Which neighborhood do I want to live in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is no object, I'm guessing OP does NOT want to be near Metro?! is that accurate, OP?

Op here. I cannot imagine anywhere sufficiently walkable would not have a metro.

Why would one not want to be by the metro? We live by the metro, and I love the freedom it gives my teenagers, especially when they're too young to drive. If I win the lottery, I'd buy a bigger place, but metro would still be important to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If OP can afford 5 million, she can definitely afford CHDS and a nice place on East Capitol. I would not count the ability to walk to a Trader Joes or the outside mall that is now Clarendon a "walkable neighborhood" -- pretty generic and lame and surrounded by a lot of really busy roads.

You are smoking crack. There are 70 restaurants in a short strip. There is retail. There is Cap bike share. There are tons of independent places--fat Shortys, java shack, Northside social, etc. there is a Metro station every few blocks. There are parks and schools walking distance. The last 2 years saw a huge revival. This is not the same place circa 2001 when it was just Market Common and Cheesecake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you want public schools, I'd rule out NWDC. The school system remains corrupt - check out the recent massaging of test scores.

That leaves Bethesda & CC. Best for true 90s to 100 walk ability are FH/Somerset, FH/CC, Edgemoor, CC off Wisconsin close to Bethesda, downtown Bethesda if you will do a condo or townhouse (no single families except Edgemoor), or East Bethesda.

Someone erroneously posted about FH shopping. There is a Giant & a Whole Foods.

Most of these neighborhoods feed into BCC with exception of parts of Edgemoor, which go to Pyle. Pyle is much whiter than BCC. Look at stats on MCPS site. Edgemoor, while Democratic / liberal, also tends to be far snobbier than the other neighborhoods.

Suggest you walk these neighborhoods for a feel.

Re: Edgemoor -- is it true that there is a well know cancer cluster there? I had a friend looking for houses there and was told repeatedly by multiple people that it is known as a cancer cluster. I don't know if that is true or not, but am curious b/c I think it is a beautiful n'hood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is no object, I'm guessing OP does NOT want to be near Metro?! is that accurate, OP?

Op here. I cannot imagine anywhere sufficiently walkable would not have a metro.

Why would one not want to be by the metro? We live by the metro, and I love the freedom it gives my teenagers, especially when they're too young to drive. If I win the lottery, I'd buy a bigger place, but metro would still be important to me.

Oh, great. More loud, obnoxious teenagers on the Metro, getting their IPhones ripped out of their hands by local entrepreneurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If OP can afford 5 million, she can definitely afford CHDS and a nice place on East Capitol. I would not count the ability to walk to a Trader Joes or the outside mall that is now Clarendon a "walkable neighborhood" -- pretty generic and lame and surrounded by a lot of really busy roads.

I don't know anyone who could afford a $5M house who would choose to live on Capitol Hill. We left the Hill as soon as we could afford a decent sized house elsewhere- same with most people we knew there. Sure, it's walkable if you don't mind getting mugged on occassion. The grocery stores there are the pits, the parks smell like urine and you'll find yourself constantly driving (or metroing) downtown for dr appointments, etc. The public schools aren't good and there is only one private, which may or may not be a good fit for your family.

Arlington (all of VA) tends to be more conservative and have less of an urban vibe, so I'd rule that out using your criteria.

I'm surprised Georgetown + private school isn't getting recommended more. That fits your criteria better than anything else. You'd probaly like Kalorama + private, but there aren't tons of kids there. I'd also look at Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase DC near Friendship Heights or Tenleytown, Chevy Chase MD in walkable areas like Somerset or the Town of CC and close-in Bethesda like Edgemoor (I haven't heard about the cancer cluster rumor???). Some areas of Palisades may also work for you too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capitol Hill--either in-bounds for Brent or Maury.

<<drops mike>>

And hits the dirt due to stray bullets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If OP can afford 5 million, she can definitely afford CHDS and a nice place on East Capitol. I would not count the ability to walk to a Trader Joes or the outside mall that is now Clarendon a "walkable neighborhood" -- pretty generic and lame and surrounded by a lot of really busy roads.

I don't know anyone who could afford a $5M house who would choose to live on Capitol Hill. We left the Hill as soon as we could afford a decent sized house elsewhere- same with most people we knew there. Sure, it's walkable if you don't mind getting mugged on occassion. The grocery stores there are the pits, the parks smell like urine and you'll find yourself constantly driving (or metroing) downtown for dr appointments, etc. The public schools aren't good and there is only one private, which may or may not be a good fit for your family.

Arlington (all of VA) tends to be more conservative and have less of an urban vibe, so I'd rule that out using your criteria.

I'm surprised Georgetown + private school isn't getting recommended more. That fits your criteria better than anything else. You'd probaly like Kalorama + private, but there aren't tons of kids there. I'd also look at Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase DC near Friendship Heights or Tenleytown, Chevy Chase MD in walkable areas like Somerset or the Town of CC and close-in Bethesda like Edgemoor (I haven't heard about the cancer cluster rumor???). Some areas of Palisades may also work for you too.

You or your identical twin posts this every time Capitol Hill is mentioned. You're right about doctor's appointments, everything else is out of date. If you're here recommending Georgetown, you weren't a good fit for the Hill no matter what. I've only known one person who made that move and suffice it to say that the kind of person who wants to live in Georgetown or Palisades and send the children to private school is not the kind of person who fits in on the Hill, and thank goodness for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If OP can afford 5 million, she can definitely afford CHDS and a nice place on East Capitol. I would not count the ability to walk to a Trader Joes or the outside mall that is now Clarendon a "walkable neighborhood" -- pretty generic and lame and surrounded by a lot of really busy roads.

I don't know anyone who could afford a $5M house who would choose to live on Capitol Hill. We left the Hill as soon as we could afford a decent sized house elsewhere- same with most people we knew there. Sure, it's walkable if you don't mind getting mugged on occassion. The grocery stores there are the pits, the parks smell like urine and you'll find yourself constantly driving (or metroing) downtown for dr appointments, etc. The public schools aren't good and there is only one private, which may or may not be a good fit for your family.

Arlington (all of VA) tends to be more conservative and have less of an urban vibe, so I'd rule that out using your criteria.

I'm surprised Georgetown + private school isn't getting recommended more. That fits your criteria better than anything else. You'd probaly like Kalorama + private, but there aren't tons of kids there. I'd also look at Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase DC near Friendship Heights or Tenleytown, Chevy Chase MD in walkable areas like Somerset or the Town of CC and close-in Bethesda like Edgemoor (I haven't heard about the cancer cluster rumor???). Some areas of Palisades may also work for you too.

She had preferably 'public school' has her criteria which is why G-town prob wasn't mentioned. If she goes private it would be a good fit for everything else. Hyde isn't bad but it doesn't compare to the publics just a mile or 2 away in VA or MD.

[Anonymous]

Hyde/Deal/Wilson wouldn't be a showstopper, but they're not the bestest schools ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hyde/Deal/Wilson wouldn't be a showstopper, but they're not the bestest schools ever.

Hardy is the middle for G-town, isn't it? At least it was when I lived there 5 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hyde/Deal/Wilson wouldn't be a showstopper, but they're not the bestest schools ever.

Hardy is the middle for G-town, isn't it? At least it was when I lived there 5 years ago.

Yes. 71% African American whereas the Georgetown neighborhood is about 98% Caucasian.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Capitol Hill. I would give my right arm to live there. If you can't stomach the thought of the public schools (which ARE actually good, by the way) then do St. Peter's or Capitol Hill Day School.

[Anonymous]

If your budget for a house is $5M, why do you care about public school? Especially when you are prioritizing an "urban" environment with walk-ability as a factor. That neighborhood simply does not exist and you will have to trade-off a few items on your list. Send your kids to private school, you can certainly afford it, and then live in any of the desire-able neighborhoods within the city, because that seems to be what you want.

[Anonymous]

I think this is a troll post (or just very wishful re the budget) if you can afford 5 m then these middle class neighborhoods are probably. It going to work. Georgetown or NW and do private. Or Bethesda. The rich generally do not hang out on the streets of DC however walkae they might be. This is not the upper east side of Manhattan but G L !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Capitol Hill. I would give my right arm to live there. If you can't stomach the thought of the public schools (which ARE actually good, by the way) then do St. Peter's or Capitol Hill Day School.

Considering the beatings, muggings and murders on Capitol Hill, you might want to refrain from mentioning St. Peter.