Metros where you would live in the core city vs those you wouldn't with a family (income, living in)

[rnc2mbfl]

Most, if not all, of NC's largest cities are a yes.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by manitopiaaa

I wouldn't live in DC with a family. I work in Farragut Square and even far away from the gentrification line there's now homeless people on many of the park benches, at the subway station entrance, at the McDonalds entrance literally a 1 minute walk from the White House. McPherson Square smells like pee. Renwick Gallery entrance has a man who just takes up the entire bench there and stares at the ground.

And this isn't even the bad part. Even Arlington has started to regress recently. Rosslyn Town Center is now full of homeless and the McDonalds there at any given point has 5 homeless people sleeping or charging their phones or using the bathroom to do drugs.

Even a lot of inner suburbia is now turning a blind eye to the obvious decay. For DC now, Fairfax County is the closest in I'd love to the city, somewhere like Annandale or Rose Hill that's close enough to the city for the perks, but without the ease of access that's causing Alexandria and Arlington to become less desirable. And the schools in both are really bad now: constant fights, mold, lack of enforcement so kids do what they want.

For a really good school system, you'd need Loudoun or Northern Prince William County schools now.

Originally Posted by kyle19125

You do realize there's more to DC than the area around the National Mall, right? I mean you sound like a tourist. The entire Northwest sector is quite desirable minus the issues you mention with now A-rated schools primarily. Once white flight was reversed many things started improving, including the public schools.

Originally Posted by manitopiaaa

Oh silly me, how could I have forgotten the $1.5m NW DC neighborhoods that only old money can afford. Must be nice for them.

For the average person in DC, your options at owning a single-family home are the outer suburbs with a 1-hour drive on I-95, the $hitty parts of DC (which constitute a bigger % of the city each year), or PG County. That's the unfortunate reality.

While it may not apply to you the average household income of those living in Northwest DC is just over 200K, and as such homes at 1.5 million are affordable while also NOT requiring "old money".

[MrDee12345]

What about Austin or San Antonio, Texas? Crime seems pretty low there.

[mjtinmemphis]

I live in St Louis and if I had a family, I would not live in the city. There are few good education options in the city but the district as a whole is what creates the society.

I prefer suburbs for raising families. I like areas in north Texas, suburban NYC and Northern Virginia.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

Cities where I would not live in the city core with a family:

Hartford, CT
Buffalo, NY
Cleveland
Detroit
St Louis
Memphis
Indianapolis
Louisville
Baltimore

All other larger cities (over 300k or so) would be case by case, depending on neighborhoods.

I am a parent of elementary aged kids, and we live in the core of Indianapolis. I have friends in the core of Louisville who also live in the core of the city with kids.

So I'm curious..........why not Indy and/or Louisville?

[michaeltx9412]

Houston..

[ion475]

Originally Posted by MrDee12345

What about Austin or San Antonio, Texas? Crime seems pretty low there.

Central Austin or the outlying area? Most of Austin is safe, though. But either way West Austin (the area west of MoPac) is definitely not the same as DT Austin for demographics, or even Hyde Park (ok mostly UT students anyway). Then North Central or East Austin I wouldn't live in b/c schools are quite awful.

Originally Posted by kyle19125

While it may not apply to you the average household income of those living in Northwest DC is just over 200K, and as such homes at 1.5 million are affordable while also NOT requiring "old money".

The OP really hates DC proper anyway if you read enough of his posts and thinks PWC (where he lives) is all perfect when it's not. The OP probably wouldn't send kids to schools near Woodbridge or even Manassas anyway.

And he's badmouthing FFX? Ok he probably couldn't afford Great Falls or McLean but whatever...

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

There are not many metros where I would live in the core city. The few include Charleston WV, Charleston SC, Savannah, Houston, Fort Worth, Kansas City, and Colorado Springs. Even so with Charleston SC and Savannah I would probably put my kids in private schools. I live outside Baton Rouge and most of Baton Rouge is of a suburban character, with a density lower than many Washington DC or Los Angeles suburbs, but would need to be able to afford private schools. For Houston it would be a more suburban type, low density area within the city, not downtown for example.

Cities I've visited where I would DEF NOT live inside the core city...

Baltimore
Washington DC
Philadelphia
NYC
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Miami
Atlanta
St. Louis
Columbus
Jacksonville
Orlando
New Orleans
Memphis

I would live in Buckhead or Midtown Atlanta or places like Virginia Highland all day...if I can even afford that.

[MrDee12345]

Originally Posted by ion475

The OP really hates DC proper anyway if you read enough of his posts and thinks PWC (where he lives) is all perfect when it's not. The OP probably wouldn't send kids to schools near Woodbridge or even Manassas anyway.

I think you might be confusing me with someone else.

But thanks for the other info on Austin.

[908Boi]

Most of the Sunbelt metros, DC, maybe Philly

Not NYC. but UpState cities I would potentially like

Originally Posted by kyle19125

You do realize there's more to DC than the area around the National Mall, right? I mean you sound like a tourist. The entire Northwest sector is quite desirable minus the issues you mention with now A-rated schools primarily. Once white flight was reversed many things started improving, including the public schools.

Originally Posted by kyle19125

While it may not apply to you the average household income of those living in Northwest DC is just over 200K, and as such homes at 1.5 million are affordable while also NOT requiring "old money".

I think that poster just dislikes cities (and people who tend to live in them) and can't afford DC prices. Arlington and Alexandria are quite desirable as well.

[masssachoicetts]

Idk why people say NYC. You can get hyper urban in Manhattan, LIC and Brooklyn… or hyper suburban in Queens or Staten Island. And everything in between.

The only negative is the city tax.