We moved to AU park 3 years ago and really enjoy it. Our child attends a NW private school, but I toured Janney and it looked lovely. Neighbors are nice and the little noises are so unique and beautiful. Hope you find the home of your dreams here OP.

Private schools intentionally engineer diverse classes of students with average to high achievement abilities. There is definitely something to say for that. There is such a big racial achievement gap in DCPS that I would also be leery to send my upper SES AA child to a DCPS because of the loaded assumptions people would likely make. Other posters can feel free to vigorously protest, but I think the OP has a valid concern.

We are Hispanic and left AU Park because the only other Hispanics we knew where nannies or landscapers. Our children attend private school because I was not impressed with Janney. The neighborhood is pro-Janney and take it as a personal affront if you don't send your child to Janney.

Our kids are in private NWDC schools although we live in boundary for Key, which is a very good elementary. I do think there is more diversity at our kids privates than at Key, Janney and Horace Mann. You should also look in Palisades, Berkley, Kent, and Wesley Heights, all to the West of AU Park. There are still some houses in your price range. These neighborhoods have a wider variety of schools attend by the kids. Our immediate street has kids at public, charter, private and Catholic. They are all friends, play basketball on the street in evenings, walk neighbors dogs, etc...

Anonymous wrote:Kool-aid? That expression is so outdated.

1978 to be exact, PP. Can a historical reference can become outdated in only 36 years?

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget beauviors playground, where you can see what a $30,000 a year playground looks like.

We love AU. It's suprisingly convienent to both DC and Bethesda, and amazingly even VA (there's a few good routes). It's a neighborhood that lacks some of that 'smack' tht others do - you don't need to be a senators aide to be invited to someone's house - and incomes here are modest (most people are under $400k, so you won't feel like the poor kid on the block).

Ok....under 400k is not modest. HHI of 350k is the top two percent in the nation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget beauviors playground, where you can see what a $30,000 a year playground looks like.

We love AU. It's suprisingly convienent to both DC and Bethesda, and amazingly even VA (there's a few good routes). It's a neighborhood that lacks some of that 'smack' tht others do - you don't need to be a senators aide to be invited to someone's house - and incomes here are modest (most people are under $400k, so you won't feel like the poor kid on the block).

Found this doing a search -- what are the good routes to VA from AU Park please?

Chain Bridge or MacArthur/Clara Barton to the Beltway.

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget beauviors playground, where you can see what a $30,000 a year playground looks like.

We love AU. It's suprisingly convienent to both DC and Bethesda, and amazingly even VA (there's a few good routes). It's a neighborhood that lacks some of that 'smack' tht others do - you don't need to be a senators aide to be invited to someone's house - and incomes here are modest (most people are under $400k, so you won't feel like the poor kid on the block).

Found this doing a search -- what are the good routes to VA from AU Park please?

We live in AU park. My kids go to Janney and love it, Janney parents are very nice and friendly people. But there is no Janney cult for us, we are just happy to have that school in our
neighborhood. Kids neighbors don't go to Janney and are very good friends with my kids.

Don't forget beauviors playground, where you can see what a $30,000 a year playground looks like.

We love AU. It's suprisingly convienent to both DC and Bethesda, and amazingly even VA (there's a few good routes). It's a neighborhood that lacks some of that 'smack' tht others do - you don't need to be a senators aide to be invited to someone's house - and incomes here are modest (most people are under $400k, so you won't feel like the poor kid on the block).

Land of milk and honey.

You left out Lafayette rec center, which by itself has five separate playgrounds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And nothing beats Turtle Park.

OK, you've drunk the kool-aid. I do not get the love of this park.

It gets love because it's there and there's so little in NW that is child friendly. But it gets old very fast and you run into the same whiny kids and indulgent parents all the time. We started driving to parks in Silver Spring to get away from the same old crowd. And God forbid if you are darker than your child, as the other mothers will assume you're a hired nanny and treat you accordingly.

??? What are you talking about? Have you been to: Livingston St. Park, Chesapeake St. Park, Rock Creek nature center, St. Columba's amazing park (open to public on weekends), plus DCPS elementary school playgrounds on weekends, Chevy Chase/Tenley libraries. etc?? And these are just the ones I go to regularly.

I like turtle park fine but there are an insane number of child friendly parks in Ward 3.

(Everyone thinks my wife is the nanny at all of them but we've never been inclined to drive to Silver Spring over it).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And nothing beats Turtle Park.

OK, you've drunk the kool-aid. I do not get the love of this park.

It gets love because it's there and there's so little in NW that is child friendly. But it gets old very fast and you run into the same whiny kids and indulgent parents all the time. We started driving to parks in Silver Spring to get away from the same old crowd. And God forbid if you are darker than your child, as the other mothers will assume you're a hired nanny and treat you accordingly.