Moving with Family..working in Navy Yard (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, rent)

[Dream41180]

I read the sticky which was very helpful, but I am feeling very overwhelmed. I am relocating summer 2017, and I am struggling to narrow down the options for living with a family that consists of husband (Stay-at-home/part-time worker), 18 month old and almost 4 year old. I am hoping to commute by train with a max commute of 45 minutes. I am open to DC, Maryland or Virginia, and we do not care if house, condo, apartment, duplex, etc.

Our housing priorities are as follows:
1. Safe
2. Walkable (within 0.25 distance with sidewalks to grocery store, park, restaurants, metro station etc.)
3. School District (if preschool and/or kindergarten are offered)
4. Commute of less than 45 minutes
5. 2 bedroom for $2,500

Other issue is preschools/schools:
-What is the birthday cut-off in DC, Maryland or Virginia...my current state is September 1, and my oldest just misses the cut-off with a September 13 birthday.
-Is preschool at offered by public schools in DC, Maryland or Virginia either at 3 or 4?
-If not public, how expensive is private preschool and do they have a date cut-off?
Really any assistance this area is greatly appreciated.

[ChristineVA]

For your budget, and time constraints, I would try to look in the Springfield, VA area. This is going to give you many public transportation options and if you have to drive for some reason, it's pretty doable. I live farther south and commute to the Navy Yard, but I have early hours and I drive and it's fine.

Schools are going to be good in this area. I believe the Kindergarten cutoff is September in Virginia. However, it's not necessarily done by state, but by county. You will find this in Maryland also. For instance, I live in Prince William County, VA and the cutoff is 30 September. Fairfax is the same. Montgomery County, in Maryland, is 1 September as well as most other counties in Maryland. DC appears to be 30 September.

Most public schools do not offer preschool. You have to get that done through private schools.

[Dream41180]

Thank you for your response. I pay $350 a month for 7:30-1 for Monday to Thursday for transitional Pre-K 3. I did not realize preschool was so expensive in DC area. I am going to have to look more closely at where we live since I will need a cut-off of September 30 to ensure I am only paying for 1 in preschool in fall 2018.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Dream41180

Thank you for your response. I pay $350 a month for 7:30-1 for Monday to Thursday for transitional Pre-K 3. I did not realize preschool was so expensive in DC area. I am going to have to look more closely at where we live since I will need a cut-off of September 30 to ensure I am only paying for 1 in preschool in fall 2018.

EVERYTHING in the DC area is expensive. Not sure where you are coming from, but it is something we try to warn people about on this board. Many people accept jobs in the DC area because the salaries look attractive, but there's a reason for that. It's really better to come for "opportunity" versus money. Once you pay for your cost of living items, you don't really net a better paycheck here. Especially if you want to live close in.

[bluetruckguy]

I used to live in Alexandria, VA (Groveton area) near Huntington Metro. I did drive or metro to Navy Yard area and the both drive and metro was under 45 minutes. The rent for our large 5 BR house was around 3000 but am sure you can find a townhome for much less.

I also lived near stadium armory metro area in DC for $2500 rent in a 2BR apartment. That is very close to Navy Yard, but I'd recommend VA over DC any day for families with children - more space, playgrounds and parks.

[goldenage1]

The cutoff for Alexandria City public schools is September 30. The Eisenhower Avenue area would give you apartments zoned for Lyles-Crouch Elementary which gets good ratings. One example is the Carlyle Mill Apartments. It is also near a Whole Foods and parks.

The only area in the District I could recommend is Georgetown, Glover Park or Upper Northwest. However, Georgetown is hamper by the lack of a close Metro stop and you would probably need to transfer from a bus.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Dream41180

I pay $350 a month for 7:30-1 for Monday to Thursday for transitional Pre-K 3. I did not realize preschool was so expensive in DC area. I am going to have to look more closely at where we live since I will need a cut-off of September 30 to ensure I am only paying for 1 in preschool in fall 2018.

Pre-school requires that some teachers be certified with degrees. The teachers have the same housing expenses as everyone else. I am not sure how the costs could be so small where you come from.

Arllington Virginia along the Blue Line metro from Courthouse to Ballston would also meet your requirements. You might possible find a small townhouse (rather than an apartment). However, Arlington would be a longer commute to the Navy Yard. Arlington also has a September 30th cutoff date.

I think that Alexandria would be your best choice, and I see that Maryland is probably out of the running because of their September 1 cutoff.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

The cutoff for Alexandria City public schools is September 30. The Eisenhower Avenue area would give you apartments zoned for Lyles-Crouch Elementary which gets good ratings. One example is the Carlyle Mill Apartments. It is also near a Whole Foods and parks.

The only area in the District I could recommend is Georgetown, Glover Park or Upper Northwest. However, Georgetown is hamper by the lack of a close Metro stop and you would probably need to transfer from a bus.

FWIW, Alexandria City Public Schools are currently redistricting.

[goldenage1]

I wonder if the original poster is aware that it is a 6-7 block walk from the Metro Station to the Navy offices. If she has the GS rank giving her a parking place, then her commute would be faster.

If she is walking home to the Navy Yard Metro, there is a Harris-Teeter grocery store on the way to the Metro stop. It would be good for bringing home non-perishable stuff, although it is probably more expensive than in Virginia.

[Dream41180]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I am in a very low cost of living area, so I will admit I have a bit of sticker shock even with warnings from colleagues. My walk to from Navy metro would be less than 1/10th mile at least according to google, so that end of the commute is not an issue. My GS ranking would be a 14.

My understanding is that preschool at 3 or 4 is not offered universally in public schools anywhere but DC, but its a lottery so not guaranteed. Maryland is most likely out as an option at least until Fall 2019 when youngest would be entering 2nd grade because of the pre-k is only for certain income levels coupled with the September 1 age requirement. For Virginia, I am going to have to see which areas have combo of metro station, safe and school district with Sept 30 cut-off, but the issue of preschool only available in public schools to at risk is problematic. I could afford $5,000-$7,000 for preschool but I am not sure that would be enough.

In Virginia, the school boundaries most accessible to the Orange and Silver lines of the METRO seem to be:
• McLean
• Marshall
• Madison
• South Lakes
Certain parts of these boundaries are also fairly accessible to the Orange line:
• Oakton (Southeast and Northwest)
• Falls Church (North)
• Woodson (Northeast)
• Fairfax (Northeast)
For the Blue and Yellow lines, the school boundaries most accessible to the METRO are:
• Edison
• Hayfield (North)
• Lee
• Annandale (East)

If the preschool is universal in DC, it might be best to spend 2017-2018 school year in DC then move to Virginia for 1st grade or spend 2 school years in DC then move to Maryland. Can someone explain DC preschool lottery system? Does everyone get a spot but not necessarily where they want to attend? Ward 3 seems to be best area for families and schools, but I that's just on web searches.

I am trying to balance walkability, need for good schools and decent commute, but it is proving to be a bit more difficult.