Where to live? Virginia or D.C.? (Arlington, Alexandria: appointed, rental)

[mintyv]

My husband and I live in New York with our 3 year old son. Living costs are expensive in NY and was considering looking for affordable homes in Maryland next Summer 2008. By other people's experience, please let us know of any city/neighborhood in Maryland or D.C. that is family friendly (schools, parks, shopping centers, best home locations near families w/ children). We didn't want to visit a location with high crime rates as we are experiencing that now in New York City. Thanks for any help you can give us! : )

P.S. Looking for private home, detached, two level, nice front and back yard....

[roanoker 4]

I love DC but I don't think you will find many type homes in the District to your liking, especially for kids. The Maryland & VA suburbs should be ideal.
In the DC area, transporation is a major headache. Everyone has a car, unlike NY. If you move to Northern VA look for an area close to a METRO train stop.
You will need such a link to DC if you ever hope to get anywhere or see anything. Generally, Fairfax County is a nice place. For cheaper prices, they tend to be going south from DC down US route 1 toward Fredericksburg/Stafford County area. When you get down that far from DC,
transportation is even more of a challenge. Good Luck!

[Thoro]

Originally Posted by mintyv

My husband and I live in New York with our 3 year old son. Living costs are expensive in NY and was considering looking for affordable homes in Maryland next Summer 2008. By other people's experience, please let us know of any city/neighborhood in Maryland or D.C. that is family friendly (schools, parks, shopping centers, best home locations near families w/ children). We didn't want to visit a location with high crime rates as we are experiencing that now in New York City. Thanks for any help you can give us! : )

P.S. Looking for private home, detached, two level, nice front and back yard....

There are a number of nabes in DC, SW and SE, as well as Upper NW that are very suited for family. My wife and I just ret to NY after visiting there. I showed her nabes I used to live in in DC, she fell in love with it, especially Capitol Hill.
But there is a tremendous revitalization and metamorphosis going on in nearby areas near the waterfronts, new stadiums and enormous new top of the line major entertainment complexes. DC is going to be super super in a couple more years, it's already super.

I totally dislike NYC in every conceivable way except to visit it, not to live, xerox doesn't have enough paper to list them all why we can't tolerate living here any longer after 9 years, we're getting out.

Is this mayor lieing about the crime stats for a while now?
He owns the media doesn't he, so it could be!!

[The Dissenter]

Unless you can get into a private school or a good charter school, I'd avoid DC. It has the worst public school system in the country. There is a front page article in the Washington Post today about Cardozo HS graduates in DC if you want to see how bad.

I'd think you'd really like North Arlington or the city of alexandria. Both areas are safe, have, at the worst, good public schools, and are excellent for kids. Transportation is pretty accessible with metro having a whole mess of stops in both cities.

[Thoro]

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

Unless you can get into a private school or a good charter school, I'd avoid DC. It has the worst public school system in the country. There is a front page article in the Washington Post today about Cardozo HS graduates in DC if you want to see how bad.

I'd think you'd really like North Arlington or the city of alexandria. Both areas are safe, have, at the worst, good public schools, and are excellent for kids. Transportation is pretty accessible with metro having a whole mess of stops in both cities.

That's the way it is in NYC too, everyone wants their kids to go to a private/charter school b/c the city system is so horrible. But if you don't have school-age kids it's all different anywhere. Thing is have kids go to private school and there are still nice nabes in DC to raise a family, urban style like in NY. Every city practically says it has the worst this or that, apparently evoking public notice to take action and pay higher taxes for one reason or another.

[Thoro]

Capitol Hill areas are good because it is quick to the Expressway in and out of the city w/o a lot of the congestion like Georgetown and in other parts, and gets you into Va quick, Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Alexandria. Clarendon, Ballston, etc in Arlington too are great options if you have a car to park and still want immediate access back into DC. Best of both worlds since Arlington technically forms the complete square for the map of DC it was part of in history. Watch out for Pentagon traffic in and out though!!

[claremarie]

The Washington DC area is not cheap, and rivals the NYC area for high housing costs. And most people want the same things you're looking for -- safe, convenient, family-friendly neighborhoods with good schools. But it's really impossible to give you specific suggestions without knowing your housing budget, where you'll be working, and what sort of commute you'll be willing to tolerate.
However, if you want to live in a single-family home in Fairfax County in a reasonably nice, family neighborhood, you should be prepared to pay at least $450K. That will get you a 3-4 BR house that is 25-50 years old. If you want new construction, you'll have to double that amount, or be prepared for a commute of well over an hour to DC or the Tyson's Corner area in Virginia, where many jobs are located.

[Thoro]

I don't quite get your question. You ask about Virginia vs DC but then go on to only talk about the Maryland side. Did you mean MD or DC? b/c we're talking a major shift of geography here.

[Thoro]

Originally Posted by claremarie

The Washington DC area is not cheap, and rivals the NYC area for high housing costs. And most people want the same things you're looking for -- safe, convenient, family-friendly neighborhoods with good schools. But it's really impossible to give you specific suggestions without knowing your housing budget, where you'll be working, and what sort of commute you'll be willing to tolerate.
However, if you want to live in a single-family home in Fairfax County in a reasonably nice, family neighborhood, you should be prepared to pay at least $450K. That will get you a 3-4 BR house that is 25-50 years old. If you want new construction, you'll have to double that amount, or be prepared for a commute of well over an hour to DC or the Tyson's Corner area in Virginia, where many jobs are located.

No DC area is NOT cheap however you get so much more for the money. You wouldn't believe what even high priced NY apts, condos, houses lack compared to all the interior and exterior amentities found in DC area housing. You wouldn't believe it, NY approaches Third World living conditions. No space, no blinds or shades, no central air or heat, hardly any closets, just bare walls most of the time, so many converted from tenement housing. Absolutely no garbage disposals in any sinks they are outlawed and dishwashers and w/d are hard to come by if renting. Most don't want you to have them (w/ds and d/ws), some have them in buildings, but next time y ou're in NY look at all the laundromats and cleaners as so few people have their own facilities.

We're talking basics here, forget pools, jacuzzis, anything coming with carpets, drapes, etc. It's all bring it yourself, wardrobes for no closets that eat up more of the limited space. It's not even the same country when comparing DC/NY. DC'ers will take a lot for granted that won't translate into NY conditions.
They have such low grade wiring in most of the NY burroughs housing you have to change lightbulbs constantly. Coming to live in NY is like stepping back 100 years in time from the rest of the country, and the train system is even older. I've never been so disappointed in living anywhere in this world like I have been in NYC, totally ripped off, even mugged by Medieval Feudal landlords operating like a fiefdom.

Are you aware what you have to pay a broker on top of the rental costs to get into a place? Thousands just to find you an apt. It's not practiced anywhere else in the US I've ever lived. It's a Feudal Fiefdom.

[claremarie]

I'm not convinced that the suburban Virginia and Maryland neighborhoods, where most families with children live, are that much more affordable than comparable communities in New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut, or Long Island. The biggest difference I've seen is that the NYC area communities are a much longer commute from Manhattan than the Va/Md neighborhoods are from DC.