Reply to Would you move to McLean from Alexandria if your kids are thriving?

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Reply to "Would you move to McLean from Alexandria if your kids are thriving?"

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[quote=Anonymous]I moved from Alexandria to ___ (not McLean, but similar) last year.  The answer to your question is:  No.

Our move was based on reducing commute for one person and improving schools for kids.  We accomplished both.  However, there were costs.  If I could snap my fingers right now and go back, I would.  The only time I feel happy about the move is when I look at the data of test scores.  Our schools now are very good.  Our old pyramid... not good.  BUT, I also see that part of why we were disillusioned with our older child's academic experience was that DC wasn't really embracing opportunities.  We thought having a high-performing school would make the difference... guess what -- for this DC, it wasn't about the school being so different.  It's what the kid brings to (or takes from) the school.

Costs:  we now have a mortgage (before we had none).  We spent a boatload on moving and realtor fees.  Our life was so much easier and calmer in Alexandria than it is here in ______.  It's just more croweded/congested/busy.   Our section of Alexandria was pretty easy to get around without running into traffic.  I think it was easier for the kids to get out and it would be easier for our kids to have jobs in Alexandria.  Not sure that will work out here in this area b/c it is so busy.

Honestly, stay where you are.  Our move made lots of sense on paper, but we didn't give enough weight to the roots/history we had developed over the years.  It's hard to create history/community in this area.  We didn't think we had much until it was all gone and we had to start from scratch.  Then we realized how we had spent years cultivating our presence in our old community.  It is much harder to do that as kids get older (unless they are involved in sports).

If I could snap my fingers and go back to what we had...I would.  But, now it is unlikely.  It will cost more $$ to pay a realtor again, and the kids are getting settled.  At this point, I'm just thinking about sticking it out for 6 more years and moving back when our youngest graduates HS.  Then I want to move back.  I prefer a calmer/less congested community.  (ie.  I don't want to fight for a space in a parking lot everytime I go to a restaurant.  I don't want to be stuck waiting for multiple cycles of lights just to get out of the grocery store parking lot.  That's the kind of stuff that makes life more hectic here than where we were in Alexandria.  YMMV).
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