Living and moving to Poolesville for the schools

[Anonymous]

Anyone BTDT? We are taking a serious look at leaving the DMV and moving to Poolesville. We realize how rural it is. What gives me pause is the unknown around the the type of families that live/ move to this area. I think that we would have a challenging time creating a community for our family if there are few, liberal leaning, large worldview families in the area. FWIW we’ve been looking at some new construction homes and have been relieved at the diversity of folks/ families walking through the model homes when we are there. Feels representative of the DC area but have no sense it this is an accurate representation of Poolesville HS families.

[Anonymous]

You'll have the legacy rural folks, the horse-owning/riding folks, and the people who move there for the magnet program.

There are some liberals. There are many apolitical folks who are just more concerned about the school. And you have conservatives. So it's a mix.

My friends who have moved up there have been very happy. and that's where I go for fourth of July, because it has more of a hometown community feel there, like what I had when I was a kid.

But it is isolated. All the stuff I've come to rely on during the pandemic -- like grocery delivery, restaurant delivery, etc. is hard to come by out there. You'll have to come in to Germantown. And the Whites Ferry is closed right now. So no easy trips into Leesburg. For now anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll have the legacy rural folks, the horse-owning/riding folks, and the people who move there for the magnet program.

There are some liberals. There are many apolitical folks who are just more concerned about the school. And you have conservatives. So it's a mix.

My friends who have moved up there have been very happy. and that's where I go for fourth of July, because it has more of a hometown community feel there, like what I had when I was a kid.

But it is isolated. All the stuff I've come to rely on during the pandemic -- like grocery delivery, restaurant delivery, etc. is hard to come by out there. You'll have to come in to Germantown. And the Whites Ferry is closed right now. So no easy trips into Leesburg. For now anyway.

This is a pretty accurate description. I grew up in Gaithersburg and have several friends who have moved out there and built some very nice houses. It definitely has a small town feel and they really love the sense of community. They are all quite liberal so I do think times are changing a bit.

[Anonymous]

I used to live on a 50 acre farm there. I'm a liberal equestrian. I felt at home but do watch out for the older, conservative misogynistic men (and women). Had a few bad experiences with a few bad apples.

I didn't have a school aged child at the time so I can't speak to the school community personally, but I've heard good things.

There's a Harris Teeter not too far out in North Potomac, you don't have to go all the way to Germantown for groceries. I believe they were building some sort of market closer in but I stopped paying attention to those plans when I moved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone BTDT? We are taking a serious look at leaving the DMV and moving to Poolesville. We realize how rural it is. What gives me pause is the unknown around the the type of families that live/ move to this area. I think that we would have a challenging time creating a community for our family if there are few, liberal leaning, large worldview families in the area. FWIW we’ve been looking at some new construction homes and have been relieved at the diversity of folks/ families walking through the model homes when we are there. Feels representative of the DC area but have no sense it this is an accurate representation of Poolesville HS families.

Poolesville has alot of liberals living next to a lot of hard core conservatives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone BTDT? We are taking a serious look at leaving the DMV and moving to Poolesville. We realize how rural it is. What gives me pause is the unknown around the the type of families that live/ move to this area. I think that we would have a challenging time creating a community for our family if there are few, liberal leaning, large worldview families in the area. FWIW we’ve been looking at some new construction homes and have been relieved at the diversity of folks/ families walking through the model homes when we are there. Feels representative of the DC area but have no sense it this is an accurate representation of Poolesville HS families.

Poolesville is in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Good point PP! In my mind it’s so rural that I don’t consider it DMV. But you are accurate.

[Anonymous]

Have lived in Poolesville for 8 years. There are liberals and conservatives but it is a nice place to live. Depending on where you work the commute can a challenge but know many residents who work in Bethesda and DC. There is no grocery store but Harris Teeter is about 15 minutes away in Darnestown. Once the ferry opens back up, Leesburg, VA is a viable shopping option. Schools are good. The magnet pulls many kids from out of town but Poolesville kids get into the magnet as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have lived in Poolesville for 8 years. There are liberals and conservatives but it is a nice place to live. Depending on where you work the commute can a challenge but know many residents who work in Bethesda and DC. There is no grocery store but Harris Teeter is about 15 minutes away in Darnestown. Once the ferry opens back up, Leesburg, VA is a viable shopping option. Schools are good. The magnet pulls many kids from out of town but Poolesville kids get into the magnet as well.

Are there walkable parts, PP? I don’t really have a desire to move, but Poolesville would be an option if we did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have lived in Poolesville for 8 years. There are liberals and conservatives but it is a nice place to live. Depending on where you work the commute can a challenge but know many residents who work in Bethesda and DC. There is no grocery store but Harris Teeter is about 15 minutes away in Darnestown. Once the ferry opens back up, Leesburg, VA is a viable shopping option. Schools are good. The magnet pulls many kids from out of town but Poolesville kids get into the magnet as well.

Are there walkable parts, PP? I don’t really have a desire to move, but Poolesville would be an option if we did.

Not really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have lived in Poolesville for 8 years. There are liberals and conservatives but it is a nice place to live. Depending on where you work the commute can a challenge but know many residents who work in Bethesda and DC. There is no grocery store but Harris Teeter is about 15 minutes away in Darnestown. Once the ferry opens back up, Leesburg, VA is a viable shopping option. Schools are good. The magnet pulls many kids from out of town but Poolesville kids get into the magnet as well.

Are there walkable parts, PP? I don’t really have a desire to move, but Poolesville would be an option if we did.

Not really.

I guess you haven't been to Poolesville? If you live in Poolesville, you can walk to the elementary school, the middle school, the high school, the library, the pool, the skate park and all of the other stuff that's in Poolesville. It's walking distance, and there are a lot of sidewalks (though not everywhere). Just don't live in the sprawly new outside parts.

Now, whether most people actually do walk, is another question...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good point PP! In my mind it’s so rural that I don’t consider it DMV. But you are accurate.

DMV means DC, Maryland, Virginia. Last I checked, Poolsville was in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

I have a (white) friend that has been there for 30 years and has been trying to get me to move there for years and "diversify the city."

They are also the only liberals in their circle and are constantly going against hard conservatives on issues.

No thank you. I'll stay in the (inner) dmv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll have the legacy rural folks, the horse-owning/riding folks, and the people who move there for the magnet program.

There are some liberals. There are many apolitical folks who are just more concerned about the school. And you have conservatives. So it's a mix.

My friends who have moved up there have been very happy. and that's where I go for fourth of July, because it has more of a hometown community feel there, like what I had when I was a kid.

But it is isolated. All the stuff I've come to rely on during the pandemic -- like grocery delivery, restaurant delivery, etc. is hard to come by out there. You'll have to come in to Germantown. And the Whites Ferry is closed right now. So no easy trips into Leesburg. For now anyway.

Correct. I know many liberal and moderate people who have moved there for the HS. My child goes to the magnet program and we love the quietness of the area. Loads of BLM yard signs everywhere.

There are conservatives, but these are not the hardcore extreme right Proud Boy QAnon Trumpers. Mostly people welcome the diversity that the magnet students bring. Also, they are mostly involved in the local politics and advocacy for trying to get county services to their town.

White Ferry will be opened again by the end of the month. It has been bought by another family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Correct. I know many liberal and moderate people who have moved there for the HS. My child goes to the magnet program and we love the quietness of the area. Loads of BLM yard signs everywhere.

There are conservatives, but these are not the hardcore extreme right Proud Boy QAnon Trumpers. Mostly people welcome the diversity that the magnet students bring. Also, they are mostly involved in the local politics and advocacy for trying to get county services to their town.

White Ferry will be opened again by the end of the month. It has been bought by another family.

If the standard is, "Most of the Republicans in Poolesville did not personally participate in the armed insurrection on January 6 and also do not believe in fire-causing Jewish space lasers," then yes, that's true. They're not Connie Morella Republicans, though. It's also true that Poolesville was the only place in Montgomery County with overt trouble when Poolesville schools integrated in September 1956, and that aspect of Poolesville is also still there.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/01/24/the-lessons-legacy-of-school-integration/d63c04c0-3389-4700-820b-ac9216906cc1/

There is no guarantee that White's Ferry will be open by the end of the month. A businessman who owns a moving company in Loudoun County has an agreement to buy the property and operation on the Maryland side, but he still has to reach an agreement with the people on the Virginia side.

https://dcist.com/story/21/02/15/moving-magnate-buys-whites-ferry-could-restart-service-across-potomac-river/