What do you love / hate about the D.C. area? Need moving info!

[bunnisa]

I have some good friends who are strongly considering a move to the D.C. area. The DH would work at the Pentagon, and the mom is a SAHM. They have 2 children, 11 & 14.

The DH is looking for a stable job (currently works in the tumultuous auto industry) and they all want an improved quality of life. Personally, we think they'd be a lot better off here in the Austin area, but I want to be fair ;).

Cities they've mentioned living in are: Alexandria, Manassas, and somewhere in MD (I can't remember).

So tell me, what is wonderful and what is terrible about the area? I know the climate is great, and the homes and land are lovely, but I've also heard nightmare stories about the cost of living and horrendous traffic.

Thank you SO much!!

Bethany
mom to one and one on the way!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png
"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-J. Torres

[nitaghei]

Cost of living and horrendous traffic just about sums up what is bad about the DC area. Oh, and the corresponding long commutes. A few years ago Mannasass was affordable. Not any more.

And actually, IMO, the climate sucks. It's a swamp in the summer; the winter is cold enough to be miserable - there will be some snow and ice, typically, and people in the DC area do.not.know. how to drive in snow. I'd say there might be about 4 weeks in the year when the weather is nice. All you can say about the weather is that it isn't as extreme as the midwest.

I'd move to Austin in a heartbeat.

To be fair - the Smithsonian museums are fabulous, and free (including the National Zoo); the theatres have improved a lot (particularly the Shakespeare Theater); there are lots and lots of great ethnic restuarants; it's an incredibly diverse area.

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

"Moderation is best in all things." Hesiod

[purpleeyes]

In a nutshell:

What do we love:
quality of education
quality of services
cultural options-in Washington DC, local history, etc.

What we hate:
TRAFFIC
Suburban sprawl (admittedly are part of this and benefit from it, but it is CRAZY)


What we love/hate
THe housing market-we have benefited from the increased prices, but find that this is pricing so many families out of the market and forcing people to buy houses farther from the city which then increases sprawl, traffic, etc.
Shopping options: lots to choose from, lots of big box stores means more places to spend money ;) but also less mom and pop stores and more traffic.


I would say that there are some BIG differences between living in Manassas and Arlington so they would want to do some research and compare.

HTH!
Beth

[slknight]

>
>I would say that there are some BIG differences between living
>in Manassas and Arlington so they would want to do some
>research and compare.


This is very true. As someone who grew up and lived 29 years in Arlington, I am an "inside the beltway" snob. That's why I could never move back (left 6 years ago) - I couldn't afford it!

I am occasionally homesick but then come to my senses. The traffic, weather, and housing prices are horrendous.

But it's got tons of cool things like the monuments, Smithsonian, etc. And I miss the great ethnic restaurants.

[mudder17]

I don't live in the DC area, exactly--I'm about 1-2 hours away depending on traffic--but I do live in Maryland. The cost of living is pretty high around here, although it's not too bad where I live (North of Baltimore City). DH takes the MARC train into DC when he needs to go in and for him, it's 2 hours door-to-door. However, we live North of the city, so we need to drive 15 minutes to the train station, then he takes a 40 minute ride to DC and then takes the Metro all the way into Bethesda. It would definitely be a shorter commute if he were to work in the Pentagon, I believe. There are people who live closer to BWI who will catch the MARC train in to DC and it is also a shorter commute that way. In any case, housing is definitely more affordable the further you get from DC, so if they really want to move to DC, they should also consider living around Maryland a little further out from there. That said, some of the cities directly surrounding DC (such as Rockville) are very nice places to live with good schools and such. If you can live anywhere near a commuter line to catch the MARC or you live anywhere near the Metro, it's just better to not worry about driving. The Metro is VERY NICE and convenient. Unfortunately for us, Baltimore's public transportation isn't nearly as well organized!

I just met a couple where the husband worked in both DC and Baltimore (Mason Legg) and they decided to sell their house in Bethesda (where they made a killing) and move up to Baltimore (near where I live actually). He takes the MARC train in and I think he said it takes him just over an hour door-to-door because of where his work is located.

Anyway, I just had to say that I love Baltimore, and that it is certainly a place one should consider if you're coming to this area. Lots of things to do around here, too. And generally speaking, it's cheaper to live up here than down there. :) You don't get the free museums, zoos, and such, but I do love all the museums, zoo, and Aquarium, of course, and will become a member of the Aquarium soon (already a member of the zoo), so it's not too bad. And of course, we do occasionally go down to DC for the free museums.

ETA: Oh, and we seem to have better weather in Baltimore than in DC. Yes, the weather is very similar, but a lot of times, there will be worse snow and ice there, than up here. I'm thinking it's because we're more sheltered by the bay. I still hate the humid hot summers, but I like all the other seasons.

One more thing, LOL! Schooling IN the city is generally not good, especially at the elementary level, with the exception of a couple of the school districts. But of course, the housing prices there are much higher. We live in the county and are in a fabulous school district and the housing was not that expensive (taxes are lower too), in comparison to what we would have had in Rockville.

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah
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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[mudder17]

Sorry!

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah
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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[HIU8]

I have lived in Maryland all my life (Rockville, Potomac, thesda and Silver Spring).Here is what I love:

I love the area. There is always so much to do. I love the fact that I am near DC and can get there for what I need, but I don't ahve to live in DC proper. I prefer Maryland much much more than northern VA. VA is almost like a foreign country to me (teehee).

What I hate:

You ahve to allow yourself about 15-20 extra minutes on any given trip (it always takes longer due to traffic). The housing prices are outrageous-although I think they are calming down. There has been a house for sale in my neighborhood for 8 weeks (that was previously unheard of). I hate being so close to DC knowing that there is no real emergency plan in the event of another terrorist atack. I hate that I have to work so we can afford to live here and that our DS has to be in daycare.

The further you go North in MD the more house you can get, but you have to contend with traffic, trains etc... to get into the city.

HTH
Heather
DS 11/27/04

[vwh99]

I have to agree with all the previous posters. After living in VA (Alexandria)for 5 years, I moved back to NJ to be closer to family. Things I miss about VA: the great restaurants, the many free cultural things to do, the number of young families w/ kids.

When I start 'regretting' my decision of moving out of VA, I try to remind myself of the things I hated while I was dowe there:

1) the housing expense. Okay, my house in NJ is not big, but at least I live in a house!! Try $700,000 townhomes-I've seen some that were 'squeezed into' undeveloped space where their backyard was the parking lot of a McDonald's.
2)The traffic-'nuff said.
3)The weather-HUMID, HUMID, HUMID in the summer and it's a lie that it doesn't snow. I don't know why people don't realize this but they can not drive in snow.
4)the 'transient-ness' of the population. If they live in a rental community, they will see how quickly people come & go in the DC area. It can make the task of finding friends difficult. In the one year that we lived in an apartment, we were the only unit on the floor that didn't change rentors at least 2-3times! However, renting would definitely be a good idea if they don't know the area since there is such variety in the different communities surrounding DC. So, it would be a good idea before sinking a whole lot of cash into a house right away (see 1)
5)my least favorite thing.....the CICADAS!! Yes, they're only out every 17 years, but I still get chills thinking about them!!!!

All in all, I do miss it and it's a good place to live.

Good luck!
Val
dd 10/25/03

[kep]

What are Cicadas? (moving there soon...)

Kelli
Mommy to the love of my life, Luke
(April 2003)

[vwh99]

Imagine fat thumb-sized flying insects that are 'dumb'....flying into windshields or worse, you!!! And HUNDREDS of them all out at the same time trying to find a mate....

Here's a link to a pic. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.acnatsci.org/hosted/aes/images/cicada-sm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.acnatsci.org/hosted/aes/cicada.html&h=188&w=250&sz=15&tbnid=rwQAKsFLS48J:&tbnh=79&tbnw=106&hl=en&start=11&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcicada%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26hs%3D k0O%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

[kep]

eeeeekk

Kelli
Mommy to Luke
(April 2003)

[cmdunn1972]

I lived in the DC area (NoVa) for 3 years and consider the "transient-ness" of the population a love/hate thing. I've lived in two areas of the country where the population is less transient by nature, and it can be very difficult to fit in if you're the only transient in the neighborhood. For instance, I've lived in the Lehigh Valley, PA area for over 4 years and am only now starting to really meet the locals. (It's like if you're not Penna Dutch and/or went to high school in the area then they don't know enough about you to trust you. How sad.) Not so in DC. Since most people are not from the area, where you went to high school is not a basis for getting to know a person. That said, if someone's going to be a snob then they can always find other "reasons" (such as living in the "right" neighborhoods or sending kids to the "right" private schools). :P

[set81616]

I grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and now live in Florida. I miss the mountains and change of seasons and when I get my masters we will probably move back. Ideally I hope to be able to afford Alexandria. The culture is great there. Manassas is ok but it is really just suberbia. In MD be careful. Bowie used to be the place and its going downhill.

First it is very expensive there. Even going to a chain restaurant is more for each meal. Taxes are high. Traffic stinks but since I lived in Houston for a few years I realize it's not as bad as I once thought. It's still strange to see woman shaving there legs at 60 miles an hour.

Smithsonian is free. I remember when I first had to pay for a mueseum in Orlando and I was actually taken aback.. I just didn't realize that the cities charged.

Schools are some of the best in the country. Esp. Fairfax, loudon county and Alexandria.

The reason I never thought I would move back is it's the rat race. Everyone wants to beat the Jones. People go into debt to look good. If you can stay out of that and find the people who arn't always showing off you should be good.
Shannon

[JBaxter]

I'll chime in about the housing costs. I live 1 1/2 hrs from DC and even in my more rural area the housing costs have skyrocketed. In just over 1 yr the value of our house went up 125,000. Even in our area it is very hard to have a house built under 400K. Town houses 250+.

We love going into DC for the zoo and museums :)

[american_mama]

Hmm, I can't believe no one has given you more info. I lived in DC for 2 years before kids, but I think some of the things I will mention others would probably agree. I worked for the federal governtment, which colors my comments.

PROS: very diverse population with all the great culture and food that goes with that, exciting place as the nation's capital, lots of stuff to do, attractive city, great metro system, great air transport options (three airports), friends and family will want to visit you there, really interesting educated people, great opportunities for women (I think DC area has more women employed than anywhere else in the country). I personally liked the weather.

CONS: I find DC a competitive place. As the nation's capital, it is the ultimate place for people in politics or its related fields, and many in the region work in that sector. People are always trying to compete about who or what they know, and I found that people worked very long hours, even in the federal government.

I have heard that people compete on other things related more to family life, like where you live, what your house is like, and where your kids go to school. There are tons of stores and plenty of opportunities to compete on a consumer level.

If your friend will work at the Pentagon, he will probably find it kind of a one company town, with the company being the government and its related parts (contractors, consultants, lobbyists, advocacy groups, think tanks, etc). Although northern Virginia has lots of technology companies (AOL is based there, for one) and these get a lot of buzz, I personally never felt their impact.

Because it's such a transient population, the city doesn't have as much sense of its past or sense of its roots. Although there are many NEW ethnic groups, the city doesn't have a lot of ethnic tradition, like an Italian area or Chinatown or big St. Patrick's Day parade. You don't meet that many people who grew up there or whose families are all there. Because of the company town element and this less sense of the past and probably other things, DC feels kind of blander than other cities.

The combination of bad traffic, expensive area, and long working hours all mean that routine errands can be hard to do, which drove me crazy. It can be a big deterrent to doing any of that fun stuff that I listed in the pros.

I didn't like living there, in case you couldn't tell, but I do miss the excitement and the options of being there.

[kristy]

Pretty well sums the place up nicely. I grew up in Northern VA and the competitiveness of the area does get old. You don't even realize how much it bothers you until you go on vacation and come back to it. This is probably why people leave the area after only a few years.

[bunnisa]

This is all such great info!

What's the cost of living like? I don't think the online calculators are accurate.


Bethany
mom to one and one on the way!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png
"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-J. Torres

[kristy]

Right now a modest, detached single family home will cost you (at minimum) $520,000. Some of the outer neighborhoods may be less, but then you would have a real commute to contend with. I think a family of four needs to make about $120,000 to feel comfortable/have a positive cashflow.

On the up side, public schools in NOVA are really, really good.

I have also noticed that the online calculators are about 3 or 4 years outdated. I wish someone would fix that!