We're also considering CC just west of Conn but closer to Nebraska than Western. We have a 1 and 3 year old. Moving from north of Glover Park where are neighborhood doesn't have many young families (not in heart of GP), but we do like walking to parks and retail strip in GP and north to Two Amy's etc. Seems like the closest playground on western side of conn is Livingston? And it seems from this discussion that most of the families with kids in our age range are east of conn not west?

this whole debate between au park and cc seems quite silly to me... find a house you like up this way, and if you like walking to things, try to stay close to the wisconsin or connecticut corridors and metro. My impression is that their are lots of young kids in all the neighborhoods, but probably more people in private schools in the cc section, since most of the houses are larger/more expensive, just like cleveland park is way more private school (cause if you can afford to live there, you can afford private)...

I'm waiting for a pete's vs. comet argument to start...

I think there is a lot of community cohesiveness between, BB market, child's play, and other places on the strip. It will definitely be a change and it takes a while to adjust but you can't beat the playground, small community farmer's market, coffee and ice cream at broad branch market, etc. when your kid gets older, they'll most likely have soccer practice or baseball games on the fields behind Lafayette. If you can afford it, then I highly recommend. FYI, Just be sure to check out the trees at the houses you look at. Many aging tree canopies need to be heavily trimmed or cut back and and it can cost a lot of money. All these storms are felling giant trees in CC--that's pretty scary, actually.

we live in CC three blocks from CT. we are a family with young kids, moved two years ago when the older owner of our house sold it. we and our neighboors send the kids to public school. in the past two years we saw other houses beigh sold and families with young kids move in. we find it a great area for raising a family, very kids friendly. on weekends we often meet our kids's classmates at the playground or the library, or the little stores on CT

All this is splitting hairs. Yes, there are a lot of young families in CC DC, east and west of Conn. Also in AU Park. (Note that DC "young families" often have older parents with young kids.) Lots of people send their kids to public elementaries in these areas, and a decent chunk do private. They are friendly areas: the more that people walk in your particular neck of the woods (more likely when you are closer to the metro and little commerical strips), the more you see them. Also at parks, etc.

Is Barnaby Woods really so much further out an so much more suburban? Seem like you can get more house for the $ out there. However, I suppose if it is so suburban it does be the question. Why not just live in MD?

I grew up in CC DC and my parents still live there. In there particular area many of the houses are very large and expensive. Most of the owners are older, or if the houses are turned over they are bought by older families (meaning kids are teenagers). CC DC is a big area though so I think it depends on the pocket you are talking about.

We live in AU park and I really like it. Most of the houses around me have families with young kids that attend Janney. For us it felt like a better choice.

Does anyone know what the dividing line is between CC DC and Barnaby Woods is?

Anonymous wrote:

None of these are in great supply in eastern CC DC, actually.



OP here. You note that community cohesiveness is not in great supply in CC DC. Are you aware of that first hand? I'm certainly not trying to provoke you; I'm just hoping to get solid information from this board. And the sense I got from the board before your response, and from personally walking around the neighborhood and playground, is that CC DC is neighborly, particularly compared to many southern neighborhoods in Montgomery County (I grew up in Edgemoor). Have you had a different experience living in CC DC?

OP, I posted the above and I'm sorry but I totally misspoke before. I live in western CC DC, and I believe that the western part of CC DC is somewhat less neighborly than the eastern part by Lafayette, Blessed Sacrament, etc. The eastern part seems more cohesive and communal, too, I suspect in large part due to everyone attending 1 of 2 schools. This has been my observation for 10 years.

As someone who has lived there since having kids, I agree with this. CC DC east of Connecticut has a very strong sense of community, very "neighborhoodly." There are TONS of young families and most of the elementary-aged kids go to either Lafayette or Blessed Sacrament (it seems like 50/50 Lafayette/BS to me, but after elementary some of the Lafayette kids go onto private, so that = more kids in private). The Lafayette & BS kids all know each other and play together. Friends west of Connecticut (in the Murch district) have complained that that area doesn't feel very friendly and there seem to be fewer kids.

If I hear any complaints about Lafayette, it's that it's getting too crowded. Obviously many of the neighborhood kids are attending.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you want neighborhood closeness may I recommend Arlington or McLean? In DC at some point, and some point soon you'll be forced to move to private, in Va your kids could go from nursery to college with their neighbors. And it's so much cheaper. Just a thought.

Yawn. Everyone knows that lots of public school children in DC go to the Ivies and comparable schools (MIT, Duke, Stanford). If you didn't it's because you're a myopic and bland provincial out the boonies and even old news hasn't yet arrived at your doorstep.

Agree. Lafayette (or Janney, Murch) Deal, Wilson is the way to go. Lots of kids in neighborhood doing same thing. News hasn't made it to NOVA yet I suppose.

Anonymous wrote:I live in FH and have access to both CC and Tenleytown. AU feels like the edge of nowhere if you don't drive, but so do the eastern-most parts of CC (e.g. Lafayette and beyond).

But if you're close to CT Ave in CC, I think you have a nice urban-villagey environment in close proximity (library, PO, rec center, theater, toy store, deli) as well as reasonable access to lots of retail on Wisconsin Ave.

It seems like a great % of Ttown residents send their kids to Janney than CC residents do to Lafayette and that Ttown is a bit younger and less affluent.

We're in the Murch district and live very close to Conn. Ave., and I agree with above--being within a walk of restaurants and shops (both the Comet strip and the Child's Play strip) creates the "urban-villagey" environment PP mentions. We see my kids' classmates when we're out on walks, which is fun. And we like the (relative) diversity of this part of upper NW--the mix of apartment buildings, semi-attached houses, and grander homes makes for a nice mix of people.

In fact, we like our micro-area so much that if/when we look for a bigger house, we will look in the same neighborhood. We're in DCPS for the long haul, so the proximity of Murch, Deal, and Wilson can't be beat.

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you want neighborhood closeness may I recommend Arlington or McLean? In DC at some point, and some point soon you'll be forced to move to private, in Va your kids could go from nursery to college with their neighbors. And it's so much cheaper. Just a thought.

Yawn. Everyone knows that lots of public school children in DC go to the Ivies and comparable schools (MIT, Duke, Stanford). If you didn't it's because you're a myopic and bland provincial out the boonies and even old news hasn't yet arrived at your doorstep.

New poster here.

We live in CC, DC. One of the nice things about the neighborhood is the mix of residents in different stations in life. Young couples, young couples with kids, and handful of group houses with single, young professionals or grad students, all the way up to retired couples and widows.

There is always turnover in the housing stock and that affects the character of each block, which is distinct. Some blocks have annual block parties and Christmas Caroling, clean-ups etc.

Within a stones throw of our house are kids who go to BS, Lafayette, the various pre-schools, Maret, Sidwell, St. Albans, GDS, River School etc.

In other words, there is no single characteristic that make up the community.

In terms of the amenities, yes, if you are closer to CT Ave, then you have easy access to the grocery, Avalon, Library and Community Center. There are bus lines to access downtown and Friendship Heights. The Broad Branch Market, Farmer's Market and commercial strip are the primary gathering places.

We obviously preferred CC, DC to AU Park or Tenley, but all of the neighborhoods are terrific, with tremendous community spirit and involvement. Janney, Murch and Lafayette are all comparable, but Janney is undergoing a complete renovation which, along with the library certainly make for more appealing city amenities.

This previous post is so myopic. If "everyone" MUST go private than who the **ll are all those kids In the public schools? Nobodies? Idiots? The poor and unwashed?

My kids are there. You want to say that to my face?

OP, if you want neighborhood closeness may I recommend Arlington or McLean? In DC at some point, and some point soon you'll be forced to move to private, in Va your kids could go from nursery to college with their neighbors. And it's so much cheaper. Just a thought.

And to me it's not AU Park until you start hitting about 44th Street -- it's T'town east of that and more urban that eastern CC. But western CC's Wisconsin (FH) + Connecticut (CC) retail strips are much better than T'town's comparable Wisconsin (Ttown) + Mass Ave (Spring Valley) strips in term of both utility and community.