Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 23:45     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
I live in DC proper and luckily I don’t know many people in real life who think and act the way people on DCUM do. DCUM is a weird place.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 23:43     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Im sorry but the “educated” comment in this post kinda cracks me up! Yes, educated people exist outside of DC, NYC, etc! People in the DCUM have this sense of superiority (I’ll add I do live here)

That said, OP, I get what you are trying to say and we have had the same thoughts since we both grew up in PA. Just seems easier and more family oriented in some of these places… and of course the COL is better. But if your kids are happy is it worth uprooting them in hopes it’ll be better? I really don’t know what the answer is


.I'm sure a lot of places are educated but a lot of places don't respect education. It's more like something they had to do.


NP but honestly I don’t think the average DCUM poster (or DMV resident) “respects education” either… more like they respect credentials.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 23:23     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:We moved to an inner ring burb in St. Louis and absolutely love it. Public schools are top notch, I often bike to work (2 mi drive), kids walk to school, dh has a 20 min commute max downtown, everything is within 20 mins (zoo, lots of museums, botanical gardens, professional sports teams, symphony - most of which is free and has free parking). My mom moved here too from the nyc burbs and has never been happier. There are endless things to do and there is a lot less pretension

We were just in St. Louis and were surprised by how nice it was. Those blighted areas though, my goodness. Looks like parts of Baltimore.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 22:59     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:We moved to an inner ring burb in St. Louis and absolutely love it. Public schools are top notch, I often bike to work (2 mi drive), kids walk to school, dh has a 20 min commute max downtown, everything is within 20 mins (zoo, lots of museums, botanical gardens, professional sports teams, symphony - most of which is free and has free parking). My mom moved here too from the nyc burbs and has never been happier. There are endless things to do and there is a lot less pretension


I live in DC because DH and I have this exact life (other than the free parking, which we don’t need because we can walk/take public transport to everything). If we didn’t, we’d move.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 22:48     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:DC has been ideal for my kids. They all seem to plan to move back here after college.


+1. My kids love it here.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:35     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Im sorry but the “educated” comment in this post kinda cracks me up! Yes, educated people exist outside of DC, NYC, etc! People in the DCUM have this sense of superiority (I’ll add I do live here)

That said, OP, I get what you are trying to say and we have had the same thoughts since we both grew up in PA. Just seems easier and more family oriented in some of these places… and of course the COL is better. But if your kids are happy is it worth uprooting them in hopes it’ll be better? I really don’t know what the answer is


.I'm sure a lot of places are educated but a lot of places don't respect education. It's more like something they had to do.[/quote

this just proves the point that DCUMers having this feeling of superiority. I know plenty of people who didn’t grow up in a major metropolitan area who very much value education and are well educated, more so than some people I meet here.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:13     Subject: Re:Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
The problem is close-in DC. A lot of the families I know in McLean and Vienna just seem really unhappy. They walk around with anxious expressions, barely have a second to say hi. They are never out gardening or doing yardworj or playing with their kids, too busy working so they outsource all that. OTOH, families in Oakton, Fairfax, Loudon and Prince William counties seem a lot more chillaxed.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:12     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Every life decision comes with a different set of pros and cons.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:09     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:Im sorry but the “educated” comment in this post kinda cracks me up! Yes, educated people exist outside of DC, NYC, etc! People in the DCUM have this sense of superiority (I’ll add I do live here)

That said, OP, I get what you are trying to say and we have had the same thoughts since we both grew up in PA. Just seems easier and more family oriented in some of these places… and of course the COL is better. But if your kids are happy is it worth uprooting them in hopes it’ll be better? I really don’t know what the answer is


.I'm sure a lot of places are educated but a lot of places don't respect education. It's more like something they had to do.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:07     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
^ stl poster - everything day to day (grocery store, library, etc are within 5 mins - library is 5 min walk)
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:06     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
We moved to an inner ring burb in St. Louis and absolutely love it. Public schools are top notch, I often bike to work (2 mi drive), kids walk to school, dh has a 20 min commute max downtown, everything is within 20 mins (zoo, lots of museums, botanical gardens, professional sports teams, symphony - most of which is free and has free parking). My mom moved here too from the nyc burbs and has never been happier. There are endless things to do and there is a lot less pretension
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 21:04     Subject: Re:Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:We left DC about 15 years ago for the north shore of Chicago. Our children graduated from great public schools, we are an easy walk to Lake Michigan, Midwest values really exist, Chicago is a great city (ex the high crime areas) and except for the longer winters it has been ideal for us. When my husbands DC based company wanted him to return to DC with a big promotion we both said we are not going back. He quickly got a great new job and life went on. If you grew up in DC maybe it’s home but it was never home for us. We did make some good friends we stay in touch with but we don’t miss DC. So many DC jobs feed off the government that infects the atmosphere in a not so positive way.


I have always imagined Ohio being a place I wouldn’t mind to live so I see no problem with OP thinking it could be a good place to live—but if you are actually considering it I think you also need to really consider the different climate. Whenever I talk to people who’ve moved around the country to end up near me—weather is always a big thing that gets brought up. And when people end up moving away it’s often because they just can’t handle the weather/particular season/climate of their new home.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 19:49     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Do it then loser!
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 18:20     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:DC has been ideal for my kids. They all seem to plan to move back here after college.


Mine too. They all get around town via public transportation and have been exposed to so much. Maybe too much some days but isn't that part of the deal?
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2024 17:44     Subject: Anyone feel like DC just isnt ideal for kids?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The problem is the average tenure of a job is 3-5 years. You need to be in a good job market to keep employed.


DP here. This has always been my husband's excuse to keep us in DC. I'm not sure I buy it though.


I think WFH is really going to change this.


Only in a WFH industry, which most of the US population is still not in despite popular perception by white collar WFH employees.


WFH is dead. It will never come back.