OP here
Just a quick thank you to everyone's input. It was very helpful.

And for the Bethesda-CC advice: it was not an area I was considering so thank you for adding that to my list.

OP here--I just want to say a big thank you for all of your suggestions and links so far. It is also helpful to know how things differ between the DC area and NYC so that I can manage my expectations.

OP here--it's funny you mention McLean. I did initially consider McLean because I went to little Langley and Langley High School. But after living in a neighborhood with so much socioeconomic diversity, I might feel like a fish out of water. Also, I am the type of person who says hi to pretty much every person I walk past in Bed Stuy. I feel like I would get some strange looks if I pulled that in McLean. But perhaps I am generalizing--if I am wrong, please correct me. Thanks again!

My kids are 5 and 10 years old. And we are only looking for a single family house.

Hi, I had posted over a year ago and this forum was invaluable so I am back to ask for your help. We are relocating from Bed Stuy (Brooklyn) to the DC area and need to make it happen before the school year starts. I'm kind of in panic mode because I haven't figured out what area to focus on and we are running out of time. Due to COVID, I have the ability to work from home so I don't have to worry about a commute. We would prefer to live in Virginia as that is where my family lives but we are open to DC/MD if the right fit. Initially, it was most important that we moved to a diverse neighborhood as we are a biracial family (I am Black and my husband is White/Jewish). However, my kids have been through the ringer not being in school for over a year and lacking friends. So honestly, I would prioritize a neighborhood where kids actually go outside and interact with each other. That is #1 for us right now. Our second priority are the schools. We did private school in Brooklyn but we really need a good public school that works well with kids with IEPs. Our third priority is diversity. Being African American, I don't want to be the only one on the block. However, I will also be happy with diversity in any form. We are looking to rent the first year and then will consider buying. I'd like to stay around $5k for rent but would be willing to go over for the right neighborhood. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks so much for your responses so far. I would likely be working in Alexandria.

Hi, we are considering relocating to the DC area from Brooklyn and I am pretty overwhelmed that I have to figure out neighborhoods and schools in short order. We need to be in DC or just outside of DC and I thought Arlington may work. We are a biracial family (I am Black and my husband is White/Jewish). We currently live in Bed Stuy which is very diverse and I treasure that. Schools are very important as we have a 3 and 8 year olds. My oldest goes to private school now and their student/teacher ratio is 11:1. I am completely ignorant as to school sizes in Arlington, but at the very least I hope it is better than 30:1 found in many public schools in NYC. Private school is not an option for us. We would initially rent and would like to keep the monthly costs below $5k. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!