Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suburbs, particularly if you're talking about DC. Having to walk everywhere sounds very limiting to me - I love the flexibility of hopping in the car and going basically anywhere I feel like.

Walkability =/= having to walk everywhere. Walkability = being able to walk everywhere.

Plenty of DC friends talk about "walkability" all the time. Mind you, these friends live in far NWDC, where, in reality, they drive to almost everything that isn't in their immediate n'hood. Yes, there's a great farmers market and a few restaurants to walk to (which is great). But these same friends drive their kids (or have them take a city bus) quite far to go to charter schools across town (a very long drive, I might add) or to private schools in MD or VA. In addition, they drive all over to take the kids to sports practices/games, which are almost always in MD. These friends typically have at least one spouse who commutes by car into downtown DC or into MD or VA to work. I'm not saying that the choice to live in the city is bad or good, it's simply a choice. But, to say they have a "walkable lifestyle" is not accurate in reality for many in these NWDC n'hoods.

I agree that there are a lot of parts of NW DC that are not very walkable. And/or people choose not to walk. There are even people who live in NW DC who oppose sidewalks in their neighborhoods, because sidewalks are "urban". Also there are walkable areas in Maryland and Virginia.

A lot NW DC is not walkable. That doesn't change the fact about what walkability is. Having to walk everywhere?? I mean, how can that even happen.

I can see why people love city life. And I can understand loving the burbs.

I don't like either one. I need space and I need quiet! Love living out in the country!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suburbs, particularly if you're talking about DC. Having to walk everywhere sounds very limiting to me - I love the flexibility of hopping in the car and going basically anywhere I feel like.

Walkability =/= having to walk everywhere. Walkability = being able to walk everywhere.

Plenty of DC friends talk about "walkability" all the time. Mind you, these friends live in far NWDC, where, in reality, they drive to almost everything that isn't in their immediate n'hood. Yes, there's a great farmers market and a few restaurants to walk to (which is great). But these same friends drive their kids (or have them take a city bus) quite far to go to charter schools across town (a very long drive, I might add) or to private schools in MD or VA. In addition, they drive all over to take the kids to sports practices/games, which are almost always in MD. These friends typically have at least one spouse who commutes by car into downtown DC or into MD or VA to work. I'm not saying that the choice to live in the city is bad or good, it's simply a choice. But, to say they have a "walkable lifestyle" is not accurate in reality for many in these NWDC n'hoods.

I agree that there are a lot of parts of NW DC that are not very walkable. And/or people choose not to walk. There are even people who live in NW DC who oppose sidewalks in their neighborhoods, because sidewalks are "urban". Also there are walkable areas in Maryland and Virginia.

The suburbs might be objectively a tad bit better for kids, but a parent that's miserable in the suburbs will more than cancel it out.

Is it possible to compromise and live in a place like Vienna, Falls Church, or Frederick, with elements of both?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suburbs, particularly if you're talking about DC. Having to walk everywhere sounds very limiting to me - I love the flexibility of hopping in the car and going basically anywhere I feel like.

Walkability =/= having to walk everywhere. Walkability = being able to walk everywhere.

Plenty of DC friends talk about "walkability" all the time. Mind you, these friends live in far NWDC, where, in reality, they drive to almost everything that isn't in their immediate n'hood. Yes, there's a great farmers market and a few restaurants to walk to (which is great). But these same friends drive their kids (or have them take a city bus) quite far to go to charter schools across town (a very long drive, I might add) or to private schools in MD or VA. In addition, they drive all over to take the kids to sports practices/games, which are almost always in MD. These friends typically have at least one spouse who commutes by car into downtown DC or into MD or VA to work. I'm not saying that the choice to live in the city is bad or good, it's simply a choice. But, to say they have a "walkable lifestyle" is not accurate in reality for many in these NWDC n'hoods.

I hate how one can't seem to support one without disparaging the other.

We lived in DC when we were newly married, then moved to the suburbs when DS was a toddler and we outgrew our space.

Living in the city was a ton of fun. No doubt about that. Walking to the grocery store, to Rock Creek Park, to the zoo. All awesome. Living centrally also made it easy and fun to host get-togethers.

Living in the suburbs is fun too, with kids. I don't get to walk everywhere now, but we can do other outdoors stuff. We grow our own vegetables and blueberries in the backyard. We can walk to the neighborhood swimming pool. The kids like to dig holes and look for worms. Music classes, tumbling classes, swimming classes -- those are all just a short drive away.

There's no one right answer. You have to decide what's better for you. For us, we didn't work in DC, so moving to the suburbs actually improved our commutes, which was a big plus. I do miss living in DC, but I'm happy raising my kids in our suburb. I like having lots of space in my house. When the kids are going a little crazy, I can take them into the basement and it's a whole other play space. I have space to store wagons, tricycles, bicycles.

Good luck, I think you can be happy in any place, as long as you have the right attitude.

Anonymous wrote:Selfish parents stay in the city

Yes, selfishly I want my daughter to have the best of everything.