Hi all, just wanted to thank you for your posts. I've read each of them several times and find the advice very valuable. You are saving me a bunch of time in searching for a home in the right area! Thanks.

Hi we are relocating from NYC and looking for a very strong public school system for our 8 yr old twins. We like the Whitman tier a lot. Can anyone give me a sense of how they like Wood Acres elementary? We are also considering Bradley Hills and Bannockburn. Burning Tree is convenient for us (we want to be close to metro and shops) but it seems not as strong as the other elementary schools, is this correct? Also we want a strong public school community, in that we've been disheartened recently to see many NYC neighbors pull their kids from public and send them to private, despite the strength of our local school. I know everywhere will have students who opt for private, but can someone give me a sense of what Bethesda is like in regards to the public vs private culture? I've heard, for example (and I know just enough to be dangerous) that McLean has a strong culture of sending kids to private despite the excellent public schools, which is not something we want. I really appreciate any input.

Hi all, just wanted to thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I've learned a lot from the responses and am going to expand search to include the BCC areas for walkability reasons. Also will look more closely at Bradley Hills. Thank you!

Hi we are relocating from Manhattan to Bethesda and I wanted to get a sense of the best elementary schools in the area. Schools are our number one priority, and I'd love opinions about the various "10" schools - Bannockburn, Bradley Hills, Carderock. I've read the reviews and stats online, but I really want straightforward opinions/advice from parents who live in the area. We also want a nice house with these priorities (in order): Larger lot, walking distance to schools and shops, proximity to nature and bike/running trails, easy access to metro. We have between $1.5 to $2.0 mill to spend on a house and our style is modern. Thanks in advance for any advice!!