Anonymous wrote:I don't think Davidsonville and Annapolis are really that much less expensive, but I think there are a few decent restaurants in Annapolis. And I have seen Middle Eastern people at the mall there, along with a lot of African Americans. But the AA people could just be shopping refugees from PG county.

^^^Do you know how fucked up you sound? AA have been in Annapolis since Annapolis was a slave port. Not all AA live or come from PG. You obviously must be from some other part of the country. You should take the time to do some research on the history of AA in Annapolis before spouting such nonsense.

Anonymous wrote:our friends live there ina gated community. Gorgeous landscape, huge house, swimming in the community pool and lake access (kayaking, etc). We live in DC. I thought it was wonderful to visit, not my speed. It kind of felt like people were living in a vacation community. Overzealous HOA, conservative people (gun owners), no diversity. The schools are eh. lonely and a bit quiet. Many other communities there are less quiet.

My kids all go to school in Davidsonville and I don't think the school is "lonely." I don't even know what that means. What is a lonely elementary school? Do all of the kids sit by themselves? Only 10 kids in each class? I wish! The middle and upper schools are fed from a number of surrounding towns and with thousands of kids, I don't see how those could be lonely either?

I meant to say maybe, not many in the last sentence.

our friends live there ina gated community. Gorgeous landscape, huge house, swimming in the community pool and lake access (kayaking, etc). We live in DC. I thought it was wonderful to visit, not my speed. It kind of felt like people were living in a vacation community. Overzealous HOA, conservative people (gun owners), no diversity. The schools are eh. lonely and a bit quiet. Many other communities there are less quiet.

Anonymous wrote:
My DH is really pushing to leave our home in the beltway and head out to Davidsonville or somewhere near Annapolis. He grew up in a small town on the water and wants our kids to have the same experience of growing up with boats/etc. near the water. He also likes that we can get A LOT more for our money around there. Although I like the idea of water access, I'm not thrilled at the thought of moving so far out. I grew up in the DC area and like being near the hustle and bustle. I like all the things there are to do, being close to DC, etc. I understand that some schools around Davidsonville are good, which is important as we have young children that haven't started school yet. HAve the schools historically been good and are they likely to stay that way? I grew up thinking that Annapolis is a little touristy and cute by day but not much going on by night or during the winter. Maybe that's not true. What is there to do in places like Davidson and Annapolis? Is it family friendly? Is buying a house there a good investment or as safe as McLean/Bethesda/Chevy Chase type areas? How's the commute to DC? Please convince me that my DH is right and this is an awesome opportunity and not a gamble that is likely to backfire.

Don't buy there if you or dh will be commuting to dc on a regular basis.

I realize that this is an old thread, but if the PP is still out there, I would just like to let you know that I moved to Davidsonville from Chevy Chase DC 4 years ago and it was the best decision EVER!! I lived in DC and Old Town for 15 years, had all my kids at Georgetown hospital, had 2 kids in DCPS at Murch, and felt really committed to DC. What made us move out here honestly was our desire for a bigger house that did not cost $2 million (which is what a bigger house of the type we wanted in our neighborhood would have cost us). After looking for that one elusive "deal" in DC, Bethesda, CC for 3 years we finally decided to just go to Davidsonville instead. No, you cannot walk everywhere and it is of course whiter and less diverse and more conservative than DC. No shocker there. But, on the upside - the community is great - tons of families, people are nice and much less status oriented than in DC. I'm a democrat, but Republicans here are really nice to me and have become some of my closest friends. I have an international job and am often gone for 2 weeks at a time and the stay-at-home moms I know will invite my kids over to swim (yes, everybody has a pool, which is nice) or take them places just because they know that I am gone. There is no mommy war here. The school is amazing - it looks like a private school compared to DCPS and the teachers live in the community. When I travel, the teachers will email me little notes about the kids just so I can feel connected to what's going on at home. For going out, downtown Annapolis is nice, esp. in the summer. There are some good restaurants although of course not as many as DC, but you can find "your" sushi place, "your" Afghan place, etc. You may not have 20 choices for each cuisine that you like, but you will find one or 2 of each that are good. There are plenty of things to do with kids - especially in summer its easy to get out on the water, go to local beaches, crab shacks, etc. And, it is not that hard to get into DC or Baltimore to do stuff there. I commute to DC 2x per week (my husband does it 5 days). His drive is anywhere between 45 min to 1 hour to get to Metro Center. I usually drive in with him and take the commuter bus home. It costs $4.25 and is a straight shot to Davidsonville from downtown. I like that I can take a nap on the way home if I want. I look forward to that nap all afternoon at work! And, while people in DC may tell you that the suburbs and exurbs are an intellectual wasteland, that's not what I've found. My neighbors are DC big firm lawyers, accountants, doctors, IT consultants, and business owners. In terms of careers, its actually more diverse than my neighborhood in DC where everybody was over-educated, went to an Ivy, and lived their whole lives in the same bubble.

PP again, by "furhter out" I mean around Annapolis where OP is looking.

Although the Alexandria part of Fairfax co is beautiful, convenient and has water access, West Potomac is a far cry from the schools rated 8 and up that the OP asked for. I seriously doubt that the OP would consider that. I graduated from there yrs ago, when it was better and even ranked. I wouldn't recommend it. Sadly, the schools further out are better.

If you love the hustle and bustle of DC, then you would dislike Davidsonville very much. We lived in Annapolis proper for one year and thought we would go out of our minds if we had stayed any longer. I was commuting into DC on the bus, which was not a bad commute, actually.

Annapolis/AA county has many redeeming qualities but it is slower, people are much more alike, and there is less to do. There are a lot of subdivisions or houses that are farther apart.

Good luck! My husband and I were on the same page with getting out of there. We got so bored with chain restaurants or sub par independents (there are a few really good ones, but not many). Downtown is quiant but oh so boring!

Anonymous wrote:OP again. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to live in the Old Town Alexandria area but the schools are terrible. 8:28 - thanks for sharing. That description is pretty much what I'm afraid of. Please keep the thoughts/feedback coming!

PP here who suggested Alexandria. I was referring to Alexandria area of Fairfax County south of Old Town. The area zoned for West Potomac isn't bad, and you have easy access to water. Mason Neck is zoned for South County and has several waterfront communities. There are also waterfront communities in the Mount Vernon district as well, but that is a lower ranked HS.

You still have easy access to Old Town and DC, but also quick access to the water. I live in this area, and I love the easy access to nature and the scenic neighborhoods. The one downfall to this area is the Route 1 corridor, which isn't exactly scenic.

OP again. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to live in the Old Town Alexandria area but the schools are terrible. 8:28 - thanks for sharing. That description is pretty much what I'm afraid of. Please keep the thoughts/feedback coming!

Annapolis dining has improved a lot over the last few years. It's a smaller place, so naturally there are fewer options.

As for going to plays, Nats games, etc. -- are you doing that every weekend now? My guess is no. You'd be in AA County, not Ocean City. If you want to drive to DC on a Saturday, it isn't difficult.

You might find it easier to head to Baltimore for kids' stuff.

Dh lived in Annapolis when we were dating so I spent a lot of time there. The downtown is cute but the surrounding areas are not cosmopolitan at all. They remind me of the parts of PA where I grew up- conservative, not very educated, almost all white, mostly people who grew up there. Maybe there are livelier communities with more transplants, but I didn't see them. The commute out there is horrible, especially on Friday nights. I am sure you could make a nice family life there, as anywhere, but I would not choose it. It's more culturally a Baltimore suburb, IMO, than a dc one.

If he insists on living near the water, would he consider the Alexandria or Mason Neck portions of Fairfax County? There are a bunch of neighborhoods with marinas and boat access over there. You would be much closer to DC.

OP. Don't do it.