Rock Creek Forest. Straddles Chevy Chase and Silver Spring. Local elem feeds into BCC. Tons of kids, right next to RC park, easy commute downtown.

You kinda sound like me, OP. We just bought in the Kensington Parkwood neighborhood.

Potomac. Great schools and 30 mins into DC on the redline.

Oakton, VA. The Vienna metro is nearby.

And wood sides was going to be my suggestion. Ee're in east silver spring. Love the walkability!

Kensington Parkwood, MD

Anonymous wrote:Downtown Silver Spring (the Woodsides) up to the Beltway (incl. Woodmoor) might be a good bet...good schools, great commute (30 minutes by car to White House), metro is accessible, and good family neighborhoods. you should be able to find a decent amount of house in your price range.

Have to agree. Can youget walking distance to silver spring ? Maybe, more 3 beds than 4. Definitely forest glen, takoma is pushing it but we do bus to metro on piney branch to gallery place and it is 35-40m bus to desk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in woodmoor and it takes me 30 minutes door to door to get to 16th and k, unless major accident. Beyond woodmoor adds 10 to 15, but woodmoor gets you in beyond the beltway backup. Great homes in the $500-600 range with 4 beds and 2.5 baths, generally.

I looked into Woodmoor but the public elementary schools seems less than ideal, to say the least. I'm Jewish, so sending to the Catholic school is not an option nor would I want to pay for private. Is Woodmoor only workable if you do private?

My DH is Jewish and was uncomfortable in Woodmoor - culturally the tone there is very Catholic. FWIW. I think that much of Woodmoor uses the Catholic school in the neighborhood, but many use public.

Woodside OTOH has a culturally Jewish tone (if it has any religious tone at all). We live here in Woodside, and have been very happy with the schools.

Pimmit Hills!! Affordable, leafy, great schools, big lots to run around, parks, metro in 2013. Your budget will get a comfortable, not new, house. You'll need to move fast, though, because houses fitting this description in the 'hood go very quickly.

Anonymous wrote:I live in woodmoor and it takes me 30 minutes door to door to get to 16th and k, unless major accident. Beyond woodmoor adds 10 to 15, but woodmoor gets you in beyond the beltway backup. Great homes in the $500-600 range with 4 beds and 2.5 baths, generally.

I looked into Woodmoor but the public elementary schools seems less than ideal, to say the least. I'm Jewish, so sending to the Catholic school is not an option nor would I want to pay for private. Is Woodmoor only workable if you do private?

I live in woodmoor and it takes me 30 minutes door to door to get to 16th and k, unless major accident. Beyond woodmoor adds 10 to 15, but woodmoor gets you in beyond the beltway backup. Great homes in the $500-600 range with 4 beds and 2.5 baths, generally.

Anonymous wrote:Don't buy in The Lafayette school district. The school has the worst test scores of all upper NW schools. Our kids learned very Lipitor during their time there due to over crowding and sub par teachers. Janney an Eaton families seem happy and the scores are much better in those schools.

Learning Lipitor can be very useful later in life. Particularly in your late 40's. And Lafayette is a fine school for chrissakes.

West Falls Church, great schools. Orange line, and new silver line. Lots of grocery stores, community feel. Look into it!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown Silver Spring (the Woodsides) up to the Beltway (incl. Woodmoor) might be a good bet...good schools, great commute (30 minutes by car to White House), metro is accessible, and good family neighborhoods. you should be able to find a decent amount of house in your price range.

+1

+1 but I would be cautious about Woodmoor, because Four Corners traffic can add 10-15 min to your commute IME.

Takoma Park