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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Just bite the bullet and move to the Wilson catchment area (mostly WOTP). Honestly, some of the MD/VA school might be better, but the difference seems to me mostly marginal and driven by socio-economics. The schools are safe and pretty average with little crime and violence.

In our schools (Stoddert -> Hardy); things seem fine. Most importantly, we don't sit down and worry about the school and our kids' life trajectory. (I.e. no TJ worries like some of our VA friends; or Middle/HS worries like our Cap Hill friends) The kids can walk to school, their friends are in the neighborhood, and there is racial diversity. Life is pretty relaxing (other than the younger one throwing tantrums about food preference).[/quote]

This is bad advice. You don't need to do this. Skip the bullet and stay urban until you need to. You'll know when that is, if it comes up. I really don't think WOTP people understand that the don't actually live in a city whatsoever, they live in a fancy suburb. If that's not your cup of tea, wait and see but you can (gasp!) move twice within the next 13 years if you need to. The worrying doesn't set in for a while, for most. We enjoy our lives.[/quote]

I am not sure how you define "fancy suburb."  To me, the difference between urban and suburban is walkability and proximity to commerce.  I live in a dreaded WOTP neighborhood and here is an incomplete list of things I can walk to in a mile or less: all 3 of my kids' schools, my kids' dentist and doctor, 2 libraries, 2 post offices, 2 great wine stores, an awesome bakery, 2 local coffee shops and 2 Starbucks, 3 large grocery stores and 2 smaller ones (plus the new Wegman's), one the best independent book stores, a historic movie theater, several fast casual restaurants, a few nicer restaurants, 2 metro stops, multiple bus stops, and now 2 Targets.  If you define suburb by size of houses, I can assure you that my duplex is smaller than many of the houses in MtP, ColHi, Shaw, etc.

What exactly is it that makes my neighborhood not a "city"?[/quote]

Another WOTP poster.  Upper NW is not Capital Hill or Dupont Circle, not even close.  I was down on Capital Hill last week for a doctor's appt with my daughter.  I LOVE tha neighborhood, it is so vibrant.  We may even move there after our kids get out of high school, but upper NW is not city livng in a real sense.  Neither is much of EOTP further north of Capial Hill.

We made a decision to move from the Kalorama/Adam's Morgan neighborhood for schools 16 years ago when pregnant and we do not regret it.  Latin and Basis did not exist at that time, there were many fewer options.  I do not regret the move itn the least, but I do not pretend it is urban.  It is very convenient, we have short commutes by metro and our kids have had great educational options.  We call our neighborhood the burbs within DC and I have all (or comparable) walkability to the NW poster above. [/quote]

[b]I'm not comparing Upper NW to Capital Hill or Dupont, but I still don't agree that it is not city living.  I walk to everything and I'm 3 stops away from my office on the metro.[/b]  My neighborhood has smaller house and lots of apartment buildings.   I guess if you are only defining urban as those few areas like Capital Hill or Dupont I'd accept it, but then there are few other areas EOTP that should be considered urban either.[/quote]

LOL at your definition of "city living" and the paltry amount of places you can walk to "within a mile."  I live in the U Street/Logan area, and absolutely everything you need to live is within a block or two.  Dozens of bars and restaurants, several grocery stores, doctors for both humans and pets, pharmacies, dry cleaners, banks, fast food, coffee shops, post office, etc. -- I can crawl to all of it on my hands and knees.  On top of that, we actually have people of color and people from all economic and professional/non-professional walks of life around here.  THAT'S what city living is.  If you have to define walkability in terms of what's available [i]within a mile[/i], you're in the suburbs. [/quote]

Very few people live within a block of "everything you need," even in a city.  [b]My friends live on Capital Hill and aren't within 2 blocks of anything.[/b]  You don't need to be crawling distance to things to qualify as city living.  [/quote]

I don't consider a lot of Capital Hill to be city living either.  When we were looking at where to settle in DC about a decade ago we looked at rowhomes in the area and dubbed it "Capital Hell."  All we saw were white professionals and pushing around baby strollers -- and, as you said, not a whole lot of things to walk to.  Been there, done that. [/quote]

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