Possible move to Bethesda/DC area w/ teen (upper-class, real estate)

[hazardnc]

We currently live in Charlotte, NC about 5 1/2 miles from downtown. My spouse has been offered a job in Bethesda and we are investigating the practicality.

According to my research, the cost of a home similar to what we have here would cost nearly 3 times as much as our home, which is worth probably $350-$400k. We send our kid to a great public high school.

First and foremost, which piblic high schools are best in the area (safe, good curriculum) and what are the commutes like taking public transport? If schools are bad, how much is private school tuition and how hard is it to get in?

What do you see as the biggest pluses of living in the area?

Thanks

[Kensington]

I would post this on the maryland board as well to get more responses.

Bethesda is very nice. All of the schools that serve Bethesda are top-ranked schools (not just in Maryland, but in the country). Montgomery County overall is a very good school district with a challenging curriculum. Some schools are better than others within the County. You can google their website and see school performance data on individual schools. If your kids are gifted academically, I think they could be served well by most schools in the county--or could go to one of the magnet programs. If they are academically average, I would definitely want them in one of the top-ranked highschools. Howard County schools are excellent (though I don't live there so can't speak to individual schools). Personally I wouldn't want to do the Howard Co. to Bethesda commute. If you want to take public transportation to work then you should focus on the I-270 corridor (which is all Montgomery Co.).

As for housing prices, obviously this is worlds away from Charlotte, NC. For a single family home in the Walter Johnson HS cluster (a great highschool that serves Bethesda and Kensington) you are looking at a minimum of mid-500s for an older (I mean the 1950s) home with less than 2000 sq. ft. To get more than 2000 sq. ft. you're going to need to be looking in the 600,000s and up.

I lived in Charlotte for 6 months ten years ago. Personally I'd take the DC area hands down. There is more to do here, better job market, better shopping, better restaurants, etc. I went to visit friends there last year, and even though it seems to have really boomed a lot, it still lacked a lot of the upscale amenities and cultural activities that the DC area offers. On the other hand, the DC metro area is also more congested, more densely populated, has more traffic, and has much more expensive housing costs. Charlotte seems to be a very nice place to live and raise a family. As with any decision you just have to figure out what is most important to you.

[Alanboy395]

most school systems in dc area are good. there are some major ones to avoid.
PG county except maybe eleanor roosevelt (only decent school in that system).
DC public schools (ain't one decent school in that system)
Hayfield High school (worst scoring high school in nations best school system Fairfax County)
Personally i graduated from Alexandria city Public schools, it ranks good in dc area. Be aware, most upper-class families in Alexandria send their kids to private school. A new high school is going up and opening in fall 2007. The diversity would be a great experience coming out of NC.

[hazardnc]

Thanks for the response. My spouse would love to move to Georgetown, but I am sure you have to go private school if you move there, and I am also sure the home prices are through the roof.

I will post on the Maryland board.

[Vicman]

When buying your home in Montgomery County, use http://gis.mcps.k12.md.us/gis/Publiclocator.asp to determine your home's school assignment information.

Be sure to call the district to confirm the zoning assignment

[theburro]

Originally Posted by hazardnc

Thanks for the response. My spouse would love to move to Georgetown, but I am sure you have to go private school if you move there, and I am also sure the home prices are through the roof.

I will post on the Maryland board.

"Through the roof" doesn't nearly describe it in Georgetown. Take a look at what your former Senator John Edwards just sold his G-town home for: I think it was $4-5 Million. And it wasn't a mansion or anything w/ acreage, just a very nice urban house.

[Brillig]

I live here in the Palisades, which is technically part of Georgetown. . .don't come here unless you could bankroll a small third world nation. Contrary to what you were told earlier, there are some great public schools here in the immediate area, but real estate is not at all real. My neighbors two bedroom row house just sold for a little over $700k. It's beautiful here. There's practically no crime, it's very quiet and there is a genuine sense of community. I'd stay, but even rent is becoming unaffordable.My two bedroom is pushing 3k a month. Parts of Bethesda (Glen Echo in particular) is even nicer than the Palisades.