoVA will continue to push this state liberal (and hope that passionate liberals who move here work to make it a better place) and love the local politics of Arlington. If people choose not to live here because of the backwards folks in Richmond, I understand, but that's sort of like choosing not to live in D.C. because of the often eye-rollingly bad local politics there.

You might not want to live here, but it's a nice place to live, and is very urban along the orange line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a real city experience that exposes your child to all types, that's why. Otherwise, rich NW is city in name only.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So funny. I grew up in the inner city and don't want that for my child. It's not all that as you may find out, especially in MS and HS. Or you will segregate yourself in the city. All of you city folk, how many low income minorities are you hanging out with?

why in the world is this a requirement of living in a city? Give me a break.

Is the Upper East Side of Manhattan not part of the city? What would you call it? Country?

Not the PP but a native New Yorker, and you simply cannot compare Upper East Side of Manhattan to Upper NW. There are no suburban like areas on the island of Manhattan. New York is all city, all accessible, all the time.

[Anonymous]

I still don't understand why the OP won't stop until everyone agrees with him/her.

You obviously have it all figured out for your family -- i.e. you're not asking because you are truly interested in hearing what is said -- so what are you actually trying to accomplish with this thread? Showing us the stupidity of our ways? Or perhaps the lady/lord doth protest too much and is feeling not so hunky dory about having to leave DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Living an hour closer to where we work results in 2 hours more quality time (read: not in a car) per day with our kids. Also, neither of us grew up in a suburban utopia. Honestly, on this site, "school rankings" seems to be another way of trying to keep your kids from hanging out from anyone who doesn't have your same lifestyle. I am perfectly okay with my daughter going to preschool with kids whose parents do not speak English and kids whose parents make half what we make in a year. Living in the suburbs doesn't save you from a life of juvenile delinquency and ennui. This board is proof enough of that.

It's not a one hour commute to Arlington! It's one stop from the metro outside of DC. It takes a shorter amount of time to drive to Arlington then it does to Upper NW. You can map it, and you will see that Arlington is closer than Upper NW.

So, it seems that people want their coffee shops and to not commute in trade of better schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand why the OP won't stop until everyone agrees with him/her.

You obviously have it all figured out for your family -- i.e. you're not asking because you are truly interested in hearing what is said -- so what are you actually trying to accomplish with this thread? Showing us the stupidity of our ways? Or perhaps the lady/lord doth protest too much and is feeling not so hunky dory about having to leave DC?

Obviously OP has not figure out what to do with family or why would he post thread here. Why do you waste your time responding to a post unless you have a real answer to give other than questioning someone's motives to make a posting? Go DCUM!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

This is a stupid thread. It needs to die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living an hour closer to where we work results in 2 hours more quality time (read: not in a car) per day with our kids. Also, neither of us grew up in a suburban utopia. Honestly, on this site, "school rankings" seems to be another way of trying to keep your kids from hanging out from anyone who doesn't have your same lifestyle. I am perfectly okay with my daughter going to preschool with kids whose parents do not speak English and kids whose parents make half what we make in a year. Living in the suburbs doesn't save you from a life of juvenile delinquency and ennui. This board is proof enough of that.

It's not a one hour commute to Arlington! It's one stop from the metro outside of DC. It takes a shorter amount of time to drive to Arlington then it does to Upper NW. You can map it, and you will see that Arlington is closer than Upper NW.

So, it seems that people want their coffee shops and to not commute in trade of better schools.

How long does it take you to get to work, door to door? For me, it is less than 10 minutes walking. More importantly, it is also less than 10 minutes walking to get to at least 10 museums on the weekends, many more can be reached in less than 20 minutes walking. That isn't possible in Arlington. But, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with living in Arlington, do it if it works for you; it isn't the choice that I have made for my family.

[Anonymous]

People in Arlington are so nerdy and boring. Why would I want my kids to grow up in such an environment?

[Anonymous]

For me its very simple - I do not want to live in Virginia. Also, and I know that some of you will clutch your peals in horror, "good schools" in not even in my top three things to consider when I was looking for a place to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a real city experience that exposes your child to all types, that's why. Otherwise, rich NW is city in name only.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So funny. I grew up in the inner city and don't want that for my child. It's not all that as you may find out, especially in MS and HS. Or you will segregate yourself in the city. All of you city folk, how many low income minorities are you hanging out with?

why in the world is this a requirement of living in a city? Give me a break.

Is the Upper East Side of Manhattan not part of the city? What would you call it? Country?

Not the PP but a native New Yorker, and you simply cannot compare Upper East Side of Manhattan to Upper NW. There are no suburban like areas on the island of Manhattan. New York is all city, all accessible, all the time.

I thought PP's point was that the Upper East Side is fantabulously wealthy, and yet still urban. Because, of course, the other PP's urban=disadvantaged paradigm breaks down.

[Anonymous]

So, OP, are you in the BEST school district in Arlington? If not, why not? Don't you love your kids?

Also, do you ask this question of your Virginia bretheren who live in Alexandria? Or the far exurban counties, where schools are mediocre? No? How come? When someone lives in Wes-bum-fuck because they want 2 acres and a 6 br house, but the schools are only so-so, well, they have to do what's best for their family, but DC residents are irresponsible when they make the same calculation? Consistency isn't your strong suit, is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because life in the suburbs makes me want to spoon my eyes out.

again selfish parents not thinking of their kids

Why is it selfish of parents to raise their children in an urban area if they don't like the suburbs? My husband and I enjoy city living as do our children. We live in a condo, send our kids to a nurturing and very diverse public school, and we live within walking distance from our local grocery store, pizza place, parks, zoo, place of worship, library, coffe shop, community garden plot, sports fields and hiking creek. My husband bikes to work, and I have a short commute. I'm glad you like VA. Personally, I wouldn't move there. Get over it.

Not PP, but I live in Arlington and I live within walking distance to all of those things, except for the zoo (of course). My commute to DC is 8 minutes without traffic and 25 with. I can walk to my office in D.C. when I'm not telecommuting. I don't have to stress about private school (which is good, because like most Arlingtonians I had my kid a little on the younger side -- 30).

I am liberal and I hate that VA is, on the whole, not. However, I think that the growth of NoVA will continue to push this state liberal (and hope that passionate liberals who move here work to make it a better place) and love the local politics of Arlington. If people choose not to live here because of the backwards folks in Richmond, I understand, but that's sort of like choosing not to live in D.C. because of the often eye-rollingly bad local politics there.

You might not want to live here, but it's a nice place to live, and is very urban along the orange line.

I actually think you're sort of right, because that part of Arlington is a pretty good model for how to fix decaying suburbs that inherited bad postWar, car-centric design. The thing is, that bit of Arlington isn't urban-- it's "new urbanist". Much of the difference is aesthetic, but there it is. Older central cities for me, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because life in the suburbs makes me want to spoon my eyes out.

again selfish parents not thinking of their kids

Why is it selfish of parents to raise their children in an urban area if they don't like the suburbs? My husband and I enjoy city living as do our children. We live in a condo, send our kids to a nurturing and very diverse public school, and we live within walking distance from our local grocery store, pizza place, parks, zoo, place of worship, library, coffe shop, community garden plot, sports fields and hiking creek. My husband bikes to work, and I have a short commute. I'm glad you like VA. Personally, I wouldn't move there. Get over it.

Not PP, but I live in Arlington and I live within walking distance to all of those things, except for the zoo (of course). My commute to DC is 8 minutes without traffic and 25 with. I can walk to my office in D.C. when I'm not telecommuting. I don't have to stress about private school (which is good, because like most Arlingtonians I had my kid a little on the younger side -- 30).

I am liberal and I hate that VA is, on the whole, not. However, I think that the growth of NoVA will continue to push this state liberal (and hope that passionate liberals who move here work to make it a better place) and love the local politics of Arlington. If people choose not to live here because of the backwards folks in Richmond, I understand, but that's sort of like choosing not to live in D.C. because of the often eye-rollingly bad local politics there.

You might not want to live here, but it's a nice place to live, and is very urban along the orange line.

Serious question, why are you on a DC school thread? I have often wondered why there are so many VA and MD parents on this thread and can't figure out why. Not trying to be rude, but I can't imagine ever going to the VA or MD forums. Is it just boredom? Curiosity? Nosiness?

[Anonymous]

Because I'd rather pay $60K a year for private school than live in Virginia; I'll take Marion Barry over that bunch of yahoos in Richmond any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because I'd rather pay $60K a year for private school than live in Virginia; I'll take Marion Barry over that bunch of yahoos in Richmond any day.

Drug-addled incompetence and graft v. right-wing malevolence. Pretty easy decision for me as well.