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My family will be relocating and my head is spinning from days & weeks of researching... We've always lived in the suburbs (mostly Tampa area, except for few years on NC coast). My husband is looking at a position @ Bolling and I'm struggling to figure out how to make it work and where to live so that we can still buy food and pay for electricity. We're leaving a good-sized home with a nice yard, 2 incomes, all of our extended family, etc. for city life, a small apartment, and penny pinching on one salary - we know there are plenty of adjustments ahead of us...
Husband and I are in late 20's, kids are 2 and 3. Schools are irrelevant - we're homeschooling. Only plan to be in DC for 1-3 years. Have no interest in buying, renting only. Honestly indifferent between hip/happening and quiet/tranquil - not especially thrilled to be moving, and will make the best of either.
Must haves:
- SAFETY - need to be able to go for a walk or jog without fear of getting mugged, need to be able to walk home from dinner (restaurant or metro) at night
- 2+ bedrooms
- washer/drier in unit, or hookups
- commute under 1 hour to Bolling
- public transportation - would like to be 1-car family, either husband able to use public transit to work (heard scary things about Anacostia metro where shuttle bus to Bolling picks up, so he may be better driving?) or me able to walk or take public transit everywhere else. Would like walking distance to metro (or free shuttle service, as some bldgs provide). I understand this is the most expensive 'amenity' in the area, but getting rid of a car saves $$ and the environment...
Prefer:
- close proximity to park, playground, etc for young kids
- presumably VA is best place for us tax wise, would like to make the one salary stretch as far as possible... originally looking at DC but scared of income tax (FL has none, so this is big adjustment)
- apartment or row house with no yard. If I'm giving up the benefits of suburbia, I'm giving up my lawn mower too
- cultural diversity - would like to make the most of my family's time in the city, particularly in exposing my kids to something other than what they've been exposed to their entire lives here
Budget is $2,000 absolute max (*gulp* was originally budgeting for $1,500 but fearful that won't get me what I need)
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leahmichl
My family will be relocating and my head is spinning from days & weeks of researching... We've always lived in the suburbs (mostly Tampa area, except for few years on NC coast). My husband is looking at a position @ Bolling and I'm struggling to figure out how to make it work and where to live so that we can still buy food and pay for electricity. We're leaving a good-sized home with a nice yard, 2 incomes, all of our extended family, etc. for city life, a small apartment, and penny pinching on one salary - we know there are plenty of adjustments ahead of us...
Husband and I are in late 20's, kids are 2 and 3. Schools are irrelevant - we're homeschooling. Only plan to be in DC for 1-3 years. Have no interest in buying, renting only. Honestly indifferent between hip/happening and quiet/tranquil - not especially thrilled to be moving, and will make the best of either.
Must haves:
- SAFETY - need to be able to go for a walk or jog without fear of getting mugged, need to be able to walk home from dinner (restaurant or metro) at night
- 2+ bedrooms
- washer/drier in unit, or hookups
- commute under 1 hour to Bolling
- public transportation - would like to be 1-car family, either husband able to use public transit to work (heard scary things about Anacostia metro where shuttle bus to Bolling picks up, so he may be better driving?) or me able to walk or take public transit everywhere else. Would like walking distance to metro (or free shuttle service, as some bldgs provide). I understand this is the most expensive 'amenity' in the area, but getting rid of a car saves $$ and the environment...
Prefer:
- close proximity to park, playground, etc for young kids
- presumably VA is best place for us tax wise, would like to make the one salary stretch as far as possible... originally looking at DC but scared of income tax (FL has none, so this is big adjustment)
- apartment or row house with no yard. If I'm giving up the benefits of suburbia, I'm giving up my lawn mower too
- cultural diversity - would like to make the most of my family's time in the city, particularly in exposing my kids to something other than what they've been exposed to their entire lives here
Budget is $2,000 absolute max (*gulp* was originally budgeting for $1,500 but fearful that won't get me what I need)
Any help greatly appreciated
West End of Alexandria. Hop 495 to 295 to get to Bolling in good time for around here. Plenty of apts with shuttle to metro.
Can I ask where you ended up? We are moving to the area soon and my husband will be working at Bolling and my head is spinning, too.
You may want to link into Fort Washington, MD or Alexandria, VA.
You don't want to live D.C. the area that surrounds Bollings AFB is ghetto, I would know I grew up in that area and still go there often. The better areas of the city are expensive and you'd get less for you're money. Plus DC public schools are awful.
Along with the two places I've already mentioned Accokeek and Indian Head are good too, but they are kinda rural.
GTD Kate, do you have children, and what ages, and will they be attending school? Will you be working too, if so, where? How much can you afford for housing? What kind, style, and age of housing, and neighborhood do you prefer? Do you need to be near a college or other cultural amenities?
The area for several miles around Bolling AFB has been a ghetto for over 40 years, I also grew up around there and am well acquainted with it.
Southern Prince Georges County, outside the Beltway (especially the large sprawling "Fort Washington" community) is more middle class and attractive in many ways, although the schools are mediocre rated. For what it's worth to you, the schools throughout all of southern P.G. County are almost entirely African-American, though comfortably middle-class. You can also commute to Bolling AFB from the Alexandria area, but housing there will be more expensive than on the Maryland side of the river. The gigantic Beltway "Wilson Bridge" which crosses the river from Alexandria was rebuilt/expanded, 2 years ago, and traffic now moves much faster than before during rush-hour.
Last edited by slowlane3; 03-26-2011 at 04:32 PM..
Check out the Springfield/Fairfax area- which are usually lumped in as part of Alexandria, but are technically part of Fairfax County. Springfield, in particular, is right south of the 495 beltway, and is a relatively easy commute (as far as DC commutes go, that is). Lots of military families live/rent in the Springfield/Lorton areas. Check out things that are listed as "close to Ft. Belvoir" Good luck.
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