where to live?

[mam615]

Hi all,
I got a job around the time the Fields revamped this web site, and between my busy schedule and the smaller type size, I haven't posted for a while. But I've come back for some advice. DH and I may soon find ourselves in the unique position of deciding where we'd like to live. We've pretty much narrowed it down to (in no particular order):

1. Boston or suburbs
2. Brooklyn NY
3. Westchester county NY
4. Rockland county NY
5. North NJ
6. DC or suburbs

It's quite a range, I know. We've always loved living in cities, but now with DD ... well, you know.

I'd love to hear any and all opinions you have on these areas. Thanks for the advice!

[HGraceMom]

I lived in DC for 6 months (though without a DH or DD) and really enjoyed it. DC seems to have so many things to do with a young child - you can't argue against the almost endless list of cultural opportunities available. The mass transit system is easy to navigate (in most cases) and suburbs have great schools, etc.

I don't know much about any of your other options - but wouldn't feel bad if DH came home and announced we had to move to the DC area!

[momathome]

Boston and it's immediate suburbs are beautiful but very pricey. The housing market there is somewhat insane but I loved the town when we lived there. Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, and Cambridge are fabulous towns to live in the Boston area (Brookline's my fave!) - quaint little shops and cafes, tree-lined streets, excellent schools and parks for the munchkins - it's terrific, just very pricey. North Jersey has some very nice areas but because of the close proximity to NYC, it can also be very pricey up there. Good luck with your decision - if money was no object, I would move to Brookline/Boston in a heartbeat!
-Lauren

[emilyf]

Ok, I'll plug Baltimore-it's not on your list but might be considered a DC suburb. It has a great combination of urban/small town feel. We live smack in the middle of downtown-easy walk to good parks, libraries, many museums, restaurants, beautiful harbor. It is an easy drive or train ride to DC, and a quick train ride to NYC. Plus the beaches and mountains are nearby too. It is super easy to get around by car and walking. It's much cheaper than DC or Boston. The only downsides are terrible public transportation and the public schools in the city are pretty bad. If you live in one of the surrounding counties there are better schools.
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[cuca_]

Welcome back, Michelle. I currently live in Westchester County NY and my ILs live in Rockland County, where DH grew up. I also went to law school in DC. If I had to choose between those three places I would definitely choose DC or its suburbs. I absolutely love that area, and I think it would be great with a kid. I have several friends who live there (mostly in northern Va.) and they love it. I also love Westchester (but would still choose DC over it). The housing market here is crazy, property taxes just went up 19%, and I hear some nightmare stories about the materialistic attitudes in the schools, but all in all I think it is a great place. I love the fact that I am 30 mins. away from NYC by train. The Metro North is pretty convenient, and I take advantage of it pretty often. Rockland is also nice. It is definitely more spacious than southern Westchester, and has some nice wooded areas and mountains for hiking. However, it is not as convenient to the city as Westchester, and hitting the Tapan Zee bridge at rush hour can be a veritable nightmare.

I've never lived in Brooklyn, Boston or Northern NJ, have only visited, so can't really give an opinion. We did look at a couple of houses in Northern NJ, and there are some really nice areas. Anyway, good luck with your decision.

HTH

Carmen

[LD92599]

We're in Northern NJ about 10 minutes from the Rockland county border...about 15 minutes from the GWB. I've always lived in this immediate area!

Northern NJ ~ let's see....i'd say that yes, there's a lot of traffic, etc but you'll find that I'm sure near any major city. Lots of shopping...you will need a car as mass transit isn't exactly plentiful (depending of course of where you are and need to go!). You're close to the city, close enough but far enough from airports, etc.

I'll put my plug in for this area...i love it and it's what I've always called "home."

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

[kfcboston]

OK, I'm biased, but it's Boston all the way for me. I lived in Arlington, VA for 3 years out of college, and loved DC as well. But I just don't think you can beat all the things New England has to offer (mountains, ocean, all four seasons, great schools/universities, great hospitals, great sports teams, history, charm)......that is, if you can find a way to afford it (which we are desperately trying to continue to do!!)

HTH!

[Torey]

I know nothing about any of the areas that you listed EXCEPT DC and suburbs. We currently live in No.Va and it is a mess here. Most of the people who posted positive things haven't lived here recently. It is a totally different world here. Things have completely changed in the past 4-5 years. Housing is through the roof. In the area I live in you can't touch a townhouse for under $350,000. A single family (even a small, older ranch or split-level) starts at $400,000 (most nicer houses are around $500,000 and up). And the prices just keep going up (around $50,000 - $100,000 a year). It is absolutely insane. So many people have moved here (mostly due to the government) and they have done nothing to improve the traffic. Most everyone spends HOURS commuting everyday. And while the metro system is clean, it is slow and unsafe. I really do think it is a waiting target for some terrorist attack. Just my 2 cents.

[twinmama]

I live in a suburb of DC right now, but if I could afford it, I'd be in MA in a heartbeat. I grew up in Sudbury, MA and I LOVED IT. NoVA is a nice area, but it is way too Southern for me. I can not believe some of the racist comments and attitudes I've come across here. If I lived closer to DC (Alexandria or Arlington) or actually in the city it would probably be much better, but housing there is more expensive and the schools are not as good. Washingtonian magazine just had a great article about up and coming places to live in DC, MD and VA. They had some good suggestions for family friendly areas where you won't pay 1 million dollars for a house you'll have to renovate. If you want, I can scan the article and email it to you. Good luck with the search!

--Lisa

[rrosen]

I can speak to two of your choices. I grew up in Westchester (my parents still live there). I loved it. My town was a perfect place to grow up. I had the benefit of being in a small town and knowing everyone And being close enough to the city to take advantage of all it has to offer. That being said property taxes are out of control there! My parents pay more than $19,000 a year in taxes!

My dh and I live in a suburb west of Boston. We are very,very happy here. I'll put a plug in for the Western suburbs, Concord, Acton, Sudbury, Carlisle, Lincoln. They are beautiful, historic and in my experience friendlier than NY suburbs. Don't attack me NYers. I am and will always be a NY girl! I love NY! We love being able to get to Maine, NH, and Vermont easily. Plus, Boston is a great city. I think our area is very much like Westchester in many ways. The schools are great here. But, we pay much less in property taxes. Real estate prices are very simerlar in both areas but the taxes make the difference.

HTH
Rebecca
mom to Gabrielle 9/03

[llcoddington]

Oh, poo. I wrote a big long email and then it disappeared! So, I'll quickly summarize. We love D.C., but the traffic in the suburbs is a nightmare. We lived on the Virginia side and it sometimes took DH 2+ hours each way to commute into D.C. (One way to get in- 66.) We moved to the Maryland side and it only takes DH 45 minutes. (Many ways to drive in.) However, the prices are high on both sides. In our area (Rockville) townhouses are $500,000 plus, single families high $700,000s. But, all of the areas you listed have expensive real estate, so maybe D.C. would be ok.

We also had the unique opportunity of picking where we wanted to live and we chose D.C. We looked at the NY/NJ area, but felt that D.C. was friendlier. (DH is from New York and he also felt this way!)

Lana
mommy to Lauren 12/5/03

[jk3]

We live in Wesctchester. I grew up here and swore I wouldn't raise my family here but as it turns out my parents were right about one more thing. It's a great place to be especially if either or both of you has to work in the city. The train commute is under 30 minutes to Midtown. There are lots of parks and recreation possibilities. I'm meeting lots of other young families too. The only complaint, which others have alluded to, is the high property costs, though there are creative ways to deal with this.

In my ideal world, however, I'd probably choose to live outside of Boston in a town like Wellesley, Lexington, Concord, etc. It's a bit more low-key and its close proximity to the Cape and to skiing. The schools are great too.

[JLiebCamm]

My DH and good friend both lived in DC for a time and decided to move. We've had many conversations about the area that can be summarized this way: DC does not seem to have the soul that other cities have. It is a very transient population and few people have their "roots" in DC. Other cities are more flavorful and have a stronger sense of identity (unless you mean political identity). Yes, DC is upbeat and full of activity and life. But for us there is just something missing. I think of your other choices, Brooklyn would be most representative of what I'm talking about, but the other towns are probably a little more spacious and family oriented. Good luck!

[VickiH]

Hi There -

We recently moved to Northern NJ (actually sounds pretty close to where Laura lives) in Bergen County. We decided on our town after looking in lower Westchester and realizing how tiny the houses were in our price range, and how high the taxes were. We bought a 4 bedroom house on a nice sized lot. It's old and does need some minor work (mostly cosmetic), but the same house in Westchester would have easily cost $100,000 more. I really love our town - safe, kid friendly, great schools. We are 10-15 min from the GW Bridge, the bus to NYC is 3 blocks away, and there is tons of shopping nearby.

I highly recommend Northern NJ!

Vicki

[memedee]

I love Boston.Actually live in Wellesley which is minutes from the city.
Housing prices are high and I should know as I am in real estate.
However having visited a lot of different cities you can not beat Boston for its charm and cultural activities.
I also like the fact that you can drive to skiing,beaches and lots of other day trips all over New England.
We routinely drive into the city as it is so close and I think the public transportation is pretty good.
I grew up in Brookline and it is a great walking town and sooo close to Boston.
I think though the most important thing to me is to live close to your family.

[MelissaTC]

If I could, I would move to Brooklyn in a second! I think Brooklyn has so much...flavor. It is the best borough! At least I think so!

I lived my whole life in Westchester and was very happy to leave there. Way too expensive, southern Westchester has become VERY ghetto in certain areas, and taxes are outrageous. Our family is dealing with this issue right now as they live in Westchester and are paying out the nose.

DH has relatives in Rockland. It is nice there but very expensive as well. And then you have the bridge issue. YUCK! It seems like there is never ending construction on 287 which affects the Westchester side as well.

All of our friends have gone Jersey. I probably would consider Jersey over Westchester.

Good luck in your decision. I LOVE Brooklyn, and Boston. I would go there. But alas, I am stuck in North Carolina for all eternity...unless DH's job moves and then I will be in Tucson (definintely NOT a place for me!)...

[american_mama]

I lived in DC (in Bethesda and Silver Spring, MD) for four years, until beginning of 2002. My husband is from there. I didn't like it because of traffic, workaholic mentality of many people, competitiveness, and difficulty of managing daily life, mostly due to traffic. We moved while I was pregnant, so I don't know a lot about having a child there, but I concur that housing is very expensive. I have heard that some areas with young families, especially in northern Virginia and Georgetown, are very image conscious - what stroller do you have, what diaper bag, what clothes does mom wear, how much do you pay your nanny, etc. There is a big difference between Maryland, DC, and northern Virginia, so investigate closely if you move there. Virginia is much more southern, much more conservative, which follows down to the state laws (tobacco, taxes, gay friendliness) and even the architecture.

Many DC schools (and PG County schools) have problems, but I have a coworker who sent her child to a "bad" school in her neighborhood near Capitol Hill, mostly because she hadn't gotten organized for private school, and she ended up loving it. So even within a bad system, you can find gems and magnet programs.

As to your NJ option, I have friends with two preschool children who live in Bergen County, NJ (Teaneck) and they love it. We've visited them several times, and their house and neighborhood is old, charming, spacious, and friendly, and the location to NYC and GW Bridge can't be beat.

Good luck.

[MartiesMom2B]

I grew up in a suburb of DC (Olney, MD) and then moved to No. Va after college with my folks. DH and I moved out in 2001 and haven't looked back. Everyone I know from the area is moving out.

Traffic is horrible, housing is ridiculously high. I used to work 14 miles from my house and a 45 minute commute would be average. 14 miles on one road (from Centerville to Tysons Corner Center).

We live in North Carolina now. While I like to say that I miss going to DC and having a real city near by. It was always such a PIA to get there due to traffic that we hardly went anywhere. I do miss Old Towne Alexandria though. Murphy's in particular.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[McQ]

Roger what everyone is saying about DC. It's crazy expensive and traffic stinks! I'd be happy if DH came home and said we're moving, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Funny about Murphy's. I got married right around the corner at the Morrison House and after the reception was over we headed over to Murphy's ~ me in my dress, DH in his tux and the rest in their party clothes ~ and partied there until they kicked us out. Good times!

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[kfcboston]

I loved Murphy's!! Nothing like a good, drunken, Irish sing-a-long. :)

[egoldber]

I'll just start this by saying ALL the places you list are very expensive, so I'm assuming that high housing prices aren't necessarily a huge concern.

We live in NoVA, outside DC, and I really like it here. DH likes it less so. Personally, I think its a fantastic place to be a SAHM, but I'm not sure I'd want to be a WOHM here. There are tons and tons of resources for moms and kids.

How bad your commute is depends on where you live. We live just outside the Beltway, not far from Fairfax and Vienna, and DH's office is in Tysons Corner. His commute is generally 15-20 minutes. He goes into DC fairly frequently and it takes him about 30-40 minutes at rush hour. We do live right off route 50, one of the major routes into DC and also very close to a Metro station. So we don't find the commute or traffic to be bad, but it really depends on where you have to go when.

DH likes this area less than I do, since he finds the area very conservative and southern. I would agree with this assessment somewhat, but it bothers me a LOT less than it does him.

I've not lived in the other places you listed, but my SIL used to live in White Plains and also Rockland County and we've spent a fair bit of time visiting that area. Personally, I would much prefer DC to those areas, but thats me. The flavor of DC is VERY different from that of the other places you mention, so that is a definite factor.

HTH,

[slknight]

Ditto to everything you said. I grew up in Arlington and lived there 29 years (except college). My parents still live in the same house and have lived there for 35 years. Housing is absolutely insane. The dinky house I grew up in is now worth 500K+.

I got out as soon as I could and have no intentions of every moving back. I also miss Old Town (got married at Christ Church with a reception at the Torpedo Factory), but certainly not enough to live there. I do miss the food though. So many good ethnic restaurants. There's not exactly a lot of ethnic food in southern Maine. Don't miss the obnoxious people, traffic, air pollution, housing costs, etc.

[MartiesMom2B]

DH still likes to remind me about the time that he had to carry me out of Murphy's and down a few blocks to our car. It was an ugly night.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[mam615]

This has all been very helpful thanks so much. Now, full disclosure time...

I grew up outside of Boston and DH went to college there. We met after school and lived in Boston (in the Fenway) from 1990-1999. I always liked it and had lots of friends there, but felt like I should move away, experience new places. DH got a job transfer to Seattle, where we spent 2 years and realized we preferred the east coast.

We moved to NYC on Sept 2, 2001, which was pretty bad timing. Lived in the city for a year, then decided to give NJ a go since DD was about to be born. We've been here in Essex county for about a year and a half (renting, unsure of DH's permanent job situation), and now we can go where we want.

I'm a little conflicted about living in a suburb. As I said before, we've always lived in cities and enjoyed their many conveniences. But with DD, I now see how living in a city can be quite a hassle -- the lack of parking, open space, and quiet are now much bigger deals than they were before.

I must say I do like it here in NJ and have met some great people, but DH feels like it's too far from the city yet not far enough out to get lots of space for the money. Also, while the housing costs aren't as bad as they are in say Westchester or Bethesda, the property taxes are a whopping 2%. I do like that the schools, while mediocre on paper, are diverse and offer a lot in terms of music and culture. But I wonder if it's sort of a compromise location -- it's halfway between Boston (where i might want to go back) and DC (read on).

DH is now leaning toward moving to DC, because that's where his mother, aunt, and 2 cousins live (plus all their various friends -- he says we'd have a built in network). He didn't grow up there but spent a lot of time there as a kid and feels sort of nostalgic about it. His mother is a realtor, and despite what she tells him, he thinks we can find a good deal there if we go 30-45 minutes outside the city. You have all confirmed many of my fears (conservative population, traffic nightmares, etc.), but I do have to concede that we lived near my family for a long time, and now it may be DH's turn.

I did do a little research and found that Fairfax county and Arlington both voted democratic in the last election, so I'm assuming (am I incorrect?) that they aren't too conservative. Also, Fairfax seems to have unbelievably good public schools (I always thought Massachusetts had the best, but I guess I'm biased!).

Beth, I have always valued your opinion on these boards and you seem like a very intelligent, compassionate person. I was glad to hear from you that you find No VA very livable. If you don't mind, I may PM you regarding schools, neighborhoods, etc.

Again, thanks all for sharing your ideas and listening to me blather on (this is great therapy!), and please continue to keep posting if you have any other thoughts.

[lrucci]

Michelle,

I live in NoVA also and love living here. I love being so close to DC and there is so much to do here. We live in Loudoun County, which is right next to Fairfax County. It is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Fairfax and Loudoun are also ranked high on the "wealthiest counties in the US" list(of course, we are not among the "wealthy). So yes, there are some very image conscious people here, but I think you'll find that in many areas of the country. Society in general seems to be that way, IMO. Overall, I have found that people here are very friendly and down to earth. There are many transients here, so you will find a mixture of conservatives and liberals and everything in between.

To address some of your concerns... There is a lot of traffic and it can be a nightmare. However, depending on where you live and where you need to get to, it may not be as bad. Housing is very expensive, as was mentioned. It is a sellers market here and if you find something you'd have to jump on it quickly. There are a lot of very nice neighborhoods in the area, both new and established - depending on your preference. You can find things a bit cheaper away from the city, but even 30 -45 minutes away you could be paying $350,00 for a townhouse and $400,000 for a single family house - and this is a smaller size house. To give you some idea of what I'm talking about, my inlaw live in an older area, about 30 miles outside of DC. Their neighborhood is around 35 years old and a 1500 sq. foot house on their street sold for $350,000.


The schools in NoVA and in some of the MD counties are very good. Of course, you have to look at each school individually, rather than the whole district. Fairfax and Montgomery County have rather large school districts - most of the schools are excellent, but there are a few that are questionable.

HTH! Good luck in what ever you and dh decide.


Lisa
Mom to Kyleigh Elizabeth 7/19/03

[llcoddington]

Michelle,

If your husband has to commute into D.C. via 66, 30-45 minutes outside of the city might end up being 2 hours one way. We thought the EXACT same thing. And, it didn't matter what time of day DH went into work, it was still bad. So, just be careful! Honestly, I loved living in Northern Virginia. But, after two years of never seeing my husband because he was spending 3-4 hours per day driving into D.C., we sold our townhouse (4 bedrooms) and moved into a 2 bedroom condo in Maryland. DH walks to the metro and rides to work everyday. If he chooses to drive, it takes him 45 minutes. We are SO MUCH happier! It's hard being cramped in a small space, but we see each other! And, DH isn't totally stressed out because of the awful traffic. A couple of weeks ago, we drove to Northern Virginia, got stuck in traffic on 66 and DH said, "I am SO GLAD we got away from here!"

Now, I should add that we would totally consider moving back to Northern Virginia if DH didn't have to go into the city.

I am not trying to sound totally negative about Northern Virginia. But, our experience was pretty awful. And, everyone we knew felt the same way. The traffic problems were a frequent part of our conversations!

Lana
mommy to Lauren 12/5/03

[crl]

Hi,

Well, we've lived in Arlington for nearly 5 years now. No kids yet, but soon! Traffic is terrible--and getting worse--and housing prices are definitely insane from my mid-western point of view.

But I have to strongly disagree with those that say No. VA is conservative or Southern. Setting aside what the state as a whole is like, Arlington is very liberal. Anti-war signs all over my neighborhood, always votes Democratic, and so on. Also the 22204 zip code is very, very diverse --I think it's over 113 nationalities represented! And Arlington and Falls Church have a slew of fabulous ethic restaurants.

Also I have to plug that Arlington's services are fantastic! Trash always picked up, police showed up quickly when I called them about an elderly neighbor who had sadly fallen, etc.

I use metro to get to work and love it. It's clean and fast (much faster than driving) and allows me to read the newspaper instead of stressing in traffic. I can see being worried about safety on metro from a terrorism angle (dh was scheduled to be in the Pentagon on Sept. 11--in the part that was destroyed-- but thank God was home with my visiting parents instead, so I definitely understand these kinds of concerns), but otherwise I think the metro system is very safe.

We chose to get less house and live close in and I would absolutely do the same again. One really important thing, don't just look at a map and guesstimate the commute time. You have to drive it DURING RUSH hour to know how long it takes. It can be astounding!

Also, there are lots of great things to do in DC, but if you live far out in the burbs it is inconvenient to get to them. Living on a metro line would make all those things (free museums, zoo, etc) a lot more accessible. It also jacks up the housing prices a good bit.

I've never lived in any of the other places you mention so I can't help there. Good luck with your decision!

[Torey]

I'm not sure which way you commuted from Centreville to Tysons (66 to 495, or 123 to 7) but that same commute easily takes over an hour now. A lady I used to commute with lives in Centreville and it took her 25 minutes just to get to Vienna to pick me up. And then we spent another hour+ getting downtown (this while using HOV and restricted HOV 66 even!). It totally sucked. Just another reason I am so HAPPY that I don't work anymore!

[doubleL]

Well I didn't chime in earlier because the only area I know about on your list is DC and people have summed up the good, the bad, and the ugly already.

Currently we are looking to move to a house that is a doable commute to Alexandria, VA for DH and has good schools and hopefully a yard for the kiddos. So I have done some research on schools and neighborhoods in Arlington and Fairfax.

I think that MD burbs, Arlington, and the City of Falls Church are all liberal areas worth looking into. However it will be hard to find a good deal on houses in those areas right now. The rest of Fairfax is a true mix of liberals and conservatives.

Also if you really think you will hang out with DH's cousins and friends you should move as close to them as possible. If they live in MD and you in VA, you will not see them during the week. Trust me. Traffic does suck here. It's completely possible to find doable and even easy commutes, but that doesn't mean you can find a place that allows you to get around the entire area easily.

If there's any specific questions you have, I would be happy to try to answer them for you. HTH!! Good luck and have fun with your research.

Lou
~David 5.01
~Elisabeth 6.03

[egoldber]

He should listen to his mother the realtor. :) I DO REALLY like it here, but even since we moved here in 2001, housing prices in my neighborhood have gone up 30%. Yeah for us, but sucky for moving into the area.

As far as being conservative, remember that we moved here from the San Francisco Bay Area. And we both have very liberal political views, so comparatively, for us, this is a conservative area. As I say, this bothers DH more than me. I don't find it to be an issue, but DH finds it annoying to be in the DC area during a republican administration.

Where would your DH be commuting to? If you live further out than Fairfax City and he is commuting into DC and has to use 66, rather than a metro or 50, then his commute will definitely suck.

I drive around NoVA all day, including 66 and the Beltway, and when you time it right, the traffic is no issue. We don't find it to be a problem at all. But it TOTALLY depends on where you are coming from/going to/time of day.

HTH,

[jasabo]

Susan,
Can I ask where you live in Maine? I went to school at USM and we lived in Yarmouth while I was there. I really loved it, though the winters were horrid...I'm not a big snow person. Also, like you mentioned, the lack of restaurants was tough to adjust to. But I sure loved living on the ocean!

Just curious. It's not often I run into people who live in Maine. Also, I lived and worked in Old Town for many years - so jealous of you having your reception at the Torpedo Factory! Must have been really cool!

Lisa - mom to 9 month old twin boys

[papal]

Ditto.
It is expensive. If we wanted to buy a place, we would have to go so far west that we would be in West Virginia. And then dh's commute would be pretty rough. :P
We are renting and live near Old Town and love the location. Dh gets to bike to work which he loves. But we would move in a heartbeat to a smaller, friendlier town if dh's job would permit it. Alas.. i think we are stuck here for a while. :(

[jasabo]

I grew up in NoVa and lived in Old Town (Alexandria), Fairfax and Ashburn (Loudoun County) up until October of last year when we moved to AZ. The entire area has grown a tremendous amount in the past 10 or 20 years and the infrastructure hasn't been able to keep up very well (though the metro system is really great). Traffic is absolutely terrible 24/7. If you move out west and commute via 66, no matter what time of day there's traffic. Dh and I commuted downtown from Ashburn Village, 33 miles west of DC. When I was pg, I'd leave work at various times, sometimes as early as noon, because I wasn't feeling well. It would still take me an hour to get home because of traffic. Even on the weekends it's bad. That said, I think it's like that in every big city. I know Boston has terrible traffic probs too. Not sure about the NY 'burbs.

Also, housing is VERY expensive. We bought our townhouse in Ashburn Village for $260k, brand new. We sold it 10 months later, after 11 days on the market, for $294k. We hadn't made any improvements or done anything to it. And that was the low end of prices. We could have held out for more, but had to move to AZ quickly so we took the first offer. This is 33 miles west of the city. In Fairfax, townhouses sell for $350k and houses for $4 or 5k, to start. And those are just regular houses, not huge. It's even worse closer in to the city.

NoVa does have positives too - there's a lot to do, great restaurants and shopping, DC's a great town, especially if you love politics. Dh and I really miss the political feel - not much of that here in AZ. It's a pretty area too (overall).

If you have family there and can afford the housing and don't mind traffic, I think you'd really like it. Oh, Fairfax County does have excellent schools too. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about any areas.

What a fun situation - to be able to chose a place to live! Good luck!!

Lisa - mom to 9 month old twin boys

[doubleL]

You make an interesting point, Beth, about being in DC during a republican administration. It is truely a different feeling than during the Clinton years. I mostly consider it to be a post-9/11 era but Bush's administration is a huge factor, of course.

It will be interesting to see what happens if Kerry is elected.

Lou
~David 5.01
~Elisabeth 6.03