Another vote for Clarendon/Courthouse/Ballston. We have real diversity of housing options around here (from big apartment buildings to town houses to single-family homes) and phenomenal schools. The state of Virginia kinda of sucks for its conservatism, but living in Arlington largely insulates you from that--I see someone with an Obama/Warner shirt pretty much every day. I've lived in Arlington without a car for 5 years now, so one car for a family with kids is definitely do-able. Close grocery shopping, farmers market, and general commercial shopping.

by Roadrunner on Jul 29, 2008 7:48 am • link • report

I'm going to second RoadRunner, but I'm biased. I will choose some of the outskirt areas of Ballston since we're talking about a family. Arlington is fairly liberal and has a relatively well run government. I would suggest just past Ballston off of Wilson Blvd. or better yet Lyon Park in the neighborhoods bounded by N. Pershing and Wilson Blvd. to the south and north. There are also a bunch of neighborhoods on the closer to I-66 and beyond. One of the things that I really like about Arlington in general is the diversity of the housing stock and and quality of it. It adds a lot of character and there's something for everyone.

Columbia Pike has lot of quality development in store and is a popular place for many newly-wed couples moving into their first home. Alexandria has a lot of nice areas, but overall, not as good as Arlington IMO, especially when you factor in transit.

If it's not liberal enough, you can't go wrong with Bethesda/Chevy Chase or Silver Spring either, but I'm not as familiar with the individual neighborhoods names there, but there's a lot to offer in those areas too.

by Vik on Jul 29, 2008 8:48 am • link • report

I recommend looking near the Rockville red line station, new town center and library. I believe older, smaller single family homes can be had for under $500K (particularly in the Hungerford neighborhood near Richard Montgomery high school). Newer and/or larger homes are more expensive. Bus service is pretty good too, for a suburban area. Also, the area has a "small town" feel to it with distinct neighborhoods, a mix of old and new, a large number of parks, and a lot of civic activism. Before I moved to this area, I associated Rockville mainly with the Pike (MD 355), but was surprised to find a community with such a strong identity and so much history and green space.

by Josh on Jul 29, 2008 9:06 am • link • report

Given the type of housing they're describing, I'd suggest focusing the search around the Virginia Square metro, rather than Ballston or Clarendon. Less built up, more older housing stock, most of which has great front porches.

by Elizabeth on Jul 29, 2008 9:09 am • link • report

I would recommend Del Ray or Old Town Alexandria. There are many single family homes, good schools, and the neighborhoods are very walkable.

by Jayme on Jul 29, 2008 9:16 am • link • report

#1 - Location x 3 - Be close to your activities:

Mark and his family should think about where there activity centers will be first. Where does he/she work? Are the kids going to private school or public? Do they have family they will be visiting often. Where do they shop, etc.

#2 - Live in a place where you have choices (travel and land use):

Arlington is great, but other places are better, like Georgetown, Old Town, Capitol Hill, Dupont.. (I live along the Orangeline in lovely Arlington Forest), you can drive, walk, bike, and take the bus easily, and it feels safe at all times. And there are many places to go, and things to do - community centers, parks, bike trails, etc. Also, great schools.

#3 - Right size you home:

Right size your home for the number of people you have living with you, and don't over-buy a large over-sized house... (which will be less valuable in the future and will cost more in taxes, maintenance, heating and cooling). Do you absolutely need a three car garage and a big yard?

by J Price on Jul 29, 2008 9:24 am • link • report

try Wheaton or Silver Spring or University Park. Many UMD professors live in University Park. It's a walk/bike from the Prince George's Plaza Green Line station. Many of their kids go to PG public schools and then the magnet program at E. Roosevelt HS, which many of my friends went to and got into good colleges like UMD and Georgetown.

Also, try around the Forest Glen Metro. It has lots of older detached houses but no town environment. But, you can walk to the Metro, obviously.

There's a bunch of newer townhouses just north of the Silver Spring Metro and a bunch of older single family houses bordering downtown Silver Spring. Same with Rockville, White Flint, and Wheaton on the Red Line.

Takoma Park is an obvious choice, too.

by Cavan on Jul 29, 2008 9:27 am • link • report

The location of the kids schools should drive (no pun intended) the decision. Without kids, I would look at Brookland, Takoma DC etc, but the school situation may balance that in another direction. If you are bullish on Rhee/Fenty and the city, I would go in that direction.

If not, then the Ballson/Del Ray options are fine, as well as some Takoma, MD, and Kensington/Glenmont/Garrett Park options where there is the MARC/Red Line and relatively easy walks to Conn. Ave etc.

by Andrew on Jul 29, 2008 9:29 am • link • report

My first instinct would be Cleveland Park / Van Ness. Best school test scores in the city.

by tom veil on Jul 29, 2008 9:36 am • link • report

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Moving to the Greater Washington area is overwhelming.

My sister, brother and nephew live in PG County (Hyattsville) and they are discouraging us from living in the Bethesda/Chevy Chase area because she said it's hard to get to airports (I fly weekly for business). My sister also hates VA so she strongly discouraged the Arlngton area. After all the suggestions here for VA we will definitely take a look at it.

My wife's family live in Chevy Chase and Silver Spring. Her parents want us to move to Columbia and Howard County.

How about Greenbelt? I've heard it's a walkable community but it's been a long time since I've been there.

Thanks to David for posting my question.

by "The" Mark on Jul 29, 2008 9:42 am • link • report

if proximity to an airport (any airport) is a priority, i'm going to throw my vote in for arlington, provided you stay near lee hwy.

from where i live, it's a ten minute (max) drive to national (or you can metro it), there are frequent buses down lee hwy to rosslyn (3A/B/E) and mcpherson square (3Y, rush hour only), convenient food shopping (safeway, harris teeter), dry cleaning (all up and down lee), and wine/cheese/sandwich shops.

it's convenient to the w&od bike trail, ballston/clarendon, movie theaters, and restaurants. and i hear the school system's pretty good, too.

as a transplant from menopause manor (nebraska & connecticut intersection area of upper NW dc), i love it - and find i don't miss any of the amenities from my former neighborhood. (it doesn't quite have the appeal that my former former silver spring neighborhood did (prior to its bethesdification, anyway), but the days of $625/month for a spacious two bedroom apartment are long gone anyway...)

by jenny on Jul 29, 2008 9:59 am • link • report

I don't think you should count out Bethesda. I live close to Bradley Blvd, and go out to Tysons each day to work. If you bypass the worst of the 270 traffic by using River Rd or Clara Barton Parkway to get to the beltway then traffic is really not that bad, and getting out to Dulles shouldn't be terrible.

The only place that would be genuinely close to transit and an airport would be Alexandria or Arlington, as long as DCA has the flights you need.

by Keith Wright on Jul 29, 2008 10:01 am • link • report

As far as Greenbelt goes, I was there once a few years ago and saw only a small part of the town -- but what I saw looked just like the rest of suburbia. I welcome rebuttals.

by Adam on Jul 29, 2008 10:03 am • link • report

The first question is, do Mark and his wife work outside the home?

Don't get me wrong: Metro is perhaps the region's biggest success story of the past three decades and I ride it daily. But it really pays to be on the same line as your work destination. After a while, a 12-minute walk to the Metro, plus 4 minutes to travel the escalators, then going through the faregates, and waiting for the train, and riding the train, and pushing yourself through the crowds on the (undersized) platforms at the transfer stations, and waiting for the next train, and riding, then finally walking 5 minutes to work, adds up and gets old.

Schools in DC are a concern, of course, but there are a handful of well-regarded ones: Peabody on Capitol Hill, the Oyster School, and Langdon which is sort of near Brookland, and probably a bunch more.

I live in Brookland--it's got the liberal attitude, it's got the Metro, it's got detached houses in the right price range, it's got an organic grocery store, a CVS, and a hardware store in an otherwise struggling retail district. It's had a baby boom in the past couple of years--there are lots of babies and toddlers around, and playgroups and so forth. Some parents are thrilled with Langdon school, which is nearby, and there are charters moving in (but not always welcomed, because of traffic fears). The other public schools are going to get juggled around--closings, renovations, merging. If you believe, as I do, that good schools are good primarily because they have good students, then I can imagine that there could be a critical mass of students and parents when my son is ready for school.

by thm on Jul 29, 2008 10:04 am • link • report

The VA sentiment is a popular one, but give it a look. I'd say Arlington and Alexandria in general are good options, Arlington being better. And especially since you fly a lot. BWI is a bit of a hike, but you've got Reagan and Dulles pretty straightforward trips.

Columbia isn't that bad for a farther flung suburb, but it doesn't have the walkability that close-in burbs do. It's also convenient, relatively, to B'more and DC and BWI. Hyattsville isn't bad either. It has some potential, it's better than most of PG for sure. It's got a metro and MARC stop and it's more affordable than many places. Bethesda/Chevy Chase can be tough, Reagan isn't too hard to get to. With BWI and Dulles, it's somewhat straightforward, but there's a lot of traffic.

But the VA sentiment is popular, Arlington(North mainly, but parts of South also) is more progressive and has a lot of great housing and generally a good place to live for all types.

by Vik on Jul 29, 2008 10:04 am • link • report

J Price --

I fly regularly as a consultant so I need quick access to airports. Monday mornings usually aren't the problem - there is not much traffic at 4:30 in the morning when I hit the road. Thursdays when I come home is usually where I run into traffic. That was the case when we lived in Chicago. Not as bad in Nashville. My wife is looking for a job in the area (telecommunication sales) and hopefully she will be able to work from the house. We'd like to send our son to public schools (he's 6 months so we have some time).

Where do we shop? The local grocery store and Target. That makes up a vast majority of our shopping.

I completely agree about right-sizing our home. We got taken up with how much home we could get in Nashville after moving from Chicago. We don't need as much house as we have. We figure 2000 - 2500 sqft should be sufficient.

by "The" Mark on Jul 29, 2008 10:11 am • link • report

I lived in Hyattsville for a year and used to jog in University Park. Good schools, great parks, a bit of a hike to the Metro, but definitely doable.

I think Arlington sounds best for you. National Airport is just around the corner, and if you don't mind the 5A bus, Dulles isn't too bad.

I spend a lot of time in Greenbelt. I love old Greenbelt. This part of town is walkable and friendly, but I wouldn't want to live there because it's too isolated (I don't drive). It is surrounded by typical suburban sprawl and the Metro is really too far to walk to. It would be a pretty easy bike ride, but you need to be comfortable biking with suburban drivers (even though the roads are pretty tame).

by Matt' on Jul 29, 2008 10:12 am • link • report

I'd just throw out West Annapolis, if they have already looked at Eastport. Though public transport is available, as long as you're not afraid of the bus, in Easptort and there is a great community there as well. But West Annapolis has a grocery store, cute restaurants, a great school and a short walk to downtown.

by mdsail on Jul 29, 2008 10:24 am • link • report

Aurora Highlands, just two or three streets in from Jefferson Davis Highway. Close to the Crystal City Metro and VRE (ten minute walk for some houses). Car might be necessary for shopping, but not to go to restaurants or Metro.

by BJC on Jul 29, 2008 10:29 am • link • report

It sounds like the places you need to go are (1) The Airport (2) Hyattsville (3) Chevy Chase (4) Silver Spring. I don't know where your work is, but if it's downtown (or even if not) it sounds like Capitol Hill is your winner.

You'd be close to the Orange, Blue and Red lines (Silver Spring, Hyattsville and Bethesda are all close to the red line). National Airport is a 10 minute taxi ride or 20 minute metro ride away. The 5A to Dulles stops not too far away. BWI is a straight shot up the BW Parkway. You have Union Station nearby which brings Amtrak into the picture. Street Parking is easy. It's liberal leaning (Tommy Wells is our District Councilmember, check out his positions). The Eastern Market area was ranked one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the country. Houses are within your range (we paid 450k for ours) - though to get an end house you may have to stretch.

As for Greenbelt. I used to live there. I think old town Greenbelt is a great place. Very walkable, great people. But it's a haul to the metro. And the town is somewhat isolated. Oh, I just see Matt said the same thing...great minds.

by VC on Jul 29, 2008 10:34 am • link • report

Del Ray! I would kill to live there but I don't have 500 to 800k to spend on a house. As you seemingly do, I would jump at it. It is how I picture 'Americana' to be.

by NikolasM on Jul 29, 2008 10:36 am • link • report

I live in the Calvert Hills area of College Park (just SW of the CP Metro station), and it's not bad, either. You have the Metro and MARC trains within a 10-minute walk, Prince George's Plaza (complete with Target and Giant) within a 30-minute walk or a 3-minute train ride, and other shops and restaurants (with the UMD college town feel) an easy walk away on Route 1. There's a convenient bus that runs from the Greenbelt Metro station to BWI airport, although it doesn't run at 4:30 in the morning, I don't believe. Right now, there are several good-sized, nice-looking single family homes on the market in the $400-500K range.

by khb on Jul 29, 2008 10:44 am • link • report

Definitely look into Del Ray, Rosemont, or Old Town in Alexandria. You'll be very close to the airport but still walkable to restaurants, shopping and parks. Plus the housing dollar goes further than in Arlington.

I also agree with the suggestions for Takoma Park in terms of lifestyle, but it is not easily airport-accessible at all.

by a.k. on Jul 29, 2008 11:12 am • link • report

If you're not adverse to living in the city because of the schools, check out Columbia Heights. A straight shot to National (not Reagan) via Metro, or a short taxi ride; a new Target and Giant; lots of new restaurants, with more coming in; short walk to Adams Morgan and all of the entertainment options there, as well as the new Harris Teeter; Zipcars all over the place. Not sure about the bus service - with the metro so close, we never take it.

Now the disclaimer - We're in virtually the same boat as you - small child, one car, in the same price range for housing - and we're decamping to N. Arlington (looking at all of the areas previously mentioned) within the year. We'd like a little more space for our kid(s), and are not willing to gamble that the DC schools will make a dramatic shift for the better in the next 10 years. Plus, by moving to Arlington I get a 3% raise (local taxes). The unreasoning "hatred" of local jurisdictions by those who live in others in the area is amusing, but don't let your sister's irrationality interfere with finding the best place for YOUR familty to live.

by dcd on Jul 29, 2008 11:31 am • link • report

Long & Foster Real Estate has a great section on its website called "Living" (www.longandfoster.com/Mid-Atlantic-Region.aspx) that gives short overviews of many of the DC-area neighborhoods, including school information, metro accessibility, local parks and resources, etc. With so many great communities to choose from, it’s nice to have a little guidance that doesn’t require a lot of legwork!

by DCL on Jul 29, 2008 12:37 pm • link • report

I second the vote for University Park! I grew up in UP which is a beautiful old neighborhood (you should see the azaleas in spring!), with a good elementary school and access to cultural activities at UMD, shopping, metro, etc. My family never had more than one car (two parents, three kids). My dad rode his bike to work (at UMD). Sections of College Park are also beautiful and enjoy the same amenities.

by Up with UP! on Jul 29, 2008 12:49 pm • link • report

Alexandria has been mentioned, one of the areas I suggest is off of West Braddock going towards Del Ray. The homes are nice and older and the neighborhood pretty walkable and it's within reasonable distance to metro, either braddock rd. or king st. The commute to Natl. Airport isn't bad and it's not that far from the beltway, but there would be a lengthy commute to the intl. airports. Plenty of shopping nearby too and there may be an infill station at Potomac Yards. There's also a lot activity planned for the nearby Eisenhower area.

I imagine University Park wouldn't bad either. I have been there and it's in a college town area which is great. If the purple line comes, that'll be another positive.

by Vik on Jul 29, 2008 1:11 pm • link • report

Silver Spring, hands down. In our CBD you'll find a mix of everything from underpants to Ethiopian food, with a healthy mix of yuppiefied condos and punk group houses thrown in there as well. If you're tired of Bethesda's lousy Irish bars or Takoma Park's self-righteous liberalism, you'll find Silver Spring the perfect compromise - we have both!

If you only have one car, you've got the second-largest transportation hub in the State of Maryland, with dozens of bus routes, the Red Line, and the MARC Brunswick line, not to mention the Purple Line (check back on that in a couple decades, though.) Silver Spring's CBD is an easy walk (it's pretty compact, though it could be more pedestrian-friendly, but the surrounding neighborhoods are more ideal.)

Schools? You're in the Downcounty Consortium, which means your kids have their pick of five different high schools (including top-rated Blair High School) each with their own signature programs. And talk about housing diversity! We've got everything from century-old Victorians to brand-new Victorians that look old, not to mention a healthy stock of townhouses if you're interested.

Yes, Silver Spring is it. I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it and blog about the place each and every day.

by dan reed on Jul 29, 2008 1:27 pm • link • report

Columbia and Howard County are a disaster in terms of culture, walkability, and schools.

by Mary on Jul 29, 2008 1:58 pm • link • report

Thanks everyone, for the great suggestions. Please keep them coming. I'm glad this has been a lively thread and I'm greateful for GGW for posting it.

I think this discussion has really re-inforced something that my wife and I were thinking about anyway -- renting for a few months before buying. It's definitely an option for us and I think it's what we're going to end up doing.

That way my wife can (hopefully) get a job and we can base where we move on where she works to mimimize her commute. Our little boy is only 6 months so we don't have to worry about getting him into a school only to move a few months later.

It will also give us time to get a feel for Greater Washington and figure out what is best for our family. My sister hates VA but my brother likes it. I have to admit that increasing my son's chances of getting into UVA by living in the state is appealing, even though it's 17 years away. I wasn't expecting a such a strong showing for the Arlington/Alexandria area, but now I think we will pay that area more attention.

Thanks again.

by "The" Mark on Jul 29, 2008 1:59 pm • link • report

A piece of advice you didn't ask for, but here goes: If you plan to live close-in (which it sounds like you want to), get on daycare waiting lists NOW. If you want your child in a decent, licensed center in DC, standard practice is to put in an application and join the waiting list during the pregnancy (or even before conception--alas, this is NOT a joke). Even if your wife doesn't yet have a job; even if you're not sure where you'll be living, just get on lists in all the places where you *might* be living. I've found infant openings in centers in Rockville and Reston, but the only opening I found in DC has been at a place that has multiple recent violations. (I think that things are almost as bad in Arlington and MoCo, but don't have personal experience looking there.)

(Of course, you might decide to go with a nanny or nanny share, in which case you don't need to think this far ahead.)

by ZetteZelle on Jul 29, 2008 2:27 pm • link • report

Seriously. I think the daycare at GW University is at least 2k a month and impossible to get in. And that is like 4 years ago.

by NikolasM on Jul 29, 2008 3:06 pm • link • report

"Aurora Highlands"

I used to live in Aurora Highlands (around 23rd Street and up to Arlington Ridge Road in South Arlington). If you can get over the fact that people will look at you funny for saying that you live between Pentagon City and the water treatment plant, it really can't be beat. The houses are mostly bungalows, but there's a greater diversity of architecture (and people) than you'll find anywhere in North Arlington. A nice mix of chain link fences, dumpy duplexes, big porches, and brick mansions. Lots of sidewalks, a handful of parks, two Metro stations less than a mile away, the largest mall inside the Beltway, a movie theater at Potomac Yard, and you can literally walk to the airport. 23rd Street has a nice healthy strip of restaurants, the bike trail runs nearby, and if you want to go downtown, you're across the bridge in ten minutes. Extra points for the Clark Street Playhouse, the Arena Stage (for now), Jaleo, and the new riverfont park north of Crystal City.

by the shootist on Jul 29, 2008 8:48 pm • link • report

Arlington ... Arlington ... Arlington

Need I say more?

by InArlington on Jul 30, 2008 2:17 am • link • report

My family was making the same choice last Summer (with a 1.5-year-old).

We chose downtown SIlver Spring. We also decided to start my renting (Falkland Chase townhouse with windows on 3 sides) because we didn't want to make a purchase without really knowing the area and the local housing market.

For us it was a great choice because one of us works in Bethesda and the other near Union Station (Places where we'd want to live that were in easy walking distance to a Metro station were out of our price range). Being at a metro station and at a major bus hub has been great. Silver Spring isn't as walkable as the last place we lived, but we easily get by with one car and even even only use that for a few large shopping trips and leisure.

As for airports, do keep in mind that most of the mass transit isn't going at 4:30AM so you'd probably need to drive or take a lot of taxis no matter where you live. Silver Spring is relatively close to BWI and a reasonable mass transit trip to Nation. Driving is pretty much required for Dulles.

by dd on Jul 30, 2008 9:57 am • link • report

Read no further! If you're looking for an urban-feeling neighborhood that's appropriate for raising a family, where owning an automobile is possible but not mandatory, then it has to be...

#1 Cleveland Park

#2 Tenleytown

Both these neighborhoods are ideal locations for raising a family and have just the right balance of automobile and public transportation usage. When you want to use a car, there's plenty of room to park it (outside a house or at the grocery store), but they're also very walkable areas with easy access to public transportation. (Tenleytown has 2 Metro stops within walking distance.)

Both are vibrant communities with innovative restaurants and shops. On top of it all, they're 2 of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city with gorgeous tree-lined streets.

My first pick is Cleveland Park, which is right in the shadow of the National Cathedral and minutes from Georgetown. But Tenleytown is a close second with its exceptional Metro access and vicinity to Montgomery County, Maryland.

P.S. One more reason these neighborhoods top all the others for families -- the schools. While all the D.C. public schools need work, Wilson is better than the rest. And should private schools be an option, NCS, St. Alban's, Sidwell, Georgetown Day, and more are all right in the backyard.

by DC Girl on Jul 30, 2008 10:20 am • link • report

Both these DC neighborhoods are great choices for a family that would like to get by with one car in great urban, but family-friendly area, and you should be able to find a house in Tenleytown in your price range. However, if the policies that are advocated in this blog are adopted, these neighborhoods will not be very attractive to families, even families that want to use public transportation frequently, but need a car for the trips that public transportation doesn't handle well.

For example, citing "smart growth" and increasing density near Metro, the city is negotiating to sell off the soccer field at an already overcrowded elementary school to a developer who will place an apartment building with over 120 apartments on the field, next to the elementary school, and partially over the library. This will leave the children with inadequate outdoor space and the library will underground and unable to expand to meet future needs.

The elimination of parking minimums will mean that you will want to find a house with off-street parking or give up a large part of your yard for a space. When you have friends visiting, they will find it difficult to park anywhere near your house, as the streets will be filled with the cars owned by the residents of new apartment buildings.

by JR on Jul 30, 2008 11:15 am • link • report

The elimination of parking minimums will mean that you will want to find a house with off-street parking or give up a large part of your yard for a space. When you have friends visiting, they will find it difficult to park anywhere near your house, as the streets will be filled with the cars owned by the residents of new apartment buildings.

Funny, I live on Capitol Hill, where there are no "parking minimums" and have never experienced these problems.

Thanks for your concern trollery, though.

by ibc on Jul 31, 2008 12:03 am • link • report

I'll put in for Brookland again. I resemble this predicament. We have 1 kid, another on the way, only one car and most days we can leave it parked. I have a 6 minute walk to the metro and most immediate needs (milk, diapers) I can walk to.

When we were shopping for a house (2006), the value here was amazing. Where ofter neighborhoods were $700K, we could get twice the lot and house here for $500K. DelRey and Arlington were MUCH more expensive than what folks here are saying. The NW neighborhoods were astronomically out of our range (a tiny three bedroom endunit rowhouse in CH without offstreet parking was twice what we paid here.) Now, there has been a bit of a downturn in the last few month, but it'd follow that prices out here are still as comparatively good.

If you want a bungalow, metro access, kid friendly, with a car fairly optional, you can get a hell of a lot for your money in Brookland. This is a fun group of neighbors, with a great co-op pool and very active parents group. We have a healty pool of nanny shares and parents who sit kids and home cares. Kids of all ages (all the way through high school) are still here, meaning that the parents make the schools work for them and don't just flee to the burbs when the kids turn 5. We have three new charters opening in the next two years and Langdon, Burroughs, and Brookland/Bunker Hill elementaries all have good reputations among the public schools.

by Sophiagrrl on Jul 31, 2008 4:19 am • link • report

Get over the family resistance to VA. Del Ray, Rosemont, or Aurora Highlands meet your needs. Even if you are a little farther from a Metro stop, the busses are decent, and there is plenty to walk to. ALL amenities are nearby by car. I never need to drive more than 10 minutes for anything. DCA is a 10 minute cab ride, and DCA is the most organized, on-time, and arguable secure of the regional airports. You mentioned Target, check. Also Mt. Vernon Ave thru Alexandria continues to grow, and you've got your coffee shops, organic market, restaurants, butcher, public library, gourmet shops, and more on the way. Bungalows galore, and you've also got an odd mix of brick towns, some Colonial revivals, and a few odd ranches thrown in. If you don't check it out you are severely limiting yourself. If you've got kids and dogs you'll fit right in.

by spookiness on Jul 31, 2008 11:14 am • link • report

In case the overwhelming response here hasn't convinced you already, you might want to over-rule your family with respect to VA. Since you have a car, Virginia is not overwhelmingly anti-car. When you want to drive you'll be able to, and you'll be able to get where you need to go pretty quickly. But Alexandria and Arlington also have very smart City Officials who are embracing transit, so if you live in the right place you're only a 15 minute metro ride to the center of the city (and 10 minutes to Reagan Airport). Speaking of city officials, I think Arlington and Alexandria are much better functioning governments than DC.

Del Ray sounds like a very good fit for you, and if you can afford Old Town, I imagine it would be wonderful to live in (it's a pleasure to walk through). There are also a number of single family homes and townhouses along the orange line between Courthouse and Ballston. Going with either of these, you'll probably bet a 10-15 minute walk range from the metro though, since anything closer is going to be higher density.

by Paul on Jul 31, 2008 10:37 pm • link • report

"They are, in many ways, a typical area family: the parents are in their 30s, own dogs, want good schools and a safe area for their kids, and can spend about $500-800,000 for a house."

As a frequent Greater Greater reader, I feel obligated to respond to this ridiculous generalization. Do you really believe that the average family in our region can afford a $500-800k home? Are you aware that the median family income for DC is just over $60k, making a $300k home at the very top end of what most local families in their 30s can afford?

I realize that it's easy to view the world through the lens that we and our friends enjoy, but it doesn't benefit our communities when we forget that they include families from a variety of economic backgrounds and means. I hope you'll strive to be a little less presumptuous about the "typical area family" in the future.

by Sarah on Aug 3, 2008 6:54 pm • link • report

I live in Rosemont, the next neighborhood to Del Ray, near Mt. Vernon and Braddock Rd. If I time it right, I can literally get to DCA in 10 minutes, door to door. Downtown DC in 20. Close to Old Town Alexandria, and the best compromise between urban and suburban. Plenty of nice homes in your price range, too.

by Brad on Mar 20, 2009 9:42 am • link • report