Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thank you all for these great replies. We have a one year old, ran out of space where we were, and got priced out of larger places in the District. You are so right that I am mourning the end of an era! Lived in the city since 1995 and just never thought I would leave. This move is really a leap of faith that it will be better for the family - more space, terrific elementary in walking distance, no huge mortgage hanging over us. But inside I feel like a toddler throwing a tantrum - don't wanna go!

We recently made the move and OP, I know how you feel. After 20 years in DC and growing up in a soulless suburb of NoVa (I won't name which), our decision to move gave me panic attacks. I always thought we'd raise our child to be a sophisticated urban adventurer, full of confidence and verve. But the schools sucked, and while we were happy with our charter, none of our kid's neighborhood friends went to the same school. Arranging play dates and getting to afterschool activities involved lots of driving - so much for walkability. Our DC neighborhood was full of drug dealers and brothels, gradually giving way to young professionals in group homes. Very few families with kids. Lots of attitude and no sense of responsibility. Litter, vomit and blood stains on the sidewalk. There are some pockets of DC where the neighborhood schools are great but we couldn't afford them. And while I understand the appeal of Capitol Hill, I was afraid of rolling the dice to find a decent middle school when the time came. Anyway, these were our reasons for moving and you have your own. Yet I still mourned my lost ideal of a cultured, vibrant, walkable, diverse, urban life for my child. Fast forward two weeks after the move and we haven't looked back since. Our new neighborhood is full of DC transplants who haven't looked back either. Our kids all ride the bus together. My kid plays outside, rides her bike in the street, walks to her friends' houses and no one locks their doors. Crazy, I know. There is a stronger sense of community and civic responsibility than we ever had in DC. We know our neighbors. We can still walk to the grocery store, dry cleaners, coffee shop, CVS, and the schools are awesome. Sometimes the grass really is greener. OP, I wish you much happiness in your new neighborhood. Congratulations!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where pp lives but you can get a house that size in shepherd park, crestwood, brightwood, 16th street heights, Lamont Riggs and in many areas of NE (Brookland for example).

Plenty of drugs/crime in some of those areas. Other than Crestwood and SP, I wouldn't let a kid ride a bike in those neighborhoods. Either the kid, or the bike, or both would go missing.

When was the last time you were in any of those areas? You have no idea what you're talking about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where pp lives but you can get a house that size in shepherd park, crestwood, brightwood, 16th street heights, Lamont Riggs and in many areas of NE (Brookland for example).

Plenty of drugs/crime in some of those areas. Other than Crestwood and SP, I wouldn't let a kid ride a bike in those neighborhoods. Either the kid, or the bike, or both would go missing.

Anonymous wrote:http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/the-toxic-waste-pit-next-door/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get 3800sf in parts of Spring Valley/AU Park these days. Just plan on getting cancer in a few years.....

New to DC. Explain cancer and AU.

Anonymous wrote:You can get 3800sf in parts of Spring Valley/AU Park these days. Just plan on getting cancer in a few years.....

Anonymous wrote:You are ridiculous if you think your strategy of 3800 sq ft house plus private school is available to everyone. If that's the price point, the burbs look far better a deal.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where pp lives but you can get a house that size in shepherd park, crestwood, brightwood, 16th street heights, Lamont Riggs and in many areas of NE (Brookland for example).