Moving to dc....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys are great with the questions, I really appreciate it.

So... would it be possible to get OOB for brent, maury or Watkins or Ludlow? Wondering about living in SW and getting into a Hill school. Not my first choice, but another option.

If you value a neighborhood school within reasonable proximity, you could swing the Hill from SW but it's not a great commute to get downtown even if you got a spot OOB (upper grades doable, not lower). Van Ness on M St SE will eventually be in play but maybe not soon enough (and SW may only have proximity). Amidon Bowden is just as good as Ludlow Taylor fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://insideschools.org/elementary/browse/school/585

That's our current school. The test scores last year reflect the new Common Core tests New York implemented... which were a mess. Still, 11 had the second-best scores in its district, and is considered to be good. From what I've read, its story is probably similar to a lot of DC schools... although possibly with more money. I know Clinton Hill and Bed Stuy (11 has tons OOB kids) have recently gentrified dramatically. I love this school. There's nothing I would change about it, and I'm really sad we're leaving. I guess my question is, where is this school's equiv in DC?

this looks like Watkins! I hope you consider that area-- it is less expensive than the Brent area, where we live. I used to live in the area, on the south side of Lincoln Park. I think you will love it-- and the dogs will be very happy and welcome at the park! Nice playground area for kids, too. An even less expensive area is the area east of Watkins-- Congressional Cemetary is a great place to dog walk. Good luck! The closest metro is Potomac Ave. Highly recommend that area!

[Anonymous]

dcmom wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Bancroft, like Oyster, has no English-only track. If you move in-boundary for 3rd grade both schools have to take you and do whatever they can to get you up to speed, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Much as I'd love the kid to learn Spanish, throwing her into it seems a little cruel, yeah. I've thought about it.

Wait, What does SWS stand for? And where is it? And it's a charter?

School-Within-School: It is an extremely popular DCPS that is city-wide and is Reggio-inspired. I think next year they may have a 3rd grade, but there is no chance you will get in given its popularity, unfortunately. There are no boundaries so you cannot move in boundary to get in.

depends on grade. less of a waitlist for upper grades and there's always some attrition. Many families are set by 2nd/3rd grade and you could snag a seat. Can't hurt to get waitlisted at SWS. You won't get ECE spot, but the waitlist is less daunting for upper grades and even in-demand schools sometimes work through the lists. SWS doesn't have boundaries and has fixed class sizes. It can't be oversubscribed, which hurts waitlisted families for upper grades at places like Murch or Janney. If a seat opens it needs to be filled because there's no by-right overflow.

[Anonymous]

Adding Hearst, looking more closely at Watkins Thanks!

Does the Watkins area of Capital Hill have a name?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to tell us your budget. Sheperd Park is not a good fit if you don't want to drive much. Its a cute little neighborhood but not a lot of rental and the houses are very very pricey.
If you want to rent into a great school In Bounds, look in Ward 3/Upper NW around Tenleytown metro for Janney Elem. All of the upper NW schools are good and you could rent around the metro stations on Wisconsin avenue or Connecticut Avenue. You could be in a great elem and most likely feed into Deal and then Wilson if you are in it for the long haul.
Cap Hill is a great family walkable neighborhood. Brent elem is the best but lots of families like Watkins. But most families who can bail after 4th grade do so and go for the charters such as Latin, Basis or private. You will have more long term options in upper NW.

I live in Sheperd Park. The PP is correct, there is not a lot of rental. But you do NOT need a car here. The 16th Street bus line stops right behind my house, I am less than a 5 min. walk to the SS Metro (red line), Giant, CVS. There are tons of restaurants and shops coming in the neighborhood and DTSS is about a 15 min. walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, I haven't read the whole thread, but have you visited the city OP? I really dislike the hill - tends to be more conservative and uppity, in my opinion. I personally love the Dupont/Logan circle area and would echo a few other posters at trying to get a small 2 bedroom inbounds for Ross if you find you like that neighborhood more.

Unlike NY, if you move OOB, you lose you IB spot.

The Hill, at least as I experience it, is not conservative and uppity at all. More like crunchy--intensely so--and friendly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding Hearst, looking more closely at Watkins Thanks!

Does the Watkins area of Capital Hill have a name?

I would say it's a mash up of "Eastern Market", "Lincoln Park", and "Potomac Ave/Congressional Cemetary".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm sorry, I haven't read the whole thread, but have you visited the city OP? I really dislike the hill - tends to be more conservative and uppity, in my opinion. I personally love the Dupont/Logan circle area and would echo a few other posters at trying to get a small 2 bedroom inbounds for Ross if you find you like that neighborhood more.

You say "small two bedroom" and I remember the years I've spent in New York in small two bedrooms before we finally got a decent apartment, which we now have to leave, and I cry. Unless small means about 1300 square feet with outdoor space... but I'm guessing it doesn't.

My friends who live in DC are all childless, except for one who goes to a charter, and I don't remember which charter. They have all described the Hill as both boring and dangerous. I do understand how a place can be both, lol. Still, it looks pretty. And I'm assuming I would like its fringes more than its center... which is probably good as they will be cheaper.

We live in a huge two-bedroom in Van Ness area (currently inbounds for Murch, maybe rezoned for Hearst) that is several times larger than the big apartment we lived in in Brooklyn, and we pay the same as we paid there four years ago (but in DC all utilities except cable and central air are included) - about $2600 - and it's close to Metro, and the Giant at Van Ness. That said, we moved here for the school, because the only other selling point was proximity to Politics and Prose and the little cluster of pretty good restaurants up near there. There's not a lot going on here at night, and Connecticut Ave in this area is very much a feeder road for commuters, so we definitely gave up a lot of great neighborhood-y stuff (and yeah, it was an adjustment!) BUT walking child to a good school and having friends live nearby that we can spontaneously have snow-day playdates with etc. is definitely compensation. And there are buses up and down CT ave. that shoot straight to the zoo, though by no means as frequent as NYC buses, as well as Metro access (that was the selling point too) and Van Ness farmer's market as well. We have a car, but don't really need one in current location. Depends on what things you want to give up!

[Anonymous]

Cleveland Park is a more walkable with more shops and access to zoo and rock creek park than Van Ness. Hearst would give you a Deal feeder that is more secure, whereas Eaton may feed to Hardy. With a third grader, I would choose Hearst over Eaton just given the proximity the middle school Deal. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Capital Hill is great - especially if you are interested in music like DC youth orchestra.

Make sure you look at what the middle school option is.

Also - some of the up and coming elementaries are great for lower grades but for a 3rd / 4th grader limited data points.

[Anonymous]

How are those big apartment buildings with more than one dog? I wouldn't even mention the cat, I think. I love DC's huge prewar buildings. They are on the radar, if the space and location match.

Hearst has an advanced program? SAIL? Any other schools have this?

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who mentioned West. You should know that Cleveland Park has much more access to services than Petworth, and my husband, who lived in Bklyn and NYC for 11 years still complains that he can't walk to get his cup of coffee and a newspaper. So if you don't want a car and want to be near West (walking distance) you will not also be walking distance to the metro or many services. So maybe the Hill or Cleveland park/Hearst are better options... I def like Cleveland Park better than Van Ness.

[Anonymous]

The problem with Capitol Hill as a recommendation is that there's great variation depending on the where. Things can really be very different from one block to the next.

I'd say an easier, more predictable bet is Dupont Circle for Ross. You may also find simpatico for Brooklyn in the U Street, Logan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. Not many here talk about the schools in those places, but there are a lot of families settling in and I found the test scores for Tubman Elementary (Columbia Heights) to be very impressive. Must be something good going on there. They certainly have an active parent organization.

Mt. Pleasant is something of an ideal if you're coming from Brooklyn, but Bancroft school is fair to middling. Still, I know quite a few who keep their kids there through 5th and feel that it's just fine.

Petworth is also a good bet in terms of lifestyle. Lots of green space, yet also a lot of walkable amenities and more coming all the time. Easy to live without a car and yes, there are A LOT of parents in Petworth with kids of all ages. More kids in the 5 and under set, but I see older kids at the
Farmer's Market - they must be living somewhere. Powell Elementary is definitely the up-and-comer and I saw a music room full of newly-donated violins when I toured there recently. Big plus to Petworth is that if you don't like Powell, there are SO MANY charters convenient to this neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Tubman! Totally forgot about Tubman, and I think you would really like the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Capitol Hill as a recommendation is that there's great variation depending on the where. Things can really be very different from one block to the next.

I'd say an easier, more predictable bet is Dupont Circle for Ross. You may also find simpatico for Brooklyn in the U Street, Logan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. Not many here talk about the schools in those places, but there are a lot of families settling in and I found the test scores for Tubman Elementary (Columbia Heights) to be very impressive. Must be something good going on there. They certainly have an active parent organization.

Mt. Pleasant is something of an ideal if you're coming from Brooklyn, but Bancroft school is fair to middling. Still, I know quite a few who keep their kids there through 5th and feel that it's just fine.

Petworth is also a good bet in terms of lifestyle. Lots of green space, yet also a lot of walkable amenities and more coming all the time. Easy to live without a car and yes, there are A LOT of parents in Petworth with kids of all ages. More kids in the 5 and under set, but I see older kids at the
Farmer's Market - they must be living somewhere. Powell Elementary is definitely the up-and-comer and I saw a music room full of newly-donated violins when I toured there recently. Big plus to Petworth is that if you don't like Powell, there are SO MANY charters convenient to this neighborhood.

I have heard that it is hard to be Caucasian at Tubman, especially in the upper grades, and I have heard the opposite of the PTA. We did not apply even though it is right near us. Here is a Post article that mentions it: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/for-many-young-dc-parents-city-schools-remain-a-sticking-point/2013/10/21/85e02670-380e-11e3-ae46-e4248e75c8ea_story.html