area near AU law school on Mass is nice and neighborhoody with good bus access (and 20 min walk to red line).

Jealous much?

Anonymous wrote:Love Cleveland Park. Public schools are not very good so we stayed away. It's a shame.

Exactly. Not even the elementary school is good. That, plus the poor retail and dining options, really limit its appeal.

Someone asked earlier about the neighborhood boundaries. E-W, CP runs from Connecticut to Wisconsin. For the historic district, the southern boundary is Macomb down near Connecticut and Woodley up near the Cathedral; the northern boundary is Tilden at the Conn. Ave. end and then it jogs along the south border of Hearst and Sidwell up near Wisconsin.

Love Cleveland Park. Public schools are not very good so we stayed away. It's a shame.

Newer CP resident here. I bought in this neighborhood for many of the reasons you mentioned, and have been really really happy with our decision. I enjoy being close-in to the city, but in a real neighborhood. Although we've only been here for a couple of years, we know our neighbors, who include many family and many folks who have been in their homes for decades. Houses here don't turn over often, so there's a strong sense of community. Our oldest goes to Eaton, the sweet little neighborhood public school, and plays often with other kids nearby. Perhaps half of her friends go to Eaton - others attend the various private schools nearby.

There are lots of parks - Hearst, Malcolm, Rosedale, etc. Folks use them, and you get to know your neighbors and other kids this way too. The library is another wonderful CP resource. You can walk to the zoo, see a movie at the Uptown, or walk down to Adams Morgan/Dupont or metro wherever you want in the city.

Sure there aren't a million restaurants, but there are some really good ones of many styles - Palena for fancy date night, Dinos or 2 Amys for family night, Vace for slices of pizza on a nice afternoon. Paint pottery, have some ice cream, bask in the sun with an iced coffee - it's not a huge neighborhood, but it has a lot of options and charm.

While there are some very wealthy folks and some very expensive homes, I don't notice the pretentious uppity folks that people complain about on this list serve. Our neighbors are nice and not show-off-y. Some keep to themselves, others are more friendly. I see lots of nice family cars and sedans but not too many flashy sports cars and such. I don't meet trophy wives with big hair and fake #($* - more like families who are lawyers and business owners and such. Some stay at home moms, some nannies, some older folks, some without kids - a nice mix for us!

I really like it here. Downsides might be that Firehook is the only option for coffee/pastries and that street parking near Conn in the evenings (or the zoo on weekends) is a drag. And prices are high - but you already know that. But we're very happy with our decision, and hope to stay here for many years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retail in Cleveland Park is very mediocre. Bethesda, Arlington and even places like Vienna have far, far better restaurants and other retail than CP. Do like the old houses, though.

Retail - yes. Restaurants? You're nuts. Certainly with respect to Bethesda and Vienna (seriously?). If you include ALL of Arlington, maybe, but that's a whole county compared to a small neighborhood. If you're just including the walkable part of North Arlington, CP wins, although it's at least a conversation.

I say this not as someone who lives in Cleveland Park, but as someone who loves food. For all the affluence in Bethesda, the restaurants are decidedly mediocre.

Completely, totally right.

Anonymous wrote:Retail in Cleveland Park is very mediocre. Bethesda, Arlington and even places like Vienna have far, far better restaurants and other retail than CP. Do like the old houses, though.

Retail - yes. Restaurants? You're nuts. Certainly with respect to Bethesda and Vienna (seriously?). If you include ALL of Arlington, maybe, but that's a whole county compared to a small neighborhood. If you're just including the walkable part of North Arlington, CP wins, although it's at least a conversation.

I say this not as someone who lives in Cleveland Park, but as someone who loves food. For all the affluence in Bethesda, the restaurants are decidedly mediocre.

Best values for a million, commute included.

Walkable/Family-friendly = Capitol Hill.

Detached, yard, and family-friendly = Chevy Chase, DC.

Love Cleveland Park, but it is more expensive. Bethesda/NoVa are close-in, but I still wouldn't want to deal with the traffic. I value my time too much. Life is too short to spend it in a car.

Anonymous wrote:Retail in Cleveland Park is very mediocre. Bethesda, Arlington and even places like Vienna have far, far better restaurants and other retail than CP. Do like the old houses, though.

I agree, which is why we live in Woodley Park and walk to Adams Morgan often. But I also agree with PP describing CP as the "first suburb"...much closer to DC than the out-suburbs you mention.

Retail in Cleveland Park is very mediocre. Bethesda, Arlington and even places like Vienna have far, far better restaurants and other retail than CP. Do like the old houses, though.

Cleveland Park resident here. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you have.

In my opinion, Cleveland Park is the first suburb in NW DC. So, it combines the best of city and suburban living. You can easily hop on the Metro and be downtown in 10 minutes. Or, you can drive just about anywhere relatively easily. I guess you could say that it's a suburb for people that don't want to live in the suburbs.

Some other good points of the neighborhood: tasty independant restaurants within walking distance; good public schools and close to great (albeit pricey) private schools; safe investment for real estate; variety of well taken care of non-cookie cutter homes; easy transportation; plenty of street parking; walkable to Dupont/Adams Morgan (30+ min but still walkable).

Now the bad: sleepy once you are off Conn. or Wisc.; very expensive homes; lots of traffic on the major roads; cabs are hard to find off of Conn./Wisc./Reno.; no real grocery option outside of Brookville for the next 1.5 years because the Giant is being remodeled on Wisc.; lacking diversity.

Anonymous wrote:As far as CP goes, walking distance to cathedral school, Sidwell after 4th grade, and, in some parts of CP, Maret.

Was this an answer to the original question? Or something else?

As far as CP goes, walking distance to cathedral school, Sidwell after 4th grade, and, in some parts of CP, Maret.

the Upper NW just before Chevy Chase circle has some walkable neighborhoods to the circle area business strip. check 20015