Make a list of pros and cons, and your priorities: commute, affordable home size and type, proximity to public transit, airports, and major roadways; noise, crime, quality and response times for police/fire/EMS; access to public amenities like libraries, parks, and rec centers; taxes, school quality, proximity/distance to shopping, restaurants, medical providers, etc.

You may have to do research to fairly evaluate these kinds of factors for places unfamiliar to you in the suburbs, but the information you uncover may/should give you the answer.

Anonymous wrote:For geographic reference, not in the DMV, but northeast major metropolitan area.

We own our house, free and clear. It’s just under 3000 sq ft but needs MAJOR work - structural stuff, floors, walls need to be moved, kitchen and bathrooms, HVAC, etc. It is also in a neighborhood I don’t like. After several years of living in a constant construction site, we’re considering buying a different home, same city, but in a neighborhood that we like and is walking distance to kids school.

I started looking at homes in the neighborhood, found a couple we like, and realized that while we like the neighborhood there are some challenges that aren’t house specific but rather city living specific. Amenities that seem fairly standard with a suburban house that aren’t for city houses. Lot size, living spaces, kitchen size etc. We’ve found a builder in the area who’s willing to work with us on a full custom gut renovation if we find a house on a lot we like, but I wonder if it makes more sense to just look in the suburbs?

We’ll pay comparable prices for city vs suburban house after reno costs, the city neighborhood we’re looking in has the school and commute benefits, and house values are appreciating. If we wait too long we’ll be priced out of the city neighborhood. However, we’re never going to have space for a pool in the city, and being able to entertain and host is a big deal. Suburbs are also safer. Moving the kids from the current school is a nonstarter, we love the school.

Sounds like you should stay in the city. The safety angle is often skewed by people only taking into account the exciting kinds of safety/danger (random acts of violence! Crime waves!) and ignoring the dangers that they just assume won't affect them (hours longer in the car every week). A private pool is a nice-to-have but not make or break for hosting. Commute matters more for QOL by far.

If you were planning to switch schools I might say suburbs because renovations are a pain and often more expensive than you expect. But if you're staying at the city school, you should live in the city.

Commute is king. Commute matters if one location is saving 30+min of a commute. But so is schools. Don't blow-up your kid's lives, pulling them out of a school or community where they have friends - certainly not because you want a bigger kitchen or larger lot.

This is such a personal preference. I have zero desire to live in the city and especially as I get older. I can’t stand the density, the noise, and the lack of parking. However there are plenty of people who feel just as passionately in the opposite way.

Life is a trade off.
List what is the most important and decide.
If you ask me swing pool in a house is a liability but for some it might be very important.

What city? I prefer city life, especially as I'm getting older. And I don't even have a yard, let alone a pool.

If you aren’t moving schools and will therefore have a longer school and work commute then no it’s not worth it. Suburbs have downsides too. A Private Pool is mostly a nuisance. Rent venues for hosting parties.

Why not just say the city and suburb(s)? It’s an anonymous forum.

I find it funny when people come to a DC area real estate forum and ask a question about some mystery location that’s not in the DMV.

This isn’t about city vs suburbs, your post is just about one neighborhood being more expensive than another. That’s just budget. Some people live in the city with a pool and a mud room and whatever. Your budget doesn’t go as far in a more desirable neighborhood, which your “city” neighborhood is in this case.

For geographic reference, not in the DMV, but northeast major metropolitan area.

We own our house, free and clear. It’s just under 3000 sq ft but needs MAJOR work - structural stuff, floors, walls need to be moved, kitchen and bathrooms, HVAC, etc. It is also in a neighborhood I don’t like. After several years of living in a constant construction site, we’re considering buying a different home, same city, but in a neighborhood that we like and is walking distance to kids school.

I started looking at homes in the neighborhood, found a couple we like, and realized that while we like the neighborhood there are some challenges that aren’t house specific but rather city living specific. Amenities that seem fairly standard with a suburban house that aren’t for city houses. Lot size, living spaces, kitchen size etc. We’ve found a builder in the area who’s willing to work with us on a full custom gut renovation if we find a house on a lot we like, but I wonder if it makes more sense to just look in the suburbs?

We’ll pay comparable prices for city vs suburban house after reno costs, the city neighborhood we’re looking in has the school and commute benefits, and house values are appreciating. If we wait too long we’ll be priced out of the city neighborhood. However, we’re never going to have space for a pool in the city, and being able to entertain and host is a big deal. Suburbs are also safer. Moving the kids from the current school is a nonstarter, we love the school.