Anonymous
12/01/2012 20:46
Subject: Re:Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
We live in Woodmoor and love it and my DH commutes (by car) to the Friendship Heights area - the commute is not too bad, especially if you have the ability to either go into work on the early or later sides.
I'm not clear on why you would send your child to private and then to Pinecrest in third grade. Pinecrest is just the 3-5 school that has essentially the same kids who went to K-2 at Montgomery Knolls (with the addition of the gifted and talented magnet at Pinecrest for grades 4-5.)
Good luck with your decision! Is the house you are looking at the one where a second story was recently added?
I'm not clear on why you would send your child to private and then to Pinecrest in third grade. Pinecrest is just the 3-5 school that has essentially the same kids who went to K-2 at Montgomery Knolls (with the addition of the gifted and talented magnet at Pinecrest for grades 4-5.)
Good luck with your decision! Is the house you are looking at the one where a second story was recently added?
Anonymous
12/01/2012 13:29
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
OP here. Ok radio viewers, we have found a house in the Woodmoor vicinity that I adore. And it WELL within our budget. DS could attend private school until he can go to Pine Crest.
Also, the idea of being done and settled is vastly appealing. As opposed to waiting until mid-January in the hopes that something may come on the market. The house is also done, move in ready, made to order etc.
It seems in Friendship Heights and AU Park, 800k will get us essentially a fixer, yes? And since we have moved states twice in two years, the odds are long on us being in DC long enough to fix a fixer.
Decisions, decisions.
So the question is: Should we wait until early February in the hopes that something else will come up.....???
Forgive my public navel-gazing but this holiday move is working my nerves.
Also, the idea of being done and settled is vastly appealing. As opposed to waiting until mid-January in the hopes that something may come on the market. The house is also done, move in ready, made to order etc.
It seems in Friendship Heights and AU Park, 800k will get us essentially a fixer, yes? And since we have moved states twice in two years, the odds are long on us being in DC long enough to fix a fixer.
Decisions, decisions.
So the question is: Should we wait until early February in the hopes that something else will come up.....???
Forgive my public navel-gazing but this holiday move is working my nerves.
Anonymous
11/29/2012 19:39
Subject: Re:Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
I think Woodmoor is really nice and very community oriented. I live about 10 minutes from there and have a friend in that neighborhood. I also like Takoma Park, very family friendly and community oriented. I don't know what the drive from Takoma Park would be, maybe someone else can chime in.
Since you are coming in from out of state. Did you know if you move into DC you don't have a voting representative and no senators? If that bothers you then stick with the suburbs. It is taxation without representation.
Since you are coming in from out of state. Did you know if you move into DC you don't have a voting representative and no senators? If that bothers you then stick with the suburbs. It is taxation without representation.
Anonymous
11/29/2012 16:29
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
jlbr wrote:OP here, you all seem cool and lovely neighbors, I must say.
Janney keeps coming up on our list of schools to attend. And I love the sound of Friendship Heights though the SFH are on the wee side for me. We live in a huge house just now and you may have to pull my walk-in pantry from my cold dead hands.
If your priority is a walk-in pantry and other amenities which involve lots of space, then you are likely looking at Rockville and beyond. Prices in your range for houses in close-in neighborhoods do not get you walk-in pantries, big master baths, garages, etc.
Anonymous
11/29/2012 15:27
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
Another potential neighbor here, and the first PP to recommend just living in Friendship Heights. We have a small SFH, not a rowhouse, in case you're not into the rowhouse concept, that we bought for less than your budget. We are now looking to add to it (including the kitchen storage you flag as essential), but I agree that all the resources in the area negate the need for more of that stuff in your house. For example, we don't need a huge yard with a playset and pool; we live 2 blocks from Livingston Park. We don't need a giant attached garage; we live blocks from the Metro and have only one car.
Our neighbors are kind people raising lovely kids, and most use the public schools through elementary. Maybe this is just our street, or the people we happen to know, but they're also quite artsy, either professionally or by avocation.
We happened to move to our current home from Shady Grove, at the northern tip of Rockville, and it isn't the worst place on earth by any stretch. That said, there isn't a single thing that isn't measurably better about the way we live now.
Our neighbors are kind people raising lovely kids, and most use the public schools through elementary. Maybe this is just our street, or the people we happen to know, but they're also quite artsy, either professionally or by avocation.
We happened to move to our current home from Shady Grove, at the northern tip of Rockville, and it isn't the worst place on earth by any stretch. That said, there isn't a single thing that isn't measurably better about the way we live now.
Anonymous
11/29/2012 11:04
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
jlbr wrote:OP here, you all seem cool and lovely neighbors, I must say.
Janney keeps coming up on our list of schools to attend. And I love the sound of Friendship Heights though the SFH are on the wee side for me. We live in a huge house just now and you may have to pull my walk-in pantry from my cold dead hands.
trust me, my pantry is bigger than yours... it's called rodman's....
jlbr
11/29/2012 10:57
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
OP here, you all seem cool and lovely neighbors, I must say.
Janney keeps coming up on our list of schools to attend. And I love the sound of Friendship Heights though the SFH are on the wee side for me. We live in a huge house just now and you may have to pull my walk-in pantry from my cold dead hands.
Janney keeps coming up on our list of schools to attend. And I love the sound of Friendship Heights though the SFH are on the wee side for me. We live in a huge house just now and you may have to pull my walk-in pantry from my cold dead hands.
Anonymous
11/29/2012 10:48
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, you seem cool and I'd like you to be our neighbor.
I live RIGHT by where you work. Put another way, if you lived in my house, you could walk to work in <10 minutes. (Microsoft?)
Anyway, I strongly urge you to look for a rowhouse in Friendship Hts. DC. There aren't tons, but there a few that come on the market every month and they range from $700 to $800K. Your child can attend Janney (search DCUM for "janney") and have an excellent facility and peer group.
Your stay at home? spouse can walk to 4 grocery stores ranging from cheapo to pleasantly strange to Whole Foods. Several drugs stores within a couple of blocks. A big park (google "Livingston Park" and DPR). Multiple gyms, between 2 public libraries. Banks, way too many banks. Doctors offices. Basically, all the conveniences you can name are within 3-4 blocks if you score one of these townhouses on either side of Wisconsin Ave.
This is not an artistic community, at all. But there are tons of public interest lawyers, journalists, non-profit types. Some professors. More journalists. That is, if you stay on the DC side.
Your child will be set for school for the next 6 years at least, and maybe 3 more if you like the middle school (many do). If not, and you want to move, I'd personally guarantee your rowhouse within this small area will appreciate. You can sell and decamp to a suburb then and pride yourself on avoiding a commute 100% for 6 years.
+1 Couldn't agree more.
Signed fellow potential neighbor
another +1... you can potentially even score a small sfh if you're lucky. There are some creative types in the area as well, and a little quirky to go with it, thinking of a particular quicky house down the street from pete's....
Anonymous
11/29/2012 10:25
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
Anonymous wrote:"Anonymous wrote:
After a while the quirkier neighbours thing started to get a little old for us so we moved to CCDC. Both areas great schools and neighbours. Super walkable.
22:20, define quirky. Vegan? Or phobic about airline contrails containing poison from the government? We've lived next to both and the latter is too quirky now that I am a mother."
No quirky as in "I have a crazy overgrown garden that looks like a maze created by mentally ill people and I also have a broken chair collection on my front porch and newspaper in my windows but I'm totally nice to talk to" or "I carry my 'water bottle' to walk my dog every night and am completely unaware that all the other dog walkers can smell the vodka on my breath. Please swerve to avoid me as I lurch drunkenly into the street to prove a point that we need sidewalks"
Is this that house on Macarthur with the crumbling retaining walls that are periodically painted yellow or bright green? Always wondered about that one.
Anonymous
11/29/2012 10:05
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
Anonymous wrote:OP, you seem cool and I'd like you to be our neighbor.
I live RIGHT by where you work. Put another way, if you lived in my house, you could walk to work in <10 minutes. (Microsoft?)
Anyway, I strongly urge you to look for a rowhouse in Friendship Hts. DC. There aren't tons, but there a few that come on the market every month and they range from $700 to $800K. Your child can attend Janney (search DCUM for "janney") and have an excellent facility and peer group.
Your stay at home? spouse can walk to 4 grocery stores ranging from cheapo to pleasantly strange to Whole Foods. Several drugs stores within a couple of blocks. A big park (google "Livingston Park" and DPR). Multiple gyms, between 2 public libraries. Banks, way too many banks. Doctors offices. Basically, all the conveniences you can name are within 3-4 blocks if you score one of these townhouses on either side of Wisconsin Ave.
This is not an artistic community, at all. But there are tons of public interest lawyers, journalists, non-profit types. Some professors. More journalists. That is, if you stay on the DC side.
Your child will be set for school for the next 6 years at least, and maybe 3 more if you like the middle school (many do). If not, and you want to move, I'd personally guarantee your rowhouse within this small area will appreciate. You can sell and decamp to a suburb then and pride yourself on avoiding a commute 100% for 6 years.
+1 Couldn't agree more.
Signed fellow potential neighbor
Anonymous
11/28/2012 19:21
Subject: Humane commute to Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights Metro Station? From Woodmoor? From....?
Think hard about what your must-haves in your next home will be - if they include a 2-car garage and big master bath, for example, you'll need to be in Rockville.