s/o How old are you? What kind of house do you live in?
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Anonymous
Not the PP you are quoting, but my parents thought paying for as much of college as they could was their responsibility, and my husband and I feel the same way. If a parent can't afford to save, that's one thing. Just like my hard-working parents did, we are putting away a little each month. I don't want to saddle my children with that kind of debt before they are really starting out. They will have to take some loans and hopefully get scholarships as I did, but we want to help them. And I don't buy that making a kid take out thousands in loans somehow makes them a better student. My siblings and I made straight As, and it's messed up to think that a person will only appreciate something if they are footing the bill. What does that say about what the child thinks of their parents and their hard work? I worked hard mainly because I wanted to succeed and it was how I raised, but also because I didn't waste the incredible opportunity I had that my parents had worked so hard for. Weird to think I wouldn't appreciate it just because I'M not paying for it, but I see that a lot on DCUM as a justification for not paying for school. |
Anonymous
I get it. I just don't think it's "LOL!" worthy. By "stretching it," I was referring to being able to afford the property taxes, maintenance, all the expenses of a big house. It's not as if we can't afford to live in the house and it would have broken my heart if we weren't in a position to live there. I wouldn't be able to bear selling the house. And, yes, it's definitely nice to live in the house that I grew up in. |
Anonymous
Clueless, totally clueless. 
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Anonymous
People with no money make tose comments. The truth is there are 3 main areas that you want to live parts of NW DC, McLean/ Great Falls and Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Potomac. You can tell me about how young urban types may love Clarendon or Lyon village and how Arlington lacks pretentiousness but it will NEVER be the above mentioned areas. That's the breaks kid. Take this from someone who lives in McLean and knows how the DC hierarchy works. |
Anonymous
I also live in McLean. And this is exactly why I will be moving out of the DC area before my kids hit school age. We thought we'd buy here for the great schools but then we realized we don't want our kids to be like any of these people. ugh |
Anonymous
Ha! Omifucking g*d--you are so right. I am sitting in a 1.5 million house built in the 1920s in 'awful' Arlington. I grew up in NW. I don't need a car to get anywhere and my kids go to, quite literally, one of the best elementary schools in the country..and it's public. The Sec. of Education chose it for his own children as well and he could have sent them anywhere in the greater Metropolitan area. I also still own a house in NW--but would have had to said my kids to one of the DC privates. Contrary to a pp's belief about the finances of those that live in N.Arlington--this area has some of the biggest earners in the region. FWIW, our own HHI is $500k+. We could afford private...we even still have our house in DC which we rent. The one reason I would not send my kids to a private school there is because it is filled with douchebag, classist parents. I would not want my boys learning those values and hanging out with social losers. It is much more important to me that they understand not everyone is like them and that they are no better just becuause they have moer money. The people that think living in DC proper is 'making it' and means you have made it is absolutely delusional. I am certain it comes from somebody that grew up outside of here. |
Anonymous
We moved for the same reason. I didn't want my kids growing in that environment. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
North Arlington and particularly Clarendon is for affluent WHITE people, plus a handful of Asians, who value order and cleanliness and predictability above all else. Scandanavian cities are more ethnic now than North Arlington is. Look, I live in (an even) rich(er), majority white zip code, and even I am amazed at the lily-white sameness all along Wilson Blvd. All the flat-ironed, mid-toned brown hair with highlights and professionally whitened teeth. The Tevas. The cutesy bike racks, the spotless sidewalks with every one of the bricks lined up Just So (with no bricks missing like you might find in the equally wealthy parts of Capitol Hill or Georgetown). North Arlington, "we're so down to earth we go to public, yet we're rich too! and a 0.027 second drive to the museums!" bugs the shit out of me. |
Anonymous
It's not all about money. You can say I'm clueless but for me it's about the memories. I know I'm fortunate. Thanks, though! |
Anonymous
| We bought 6 years ago in DT Bethesda, a 6,000 SF house for $1.7MM. We were in our late 30s. No family money whatsoever - in fact, both sets of parents' family income was never more than $30K. DH made a killing with stock options |
Anonymous
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"The Sec. of Education chose it for his own children as well and he could have sent them anywhere in the greater Metropolitan area. "
Do tell! |
Anonymous
More evidence that you can't fix stupid. |
Anonymous
It's clear, you are just an all around unhappy person. Jealous maybe the pp "inherited" 1.5 million. Someone in her family worked hard for that. She just benefitted. It happens every day. It's called life. More power to her. |
Anonymous
| Both early 40s....brought in s.Arlington ($150,000) in our late 20s sold for $350,000 and brought in Takoma Park, MD for $400s, house worth high $700s....we certainly couldn't afford to buy it now |