Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And where exactly were you when this decision was made?

For us, more space, better schools, greater safety and neighbors who actually take care of their homes and quiet down at a reasonable hour made to the move easy, although I will admit it seemed almost too quiet at night at first. We were used to sirens on our block at least once a week after 11 PM. I never knew if the people in that house really overdosed that often or just thought the EMT guys were cute.

+1

I've lived in NOVA for 4 years and I still miss DC. I miss the city lifestyle - going out to new, trendy restaurants; hopping on the bus/Metro to visit friends; a rowhouse with a small/low maintenance yard, etc.

But when I think about my life now (with two young children), I realize the DC life is not compatible with what is now most important to me - raising a family. DC was best for me as a single person and even as a married person. But now that I'm a mom, I have new priorities. In NOVA the schools are great and my children are going to grow up with the kind of childhood I had - they can play basketball in the cul de sac with neighborhood kids, they can learn to ride bikes in the street and explore trails in nearby parks, they'll go to the school down the road with all the neighborhood kids and not worry about friends getting split up because of the crazy charter process. Our neighborhood in the city was walkable, but I would walk by things on a regular basis that weren't really kid-friendly. Sure, kids in the city may grow up to be more "worldly", but I'd rather protect my child from the drug dealers down the street who hung out on their porch all day long.

Give the suburbs a chance. They really have a lot of positives. I think it's okay to mourn the loss of your city lifestyle, but you can't have it all. You're definitely giving up something, but think about all that you're gaining.

What are you rambling on about?! I am a mom in DC and my kids are my first priority. I live in a 3800 sq ft house with NO drug dealers near it. My kids are happy and well adjusted. They play with friends, all of whom attend different schools. They also have friends in their school. Granted they attend a private school but I am not a big fan of public education these days due to the slavish devotion to standardized testing. If they were in FFC, they would be in private school. My kids also ride their bikes often. So I really don't understand why you can't have kids as a top priority AND live in DC too.

Yuck. Totally the type of spoiled "why can't they all eat cake" attitude that sent us fleeing from DC. These people have no clue about how others live in the city outside their expensive bubble.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And where exactly were you when this decision was made?

For us, more space, better schools, greater safety and neighbors who actually take care of their homes and quiet down at a reasonable hour made to the move easy, although I will admit it seemed almost too quiet at night at first. We were used to sirens on our block at least once a week after 11 PM. I never knew if the people in that house really overdosed that often or just thought the EMT guys were cute.

+1

I've lived in NOVA for 4 years and I still miss DC. I miss the city lifestyle - going out to new, trendy restaurants; hopping on the bus/Metro to visit friends; a rowhouse with a small/low maintenance yard, etc.

But when I think about my life now (with two young children), I realize the DC life is not compatible with what is now most important to me - raising a family. DC was best for me as a single person and even as a married person. But now that I'm a mom, I have new priorities. In NOVA the schools are great and my children are going to grow up with the kind of childhood I had - they can play basketball in the cul de sac with neighborhood kids, they can learn to ride bikes in the street and explore trails in nearby parks, they'll go to the school down the road with all the neighborhood kids and not worry about friends getting split up because of the crazy charter process. Our neighborhood in the city was walkable, but I would walk by things on a regular basis that weren't really kid-friendly. Sure, kids in the city may grow up to be more "worldly", but I'd rather protect my child from the drug dealers down the street who hung out on their porch all day long.

Give the suburbs a chance. They really have a lot of positives. I think it's okay to mourn the loss of your city lifestyle, but you can't have it all. You're definitely giving up something, but think about all that you're gaining.

What are you rambling on about?! I am a mom in DC and my kids are my first priority. I live in a 3800 sq ft house with NO drug dealers near it. My kids are happy and well adjusted. They play with friends, all of whom attend different schools. They also have friends in their school. Granted they attend a private school but I am not a big fan of public education these days due to the slavish devotion to standardized testing. If they were in FFC, they would be in private school. My kids also ride their bikes often. So I really don't understand why you can't have kids as a top priority AND live in DC too.

Where do you live in DC?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And where exactly were you when this decision was made?

For us, more space, better schools, greater safety and neighbors who actually take care of their homes and quiet down at a reasonable hour made to the move easy, although I will admit it seemed almost too quiet at night at first. We were used to sirens on our block at least once a week after 11 PM. I never knew if the people in that house really overdosed that often or just thought the EMT guys were cute.

+1

I've lived in NOVA for 4 years and I still miss DC. I miss the city lifestyle - going out to new, trendy restaurants; hopping on the bus/Metro to visit friends; a rowhouse with a small/low maintenance yard, etc.

But when I think about my life now (with two young children), I realize the DC life is not compatible with what is now most important to me - raising a family. DC was best for me as a single person and even as a married person. But now that I'm a mom, I have new priorities. In NOVA the schools are great and my children are going to grow up with the kind of childhood I had - they can play basketball in the cul de sac with neighborhood kids, they can learn to ride bikes in the street and explore trails in nearby parks, they'll go to the school down the road with all the neighborhood kids and not worry about friends getting split up because of the crazy charter process. Our neighborhood in the city was walkable, but I would walk by things on a regular basis that weren't really kid-friendly. Sure, kids in the city may grow up to be more "worldly", but I'd rather protect my child from the drug dealers down the street who hung out on their porch all day long.

Give the suburbs a chance. They really have a lot of positives. I think it's okay to mourn the loss of your city lifestyle, but you can't have it all. You're definitely giving up something, but think about all that you're gaining.

What are you rambling on about?! I am a mom in DC and my kids are my first priority. I live in a 3800 sq ft house with NO drug dealers near it. My kids are happy and well adjusted. They play with friends, all of whom attend different schools. They also have friends in their school. Granted they attend a private school but I am not a big fan of public education these days due to the slavish devotion to standardized testing. If they were in FFC, they would be in private school. My kids also ride their bikes often. So I really don't understand why you can't have kids as a top priority AND live in DC too.

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids and moved out of DC 5 years ago. I regret it. And am trying to figure out a way to get back there in the next year.

Anonymous wrote:Thousands of cool bars and restaurants have opened up in our old neighborhood in DC. I often regret leaving. But what i really miss is our pre-kid lifestyle. The cool places don't take reservations, and you wait an hour or two for a seat. Not really practical once you have to pay a babysitter... At least in Bethesda you can get in anywhere, and everywhere is kid friendly, even if the standard is somewhat lower...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And where exactly were you when this decision was made?

For us, more space, better schools, greater safety and neighbors who actually take care of their homes and quiet down at a reasonable hour made to the move easy, although I will admit it seemed almost too quiet at night at first. We were used to sirens on our block at least once a week after 11 PM. I never knew if the people in that house really overdosed that often or just thought the EMT guys were cute.

+1

I've lived in NOVA for 4 years and I still miss DC. I miss the city lifestyle - going out to new, trendy restaurants; hopping on the bus/Metro to visit friends; a rowhouse with a small/low maintenance yard, etc.

But when I think about my life now (with two young children), I realize the DC life is not compatible with what is now most important to me - raising a family. DC was best for me as a single person and even as a married person. But now that I'm a mom, I have new priorities. In NOVA the schools are great and my children are going to grow up with the kind of childhood I had - they can play basketball in the cul de sac with neighborhood kids, they can learn to ride bikes in the street and explore trails in nearby parks, they'll go to the school down the road with all the neighborhood kids and not worry about friends getting split up because of the crazy charter process. Our neighborhood in the city was walkable, but I would walk by things on a regular basis that weren't really kid-friendly. Sure, kids in the city may grow up to be more "worldly", but I'd rather protect my child from the drug dealers down the street who hung out on their porch all day long.

Give the suburbs a chance. They really have a lot of positives. I think it's okay to mourn the loss of your city lifestyle, but you can't have it all. You're definitely giving up something, but think about all that you're gaining.

What are you rambling on about?! I am a mom in DC and my kids are my first priority. I live in a 3800 sq ft house with NO drug dealers near it. My kids are happy and well adjusted. They play with friends, all of whom attend different schools. They also have friends in their school. Granted they attend a private school but I am not a big fan of public education these days due to the slavish devotion to standardized testing. If they were in FFC, they would be in private school. My kids also ride their bikes often. So I really don't understand why you can't have kids as a top priority AND live in DC too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And where exactly were you when this decision was made?

For us, more space, better schools, greater safety and neighbors who actually take care of their homes and quiet down at a reasonable hour made to the move easy, although I will admit it seemed almost too quiet at night at first. We were used to sirens on our block at least once a week after 11 PM. I never knew if the people in that house really overdosed that often or just thought the EMT guys were cute.

+1

I've lived in NOVA for 4 years and I still miss DC. I miss the city lifestyle - going out to new, trendy restaurants; hopping on the bus/Metro to visit friends; a rowhouse with a small/low maintenance yard, etc.

But when I think about my life now (with two young children), I realize the DC life is not compatible with what is now most important to me - raising a family. DC was best for me as a single person and even as a married person. But now that I'm a mom, I have new priorities. In NOVA the schools are great and my children are going to grow up with the kind of childhood I had - they can play basketball in the cul de sac with neighborhood kids, they can learn to ride bikes in the street and explore trails in nearby parks, they'll go to the school down the road with all the neighborhood kids and not worry about friends getting split up because of the crazy charter process. Our neighborhood in the city was walkable, but I would walk by things on a regular basis that weren't really kid-friendly. Sure, kids in the city may grow up to be more "worldly", but I'd rather protect my child from the drug dealers down the street who hung out on their porch all day long.

Give the suburbs a chance. They really have a lot of positives. I think it's okay to mourn the loss of your city lifestyle, but you can't have it all. You're definitely giving up something, but think about all that you're gaining.

Anonymous wrote:Walkability is funny. The poors walk everywhere , took some getting use to hearing non poor people want to walk.

Anonymous wrote:Walkability is funny. The poors walk everywhere , took some getting use to hearing non poor people want to walk.

Anonymous wrote:DH and I lived in the city for 8 years before moving out to the burbs (no kids). I thought it would be hard to leave the city but I love the burbs so much more (I am in the Virginia burbs now). The burbs are all about convenience, space, and quiet. While I did like walking everywhere and I've gained 20 pounds in the last 3 years of living out in the burbs simply from lack of walking, I love everything else about being in the burbs. Now when we go into the city for dinner or something I find myself feeling annoyed--at the lack of parking, the traffic, the crazy busy pace. I like the laid back pace of the burbs.