Reply to s/o Would you move to Ward 3 if money wasn't an issue?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Ward 3 is beautiful and I can see why some people love living there, but its too vanilla for me. My ideal DC neighborhood would be a home in the U Street corridor (with off street parking). I'm granola meets urban chic and still under 30 fyi. Being in walkable distance from a Whole Foods, more than one metro, and Ben's/Ben's Next Door would be awesome! My friends and I were leaving Lauriol Plaza last week and were joking how we'd all be in trouble if one of us lived in walking distance.[/quote]

I love this area of DC too and lived there for 11 years. I'm now 32, married, TTC and while I still LOVE the more urban feel of U St/Dupont, we just moved to the calmer Ward 3 and I'm really enjoying it. At least I can still walk to a Whole Foods and Starbucks - and it's a quick drive down Mass if I go through withdrawal! I can't imagine raising children in the hustle and bustle of U St.

By the way, the houses in Dupont and Kalorama are more expensive (per square foot) than anywhere else in DC. I love Kalorama.[/quote]

I don't really get this pervasive idea.  If you liked living in a more urban place when you didn't have kids, why wouldn't you with kids?  We love being urban even more now that we have kids, and so do the kids![/quote]
Because needs change when you have kids. I'm glad that what you do works for you.  I too loved the urban vibe before kids, but once they arrived, the following happened:
 - I don't have time or money to spend much time in trendy bars and restaurants I adored pre-kids. So I don't need to be close to them;
 - I need space with kids. A lot more space. I'm just not a minimalist person.
 - Quiet
 - Large backyard
- I love museums and theatres as much as the next person, but I simply don't spend much time there with kids.  A quick trip down to the Mall with kids every month (once they are old enough) is not reason enough to live near them.  Besides, getting to museums from Ward 3 takes as much time as from NOVA burbs
 - Don't want to take kids on metro

Again, I respect your choices, but you asked a question, and I'm happy to answer. [/quote]

This makes sense to me, although my own preferences are opposite on almost every count. I am, or at least aspire to be, a minimalist.  I like noise the sound of active streets.  I don't want to have to take care of a yard.  I go to museums and theatres much more than I did prior to having a child, on average 2-4 a week.  I love taking my child on public transportation of all kinds, and I hate driving.  But, although I still feel a sense of reminiscence about living close to my beloved bars and restaurants, I rarely actually go to them.[/quote]

Just curious where you're from. I'm from Manhattan and I love being able to drive and have easy access to parking wherever I go. (I'm not the pp you quoted.)[/quote]
PP here. I feel the same way as Manhattan poster. I grew up in a big city and I love having a car. I had a car and drove everywhere during the four years I lived in Dupont Circle (if you know local parking tricks, it's easy).  I could have easily given it up, but didn't want to. For me, public transit has its place, but it doesn't work for all purposes.  Getting anywhere by metro outside rush hour often means waiting on a platform for 20+ minutes.  At least when you're stuck in traffic you have control over sound and temperature in your car.  If I had to grocery shop and walk in Dupont, my choices would have been to shop at a corner mart (King of Overpriced Wilted Produce), or take cabs to Whole Foods, hardly convenient.  I loved the freedom of going anywhere any time I fancied. Also loved being able to wear glamorous, impractical shoes.  Now that I have a kid, I appreciate having all the extras on hand in the car at all times (umbrella, extra sweater, toys, snacks, extra diaper bag, permanently installed carseat..) without needing to lug them. For me, the only frustration of having a car is that rare situation when you have no parking, which can usually be solved with money.

I also note that my carless friends who lived in Dupont bummed rides from me all the time - showed me that when costs are removed from the equation, people would rather be in a car than metro.

This is my opinion, your mileage may vary. I'm sure some people don't miss having a car and cope fine with only public transport, but I was not willing to endure the inconvenience it involves. [/quote]

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