Haven't read the whole thread but will throw in my two cents. Don't rely on the lottery if the IB is not a viable option. There are a lot of great things about school "choice", but it's always a good idea to have a viable backup (your IB).

Don't move somewhere with the thinking that you will move when the kids are older to a better school district/house/location. As kids get older, the transition to a new schoo/friends gets harder socially. We moved our kid in 5th grade (thanks charters), and it was a much harder transition than we expected. Also, we made great friends through our kids' elementary school and we're now invested socially in our neighborhood, even though we would prefer a better school option and a better house. I sometimes wish we had moved when the kids were younger to a neighborhood/house/school system that we would be comfortable in for the long haul. Can we move now? Yes, but it's so much harder on everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - re: the PreK3 lottery, I was under the impression that we would be lucky to get a spot even at our not that desired in bound (Tubman), let alone somewhere more desired (for us) like Bancroft. Are you talking about charters then? Are those easier to get in off the lottery?

You'll get into Tubman. You will definitely not get into Bancroft. Charters are a crapshoot. I would personally ignore the posters in this thread and move to an IB you like now.

+1

We had the trying the lottery for a charter or moving for a good inbound elementary debate when our oldest was a toddler. I'm so glad we decided to move. Being at a neighborhood school with a strong parent community has been really wonderful. Love that our kids have so many friends within a few blocks of our home. I think you could probably get what you want on the Hill. This one gives you a middle school option. We've been super happy on the Hill and yes I'm aware we will have to figure out high school.

https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/625-7th-St-NE-20002/home/9901209

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Might I ask why you are not into Tubman?

Not OP, but the number of nearby shootings and lock downs would be number one on my list.

Agree. I used to live in Columbia heights back in early 2000s (pre Target) back them it was on the upswing. Hard to beleive how far its fallen, its the only neighborhood I can think of actively un-gentrifying.
So glad we moved to house in petworth when we had a kid.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - re: the PreK3 lottery, I was under the impression that we would be lucky to get a spot even at our not that desired in bound (Tubman), let alone somewhere more desired (for us) like Bancroft. Are you talking about charters then? Are those easier to get in off the lottery?

Desirable charters are much harder to get into. If you want Bancroft you need to move inbounds, Is spanish a priority? YOu could move inbounds for Bruce Monroe (thats our IB and our kids attends-4th grade now, we love it), the most recent renovated row house on my block sold of 1.1 million. No yard or parking though. Our middle school feeder is pretty bad so we are going to have to figure something soon. You would have more certainty in Mnt P for bancroft, deal, Wilson. Not sure if Mnt P kids can feed to Oyster.

Anonymous wrote:Might I ask why you are not into Tubman?

Not OP, but the number of nearby shootings and lock downs would be number one on my list.

Anonymous wrote:I would target the Brookland area. There's a million charters and the IB schools are ok for preschool and kindergarten-- some of them are quite good through 2nd or 3rd. I still think 4 BRs are ambitious on your budget, but if you're willing to do some work on the place (like dig out a basement, add a bathroom, etc), it could work out.

+1. Buy in Brookland. Lots of good charters there and central location EOTP to other schools north or south

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shepherd Park might work for you if you’re strategic about where in the neighborhood. Choosing closer to downtown silver spring or Takoma so you have more metro access. Also the new Walter Reed development will help with walkability.

Shepherd Park will be too Chevy Chase-y for OP. Walter Reed will help with things to walk to, but ChCh DC near Connecticut has more walkability than SP, and if that isn't enough for OP, they won't like SP.

+ 1 to well chosen Shepherd Park. I am 0.6 mile to downtown Takoma and 2 blocks from Georgia Ave shops that include ethnic food, Target, coffee, nails salon, library, new Walter Reed development that will include Whole Foods, dog park, brewery, outdoor music/movies, outdoor pool in a year. Also still blocks from Rock Creek trails. Not to mention being under 1 mile from Silver Spring drag and it’s offerings.

Love how Shepherd Park near commerce is great and Brookland is wonderful but 'well chosen- Chevy Chase, Tenley, Friendship Hts along Wisconsin-Connecticut are somehow "suburban." Though they're closer to downtown and better served by transit.

Like, why is the non-existent Walter Reed WF a big draw but the THREE Whole Foods along Wisconsin are dismissed as ... suburban? Or the pools, the multiple Targets (Tenley, CP), multiple libraries and so on?

I suspect this is actually about beer gardens with Adirondack chairs arranged in circles, which are admittedly scant in Ward 3.

NP but people are not recommending Chevy Chase, Tenley, etc because OP specifically asked for EOTP neighborhoods. I agree that the Wisconsin/Connecticut corridors are walkable and convenient to downtown, but they don't fit the request.

FYI, we've got pool[s, one on the way in the development that upsets you so], Target, multiple libraries, etc. in upper Ward 4 too.

Right PP specifically asks for EOTP and here come Chevy Chasers.

The point is with SP it doesn’t have to be well chosen SP. Every part of SP is within 1 mile to library, park, elementary school, Target, restaurants, and a metro stop. Southern SP is under a mile to Takoma offerings and Walter Reed. Northern SP is under a mile to Silver Spring offerings. Only a small part of Chevy Chase is near Ct Ave. Also, the brewery coming to Walter Reed is slated to be a full brewery.

Ps for anyone that isn’t aware, the Sumer lineups at WR are pretty great. Have been a great addition to the neighborhood.

True, the ask was for good schools EOTP. What are the good middle and high schools EOTP? Unequivocally, reliably good schools that are attendance-by-right for 6th - 12th graders?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Right, there aren't any. Which is why people point out actual good schools that will survive any boundary review. These happen to be WOTP, and that's why people suggest the actually large parts of Chevy Chase near Connecticut, along with Tenley, Wakefield, and so on.

#1 Wells is looking more and more promising.
#2 rest assured Shepherd will remain a Deal feeder.

Reasons Shepherd will not be zoned out in next 10 years:
1. Deal now has only 1300 students so no longer threatening to be over capacity.
2. Shepherd is only IB school that feeds to Deal.
3. Shepherd is only majority black elementary (also high performing) Deal/Wilson feeder. I mean some Deal feeders have 3-5% black population. If ANYONE thinks anyone in this city will allow Deal to become a school with 3% black students, they are sadly mistaken.
4. Wilson is no longer at risk of being over enrolled with new HS.
5. Mayor and CM live IB with 3 kids at Shepherd. Superintendent lives IB. Read with that what you may, but we all know this should be #1. With the mayor set for another 4 years, she would be sitting mayor during ANY re-zoning efforts. If any major ones are needed (which they aren’t for Deal/Wilson IMO), she would not move Shepherd from Deal.
6. There is literally no other school to re-zone the 25 kids per year that leave Shepherd and attend Deal as Wells is slated to be more over-enrolled than Deal.


Lastly, if, in the very rare case Shepherd gets zoned out of Wilson, Chevy Chase would too. Mark my words. Not even going to get into grandfathering because it’s not gonna happen. Period.

The more urgent need is to split up Lafayette zones as that school will soon have more students than Deal. Some in Upper CC/Hawthorne actually need to be re-zoned to Shepherd but people don’t really want to have that conversation now, huh?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shepherd Park might work for you if you’re strategic about where in the neighborhood. Choosing closer to downtown silver spring or Takoma so you have more metro access. Also the new Walter Reed development will help with walkability.

Shepherd Park will be too Chevy Chase-y for OP. Walter Reed will help with things to walk to, but ChCh DC near Connecticut has more walkability than SP, and if that isn't enough for OP, they won't like SP.

+ 1 to well chosen Shepherd Park. I am 0.6 mile to downtown Takoma and 2 blocks from Georgia Ave shops that include ethnic food, Target, coffee, nails salon, library, new Walter Reed development that will include Whole Foods, dog park, brewery, outdoor music/movies, outdoor pool in a year. Also still blocks from Rock Creek trails. Not to mention being under 1 mile from Silver Spring drag and it’s offerings.

Love how Shepherd Park near commerce is great and Brookland is wonderful but 'well chosen- Chevy Chase, Tenley, Friendship Hts along Wisconsin-Connecticut are somehow "suburban." Though they're closer to downtown and better served by transit.

Like, why is the non-existent Walter Reed WF a big draw but the THREE Whole Foods along Wisconsin are dismissed as ... suburban? Or the pools, the multiple Targets (Tenley, CP), multiple libraries and so on?

I suspect this is actually about beer gardens with Adirondack chairs arranged in circles, which are admittedly scant in Ward 3.

NP but people are not recommending Chevy Chase, Tenley, etc because OP specifically asked for EOTP neighborhoods. I agree that the Wisconsin/Connecticut corridors are walkable and convenient to downtown, but they don't fit the request.

FYI, we've got pool[s, one on the way in the development that upsets you so], Target, multiple libraries, etc. in upper Ward 4 too.

Right PP specifically asks for EOTP and here come Chevy Chasers.

The point is with SP it doesn’t have to be well chosen SP. Every part of SP is within 1 mile to library, park, elementary school, Target, restaurants, and a metro stop. Southern SP is under a mile to Takoma offerings and Walter Reed. Northern SP is under a mile to Silver Spring offerings. Only a small part of Chevy Chase is near Ct Ave. Also, the brewery coming to Walter Reed is slated to be a full brewery.

Ps for anyone that isn’t aware, the Sumer lineups at WR are pretty great. Have been a great addition to the neighborhood.

True, the ask was for good schools EOTP. What are the good middle and high schools EOTP? Unequivocally, reliably good schools that are attendance-by-right for 6th - 12th graders?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Right, there aren't any. Which is why people point out actual good schools that will survive any boundary review. These happen to be WOTP, and that's why people suggest the actually large parts of Chevy Chase near Connecticut, along with Tenley, Wakefield, and so on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shepherd Park might work for you if you’re strategic about where in the neighborhood. Choosing closer to downtown silver spring or Takoma so you have more metro access. Also the new Walter Reed development will help with walkability.

Shepherd Park will be too Chevy Chase-y for OP. Walter Reed will help with things to walk to, but ChCh DC near Connecticut has more walkability than SP, and if that isn't enough for OP, they won't like SP.

+ 1 to well chosen Shepherd Park. I am 0.6 mile to downtown Takoma and 2 blocks from Georgia Ave shops that include ethnic food, Target, coffee, nails salon, library, new Walter Reed development that will include Whole Foods, dog park, brewery, outdoor music/movies, outdoor pool in a year. Also still blocks from Rock Creek trails. Not to mention being under 1 mile from Silver Spring drag and it’s offerings.

Love how Shepherd Park near commerce is great and Brookland is wonderful but 'well chosen- Chevy Chase, Tenley, Friendship Hts along Wisconsin-Connecticut are somehow "suburban." Though they're closer to downtown and better served by transit.

Like, why is the non-existent Walter Reed WF a big draw but the THREE Whole Foods along Wisconsin are dismissed as ... suburban? Or the pools, the multiple Targets (Tenley, CP), multiple libraries and so on?

I suspect this is actually about beer gardens with Adirondack chairs arranged in circles, which are admittedly scant in Ward 3.

NP but people are not recommending Chevy Chase, Tenley, etc because OP specifically asked for EOTP neighborhoods. I agree that the Wisconsin/Connecticut corridors are walkable and convenient to downtown, but they don't fit the request.

FYI, we've got pool[s, one on the way in the development that upsets you so], Target, multiple libraries, etc. in upper Ward 4 too.

Right PP specifically asks for EOTP and here come Chevy Chasers.

The point is with SP it doesn’t have to be well chosen SP. Every part of SP is within 1 mile to library, park, elementary school, Target, restaurants, and a metro stop. Southern SP is under a mile to Takoma offerings and Walter Reed. Northern SP is under a mile to Silver Spring offerings. Only a small part of Chevy Chase is near Ct Ave. Also, the brewery coming to Walter Reed is slated to be a full brewery.

Ps for anyone that isn’t aware, the Sumer lineups at WR are pretty great. Have been a great addition to the neighborhood.

Might I ask why you are not into Tubman?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shepherd Park might work for you if you’re strategic about where in the neighborhood. Choosing closer to downtown silver spring or Takoma so you have more metro access. Also the new Walter Reed development will help with walkability.

Shepherd Park will be too Chevy Chase-y for OP. Walter Reed will help with things to walk to, but ChCh DC near Connecticut has more walkability than SP, and if that isn't enough for OP, they won't like SP.

+ 1 to well chosen Shepherd Park. I am 0.6 mile to downtown Takoma and 2 blocks from Georgia Ave shops that include ethnic food, Target, coffee, nails salon, library, new Walter Reed development that will include Whole Foods, dog park, brewery, outdoor music/movies, outdoor pool in a year. Also still blocks from Rock Creek trails. Not to mention being under 1 mile from Silver Spring drag and it’s offerings.

Love how Shepherd Park near commerce is great and Brookland is wonderful but 'well chosen- Chevy Chase, Tenley, Friendship Hts along Wisconsin-Connecticut are somehow "suburban." Though they're closer to downtown and better served by transit.

Like, why is the non-existent Walter Reed WF a big draw but the THREE Whole Foods along Wisconsin are dismissed as ... suburban? Or the pools, the multiple Targets (Tenley, CP), multiple libraries and so on?

I suspect this is actually about beer gardens with Adirondack chairs arranged in circles, which are admittedly scant in Ward 3.

NP but people are not recommending Chevy Chase, Tenley, etc because OP specifically asked for EOTP neighborhoods. I agree that the Wisconsin/Connecticut corridors are walkable and convenient to downtown, but they don't fit the request.

FYI, we've got pool[s, one on the way in the development that upsets you so], Target, multiple libraries, etc. in upper Ward 4 too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shepherd Park might work for you if you’re strategic about where in the neighborhood. Choosing closer to downtown silver spring or Takoma so you have more metro access. Also the new Walter Reed development will help with walkability.

Shepherd Park will be too Chevy Chase-y for OP. Walter Reed will help with things to walk to, but ChCh DC near Connecticut has more walkability than SP, and if that isn't enough for OP, they won't like SP.

+ 1 to well chosen Shepherd Park. I am 0.6 mile to downtown Takoma and 2 blocks from Georgia Ave shops that include ethnic food, Target, coffee, nails salon, library, new Walter Reed development that will include Whole Foods, dog park, brewery, outdoor music/movies, outdoor pool in a year. Also still blocks from Rock Creek trails. Not to mention being under 1 mile from Silver Spring drag and it’s offerings.

Love how Shepherd Park near commerce is great and Brookland is wonderful but 'well chosen- Chevy Chase, Tenley, Friendship Hts along Wisconsin-Connecticut are somehow "suburban." Though they're closer to downtown and better served by transit.

Like, why is the non-existent Walter Reed WF a big draw but the THREE Whole Foods along Wisconsin are dismissed as ... suburban? Or the pools, the multiple Targets (Tenley, CP), multiple libraries and so on?

I suspect this is actually about beer gardens with Adirondack chairs arranged in circles, which are admittedly scant in Ward 3.

you have a toddler. a lot could change by the time your child is ready for middle school. in-bound attendance at the hill are middle schools has been slowly increasing (more than most people realize).

Anonymous wrote:For what it's worth, my house in Chevy Chase near Connecticut ave is way more walkable than my house in northern Columbia Heights was. That said, you won't find a 4 bedroom around here for 1.2-1.4 mil. You won't in Mt P either. Plenty of decent elementary schools within that budget EoTP (see elsewhere in this thread), but your options for middle and high will be limited.

There are a few 4 bedrooms in Mt. P that have sold for $1.4 million in the past 3 months. Easier if you are willing to do a 3 bedroom plus a finished basement, but doable.

The more eastern portion of Capitol Hill. You might be able to find a nice 3 bedroom with den, its very walkable, and the schools are increasingly good.