Anonymous wrote:We live in Ashton Heights/Lyon Park and really like it. Lots of old growth trees and birds chirping make it feel like you're living in an arboretum. Still has plenty of original houses with lots of character. Neighbors are exceedingly friendly and it's easy to make friends. Big "take a walk after dinner" culture where you see people stopping to chat all the time (we've walked around neighborhoods further north by the country club and didn't experience the same - hillier neighborhoods without sidewalks). You have a mix of state department workers/teachers who bought here 20-30 years ago and higher earners in the new $2.4 million farmhouses. Tons of parks including Lyon Park with the community center you can rent out. Our kids are too young for the schools but everyone we spoke to has spoken very highly of our school pyramid and we're in the walking boundary for all three of them. Multiple high quality daycare options within the neighborhood. Easy walk to Ballston/Courthouse/Clarendon. We walk to Whole Foods and TJ's and restaurants all the time. Easy walk to same metro stations. 7-8 minutes from DCA makes picking up friends at the airport a breeze. You can literally run to Georgetown or the mall if you don't want to drive.

I'm going to be mildly snooty though and say that living in the heart of our neighborhood is really great. There are parts of our neighborhood that I don't think are as nice (looking at you section across Wash Blvd over by 10th St).

The developers have been gobbling up those “less nice” homes over in that section for years and the new builds are selling for well over 2 million. Some around 3 million. The houses there sell very fast because of the walkability which families crave. Even if 10th street and Washington Blvd are busy and noisy.

Oakton Glen in Vienna!

Super family oriented with neighborhood wide events, gorgeous woods and trails, solid public schools, and just in the edge of downtown Vienna. Great location for heading either east or west for work. The best part is how friendly everyone is and really feeling part of a community where everyone helps everyone out.

Takoma Park. It is the closest feel to a small self-contained town I've seen in the DC suburbs. There is a great (and improving) little downtown area with restaurants, bars, a great musical instrument store, a little book store, an Ace Hardware. It has its own weird little radio station (WOWD). Beautiful streets with old houses, and lots of trees.

Lots of little parks, yet walkable to the Metro form many parts. There is Sligo Creek trail with all its parks. My kids have walked to the elementary and middle school for years now, and they have tons of friends to walk with. My older kids can walk and ride their bikes around town with a lot of independence.

The town has changed a lot over the years, and there is a nice mix of old-timers who are more in the artisan/tradesman/hippy mold, and then lots of academics, NGO people, feds with interesting jobs. We have a pretty diverse set of friends and acquaintances, and people tend to be friendly (I find).

It used to be much more affordable than it is, but that's the case just about everywhere. We were lucky to buy in a long time ago.

I chose a neighborhood with sidewalks and where I could see kids running around on their own, playing outside, and neighbors walking around and visiting with each other. It’s also walkable (15-45 min walk) to shops and the schools. (I’m in a different state). It has been absolutely priceless to have our kids be able to play outside with friends, 1950s style, and get themselves to and from their own school, work and activities.

Living here is the best choice we ever made as a couple (after our children). We could now afford to live in a more expensive neighborhood with a bigger house, but will never leave the community.

Southwest DC. I live in a townhouse that doesn't face a street, so my view is trees, grass, and people walking their dogs. The neighborhood itself is extremely economically diverse and my complex has people of different ages/races/backgrounds, with an increasing number of little kids. It's fantastic at Halloween with all the trick or treaters. Randall Pool is nice (and free, since it's public) and I like floating around and catching a glimpse of the Capitol dome while I swim! It's a good place to be active: bike paths, tennis and pickleball and basketball courts, fitness classes, golf at East Potomac Park, kayaking, and more. Everything I need day-to-day (grocery store, library, gym) is walkable. I can walk to 3 metro stations and it's easy to get downtown and to all the airports (I even walked to DCA once when I had the time and was only bringing a backpack!). Being between Navy Yard and the Wharf, and very close to the Mall, means lots of restaurants and things to do--it's cool to walk to fireworks, baseball and soccer games, museums, shows at Arena Stage, etc. The elementary and middle schools seem to be getting more neighborhood buy-in.

I am concerned about crime, there is a lot of traffic, condo and co-op fees are high, and I wish there were a bus to Union Station, but overall it's pretty great!

Glen Echo Heights!
It’s beautiful and very green, with tons of gorgeous mature trees. The people are nice, it’s not all cookie-cutter, and the community pool is a walkable draw. Quick access to the Beltway, the commute downtown is pretty decent, large lots, privacy if you want it, located right near the canal path and the Capitol Crescent trail. We’re walkable to Wood Acres Elementary and zoned for very good schools from K-12. Last night we had a bunny, deer, and a fox come through the yard.

North Springfield 22151

I love living here. It's so close to 495, 95, and 395. My biggest pet peeve when I lived in West Springfield was getting off the interstate and still having another 20mins to get home. It's close to VRE, commuter bus lot, and metro (a little further away, but still in decent driving distance).

The people are so nice and helpful. I've never lived in a neighborhood where so many neighbors help you when you need it. Everyone is down to earth. The mom's are so supportive of each other and we don't have any mean girls. (In fact a new mom moved into the neighborhood and, I guess, in her misguided attempt to bond, she started sh!t talking other moms and kids. She was shut down immediately!)

It's filled with people that have lived here for decades. I have 2 neighbors who have lived here since the house was built in the early 60's. Another neighbor bought the house from his grandparents. It's a mix of blue-collar and white-collar. Because of that, you might one day be speaking to someone who briefs a cabinet member and the next using the plumber who lives a few streets over.

The elementary school is AMAZING. In talking to other moms with kids in other schools (even ones that are higher ranking), ours is very communicative, caring, and invested in every kid. They bend over backwards to help.

The MS and HS are "low rated" and have a reputation of being bad and filled with crime. But every person I've talked to that has kids there or graduated from there have nothing but high praise for them.

Burke Station Square!

It's a closed loop of a neighborhood, which means no through traffic, so kids ride bikes and play basketball in the street, cul de sacs do cook outs in the middle of the houses, etc. We have community events--a halloween parade and carnival, back to school donuts, end of school ice cream/popsicle party. The pool brings together all the local families in the summer. We have a tennis court, basketball court, and playground in our little community park. Neighbors wave and stop and say hi when they're walking. We have regular neighbor dinners on rotating decks.
My mom says it feels like her childhood when she comes to visit.

Beyond that, Burke is just a lovely little oasis from the crazy in the dc metro. Most people use the neighborhood public schools and are happy with them. Most families have "regular" jobs. There's a mix of retirees, young families, dual working couples and stay at home parents. I can go weeks without having to leave Burke/West Springfield to do anything--all my errands can be completed in a 10 minute radius.

I don't love the DMV, but I love Burke Station Square.

Cathedral Heights. Walk to all the restaurants in Cathedral Commons area and now the new Wegmans area and all of its surrounding amenities. Walk to Georgetown if we’re up for a longer walk. Can also walk to Cleveland Park, but why would we - it’s run down and depressing.

Close to Rock Creek Park. Can easily get to downtown, plus MD and VA.

Nice houses to look at, not uptight like Chevy Chase. Neighbors are friendly, except for the one that lives next door to me - there’s always that one. Lots are relatively flat and spacious, most with parking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love our neighborhood in North Potomac. It's quiet, full of trees, and has plenty of cul-de-sacs for young kids to play safely in. We're about 2 mi away from Kentlands, which has great shopping and dining options. The one downside is the long commute to DC, but I WFH 100% and DH WFH 3 days a week (goes into northern VA the other 2), so that's not really a factor at the moment. If I'm looking for better retail, the Clarksburg outlets and Pike & Rose are only a short drive away.

Lol it’s not “North Potomac.”
It’s Gathersburg.

A rose by any other name…

This has been a nice thread. Can we keep this kind of attitude off of it? We know there will be ample opportunity to drag people elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love our neighborhood in North Potomac. It's quiet, full of trees, and has plenty of cul-de-sacs for young kids to play safely in. We're about 2 mi away from Kentlands, which has great shopping and dining options. The one downside is the long commute to DC, but I WFH 100% and DH WFH 3 days a week (goes into northern VA the other 2), so that's not really a factor at the moment. If I'm looking for better retail, the Clarksburg outlets and Pike & Rose are only a short drive away.

Lol it’s not “North Potomac.”
It’s Gathersburg.

A rose by any other name…

I live in Clay Terrace… if you don’t know about it you better ask someone. Clay Terrace Hit Squad baby 💯

Glover Park!
Moved to Wesley Heights 10 years ago, then McLean Gardens 2 years ago, and finally back to Glover Park at the end of this month.
I'm going Home!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love our neighborhood in North Potomac. It's quiet, full of trees, and has plenty of cul-de-sacs for young kids to play safely in. We're about 2 mi away from Kentlands, which has great shopping and dining options. The one downside is the long commute to DC, but I WFH 100% and DH WFH 3 days a week (goes into northern VA the other 2), so that's not really a factor at the moment. If I'm looking for better retail, the Clarksburg outlets and Pike & Rose are only a short drive away.

Lol it’s not “North Potomac.”
It’s Gathersburg.

Don't ever change, DCUM!

Anonymous wrote:Woodacres

Definitely not!