Moving to DC with many questions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are 5 and 8. So would like to be near activities / sports / classes, etc for them and someplace that has a sense of community, you actually know your neighbors, etc.

I definitely think either Wesley Heights or Cleveland/Woodley Park is what will fit your bill.

I just moved from Manhattan to DC. I would definitely not move to Cleveland park. I moved here too based on dcum recommendations. Don't.

People here are weird and cold. It took months to get people to even respond when I said hello. Also this place is not walkable whatsoever. There Is a strip of sad little restaurants, but the place is clogged with old racist people who think nothing of screaming at you because they think you're a nanny. I don't know of another sahm at all. So the assumption is that we are nannies, and they will feel free to treat you like trash. The zoo is really nice though. I have met some nice friends, but they are few and far between.

I am moving to Capitol hill where other former NYC friends have moved. Since you're looking for private schools, the school issue is not important for you. Honestly, don't let anyone tell you otherwise- NW dc is extremely suburban, and maryland and Nova are totally suburban. People who don't understand what life is like in manhattan will say crap like oh Bethesda has a great downtown (spoiler alert- it doesn't) and Arlington is walkable! (no it is chain store central with unfriendly types. Actually it's a lot like Hoboken).

I would definitely take a couple weekends to check out the city. When people say "great and walkable downtown" they literally mean one sad Starbucks and a bad deli. That is it. Dont rely too much on what people here say. They don't understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown is the best, hands down. Its kind of like Soho, bur nicer. Everything else sucks big time compared to most of Manhattan.

HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHhHah

Oh my god I just actually laughed out loud.

No Georgetown is very similar to South Street Seaport. Seriously!

Soho and Georgetown are as similar as Nancy Reagan and Beyonce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, what's your budget?

Not OP, but 21st Centery SAHMs living in Manhattan don't have "budgets." Those are for the little people.

Aha ha ha. Right. You can afford to be SAHM in Manhattan.
Appears "Budget" is not a concern here. Good luck in your home search.

Sounds like your ideas about NYC life are from TV. The reality is, a lot of moms SAH in NYC, because it makes no financial sense to hire a nanny, not every woman actually can afford to work in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown is the best, hands down. Its kind of like Soho, bur nicer. Everything else sucks big time compared to most of Manhattan.

HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHhHah

Oh my god I just actually laughed out loud.

No Georgetown is very similar to South Street Seaport. Seriously!

Soho and Georgetown are as similar as Nancy Reagan and Beyonce.

SOHO sucks, it's a tourist trap for the most part, only more crowded than Gtown. Gtown is more comparable to West Village as far as residential streets are concerned.

[Anonymous]

If your husband works in Georgetown, I would look in Arlington (like Clarendon or Balston), I'm surprised no one mentioned it yet. Great schools, walkable, lots of amenities, GREAT public school system, parks, playground, county amenities, and only a couple of stops to DC. And WAY easier commute to DC than from Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At this point I think OP has decided to give up and stay in NYC where things are less confusing.

It's the same in NYC, people move to the burbs every day when kids have to start school or are about to finish elementary school.

Not true at all. Don't display your ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown is the best, hands down. Its kind of like Soho, bur nicer. Everything else sucks big time compared to most of Manhattan.

HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHhHah

Oh my god I just actually laughed out loud.

No Georgetown is very similar to South Street Seaport. Seriously!

Soho and Georgetown are as similar as Nancy Reagan and Beyonce.

SOHO sucks, it's a tourist trap for the most part, only more crowded than Gtown. Gtown is more comparable to West Village as far as residential streets are concerned.

Some parts of soho are touristy, for sure. Definitely agree with you! But Georgetown is not like the west village. Both have nice rowhouses, but I have lived in both and can confidently say that they are totally different. Again it's very similar to south street seaport. Google it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your husband works in Georgetown, I would look in Arlington (like Clarendon or Balston), I'm surprised no one mentioned it yet. Great schools, walkable, lots of amenities, GREAT public school system, parks, playground, county amenities, and only a couple of stops to DC. And WAY easier commute to DC than from Bethesda.

You will die of boredom. Don't move here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, what's your budget?

Not OP, but 21st Centery SAHMs living in Manhattan don't have "budgets." Those are for the little people.

Aha ha ha. Right. You can afford to be SAHM in Manhattan.
Appears "Budget" is not a concern here. Good luck in your home search.

Sounds like your ideas about NYC life are from TV. The reality is, a lot of moms SAH in NYC, because it makes no financial sense to hire a nanny, not every woman actually can afford to work in NYC.

Totally agree! I was a manhattan sahm too because the cost of a nanny/nanny share was almost the same as my salary. We were lucky enough to be fine on my husband's salary alone. But that doesn't mean I lived like a real housewife or anything. I have nice things of course, but we absolutely had/have a budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are 5 and 8. So would like to be near activities / sports / classes, etc for them and someplace that has a sense of community, you actually know your neighbors, etc.

I definitely think either Wesley Heights or Cleveland/Woodley Park is what will fit your bill.

I just moved from Manhattan to DC. I would definitely not move to Cleveland park. I moved here too based on dcum recommendations. Don't.

People here are weird and cold. It took months to get people to even respond when I said hello. Also this place is not walkable whatsoever. There Is a strip of sad little restaurants, but the place is clogged with old racist people who think nothing of screaming at you because they think you're a nanny. I don't know of another sahm at all. So the assumption is that we are nannies, and they will feel free to treat you like trash. The zoo is really nice though. I have met some nice friends, but they are few and far between.

I am moving to Capitol hill where other former NYC friends have moved. Since you're looking for private schools, the school issue is not important for you. Honestly, don't let anyone tell you otherwise- NW dc is extremely suburban, and maryland and Nova are totally suburban. People who don't understand what life is like in manhattan will say crap like oh Bethesda has a great downtown (spoiler alert- it doesn't) and Arlington is walkable! (no it is chain store central with unfriendly types. Actually it's a lot like Hoboken).

I would definitely take a couple weekends to check out the city. When people say "great and walkable downtown" they literally mean one sad Starbucks and a bad deli. That is it. Dont rely too much on what people here say. They don't understand.

People understand, don't be snobby, a few of us here lived in NYC before moving to DC or even grew up there. OP wasn't specific what she was looking for, some people (yes, even former manhattanites) desire a detached SFH with a yard and parking and privacy, a different lifestyle when they relocate. Not all of Manhattan is alike either, there are different areas and different lifestyles too. She didn't say she wanted a condo or a rowhouse smack in the middle of the busiest area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown is the best, hands down. Its kind of like Soho, bur nicer. Everything else sucks big time compared to most of Manhattan.

HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHhHah

Oh my god I just actually laughed out loud.

No Georgetown is very similar to South Street Seaport. Seriously!

Soho and Georgetown are as similar as Nancy Reagan and Beyonce.

SOHO sucks, it's a tourist trap for the most part, only more crowded than Gtown. Gtown is more comparable to West Village as far as residential streets are concerned.

Some parts of soho are touristy, for sure. Definitely agree with you! But Georgetown is not like the west village. Both have nice rowhouses, but I have lived in both and can confidently say that they are totally different. Again it's very similar to south street seaport. Google it.

Meant to say "a lot like West Village"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are 5 and 8. So would like to be near activities / sports / classes, etc for them and someplace that has a sense of community, you actually know your neighbors, etc.

I definitely think either Wesley Heights or Cleveland/Woodley Park is what will fit your bill.

I just moved from Manhattan to DC. I would definitely not move to Cleveland park. I moved here too based on dcum recommendations. Don't.

People here are weird and cold. It took months to get people to even respond when I said hello. Also this place is not walkable whatsoever. There Is a strip of sad little restaurants, but the place is clogged with old racist people who think nothing of screaming at you because they think you're a nanny. I don't know of another sahm at all. So the assumption is that we are nannies, and they will feel free to treat you like trash. The zoo is really nice though. I have met some nice friends, but they are few and far between.

I am moving to Capitol hill where other former NYC friends have moved. Since you're looking for private schools, the school issue is not important for you. Honestly, don't let anyone tell you otherwise- NW dc is extremely suburban, and maryland and Nova are totally suburban.People who don't understand what life is like in manhattan will say crap like oh Bethesda has a great downtown (spoiler alert- it doesn't) and Arlington is walkable! (no it is chain store central with unfriendly types. Actually it's a lot like Hoboken).

I would definitely take a couple weekends to check out the city. When people say "great and walkable downtown" they literally mean one sad Starbucks and a bad deli. That is it. Dont rely too much on what people here say. They don't understand.

OMG, yes, PP, you described it PERFECTLY! I'm the PP who referred to a friend who said Connecticut avenue was the greatest thing since sliced bread. There are verrrrry different concepts of urban/walkable here than in NYC. I wish I'd moved to Capitol Hill when I first came to DC. I started out in Adams Morgan b/c I came here to go to georgetown for grad school and it was the farthest I could get from georgetown and still be able to walk to campus (in theory) and I hated it. Ugh. A very sorry excuse for an east village/brooklyn-type neighborhood. Anyway, congratulations to you on your move!

[Anonymous]

Lyon Village in Arlington, near Clarendon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At this point I think OP has decided to give up and stay in NYC where things are less confusing.

It's the same in NYC, people move to the burbs every day when kids have to start school or are about to finish elementary school.

Not true at all. Don't display your ignorance.

I live there, and see this with my own eyes. I had a few friends move away already with kids toddler age. Some brave preschool and then pack the bags.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you're set on using private schools, that's another reason to live in NW DC rather than Bethesda or NoVA. There's a greater density of good privates clustered in NW DC than in either of those places. Also, while parts of NoVa are very close to Georgetown, your husband would be subject to traffic on the bridges between DC and NoVa, and that can often be a nightmare. You would also if you're driving the kids to private schools in NW DC. Crossing Key Bridge or Chain Bridge at rush hour is usually pretty awful. It's much easier to be on the same side of the river.