I think that Shepherd Park is a great suggestion. If also recommend looking at Petworth / 16th st heights if you want something a little bit closer.

The schools are all worth looking at, and the commute is a decent shot down 16th St or Georgia ave, which both have express buses.

You can probably get a 3 br (maybe 4th in the basement) townhouse that is affordable for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at Shepherd Park.

Shepherd Park will probably be out of range (starting range 700-800k; lower than this usually needs full rehab and even 700k usually needs work).

PP. Wanted to add that the neighborhood school is great, and class sizes tend to be small, at least recently in the early grades. PK3 has a waitlist of neighborhood kids. There are a few teachers living here in SP, too. Great community if you can find something--occasionally more affordable listings do pop up.

PP yet again (sorry, pre-coffee). Wanted to add that I know of at least 3 teachers I can think of in SP, all of whom send their kids to Shepherd. Two are in DCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at Shepherd Park.

Shepherd Park will probably be out of range (starting range 700-800k; lower than this usually needs full rehab and even 700k usually needs work).

PP. Wanted to add that the neighborhood school is great, and class sizes tend to be small, at least recently in the early grades. PK3 has a waitlist of neighborhood kids. There are a few teachers living here in SP, too. Great community if you can find something--occasionally more affordable listings do pop up.

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at Shepherd Park.

Shepherd Park will probably be out of range (starting range 700-800k; lower than this usually needs full rehab and even 700k usually needs work).

Take a look at Shepherd Park.

This is the poster again: Thanks so much for all of the feedback already. I'm really not sure what we will have to go for. I have a son and a daughter and would rather buy than rent. I'm very okay with a small space, but will probably "need" a 3 bedroom for when the kids older. My husband will be working in Federal Triangle and from the research I've done so far, I don't know that commuting is worth it for us. It seems like we have to get very far out before we get to "affordable" homes and at that point, the schools seemed to be a mixed bag of ratings, much like DCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an ESL teacher moving to DC with young kids. If possible, I might teach for DCPS and live in the city, sending my kids to DCPS as well. Are there neighborhoods affordable to teachers? Neighborhoods with school boundaries they would be comfortable sending their kids through? Thanks!

If you want to rent you can move to Woodley Park (depending on the your years of experience and ladder step you might be able to swing it) and send your kids to Oyster.

You will have to rent IB for Woodley Park, or buy a small condo.

OP, are you comfortable with a 2 bedroom apartment or are you looking for a 3-4 bedroom house?

There are affordable apartments in bounds for Eaton.

Anonymous wrote:I am an ESL teacher moving to DC with young kids. If possible, I might teach for DCPS and live in the city, sending my kids to DCPS as well. Are there neighborhoods affordable to teachers? Neighborhoods with school boundaries they would be comfortable sending their kids through? Thanks!

If you want to rent you can move to Woodley Park (depending on the your years of experience and ladder step you might be able to swing it) and send your kids to Oyster.

For all those suggesting charter, please remember you have to be working at the charter for a year before you get preference.

Anonymous wrote:Dh is a DCPS teacher. We live in Brightwood.

Do you have kids in DCPS also?

Dh is a DCPS teacher. We live in Brightwood.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know teachers who have lived in Brightwood, Takoma DC, and Riggs Park, so those are neighborhoods to check out.

I second this and you can either work for a Charter school that will guarantee your kids placement or work fro DCPS and pray for your kids placement.

Charter schools cannot 'guarantee' placements (a few used to but that has been shut down). They can choose to offer a teacher/staff lottery preference. But you still have to enter via the lottery and it will be dependent on the number of spaces available.

Anonymous wrote:I know teachers who have lived in Brightwood, Takoma DC, and Riggs Park, so those are neighborhoods to check out.

I second this and you can either work for a Charter school that will guarantee your kids placement or work fro DCPS and pray for your kids placement.