Reply to Relocating to DC...what's life like?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I've been following this thread with interest.

Not one poster so far has recommended that you move into the heart of the city and put your elementary school aged children in one of the downtown schools and give you and them any exposure to real city living and diversity.  For $1.8 million you could buy a very nice rowhome in Logan Circle or Shaw or Dupont.  You could walk to absolutely everything.  You could stoop on your front porch and meet your neighbors.  You could put your kids in schools where there's real socioeconomic and racial diversity.  In short, you could have a real DC experience.

The NW neighborhoods that other posters are recommending are for all practical purposes suburbs -- and rich ones at that.  There was a firestorm on this website a few months ago after a couple of researchers at Brookings studied DCUM postings and concluded that it perpetuated segregation in the DC public school system by steering parents towards the richest and whitest schools in the city.  What I'm seeing here is Exhibit A.

Take a chance, OP.  You're smart, educated, and being a SAHM have time to watch over things and get involved.  Your kids would thrive in a more diverse environment than what these folks have been pushing on you and be so much better off for it.  Don't move to DC just to wall your kids off into the vanilla experience that DCUM is pushing on you.    [/quote]

+1 to all of this. If you can afford to live in Dupont/Logan/Shaw, the walkable/bikeable quality f life is fantastic.[/quote]

I agree with this suggestion BUT don’t entirely understand why OP needs to relocate to a completely different part of the country.  Surely there are urban walkable neighborhoods in Chicago?  Why uproot your family and move again?  It takes years to put down roots.  OP mentions she has moved countless times with is a red flag to me.  These types are often looking for the move to solve problems that it never does.

OP - sounds like you dislike the suburbs and driving around.  I get it.  Simply move to a neighborhood nearby where you have greater walkability.  You can avoid relocating to a different part of the US.

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OP here - Agree and Chicago is a great city, however, we don't like Chicago Public Schools (maybe Lincoln Park is OK) or the astronomical property taxes. Completely understand your "red flag" comment. I'm sick of moving, however, in the past, we made quick decisions to relocate without fully researching. Our kids remained in the same daycare throughout, so their world really wasn't impacted too heavily. I think the reason for our moving is that we keep trying to force the Midwest lifestyle upon ourselves, but there is something missing in our view. In the Chicago area, we lived in Lake County and we barely made it into the city. In Wisconsin, we live in the suburbs. There is nothing wrong with our house and subdevelopment. Lots of kids, good enough schools, etc., but we aren't really Packers/Brewers/Bucks fans, hunters, fisherman, campers, etc., so we really haven't found our "groove" here. There is a lot of great stuff about this state, but, we struggle to adopt the hobbies that most of the residents enjoy. Maybe we are just lacking knowledge on our state, but a more urban living environment and warmer weather are enticing to us. Really appreciate your post as it pushes me to keep thinking and researching where we do want to "put down roots". We only want to make one more move, if at all, as it gets tough for relationship building (kids and adults)[/quote]

dp.  Have you ever actually been to Milwaukee?  I mean the  actual city, not a far away suburb.  Heck, have you ever been to Wauwatosa, a closer in suburb, with an urban, walkable feel in parts?  It really sounds like you’re living in the wrong location, given your description above.  Having said that, if your spouse is traveling to DC multiple times a month it’s worth checking out a potential move.  Recognize, though, that you’ll likely end up in nova.[/quote]

OP here - Yes, we have friends in Tosa, we visited MKE more often before COVID, have eaten at various restaurants downtown (not chain and I'll admit, MKE has some great food), etc. Again, Wisco isn't a bad place. I'm not here to talk negatively about it. I only wanted information on DC. DH and I enjoy a more urban lifestyle, that's all. Yes, our current location likely isn't correct, but before we make another move, I'm trying my hardest to do the research. [/quote]

If you enjoy a more urban lifestyle then why are you living in New Berlin?  I’m having a hard time understanding where you’re coming from, with the five houses in seven years (I think you said that?). But in any event, I would give DC a try.  It will help with the boredom for a year or so because there is enough to do and a change of scenery works wonders.[/quote]

OP here - You're right, it doesn't make sense why we live here haha. We thought that the backyard/space, etc. is what we wanted. We thought that it was what we were supposed to want at this stage of our lives. Unfortunately, it's not and DH always tells me about the cities he's visiting while I'm in Wisco haha. We aren't overly social people. The post is something new for me, but some big lessons learned! DH works a lot. Not great for suburban living. Thank you for your post![/quote]

If you are not overly social, then DC might work.  Many people in DC are introverted and socially awkward.  Wisconsin is a sports crazy state.  In DC, folks disengage from “rooting” too hard until a team is doing well, and they hop on the bandwagon.  But parents push their kids like crazy into UMC sports (lacrosse, soccer, etc.) to gain an edge in college admissions.  College admissions drives a great deal of people’s actions in DC, especially in northern Virginia.  Wisconsin has a great ayate school too, but it’s a more mellow process in most areas. This is just a general observation that does NOT apply to anyone posting here:  the self-hating midwestern DC transplant is a cliched DC type.  Sometimes, they bring the fervor of a convert.  On balance, I’d make the move.[/quote]

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