Anonymous wrote:I used to live in NYC and now I am in DC suburbs.
I miss NYC but here I like
-washer and dryer in my apartment
-much more space (my walk in closet is about the size if my bedroom in Manhattan, no kidding!)
-more families and children
-no rats near the garbage
-garbage disposal in the sink
-lots of parks very close to home
-good schools and diversity comparable to my old neighborhood (I am in MC)
-some authentic restaurants
-can finally drive my own car freely
-weather slightly better
-people more relaxed

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Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

This right here. OP, you’re making a huge mistake. I could maybe understand if you HAVE to move here for jobs and choose a neighborhood in the city. There are truly some beautiful city neighborhood with interesting architecture and walkable.

But the DC suburbs?! They are so unattractive and nothing remotely unique about really any of them. They look like somewhere in Ohio but so much more expensive. I can’t imagine choosing to live in Arlington over a place like Bronxville or New Canaan. You’re going to be constantly comparing Arlington to whatever you know in NY and you’ll hate it. You’ll also be nowhere close to a decent beach or good skiing.

You’ve been warned!!

Please don’t insult Ohio. At least there, people don’t drive like they want you dead.

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Anonymous wrote:Please only share positive things. I need a morale boost! I’m gonna miss stepping out of my apartment and walking to my favorite coffee shops, restaurants, playgrounds, etc. I don’t mind driving but getting the kids in and out of car seats vs. taking them places in a stroller seems like a hassle. I know I’ll get used to it but would love to hear why you love living in this area!

Why oh why would you move to the suburbs? The best part of DC is DC itself -- much better for families than NYC btw. Plenty of housing options in NW, and very affordable to someone coming from NY!

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Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

This right here. OP, you’re making a huge mistake. I could maybe understand if you HAVE to move here for jobs and choose a neighborhood in the city. There are truly some beautiful city neighborhood with interesting architecture and walkable.

But the DC suburbs?! They are so unattractive and nothing remotely unique about really any of them. They look like somewhere in Ohio but so much more expensive. I can’t imagine choosing to live in Arlington over a place like Bronxville or New Canaan. You’re going to be constantly comparing Arlington to whatever you know in NY and you’ll hate it. You’ll also be nowhere close to a decent beach or good skiing.

You’ve been warned!!

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Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

LOL. So spot on. They crap all over “flyover country” when most of that is much nicer than where they live.

+1 I don’t get it. As a native of the dc suburbs, this area is truly nothing special. It’s full of traffic, and it’s a rat race where your standard townhouse can run you a million dollars. Just to be walkable to a town center that’s 2 miles from where you live.

Well then go buy a mansion in the middle of nowhere? I don't know why people bash DC so much on DCUM. Like, move and stop posting on this forum.

Anonymous wrote:Please only share positive things. I need a morale boost! I’m gonna miss stepping out of my apartment and walking to my favorite coffee shops, restaurants, playgrounds, etc. I don’t mind driving but getting the kids in and out of car seats vs. taking them places in a stroller seems like a hassle. I know I’ll get used to it but would love to hear why you love living in this area!

Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

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Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

The public schools in McLean and Great Falls are the best in the state. Great Falls is rural and spread out but parts of McLean are walkable and there is easy Metro access.

I don’t understand people who think walkable to to anything in McLean is a benefit? They truly must never have lived in a city or like cities? It sounds awful to have the only things walking distance be soulless strip malls or a mush mash of little places surrounded by parking lots. It’s not the actual dry cleaner or coffee place that i yearn for, it’s the running into friends while walking all over, the variety of places, charm of the area, multiple options to sit outside, walking distance to parks, etc. and a real sense of community. We moved from the UWS to upper nw. While it was walkable to playgrounds and the library, it still felt isolated. We ended up moving again to old town, Alexandria and it feels a lot like the UWS. While we have cars and it’s easy to drive to the airport or beach or whatever, we pretty much walk everywhere. We go to the playgrounds and run into friends, there are lots of community events, the kids walk to sports, etc. The elementary school is excellent but we chose private for after that, although friends who stayed in public swear that it’s good as long as you’re in the gifted and talented classes

+1

Well, to be fair, once the Chesterbrook shopping center is fixed up, matters will improve.

It is kinda hideous and surprisingly so, considering the $$$ of the area. Friends from Winnetka, IL and Birmingham, MI have been shocked by McLean’s lack of high end shopping centers compared to what they have at home. Some things in “flyover country” can be very nice compared to what we’ve got.

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Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

The public schools in McLean and Great Falls are the best in the state. Great Falls is rural and spread out but parts of McLean are walkable and there is easy Metro access.

I don’t understand people who think walkable to to anything in McLean is a benefit? They truly must never have lived in a city or like cities? It sounds awful to have the only things walking distance be soulless strip malls or a mush mash of little places surrounded by parking lots. It’s not the actual dry cleaner or coffee place that i yearn for, it’s the running into friends while walking all over, the variety of places, charm of the area, multiple options to sit outside, walking distance to parks, etc. and a real sense of community. We moved from the UWS to upper nw. While it was walkable to playgrounds and the library, it still felt isolated. We ended up moving again to old town, Alexandria and it feels a lot like the UWS. While we have cars and it’s easy to drive to the airport or beach or whatever, we pretty much walk everywhere. We go to the playgrounds and run into friends, there are lots of community events, the kids walk to sports, etc. The elementary school is excellent but we chose private for after that, although friends who stayed in public swear that it’s good as long as you’re in the gifted and talented classes

+1

Well, to be fair, once the Chesterbrook shopping center is fixed up, matters will improve.

It is kinda hideous and surprisingly so, considering the $$$ of the area. Friends from Winnetka, IL and Birmingham, MI have been shocked by McLean’s lack of high end shopping centers compared to what they have at home. Some things in “flyover country” can be very nice compared to what we’ve got.

I’ve been to Bloomfield, MI and sure it’s nice but come on, you actually want to live there as opposed to close to all the stuff that DC offers?

I don’t know what Winnetka IL is but same comment as above.

What does DC offer that is so special other than some museums people visit once a year?

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Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

LOL. So spot on. They crap all over “flyover country” when most of that is much nicer than where they live.

“Most of that is much nicer than where they live”

Oh, my sweet summer child. As someone who has family in poor and middle class regions of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri…you know not of what you speak. I love Cracker Barrel as much as anyone, but let’s not be silly. Most of it is not much nicer.

Go fly a kite. Have you ever seen some of rhe beautiful suburbs and city neighborhoods in the Midwest or the South. They blow their analogues in DC out of the water. It is not all farmland and poor/middle class people, “my sweet summer child.”

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Anonymous wrote:If you haven't already bought in the suburbs, don't do it. You'll be miserable unless you live in a place like parts of Arlington and Alexandria.

If you move to a place like Reston or McLean, you will be miserable OP.

But what about the public schools being way better in a place like McLean? Unfortunately it just seems like the more city-like areas (or DC proper) gave bad public schools.

The public schools in McLean and Great Falls are the best in the state. Great Falls is rural and spread out but parts of McLean are walkable and there is easy Metro access.

I don’t understand people who think walkable to to anything in McLean is a benefit? They truly must never have lived in a city or like cities? It sounds awful to have the only things walking distance be soulless strip malls or a mush mash of little places surrounded by parking lots. It’s not the actual dry cleaner or coffee place that i yearn for, it’s the running into friends while walking all over, the variety of places, charm of the area, multiple options to sit outside, walking distance to parks, etc. and a real sense of community. We moved from the UWS to upper nw. While it was walkable to playgrounds and the library, it still felt isolated. We ended up moving again to old town, Alexandria and it feels a lot like the UWS. While we have cars and it’s easy to drive to the airport or beach or whatever, we pretty much walk everywhere. We go to the playgrounds and run into friends, there are lots of community events, the kids walk to sports, etc. The elementary school is excellent but we chose private for after that, although friends who stayed in public swear that it’s good as long as you’re in the gifted and talented classes

+1

Well, to be fair, once the Chesterbrook shopping center is fixed up, matters will improve.

It is kinda hideous and surprisingly so, considering the $$$ of the area. Friends from Winnetka, IL and Birmingham, MI have been shocked by McLean’s lack of high end shopping centers compared to what they have at home. Some things in “flyover country” can be very nice compared to what we’ve got.

I’ve been to Bloomfield, MI and sure it’s nice but come on, you actually want to live there as opposed to close to all the stuff that DC offers?

I don’t know what Winnetka IL is but same comment as above.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

LOL. So spot on. They crap all over “flyover country” when most of that is much nicer than where they live.

“Most of that is much nicer than where they live”

Oh, my sweet summer child. As someone who has family in poor and middle class regions of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri…you know not of what you speak. I love Cracker Barrel as much as anyone, but let’s not be silly. Most of it is not much nicer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC suburbs absolutely suck. This place is basically like Ohio or Indiana but if the residents were 10,000% more pretentious and arrogant and full of themselves. And that 10,000% figure isn't an even an exaggeration. People will live in bland-as-f*ck Virginia and pretend they're the center of the universe.

LOL. So spot on. They crap all over “flyover country” when most of that is much nicer than where they live.

+1 I don’t get it. As a native of the dc suburbs, this area is truly nothing special. It’s full of traffic, and it’s a rat race where your standard townhouse can run you a million dollars. Just to be walkable to a town center that’s 2 miles from where you live.

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Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand, just move to Nw DC and live in the city. Glover Park is a nice compromise

OP here - DH and I grew up in the suburbs and always envisioned raising our kids in the suburbs with a yard and plenty of space. After living in a big city for years, it’s hard to let that lifestyle go, but I think raising kids in the suburbs will be easier and better for them. Just my personal opinion.

There are plenty of houses with bigger yards in DC. There are plenty of suburbs near DC where you can walk your stroller to cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops (like Downton Vienna, Manassass, Old Town Fairfax, Old Town Alexandria). My kids grew up in DC suburbs and none of them drive, they can walk everywhere, bike or catch the bus to gym, cafes, restaurants, Tysons. They've been using metro with their friends since middle school.