Anonymous wrote:The race/class thing is certainly unavoidable and, in my mind, yet another factor that makes Capitol Hill a difficult place to recommend. The socio-economic strata play out from top to bottom and people in this town simply do not join or meld together under common purpose the way they do in NYC. Old tensions are very much alive and revived, and though as an AA I've always been cognizant of it, I continue to be shocked--no exaggeration or facetiousness--at the way it manifests around the issue of schools. You really need to know what you're walking into at some of these schools. Yes, it's all changing but in some cases the rapid pace is just exacerbating the problem.

You may have your idea of diversity, but here it's about the tight bond between race and class. And one of the things that stops my heart every time I come across it is a generally-held belief that lower-income people don't care about education--which as you know couldn't be further from the truth. On this forum (and, I assume, in conversation among white people) you'll learn that OOB (out of boundary) and "engaged parents" are factors by which to gauge the quality of a school. Low income = low scores and parents who just don't care about their kids' education.

That's why I suggested areas like Dupont, U Street, Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Petworth. (Parts of the Hill are like this as well, I'm just less familiar with them) The lines aren't so stark, the attitudes are a little more progressive and, based on my experience of having lived in both NYC and DC, they're where you'll most likely find the same wavelength. Just my two-cents of course, because people are going to jump all over me about how they love the diversity in their school.

You may also find what you're looking for in a charter, where diversity is built in and parents really are working together across race/class lines.

You may have your idea of diversity, but here it's about the tight bond between race and class. And one of the things that stops my heart every time I come across it is a generally-held belief that lower-income people don't care about education--which as you know couldn't be further from the truth. On this forum (and, I assume, in conversation among white people) you'll learn that OOB (out of boundary) and "engaged parents" are factors by which to gauge the quality of a school. Low income = low scores and parents who just don't care about their kids' education.

That's why I suggested areas like Dupont, U Street, Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Petworth. (Parts of the Hill are like this as well, I'm just less familiar with them) The lines aren't so stark, the attitudes are a little more progressive and, based on my experience of having lived in both NYC and DC, they're where you'll most likely find the same wavelength. Just my two-cents of course, because people are going to jump all over me about how they love the diversity in their school.

Anonymous wrote:DC is different than other cities in that a lot of it is shutdown on weekends and at night. You might find a close-in suburb to be more livable.

Anonymous wrote:DC is different than other cities in that a lot of it is shutdown on weekends and at night. You might find a close-in suburb to be more livable.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, those lottery numbers are... okay, so we really, really need to pick our housing choice carefully. Got it!! I guess in the second round not that much changes either.

Will look at Hearst, yes. And will try and get down there for the open house. Capital Hill looks the most likely on paper because of the cost of housing and the ease of getting a pet-friendly place. (That was another thing I liked about SW--all those older complexes allow pets.)

As an aside, and not because it's practical, I guess, I love Brookland's architecture. Maybe someday.

Anonymous wrote:

It kind of surprises me that you are moving from nyc but expect to pay three thousand for an actual house that allows three pets in dc in an area with good to decent schools. Are those what prices are like in Brooklyn? There are houses for 3000, but most are more like 3200 to 4000. And many don't allow pets.

No, you'd never get a house for 3K in Brooklyn... but I'm still living in a fantasy that we'll get more for our money in DC. Shhh, don't disillusion me! I promised the kid we would either have a pool or a backyard if we had to leave her friends--fortunately, she has a very flexible idea of what a "backyard" is. We have a pretty good deal in Brooklyn now too. We're waiting on the offer letter too. Maybe the budget can be stretched.

It kind of surprises me that you are moving from nyc but expect to pay three thousand for an actual house that allows three pets in dc in an area with good to decent schools. Are those what prices are like in Brooklyn? There are houses for 3000, but most are more like 3200 to 4000. And many don't allow pets.