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I will be attending GWU this year and I am moving with my family (wife and 5 year old) to DC. After a lot of research I could not decide where to live, DC itself, Maryland or Virginia.
I saw some good apartments in DC but I was told that the schools are really bad. I also saw a great place in North Bethesda but I did not want to face the 1 hour commute every day. So I am between Bethesda/Chevy Chase and Arlington. I do not know DC or its suburbs in person I have never been there, so I do not know how to choose between those two places.
Can someone tell me if the advises that I heard about schools in DC are right? Can someone help me with this decision?
Thanks a lot
There are two basic rules of thumb when it comes to DC Schools: Upper Caucasia (ie. RichWhitePeopleVille) and the rest of DC. NW DC is full of of upper income households, so the schools tend to be better than lower income areas. It all depends on where you live, but in general DC schools are not considered to be good schools. You'll have to do your due diligence in that respect.
Regarding commute, if given the choice between Arlington and Bethesda, that's a real toss-up as both have their pros and cons. Anytime you factor a bridge into the commute, as would be the case from Arlington to GWU, you're pretty much relegating yourself to a natural chokepoint, especially since VA/DC/MD has a critical shortage of bridges to make traversing the region efficient. On the flip side, traffic can be pretty gnarly during rush hour (stoplights) to/from Bethesda and GWU on Wisconsin Avenue and/or Connecticut Avenue.
What time of day will you be commuting? That will have a lot of bearing on either of the two scenarios I put forth. Maybe someone else can fill in the gaps that I may be missing, but overall I wouldn't say your commute would be as hellish as it could be if you chose to live in areas further out than Arlington or Bethesda.
I want to pay between 2500-3500 for rent and I want my son to go to public school.
Regarding commute, I was thinking about using Metro not driving to GWU.
I will take evening classes, between 7:10 and 9:40, but I might work there for a while during the day.
I want to pay between 2500-3500 for rent and I want my son to go to public school.
Regarding commute, I was thinking about using Metro not driving to GWU.
I will take evening classes, between 7:10 and 9:40, but I might work there for a while during the day.
You can afford NW DC or Arlington. IF you want to metro, I suggest Arlington, VA. Good schools and near metro, although its $$.
But if you decide to look in DC, look at the following areas:
Palisades
Foxhall
American University Park
Tenleytown
Spring Valley
Cleveland Park
These areas generally feed to the "JKLMM" schools, which are: Janney, Key, Lafayette, Murch and Mann.
If you find a place you want to rent go here: EBIS
And punch in that address. If it doesn't feed to one of the schools listed above, then its not a "good" school. (This is a thorny topic and a lot of people say that all DC schools are awful, a lot say that most DC schools are awful, and some say only some DC schools are awful. The JKLMM rule is the short version of the story - these are generally considered good schools).
I wouldnt be too quick to dismiss the North Bethesda area, especially around the Grovesnor Metro stop. I lived there and liked it. Its quiet, safe, fits in your budget and still gets your kid into a good school. You'll be within walking distance to a Metro stop or you can just hop on the Beltway by Old Georgetown and go from there if you choose to drive. That time of night from the corner of Tuckerman and Old Georgetown to the DCA airport took me about 35 minutes. (Going 10 over the limit taking the GW Parkway,and avoiding idiots on the road), so it should be roughly the same to the GWU campus.
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