Moving - Washington,DC

Hi L. - welcome (in advance) to the East Coast! I've been in Virginia for the past 25 years (moved from Michigan). I have 4 kids (14, 12, 11 and 11) and live in Kingstowne. It's a great community and a wonderful school system. My youngest go to Lane Elementary School. (Fairfax county school system - which gets great reviews.) Kingstowne has access to fitness centers, pools and community centers. The public library is really close too.

We've really enjoyed living here - and there are plenty of kids. Good luck with the move.

I attended Georgetown Law School from our home in Arlington, Virginia, when our oldest three children were young. The location was great because it's quite easy to bike back and forth from Arlington to Georgetown Law School (about 7 miles from central Arlington). Parking at the law school was quite difficult then (88-91). Perhaps they've enlarged their parking garage. Good luck.

L.,
My name is J. and I live in Arlington, VA. We are literally four miles from downtown D.C. and Georgetown. I don't know if you are looking to buy or rent, but Arlington is great! The schools are fantastic---I have four myself, three already in school. I have twins as well, who will be entering second grade next year. I believe Arlington is less expensive than trying to live in D.C., but is still pricey. But, coming from the West coast is in your favor. We live in an area called Ashton Heights which is just above route 50.

We've moved many times and I know how stressful it can be. All the best to you and your family and remember, deep breaths always help!

Hey L.,
We just moved to Rockville MD (just off the Shady Grove Metro station) and love it. We live in "King Farm" which is literally across the street from the metro--my husband walks to work every day. We only need 1 vehicle now that he can take the metro, so we're saving on gas and car insurance by not having a 2nd car. We're in a 3bd/2ba townhome with garage (1500sq ft) and love living here. You can walk to the metro, to the Safeway grocery store, post office, restaurants, coffee shop, several playgrounds, and also a dog park. There are also swimming pools for the residents. We rent a townhome for $2500/mo (we're only here for 2 years) but there are also apartment rentals, and you can also own condos/townhomes/single family homes in King Farm. Very diverse community that is quiet and safe. Good schools from what I hear from other moms! You can beat the walking distance to the metro...Best of luck on your move!

L.,
We livein Arlington as well. I really like the neighborhood school my children go to. They attend Oakridge Elementary School (Kindergarten and 2nd grade). We live in the Aurora Hills neighborhood. Pricey but we managed to find an affordable rental house. There are several houses for sale right around me. Moving to DC can be overwhelming.....So many choices to consider. We have lived here less than a year. Good luck with the move. Let me/the group know if you need anything else!! J.

renting or buying near Georgetown area near M And Wisconsin is a very good area and the schools are great.

Hi L.,

We live in the DC area & I'd highly recommend Takoma Park, MD or Silver Spring, MD. The schools are good and the neighborhoods are full of kids & kid-friendly activities. We live in Takoma Park -- there are a bunch of listservs for families, tons of playgroups throughout the week and even a babysitting co-op. We have 2 kids under 3 & I'm at home most days. Email me if you'd like more info!: ____@____.com luck w/ your move!

J.

The law school, as you probably know is near Capitol Hill, not Georgetown, and is on the red line Metro. If your husband will be subway riding, then areas on the red line in Maryland might be easier - Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Rockville -- all are in Montgomery County, MD and good schools abound. The rule is the farther out you are, the cheaper the rentals, etc. I happen to live in Falls Church -- that and Arlington and Fairfax are all on the Orange line -- a quick switch of metro lines -- also get you very good schools (Arlington & Fairfax Cty schools) here. I am a Fairfax Cty school teacher and can vouch there are few bad schools or neighborhoods in any of those 3 counties. It depends upon whether you want and urban or suburban feel and how much you can afford to pay. (urban & more liberal-Takoma Park, Arlington) others more suburban feel....

Hi!

We moved to the DC area in the summer b/c my husband is Navy. I live in Silver Spring, MD. I love the neighborhood where I live...it's very diverse, the elementary school is great, and we are a 10 minute wlak to the Forest Glen metro stop. Montgomery County schools are some of the best in the country. While we are renting here, many of my neighbors own their homes, all have young children, and there is a mix of working and SAHMs. I live in McKenny Hills and some ladies in my playgroup live in Woodmoor near Four Corners. It's a great family environment and the diversity here is outstanding. Another great feature of this area is all the parks around here. The county offers lots of resources and activities.

I hope this gives you another spin on the area...a non-Arlington point of view. :) Also, I used this website to reserach schools for my 3rd grader. http://www.greatschools.net/
It was important for me to find a great school, a safe neighborhood and proximity to DC and I was able to do so using this website (I eliminated houses according to the schools ranking and reviews).

Best,
V.

Arlington, VA is just across the water from Washington, DC. There are great schools, parks and bike paths and very family friendly. You can rent a house in the area and get back and forth to DC with little problems. I moved to the area three years ago and love it.

Good luck with the move! - A

Hi L.,

Be prepared for culture shock! I also have a family of 5 and live in Twinbrook/Rockville/zip code 20851 - Montgomery County, MD - one mile from the metro, lots of SAHMS, tons to do in Rockville, DC, and all the surrounding areas.

Single family homes rent for about $1700-2500 in the area but if you're aiming to buy, there are a lot of 4-5 bedroom homes under short sale contract for $300,000. Go to homesdatabase.com and you can find listings of homes in DC, MD and VA.

Montgomery County in MD, Fairfax County and Arlington County in Virginia - all the schools are fantastic - top rated in the nation.

Good luck!

All my best,
M.

Hi L. and welcome to DC. My name is D. and we live in McLean,VA. We are about 8 miles from DC which you can easily drive or bike to, but you can also metro in from either the East or West Falls Church metro station to the Rosslyn Station. Arlington is probably a little pricier than McLean but the neighborhoods and schools are great. I have 4 kids (2 in school) and there is a lot for kids to do in the area. We moved here 11 years ago from CA/UT and found the living here is quite expensive but love it so much that we have no desire to ever leave! Hope this helps! Good luck!

I a ma member of mamsource and i happen to be a real estae agent here in Washington DC. I would be happy to assist in getting any information that would make your transistion alot smoother. Let me know what your specific needs are and i will do the footwaork for you. They have a lot of incintives t buy here since the market is so slow. let me know the details and I will get on the job. My email address is ____@____.com forward to hearing from you tell me how i can help.

La Dorsa

Congrats on the new little one and the move. A lot going on! One source for you also is DC Urban moms. Google it and go to forums on the website. Lots of good info. For good schools, you likely want to not be in DC. For commute from GTown Law, I would recommend North Arlington. Really nice area with great schools, especially Taylor Elementary area. I like Bethesda area too, but a bit more of a commute (MD side) to DC. Schools are tops. Best of luck to you! (Mom of a 4 year old and a 2 year old in Bethesda)