information on moving to DC area please (Silver Spring, Frederick: fit in, house)

[pjairtraffic]

Hi there,

We are moving to the DC area. I have done a lot of internet searching of the area and I am looking for some opinions on the surrounding areas.

I have two children. One 6th grade and already in Middle School here in CA. One in 4th grade and in Special Ed for speech/language and learning difficulties. I am looking for a diverse and also decent public school system.

I would prefer to be in an area that is close to water. Alexandria and Woodbridge look like they both have nice areas along the Potomac, but I am open still to looking around.

Also, does anybody know what VA/MD areas have a very good youth soccer club? My 11 yo son has been playing travel soccer for quite a few years and this will be very important to him. He is very resistent to the move and I'm hoping that a good club will help the transition. He also plays indoor soccer.

My husband will be commuting into DC. We figured a maximum of 45 minutes on the train.

We are looking to probably spend $400K - $650K on housing.

I'm sure there are many different opinions, but would love some feedback from people that have lived or are currently living in the area.

Thank you!

[North Beach Person]

Look in Calvert County, MD or St. Mary's County, MD. Water (Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River and the Potomac River in St. Mary's), good school systems (Calvert is better). Much will depend on the location of your job. Both Counties are fairly rural.

[pjairtraffic]

Thank you North Beach Person!

[wells1999]

Alexandria is a bit tricky. Part of it --- old town/ king street metro is very high end and expensive, and part of it is not desirable area.

If you wanna be close to water, I would suggest Lakelands in Gaithersburg, MD. Quince Orchard HIgh School is very good, but I don't know about Special Ed though. The whole area is very nice and safe. Check their community newsletter so that you can have a feel. It has several beautiful lakes (and that's why it's called Lakelands )
Lakelands - - Lakelands Leader

But the house price there is quite expensive. It's about 10 minutes drive from Shady Grove metro station which is the last stop on metro Red Line. If your work place is on red line, then you might want to consider it. The zip code for it is 20878.

The adjoining neighborhood is called Kentlands which is also very nice and expensive. The two neighborhoods share same shops, market square, and activities.

Welcome to DC and good luck!

[jayman1981]

I would Suggest Silver Spring and Rockville. Do you know what general area your spouse will be working in? Gaithersburg is quite far, plus your budget should be able to get you into the areas listed. There both in Montgomery County. At least with Silver Spring your two stops away from being in D.C.

[stpickrell]

1. Not sure if any parts of the area are "better" for travel soccer than the others.
2. Are you going to work too or are you planning to be a SAHM?
3. If you're willing to live near a MARC or VRE line and accept maybe a 75 minute commute, you can get some decent prices on 1-10 acre *waterfront* lots far out ... of course you need a place to live in the 1-2 years it takes your home to get built though. The total cost ($325k for land and maybe $250k for home) will fit in your range.
4. With that said: Here's where I would look if being within 5-10 minutes of a waterfront is of utmost importance to you ... Brunswick MD/Lovettsville VA and Stafford/Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania (VA). Southern Maryland (CAlvert/St. Mary's) doesn't have a MARC train line. Annapolis/Anne Arundel may be worth a look but it may be out of your price range.