Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posting like the 5th yes to Silver Spring: 20910, 20902, 20901

+7 (or whatever). Lots of "chill" families and even some "cool" ones (but not me).

+8. We’re part of the “adequate parenting” club.

Do kids generally go to public schools in these zip codes? Considering moving here to try for the science magnet programs (I know, that seems very ungrounded, but my daughter loves science), but want a neighborhood where people send their kids to the neighborhood schools.

Yes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.

+1. Also, I'll point out that all of those saying there are no down to earth people in this area must be talking about areas with lots of white, affluent, transplants. I'm a POC and I know a ton of down to earth people and areas in DC and close-in MoCo.

There are plenty. And there are also plenty of DC natives, in spite of the stereotype that everyone is a student government wannabe who moved here from somewhere else.

Anonymous wrote:You’re looking for a unicorn. The DC area does not attract “cool” or “chill” people. It attracts try-hards. These are the people who were valedictorian of their class, head of the debate team, grew up wanting to be Josh Lyman or Tracy Flick. Or PhDs who now have to work at NOAA or DOE. There’s also a ton of old money snobs who may drive a Volvo but they will cut you if you get in the way of their kid attending St Albans.

Just choose where you want to live, engage in activities you enjoy, and you’ll attract the people who are most like you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posting like the 5th yes to Silver Spring: 20910, 20902, 20901

+7 (or whatever). Lots of "chill" families and even some "cool" ones (but not me).

+8. We’re part of the “adequate parenting” club.

Do kids generally go to public schools in these zip codes? Considering moving here to try for the science magnet programs (I know, that seems very ungrounded, but my daughter loves science), but want a neighborhood where people send their kids to the neighborhood schools.

Yes, of course we do. I am sure someone will jump on saying their co-worker's cousin's friend had a horrible experience with the public schools. But the reality is that the vast majority of families (including the government lawyers, scientists and non-profit execs in my neighborhood) send their kids to the public schools.

Great, happy to hear that!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.

+1. Also, I'll point out that all of those saying there are no down to earth people in this area must be talking about areas with lots of white, affluent, transplants. I'm a POC and I know a ton of down to earth people and areas in DC and close-in MoCo.

+100 When I first lived in DC after grad school, the only people I knew were people from my grad school plus one woman who moved here after college. Not all white, but mostly UMC, transplant, money focused. It took me a few years and a few jobs to find a more grounded community in DC but it wasn't that hard. Buy or rent in an actual neighborhood, stay in a job for more than four years and get to know everyone in your office (not just the people with your exact same job), talk to your neighbors, go to community events, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posting like the 5th yes to Silver Spring: 20910, 20902, 20901

+7 (or whatever). Lots of "chill" families and even some "cool" ones (but not me).

+8. We’re part of the “adequate parenting” club.

Do kids generally go to public schools in these zip codes? Considering moving here to try for the science magnet programs (I know, that seems very ungrounded, but my daughter loves science), but want a neighborhood where people send their kids to the neighborhood schools.

Yes, of course we do. I am sure someone will jump on saying their co-worker's cousin's friend had a horrible experience with the public schools. But the reality is that the vast majority of families (including the government lawyers, scientists and non-profit execs in my neighborhood) send their kids to the public schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posting like the 5th yes to Silver Spring: 20910, 20902, 20901

+7 (or whatever). Lots of "chill" families and even some "cool" ones (but not me).

+8. We’re part of the “adequate parenting” club.

Do kids generally go to public schools in these zip codes? Considering moving here to try for the science magnet programs (I know, that seems very ungrounded, but my daughter loves science), but want a neighborhood where people send their kids to the neighborhood schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Arlington Ridge, Del Ray, Old town, some pockets in Vienna


No, I'm in Old Town and Alexandria parents are only cool until their kid gets to school age and they are terrified of ACPS and either get competitive about applying to SSSAS or moving to FCPS.



lol. SSSAS is so 2005. Not even remotely competitive anymore.


+1 Was SSSAS ever competitive?


No, it’s not especially competitive. It is also fairly grounded and down to earth, as expensive private schools go.

I'll agree with this. My son went for a few years. It was a nice group of kids. The school very much wants kids who are averagely smart and well rounded. I was pretty disappointed there was nothing different they would do for my son when it became clear he needed more advanced work in one subject, so we moved him and our money elsewhere. But I'm not trying to slam the school at all - he made good friends there, and it would be a wonderful fit for a different kind of kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.

Well, I currently live in the midwest and there are plenty of cool, grounded POC parents here.

I don't doubt that there are. Many of my friends who remained in the midwest are POC. But as a POC who grew up in the midwest, I far prefer DC to raise my minority children.

I also don't doubt there are more grounded POC families in the DC area than there are in white transplant neighborhoods. I can see why you'd have that preference, especially given DC has a vibrant AA culture. But I do think the cool, grounded, more relaxed white families tend to leave the DC area when they have kids. I know we wanted to raise our kids somewhere where our more laidback parenting approach isn't widely considered child neglect.

he next Lionel Messi or Peyton Manning by 14 years old so start to relax about it. Parents stop hovering at practices by middle school.

I like watching my son's practices - there is a nice walking trail around the field. I know for sure he's not the next Lionel Messi - he's just a middling travel player. But he tries his best, and it gives me joy to watch him play. Does that make me ungrounded?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.

Well, I currently live in the midwest and there are plenty of cool, grounded POC parents here.

I don't doubt that there are. Many of my friends who remained in the midwest are POC. But as a POC who grew up in the midwest, I far prefer DC to raise my minority children.

Once your kids get to middle school and high school, it doesn't matter.

I was so happy when my kids got out of elementary school and I wasn't forced to be in situations around the type-A, uptight parents.

Kids start doing their own thing when they are older, arranging their own get togethers, heading out on their own. REFRESHING.

I also find even the travel sports parents start losing steam. It becomes clear they don't have the next Lionel Messi or Peyton Manning by 14 years old so start to relax about it. Parents stop hovering at practices by middle school.

Pick a place you want to live. We live in a very close-in walkable neighborhood. I hit the jackpot that our street and the one adjacent to it have very laid back parents. I don't know if it's being close to the bars or what. Or, living in an area that every little noise (kind of like the city) doesn't set off a twenty page Nextdoor neighbor rant.

You do start socializing with people not based on your kids to as they are older. It's so much nicer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.

Well, I currently live in the midwest and there are plenty of cool, grounded POC parents here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.

+1. Also, I'll point out that all of those saying there are no down to earth people in this area must be talking about areas with lots of white, affluent, transplants. I'm a POC and I know a ton of down to earth people and areas in DC and close-in MoCo.

Anonymous wrote:We're all out here in the midwest.

As someone who grew up in one of the more liberal/educated areas midwest and has a lot of friends who still live there--this is probably partially true, but only if you're white.