To the Bowie posters, PGC (in particular, Bowie or Hyattsville) would have been a no brainer for us, but again, we're not getting very positive feedback on special education. If I knew that we could plug into a particular school and for sure knew our son would be attending, then that would make our search a whole lot easier, because I really find parts of PGC charming and would love to consider it.

I should ask, does anyone have any experience with Laurel (Howard) or Fulton? SN forum speaks highly of the Howard public schools.

Anonymous wrote:We're an AA family and live in McLean. It's not terribly diverse in terms of AAs, but there are a lot of international folks, Asians, some LGBT (at least in our neighborhood). Schools are fantastic (FFX Co has some of the best in the country), and the commute to Bethesda is pretty easy. Not walkable though, which I don't like. The budget may not fit unless you're willing to look at townhouses?

We actually prefer townhouses. We've always lived in them and we are most comfortable in that environment. But still in McLean, someone would have to sell a few organs to afford a townhouse there.

I should also mention that despite having a college aged kid, we are both pretty young and active still (37) and want to live in a neighborhood with young, active people.

I've read and posted at the Special Needs forum, but there aren't many parents who can relate to our experience (as is the case for most families with special needs kids), as our kid is on the moderate to severe part of the spectrum. But in general, it seems going the DC public school with hopes of getting them to pay for private school route is not recommended, and apparently DC is cracking down on that.

We also considered Frederick, but even though my husband will be commuting in the wee hours of the morning, I'm really not okay with saddling him with that kind of commute. And I'm not sure of the diversity there either, although it seemed like a pleasant place to visit when we lived in Damascus.

If I didn't live in LeDroit Park, I would be in Shepherd Park. It's a phenomenal place for families, SP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice to see you here, OP. We are a mixed race family (I am black, husband is white) with a toddler and we live in the 4 corners area of Silver Spring. Not terribly walkable but it's close to great restaurants, shopping, transit, etc. We moved here from Brooklyn and lived in Alexandria before buying here. Neighbors are very diverse, educated, and friendly. Good luck!

Thanks so much! Was your budget around the same as ours? Really glad to hear some real confirmation about the diversity of Silver Spring.

I'm the earlier DC Ward 4 poster. Downtown Silver Spring is SUPER diverse. Not sure where all these families live, but whenever we go to the SS farmer's market or Whole Foods, there are black, white, Latino, Asian, Ethiopian, West African, etc. families represented. I'm not sure where all these families live but I assume close by in DC, or further out in Silver Spring or Takoma Park.

I also know a AA single professional mom who lives in SS near Colesville & University and likes it. It's a quick drive to downtown SS from that area, plus has walkable shops at Woodmoor Shopping Center. Not sure what homes go for in that area, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice to see you here, OP. We are a mixed race family (I am black, husband is white) with a toddler and we live in the 4 corners area of Silver Spring. Not terribly walkable but it's close to great restaurants, shopping, transit, etc. We moved here from Brooklyn and lived in Alexandria before buying here. Neighbors are very diverse, educated, and friendly. Good luck!

Thanks so much! Was your budget around the same as ours? Really glad to hear some real confirmation about the diversity of Silver Spring.

Yes it was and we found what we wanted for just under $500K.

We're an AA family and live in McLean. It's not terribly diverse in terms of AAs, but there are a lot of international folks, Asians, some LGBT (at least in our neighborhood). Schools are fantastic (FFX Co has some of the best in the country), and the commute to Bethesda is pretty easy. Not walkable though, which I don't like. The budget may not fit unless you're willing to look at townhouses?

Really enjoy living in Bowie as well but not sure if it fits your specific needs

I live in Bowie and love it, but no experience on special education services.

PP @ 10:09, can you tell me a little about Ward 4? We would actually love to live in DC proper, but we're just uncertain about the special ed services.

I was going to suggest ward 4--brightwood park, shepherd park, etc---but you should post on the special needs board about services in DC (versus Montgomery county). In a nutshell, there are going to be no decent public options in DC--however, if you have the time and energy and $, you hire an educational consultant/lawyer, who advocates that your child is placed in a private special needs school that is funded publicly (and one benefit of this is that transportation via bus is provided, which is otherwise not the case for DCPS). But, this requires hearings and the district is becoming harder and harder for private placement. If you win, you dont pay court costs but they will fight. Again, post your particulars on the special needs board for more targeted advice. Good luck!

If you live in DC proper you may be able to get the city to pay for your son to go to a specialized school for kids with LDs like Lab. I know this used to be the case as DC did not have any facilities equipped to deal with these kids and they lost a lawsuit and had to pay to send these kids to private schools were they could be accommodated.

Anonymous wrote:Nice to see you here, OP. We are a mixed race family (I am black, husband is white) with a toddler and we live in the 4 corners area of Silver Spring. Not terribly walkable but it's close to great restaurants, shopping, transit, etc. We moved here from Brooklyn and lived in Alexandria before buying here. Neighbors are very diverse, educated, and friendly. Good luck!

Thanks so much! Was your budget around the same as ours? Really glad to hear some real confirmation about the diversity of Silver Spring.

Nice to see you here, OP. We are a mixed race family (I am black, husband is white) with a toddler and we live in the 4 corners area of Silver Spring. Not terribly walkable but it's close to great restaurants, shopping, transit, etc. We moved here from Brooklyn and lived in Alexandria before buying here. Neighbors are very diverse, educated, and friendly. Good luck!

I haven't found anything that would make me feel great about seeking SN education in the District. Shame, but I guess that particular dream will have to wait until he's out of school.

I guess I will stick to Rockville, Silver Spring, and maybe TP in my searches.

OP, I have friends in DC who have a child with autism, and the school situation has been a total nightmare. I have other friends with a child that has SN (not autism) and they have been happy with the services in Arlington. There's probably not a ton in your price range unless you look in South Arlington, though. I also suggest posting in the Special Needs forum. GL

Anonymous wrote:We are an AA family in DC, Ward 4. How long of a commute are you willing to tolerate to Bethesda? I'd imagine somewhere in Silver Spring might fit your budget and get you some diversity, although walkability won't be as easy to come by. Someone else will have to chime in about exact neighborhoods.

I would not recommend the District to a person with a SN child.