OP, if you want spend 700, you can get in better schools if you are willing to consider apartments in NW. You can metro access and great schools. Guess it depends on whether a yard is important to you.

Join the Perworth parents listserv/yahoo group. You'll get lots of better answers. We've lived in Petworth for 14 years. It's a great place to live. We have lots of new businesses coming in, we just got a new safeway, and it is very convenient for getting anywhere. Downtown is easy, hoping on rock creek parkway to get to Vir is easy, heading north to maryland is easy. Our kids go to a DCPS in upper NW and I'll acknowledge that we were probably part of the last wave of families who were able to get in. But since our children started school there are now so many other great charter options plus I believe the local schools in Petworth will only get better. My youngest attended barnard for a year and we had a fantastic experience there. Now if we could only get a stand alone middle school...

I don't think the area is as expensive as Glover Park, there is no reason to be. I just got on zillow, and there 10 houses listed between 400K and 500K, 9 houses between 500 and 600K, 8 from 600 to 700K, 5 above 700K, and zero about 800K.

West EC: part Petworth part 16th St Heights

You're taking the high end of prices. There are homes in the 400s (that need to be renovated) and 500s that are already renovated. There are even a handful in the 300s. A house in the 700s would be on the high end in the area.

My guess is that many of the young families in the area will move again when it comes to late elementary school, unless they have gotten into good charters.

OP, how old are your kids? Do you have to move yet or can you wait to okay the lottery in pk3 and 4 first?

Many are OOB at Shepherd also.

I agree too. I would not buy in Petworth or Brookland unless I had already gotten spots for my kids in a nearby charter in a permanent building.

Agree with above. Think long term before you buy. It's expensive to move again.

Anonymous wrote:We are looking at buying in Petworth with our young family. This area has now become a highly sought after and fairly expensive area. Townhomes cost from $700K upwards or maybe a little less if they are renovated.

Given the high incomes needed to now live in Petworth, where are these families sending their kids to elementary school?

Looking at the demographics for Powell or Barnard there seems to be a very high number of poorer kids and few Caucasians.

I was just wondering what other families in Petworth have done.

Is private school the only option for a quality education?

If you're going to spend $820K on a 1931 rowhouse -- which is all there is in Petworth -- why not just go with Glover Park? I get that this buyer may not have $1.8 million for Spring Valley / Mann, but I don't get this compulsion to 1. pay a lot and 2. be not-super-close to downtown and not really near transit, either and 3. have no solid schools. See also, Brookland.

Why not eliminate one of the three, with the same exact budget?

A lot in charters. Creative Minds, Cap City, EL Haynes

There are a ton of Petworth families at Bridges.

I have two friends who live there. One family has kids at Hyde OOB, the other family is at Hearst OOB.

We are looking at buying in Petworth with our young family. This area has now become a highly sought after and fairly expensive area. Townhomes cost from $700K upwards or maybe a little less if they are renovated.

Given the high incomes needed to now live in Petworth, where are these families sending their kids to elementary school?

Looking at the demographics for Powell or Barnard there seems to be a very high number of poorer kids and few Caucasians.

I was just wondering what other families in Petworth have done.

Is private school the only option for a quality education?