Anonymous wrote:I used to live in Portland. I think the closest is Takoma Park, hands down. Near the Metro. Very crunchy. Nuclear free zone. Also the housing stock is similar to SE Hawthorne and many other parts of Portland.

If you can afford inner Capitol Hill, that has lots of amenities. Very different feel architecturally. Lots of cool folks/families. IN DC you get free preschool.

In VA, I think Del Ray would be the closest. Good luck. It's a lot more expensive and the weather is a big adjustment. The summers here suck.

+1 And you can live on the DC side and take advantage of the free preschool system. Lots of good charters and the DCPS lottery.

I have lived in MD, DC, and VA. DC is wonderful if you can find safe & affordable housing. Capitol Hill has a history of high crime that extends back many years. In that way, it is less relaxing than other places in the DC area. There is a greater chance of being a crime victim in Capitol Hill than any of the other neighborhoods listed. I agree with PP that someone moving in should try to enjoy DC for what it is. Not but so crunchy. That said, the other close in neighborhoods, NW, Bethesda, Arlington, Takoma Park, SS (I know these) and so on are nice places to live.

I'm from MD and think VA is really much much better. Main benefit for me is the good public colleges. If you want urban, live in Old Town or Lyon Park or Clarendon. If you want suburban, then McLean or Vienna or N. Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:Thing is, VA is no utopia, despite certain residents desire to perpetuate that idea and criticize DC in the process. I also think that DC residents could engage in a tit-for-tat if you want to break down where criminals are actually coming from (starts with 'V' and ends with 'A').
OP, if you prefer to live outside of the city, you should consider MD because it's more progressive, has more character, and there's less relative traffic. Downside of MD appears to be the social competition factor, but I feel like that exists throughout the DC area region. Gosh, after all of these posts, OP will probably be working hard to stay put in Portland.

Get with the program! The DC line is that the criminals come from Maryland and the guns come from Virginia. The VA/MD line is that the victims live in DC, which is more important than the origin of the criminals or guns.

The notion that suburban MD has more "character" than suburban VA is pretty laughable. I can't think of any place in suburban Maryland that has as much "character" as Alexandria, except for Takoma Park (which is tiny) and Chevy Chase (which is old money). There are parts of MD that look more like New Jersey than anywhere in VA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest Virginia. better schools, lower taxes, better govt service and less crime. pretty much win-win.

Yeah, but then there's the multiple rape incidents and gang violence. No thanks, I'll stay in DC.

Come on, do you REALLY want to get involved in a tit-for-tat about crime between VA and DC?

Well it has been 24 hours
Thing is, VA is no utopia, despite certain residents desire to perpetuate that idea and criticize DC in the process. I also think that DC residents could engage in a tit-for-tat if you want to break down where criminals are actually coming from (starts with 'V' and ends with 'A').
OP, if you prefer to live outside of the city, you should consider MD because it's more progressive, has more character, and there's less relative traffic. Downside of MD appears to be the social competition factor, but I feel like that exists throughout the DC area region. Gosh, after all of these posts, OP will probably be working hard to stay put in Portland.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest Virginia. better schools, lower taxes, better govt service and less crime. pretty much win-win.

Yeah, but then there's the multiple rape incidents and gang violence. No thanks, I'll stay in DC.

Come on, do you REALLY want to get involved in a tit-for-tat about crime between VA and DC?

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest Virginia. better schools, lower taxes, better govt service and less crime. pretty much win-win.

Yeah, but then there's the multiple rape incidents and gang violence. No thanks, I'll stay in DC.

I'd suggest Virginia. better schools, lower taxes, better govt service and less crime. pretty much win-win.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with a pp about living near the city central. Especially if you are only here temporarily. I would honestly avoid Virginia. It feels so far away from DC. I know it's technically not that far, but just seems that way. And if you are here for a year or two, get the real DC experience in some of the DC neighborhoods mentioned above.

Meh. The real DC experience isn't very exciting. I'd rather enjoy the modest charms of a Del Ray or Takoma than live in Capitol Hill and worry about getting assaulted or mugged.

Ugh. I'd rather stay in Portland than live in Takoma or Del Ray. Some people actually like living in cities, you know.

Takoma is in DC. Wow...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to Capitol Hill

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/capitol-hill-assault-heightens-crime-concerns-wife-says-victim-fighting-to-live/2012/08/20/70749e32-eae5-11e1-b811-09036bcb182b_story.html

Ha! Nasty McLean lady is back. Got your power back, huh hon? Too bad for all of us.

Why do you assume anyone who's critical about Capitol Hill lives in McLean?

I live in McLean, and like it very much, but (1) wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a "Portland-lite" in this area; and (2) don't really know Capitol Hill well enough to have a positive or negative impression of it.

I personally don't know anything about McLean other than it's an area I have to drive through sometimes when I'm going far out of town. I don't think the PP was assuming that ANYONE who is critical about Capital Hill is from McLean. There is clearly one anti-capital hill poster who is a head case.

Clearly a headcase, nothing to worry about at all.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/d.c.s-edge-neighborhoods-seeing-violent-crime-spike/article/2505566#.UJCed2c4Hwk

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with a pp about living near the city central. Especially if you are only here temporarily. I would honestly avoid Virginia. It feels so far away from DC. I know it's technically not that far, but just seems that way. And if you are here for a year or two, get the real DC experience in some of the DC neighborhoods mentioned above.

Meh. The real DC experience isn't very exciting. I'd rather enjoy the modest charms of a Del Ray or Takoma than live in Capitol Hill and worry about getting assaulted or mugged.

Ugh. I'd rather stay in Portland than live in Takoma or Del Ray. Some people actually like living in cities, you know.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with a pp about living near the city central. Especially if you are only here temporarily. I would honestly avoid Virginia. It feels so far away from DC. I know it's technically not that far, but just seems that way. And if you are here for a year or two, get the real DC experience in some of the DC neighborhoods mentioned above.

Meh. The real DC experience isn't very exciting. I'd rather enjoy the modest charms of a Del Ray or Takoma than live in Capitol Hill and worry about getting assaulted or mugged.

I agree with a pp about living near the city central. Especially if you are only here temporarily. I would honestly avoid Virginia. It feels so far away from DC. I know it's technically not that far, but just seems that way. And if you are here for a year or two, get the real DC experience in some of the DC neighborhoods mentioned above.

I have lived in Portland (love love love it) and went to school in Seattle. I recommend Capitol Hill also. I lived there for 3 years up until a year ago. It is lovely, with a warm, sometimes crunchy community that overlaps in many activities for kids (pool, CHAW, MOTH, libraries, etc). The MOTH listserv would help you quickly connect to the other parents. It's a supportive village, beautiful, fun. I did not walk around at night off of 7th, 8th, Barracks Row though. I don't really feel comfortable in the H St area either, though the young hipsters love it.

I would avoid NOVA, I think you would get depressed there. That would be better for purchasing a house long term and thinking about middle and high schools.

Preschools at Brent, Maury, Cluster, Logan, fabulous, great involved parent community.

These are my honest opinions, not meant to offend anyone.

Del Ray seems like a great option too. Wasn't that neighborhood on house hunters HGTV? Seems cute and reasonably priced?