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How many families are there in Capital Hill?
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Anonymous
I wonder if some of the discrepancy is due to people referring to different areas on Capitol Hill. Aren't some very established? Aren't other areas still in more of a transitional mode? Perhaps if you make statements like "crime is HORRIBLE" you could clarify which area you are talking about, and when you lived in that area. My understanding is that some areas have changed very quickly in the past few years. For example, I used to live near Logan Circle for a few years, but this was about six years ago. If I had moved away and someone asked me about the neighborhood, I would talk about the vacant buildings, the crack houses, the rats (well - maybe they are still there!), the drug dealers in the park, the armed robberies, etc. etc. Obviously anyone who knows that area now would say completely different things about it. Anyway, I find it hard to believe that some areas of CH have random drunks knocking on people's doors on a weekly basis, with playgrounds that are filled with drug addicts during the day. Some areas of CH are really nice; others are probably more problematic; and other areas probably require a real commitment to "city living" to live there. |
Anonymous
| PP -- totally! I'm the pro-Capitol Hill poster and I acknowledged in my first post that some areas are still transitioning, and that I live in an older, more established area of the Hill that has been safe for many years. I'm not saying I leave my door unlocked by any means -- it's still the city -- but I sincerely love it here and feel lucky to be raising a child here. |
Anonymous
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20:20 poster here. The two houses we had on the Hill were on 4th and Independence, SE and 7th & East Capitol. Both would be considered "the older more established sections of the Hill," and yes, sadly, we saw an awful lot of crime while we were there as well as our fair share of the litter I mentioned, drug addicts, and parking problems (although parking was hit or miss, sometimes a huge problem, others, not at all). We have lots of friends all over the Hill and none seem to be immune to problems (and more than a couple who have been mugged or robbed by gun/knifepoint in "safe" areas on the Hill). Again, there is a lot to love about the Hill. Many people manage to raise kids happily and safely. But it's certianly not for everyone. I'm a total city person, I loved the Hill as a single person and a newlywed, but I couldn't handle it w/ kids.
As for the commute, I'd suggest you wake up early one morning and drive to Burgandy Farms to test it out, as well as drive from Burgandy Farms to Cap Hill after school. Trying to cross 14th St. Bridge into or out of the city during morn rush hour or from 3-7pm can be horrific. I'd be surprised if you could make it in 25 minutes if there's any type of traffic. If there's any type of accident, event or inclement weather, you could probably expect to sit in traffic for 45 minutes- an hour +. |
Anonymous
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we live on the hill (5+ years) and love it. at least where we live, there are a lot of children. whenever we walk to eastern market we are guaranteed to see at least 3 or 4 people we know. we see capitol police around, riding their bikes...even their horses! there was once an emergency on our street and ALL of the neighbors (us included) ran out to help. This isn't the kind of place where people hide indoors and peek out their windows. Burgundy Farm has a bus stop at Eastern Market, as one other poster noted. It would be a nice contrast to the "city life" they would have on the hill. I believe lots of parents car pool, too. There are also parents who car pool to send their kids to places like Maret, which is closer in miles but with traffic would take FOREVER to get up to upper NW - my guess is it would take much longer to get up there than it would to get to Burgundy.
The best thing you can do is to drive all over the Hill at all hours of the day and night. See what sort of feeling you get. Stop and talk to the parents at the playgrounds. Stop by the police station and talk to a policeman or policewoman directly. |
bigmaman
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Exactly. A prior poster suggested that the Hill is really best evaluated on a block-by-block basis. People told me that when I moved here, I've lived here now for 6 years and it's still true. It's just different blocks that are problematic now. And I kinda guess that since OP is coming from Berkeley, condoms, homeless people and drug addicts on park benches (to the extent that these conditions exist -- they haven't, in my experience) won't trouble her as much as they might trouble others. Unless the PR Berkeley has changed that much since I went to school there. OP, I'd suggest that you head over to the Hill one weekend, drive/walk around, take in Eastern Market, 8th Street etc. Chat people up; have a beverage at Tunnicliff's or Mr. Henry's and ask folks about their Hill neighborhoods. Make note of streets that feel "right" to you (and maybe of those that feel "wrong" as well?). Then look at real estate listings/recent transactions in those areas, to see if the prices are in line with what you'd be willing to pay. If ready access to parking is an issue for you, look for properties with garages, or lots deep enough to build a garage. Plenty of these on the Hill. In fact my neighbors have their lovely 3 br 3.5 ba with parking on the market right now. Yes, there is crime. And some of it is more violent in certain areas (mine included in past years, but not recently thank goodness). But, knocking wood, the only problem I've had in 6 years (in a still transitional neighborhood) was having my bike stolen from my garage 5 yrs ago, which only happened b/c I flaked and left the garage door open for hours. I don't have bars on my windows, and only got an alarm system recently b/c I was concerned about fire and carbon monoxide safety -- not burglary. It's my sense that much of the property crime is of the easy opportunity variety (a city living nuisance) and that the violent crime happens between folks who know each other and choose to settle their beefs in that unfortunate manner. I'd be lying if I were to say that I haven't considered moving now that I have a family -- but that has to do with the specific block I live on, the public school situation, and just being plain tired of the stair climbing and schlepping that the floor plan of our house requires. Pls feel free to PM me, or post an email address, if you'd like to chat further. Best to you, whatever you decide. |
Anonymous
We live on the Hill, raise our child there and love it. The Yahoo group Moms on the Hill has thousands of members, and almost all of them love it too. I'm not going to try to convince anyone to live here. It's still city living and not everyone loves that. Of course, I think the suburbs are for morons so, I'm not without my prejudices... 
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Anonymous
The suburbs aren't necessarily for morons - but I hear what you are saying. Why does anyone have to justify why they live where they live, anyway. It is a personal choic. If a city person (me, included) likes the city - they have their reasons and they are happy. If a suburbanite likes the suburbs - good for them. It's funny that this site has more debates about which is "better" - I think people want to set these arguments up 'cause it is fun. Funny we have never seen a thread from someone saying "we live in the 'burbs and wish we were in the city" or vice versa...... |
Anonymous
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I'm another former Hill resident who loved it, but moved because we got tired of Hill living and everything associated with it. Our main reasons for moving have been covered in previous posts, but a couple of other things bugged me too. These aren't major gripes, but are worth mentioning if you're comparing different neighborhoods.
We found the vast majority of the restaurants on the Hill disgusting, unless you're in the mood for bar food (which can hit the spot at times). While you can be downtown for a great meal in minutes, it was annoying that there were no decent places for carryout. Also, the Hill still carries a stigma. After a while, it bothered me that many of my friends thought the entire Hill was a bad neighborhood. Half the time when I'd tell people where I lived, I'd get a shocked response and a question like, "Do you feel safe there?" I could tell that certain friends hated coming over and acted scared when they parked their car down the street. I'm sure these same friends wouldn't be thrilled about the idea of playdates at our house. I know this sort of thing shouldn't have bothered me... I should mention that we lived right by Eastern Market in what wouldn't be considered transitional. We were lucky and never had any problems w/ crime other than our cars being broken into, but a friend who lived near us was robbed and beaten up really badly. |
Anonymous
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That just goes to show that different people can have totally different experiences in the exact same neighborhood. My husband and I (who live near Eastern Market) would welcome a few more restaurants, but no place to get takeout? The only major cuisine we're missing is sushi -- we regularly get Indian, Thai, and Chinese delivery that is out of this world (and we're fairly picky -- not foodies, but we like to eat and eat well).
As for what other people think, PP, I know this is harsh, but I am glad I have nicer friends (and stronger self-esteem?) than you do. I love inviting people over, especially people who are unfamiliar with the neighborhood. I have only had one friend act like the Hill was less-than-desirable, and she is new to town with a lot of friends who live in Georgetown and, well, she's kind of a snob. She came around really quickly after a couple of visits, though. |
Anonymous
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Here's a suggestion, OP. People have been saying that Burgundy Farms has a bus stop at Eastern Market. Why don't you ask the school if they will put you in touch with the families that use that bus stop? You could find out a lot of things in one phone call about family living on the Hill and the commute to Burgundy Farms.
As you can see from the widely diverse responses you got on this thread, you just have to get in there and do very specific research about a particular section of the Hill and you have to know yourself and what works for you. |
Anonymous
PP here. I don't think my friends are not nice just because they have genuine feelings of discomfort going to a neighborhood that has high crime rates compared to other parts of the metro area. I must admit, even though I lived on the Hill for 4 years, I never felt safe enough in my own home to be able to sleep if my husband was out of town (a problem I don't have in our neighborhood now) and I never felt very comfortable walking from the metro or a parking spot a couple of blocks away when I was alone at night. I'm sure you can talk to tons of people who never have problems with crime, but unless something has dramatically changed in the last 2 years, if you look at the neighborhood crime reports, somone is having problems with it. Nor do I have self-esteem issues, but it did bother me that my friends didn't feel comfortable coming to my home and people I'd just met had a bad enough impression of the Hill to comment about it. I'm sure most Burgandy Farm students live in the burbs in VA (I found people from the burbs to have the worst attitude about the Hill) and I guarantee OP would encounter at least a few parents who weren't excited about their kid going to play on the Hill. Whether it's just or not, I think it's fair to say that "Hill discrimination" does exist. OP can decide for herself whether or not that's something that would bother her. In many regards, Capitol Hill is a great place to live. Residents tend to be very loyal to the area, and frankly, I think perhaps a bit overly defensive about all the problems that exist there. Obviously the people who live there love it or they wouldn't live there. However, not everyone has a great experience. Of all the people I've known on the Hill over the years, most seem to move when they have kids. I should also mention that I had to twist DH's arm to get him to move to NW. He left the Hill kicking and screaming. He now comments all the time about how glad he is we left the Hill and its problems behind and how nice it is not having to worry about things like our grill/potted plants getting stolen from the backyard or leaving the house when we go out of town. |
Anonymous
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Out of curiosity, where do you live now, PP?
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Anonymous
| I'm sorry -- I should let this go. I've already posted in support of the Hill enough, but if PP lived near Eastern Market in an already-transitioned block, any reasonable person who lives in any part of a metropolitan area should not have "genuine feelings of discomfort" when visiting during an afternoon playdate. That's just nuts. |
Anonymous
| I should let this go too, as I've already posted in favor of the Hill... but when we had to consider moving last year I cried my eyes out and my husband moped around, all depressed (I think I even saw a tear or two glistening in his eyes). Luckily everything worked out and we didn't have to move. Maybe things have changed in just the last few years, but I don't really understand the posts from people who felt uncomfortable or had friends afraid to come over. Our friends tell us just the opposite - they are jealous of us b/c we live in such a cool neighborhood. Urban but not a concrete jungle. And 8th St. is bringing us a few more restaurants to try out! |
Anonymous
| OP, plenty of families on the Hill have small children. A more significant question is how many have older children. My experience is that a lot of families leave when their children reach school age. That has affected families I know who have seen their children's friends and peers (and their own) leave Capitol Hill. |