I think you need to look at a couple of things.

In terms of housing DC isn;t bad for a major city - but will definitely be more than most smaller towns or suburbs.

Second, living IN DC schools are often not the best.

Many people live in the suburbs to get better schools and less expensive housing - but then you need to deal with that daily commute.

People may be able to provide better advice if you give a housing budget and what you are looking for ( a 2 bedroom apt - or a whole house?)

And basically, good, convenient and inexpensive do not go together. Pick any two and you'll have to give on the other one.

I know a few friends who live in Alexandria but work in DC. The public transportation is excellent and much better than driving into the city.

Nyt, have you seen rents within the District lately? They're very very high. $2000 for a 500-sf studio in a new building in a good neighborhood.

Example:

http://www.archstoneapartments.com/Apartments/District_of_Columbia/Washington_DC_Area/Archstone_First_and_M/floorplans.htm

Nytraveler is correct--it's going to be difficult (if not nearly impossible) to get all 3 of your wishes--great schools, easy commute, reasonable housing--in D.C. or the suburbs. You'll probably have to settle for only 1 or 2 of those.

The public schools in Northern Virginia are excellent, and most of the close-in Maryland suburban school systems are as well. I would rule out living in DC proper if I had two kids partly because housing costs are sky-high and partly because public school quality is spotty.

I suggest familiarizing yourself with a Metro map, ideally the kind that has the Metro lines superimposed on a more detailed map showing the various counties and cities. Plot the hospital on the map and then see which Metro line(s) would be most convenient to take there. It would be best to take Metro only, but many, many people commute to work using a train and bus combo; the closer you are to a Metro stop, the higher the rent, obviously, even out in the suburbs.

I encourage you not to give up, because the DC Metro area is a great place to live, and has lots of stable, relatively affordable communities within it. A big move is never easy, but you can do it!

"...great schools, easy commute and reasonable housing..."

Can you please be more specific?

Maximum door-to-door commute time you can live with?

Minimum square footage/rooms you can live with?

Maximum monthly rent you can live with?

Are private schools an option? At what budget? What age are your children?

My first suggestion would be something in the University Park Elemantary School district (which includes parts of Hyattsville). It's about a 20 minutes door to door in to Wash. Hosp. Center in rush hour traffic.

Another suggestion would be something in Historic Hyattsville (schools there are "good" not great but there are some excellent private school options right there. Again, about a 20 minute commute. Here's an idea of what $2000 gets you.

http://www.walkscore.com/apartments/details/42nd-ave-and-kennedy-st-hyattsville-md-20781

it's less than a 5 min. walk to Busboy & Poets, Yes! Organic Groceries, restaurants, shops, parks, river, etc.

Sorry - $2000 for a studio in a good building doesn't sound bad to me. In my (middle class, non-luxury) building a moderate size one bedroom is about $3500 per month.

And IMHO a cute little 3 BR house for $2000 is a drop dead bargain.

(But I know prices in other parts of the country re different. When I bought my first apartmentone of my clients - in Cincy bought a house at the same time. I paid about $5K more for a nice-sized one-bedroom in a prewar building in a gentrifying neighborhood than they did for a 4 BR, 4 Bath house with den and family room in a gated complex with tennis and pool.)

It's really not relevant, what one has payed elsewhere and at other times. We paid $900/mo for a large house with a pool in a small town in Arizona; we also paid about that much for a small house in Falls Church, VA back in the early 1990's.

bardo's suggestions are very good.

snore....yes,everything in NY is expensive. But most people do not consider DC to have affordable housing at those numbers no matter what your wallet affords.

The commute from the Maryland suburbs will be easier -- and I agree that I would avoid the DC school district. The NOVA districts are great as well. I lived in DC and NOVA for years, but will defer to the natives for advice on the schools.

I've moved around a lot and have learned that living in corporate housing or a short-term apartment while I figure out the lay of the land is usually a good plan for me. Good luck. You will love DC!

If you haven't already looked, suggest you check out www.city-data.com/ which will have much more current info and specific info about individual neighborhoods and their school districts. Not all NoVa school districts are brilliant.

"Easy commute" means different things to different people.


>>When I bought my first apartmentone of my clients - in Cincy bought a house at the same time. ....<<

When did this thread become about you?

Listen to Bardo because that person actually LIVES here. People from New York are obviously biased as to what is "reasonable" and they know absolutely nothing about suburban school issues.

Sorry to intrude - just pointing out that there are significant differences in average price points. We don;t know where the OP is from - and the prices mentioned may seem out of control to her.

Not intrusive but not particularly relevant. And a couple of your facts about the DC area are straight up wrong.

Agree that some of the statements are wrong re DC area. DC consistently ranks in the top 10 of most costly places to live. Not only is housing expensive, groceries and other items are also. If you cant afford private school, definitely look towards the burbs.

Unfortunately Washington Hospital Center is not on a metro line. To get there you would take the red line to CU/Brookland Station and I imagine take a bus from there. There maybe direct buses depending upon where u live. Montgomery Cty, MD has highly rated schools and MD will be a much easier commute than VA if u drive or take the metro/bus option.

Not up to date on schools in Silver Spring, MD, but that is an area u might want to check out. also Takoma Park, MD.

If you provide answers to the questions bardo posed u may get better info

obxgirl -

You may object to my injecting personal info if you wish - but there is nothing that I said that was wrong. All I did was point out that getting good quality, convenient and inexpensive is not realistic in DC. And I don't see that anyone has disagreed with me.

The only issue is that the OP hasn't provided any more info - so we don;t know what she thinks is good quality, convenient or inexpensive.

>>And I don't see that anyone has disagreed with me.<<

Really? Read more closely and stop being so busy comparing every damn thing in the universe to your bubbled perch. Or, wait, maybe that is your point.

DC is one of the most expensive metro areas in the US.

The close in suburbs are wildly variant in home prices (with some exceeding the District) as well as differing in public school quality.

You can post whatever you want.

When I was stationed in DC we lived in Cheverly, MD, in Prince Georges County. Back then it was a typical commuter drive...but now they have light rail. Look in that vicinity.

Try Arlington... lived in a very nice suburban (not new) housing area behind Pentagon City Mall...28th Street South, Arlington VA.

Could walk even in snow a couple of blocks to the upscale MAll from/in a very safe neighborhood. The Metro is in the basement of the MAll (which another poster said would get you close to the Washington Hospital but you would still have to take a bus.) My Metro station was on the Blue line, and stop was Pentagon City. There is a Costco there now, several hi rises look directly onto the Pentagon. We found this location the clsoest in with the best schools etc.

Pls be aware Washington Hospital is not in the best of areas. IF you are being recruited, ck on getting a cola adjustment or higher salary to adj for the not so great Wash Hosp location, transport fees, cost of living.

You might consider talking w/a real estate agent..even tho you aren't buying, they are a good resource for id-ing good living areas.

Here is a Metro Map link
http://www.wmata.com/rail/docs/colormap_lettersize.pdf

Thank you soo much everybody for your help.
Ok, I will be more specific :
kids are: 12 and 5 years old
Initially we will rent of course , to get to know better.,then at least 3 bedroom house .
Maximum rent - 2000 $
Commute 30 - 40 min.
Private schools are not option .
I've heard Montgomery county schools are very good .

nikolizi,

One suggestion -- I don't know where you're moving from, but it is common for people to use a realtor in DC even for rental properties. Rentals are listed in the MLS just as resales are and the landlord pays the fee. There are agents who specialize specifically in rentals. It may help to cut down on some of the running around and research.

I mention it because using an agent for a rental is not the norm in my current city.

That's helpful.

A few thoughts:

DC, even transitional neighborhoods, are outside of your budget.

You can still look for a rental that encompasses both the University Park Elem School and Hyattsville Middle School districts and hope your older one can test into an advanced placement high school like Elanor Roosevelt High in a few years (the area HS is not good). You can get a nice place in a great area for children at your budget. Any Hyattsville rental should be in the "City of Hyattsville" and not in the greater unincorporated area - preferably the old historic quarter.

You can expand search area to include Takoma Park or Silver Spring proper (not greater Silver Spring) in Montgomery County, about a 30-40 minute commute to WHC. Again, within budget but it will be an apartment and maybe a 2BR.

The best schools in Montgomery County will be in areas outside your housing price range and/or commute range. Some areas in Montgomery County within your commute, like Langley Park, have terrible schools and should not be considered.

There is nowhere outside the beltway within your commute time limits. This keeps it simple - keep your search inside the beltway.

A realtor is a good suggestion but do some research on your own (including school data). When you find a rental you want to look further at, do your "commute test" on Google maps AT THE EXPECTED TIME YOU WOULD BE DRIVING (say 8am and 5pm). It will give the driving time in "current traffic conditions".

that's 8am and 5pm EST in case you currently live further west...

completely agree with bardo's advice.

You have this post flagged for Washington STATE (you know the west coast).

suze

Here's a consideration that is somewhat different from what others are mentioning. Virginia has some of the best state universities in the US - University of Virginia, William and Mary and Virginia Tech as well as James Madison and George Mason. Depending on the age of your kids, you may want to consider living in the NoVA area so that, when the time comes, you can pay in-state tuition and your kids will get a first class college education. It could save you and them tens of thousands in tuition. (and I know Maryland has fine state universities too and I am biased as my daughter proudly attends VT, but Virginia just seems to have both depth and breadth when it comes to choices.)

Our DC locals are posting that Virginia is too far of a commute for her purposes.

University of Maryland is 14th in the country in computer science. It all depends on what her kids are gifted at and if they are young, it is probably too soon to know that. She can move the family to VA when they are in high school if it is worth the commute sacrifice.

The kids are 12 and 5. Maybe not too soon to be thinking about that for the 12 year old, definitely too soon for the 5-year old!

If you're considering college costs at this point, live in DC so u can get instate tuition at any state school.

In-state tuition, but out-of-state admission standards, so it's harder to get in. UMD is very good in many areas and it would be close to home.

I don't know about the areas further up the Red Line from Silver Spring, but they'd be worth checking out. Housing costs will be lower and there may be some good school districts up there. The other side of the Red Line has several good areas (Rockville, Gaithersburg), but the commute would be equivalent to Virginia.

As posted before Northern Virginia Arlington is not too far, is well inside the beltway and may be the closest reasonable choice for housing ear Washington Hosp Dc especially around 28th st south Arlington, VA as it is an older neighborhood behind the upscale Pentagon City Mall.

By the way there is a great open green park within walking distance 2 blocks away toward the Mall where kids play soccor, baseball or frisbee. Close to the great bike paths for Fall & Spring..some of teh best fun we had.

I would not discount Arlington as a possible place to live. Granted, the commute would be longer than from some locations in Maryland, but not appreciably so. (It looks like Metro from Pentagon City to the WHC would be around 45 minutes.)

Having lived in Arlington for over 25 years, I know it's a great place to live and raise a family. Having lived in South Arlington for all that time, I know there is decent housing with affordable rents in this area. And finally, having sent my kids to Arlington schools and worked in several Arlington schools, I know it's one of the top in the region, if not the entire nation.

Good luck with your search.

Thank you again, for your response .
I have checked Bethesda , really liked an area, I think ,it is close to WCH , very expensive though.
what do you think bardo?

not bardo. Bethesda is a great area in Montgomery County with excellent schools. Maybe you could find a rental in a very small house or two bedroom very small apt in your price range, but in general Bethesda is way out of your price range. It's about 8 miles by car to WHC and in traffic would take close to 45 minutes, about half hour in non rush hour. It's on the Redline metro but on the other side from the Brookland/CU station.

Take a look along the Rt 29 corridor between Columbia, MD and Silver Spring. That would give you a straight shot driving to WHC (without having to suffer the beltway) or to one of several free park and rides along the route where you could pick up a commuter bus to the Silver Spring station which is only a few stops from where you would have to switch to the bus to WHC. Driving time from Columbia, which is a great community with excellent Howard County Schools would be a 40-45 minute drive in good traffic. You should be able to find something in your price range there. An advantage of Columbia is that it is also under a half hour drive to Baltimore with all that city has to offer as well. Silver Spring which is much closer to WHC has been undergoing a transformation these past few years and is getting to be quite nice with lots of shops and restaurants. Housing there should also be within your price range.

I agree Bethesda is both well over budget and a bit over your max. commute time.

I would look at Silver Spring but inside the beltway. The chance of it being a 30-40 minute goes way down if it's outside the beltway and only gets worse the further out you go.

Right next to Silver Spring (and even closer to WHC) is Takoma Park. Also worth considering.

Bardo makes a good point - Silver Spring is spread out all over the place. What type of area do you like. Takoma Park, Silver Spring and Columbia are very different from one another. Takoma Park is an older city with lots of character. Of the three it is a city unto itself although with a fairly small population - it has a mayor and city council. Its politics is somewhat to the left of left so if you are a conservative, you may not like living there (some conservatives call it "The Peoples Republic of Takoma Park." As an older community it has character and has several art/craft/music and other festivals though the year. It is primarily residential with not much of a "downtown." Silver Spring is nearby and also an older community but IMO without the character of Takoma Park. Although spread out, it has a newly transformed downtown. The downtown area at one time was seedy, but no longer. We have several favorite restaurants there. There are still good housing values to be had in Silver Spring. Both Silver Spring and Takoma Park are on the metro red line - the former 3 stops from where you would have to change to a bus and the latter 2 stops. Driving into the WHC is a reasonable option from either place. Columbia is about a 25-30 minute drive north. It is a planned community and we chose Columbia for its high level life style with lots of green space, bike paths, pools, lakes, and many really good restaurants, shops, and as I mentioned above with Baltimore nearby, you get a "two-fer." For me, that outweighs the longer commute. Also, the new Inter County Connector toll road has taken some pressure off of Rt 29 so the drive to say, Silver Spring takes less time than before. On a weekend, from Columbia I can be at the Smithsonian in DC in well under 45 minutes, sometimes 35.
As I also mentioned above, there are Commuter buses leaving Columbia for the Silver Spring metro and then into DC. Another goes to Baltimore. All three of these possibilities have good schools. I should mention that another advantage of having a better proximity to Baltimore is that B'more has a number of major hospital centers as well, should the WHC not work out. Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland Medical Center come to mind. In fact, the DC metro area is loaded with first class medical centers - it is a good place to be a health professional.

Basingstoke has given a good description. I would just be careful to check the school districts esp the elementary schools in both SS and TP as some areas are better than others. I can't speak to Columbia in terms of its schools. Also there are parts of TP that are in Prince George's county. I would prefer the portions in Montgomery County as far as schools go.

I agree with yestravel about Prince Georges County. PG has a long history of corrupt county government, a questionable police force, mediocre schools and there are several gangs in the county. It does have some nice areas but overall there are better choices. Both Montgomery and Howard (where Columbia is located) counties are well known for their schools.

Washington, DC is not a good place for a single mother or really for any parents with school aged children unless they plan on private school or can afford to live in an upper north west neighborhood or neighborhoods along Connecticut and west of Connecticut. All of these neighborhoods are the most expensive for homes and apartments and frequently do not have metro (train) access so you will have to have a car or will only have buses to depend on. I, like others, suggest Takoma Park, Silver Spring - both in Maryland's Montgomery County which boasts some of the best schools in the nation. Housing is more affordable in these areas than other Montgomery County areas like Chevy Chase or Bethesda.

Another suggestion would be to check out Arlington (Clarendon, Courthouse, Ballston). I have friends who live in all of these Virginia areas and have very nice affordable apartments/condos and the school are also among the best in the nation.

Best of luck!

I have lived in NW DC, Arlington VA, Silver Spring , MD and Falls Church, VA. I would never live in PG County or SE DC - these are high poverty high crime areas. I agree about finding places close to metro - traffic is horrific and only getting worse.
Personally, I would live in No VA and commute. Schools are good. If you really want to save money on college - work for GW Hospital or Georgetown where they offer free tuition for children of employees.
Best of luck in your search.

I can't argue that No VA would be nice, both DD and DS live in Falls Church. The only drawback is that the commute on Metro from No VA would add a number of stops to the OP's commute and require a change at Metro Center. DS#2 has been living in Falls Church for 2 years and commutes daily to DC. When DD got a job in No VA last year we began helping her to find a suitable apartment there and searched and visited a number of the No VA towns named above, e.g., Arlington, Ballston etc. and found the rental values in Falls Church were easily the best and FC is a very nice community. Both DS and DD have leased 2 BR, 2 bath condos in up-scale buildings, convenient to Tyson's Cormer, for under $2000 INCLUDING utilities. I know that apartments are still available fo lease in those buildings and that the prices are stable. That price would barely get you a studio in Ballston in a comparable building.

Almost any Virginia location would be inconvenient for someone going every day to Washington Hospital Center (multiple changes on public transit, bridge traffic for solo driving). There are nice, safe communities in SE DC and PG county, but it will take time and effort to search them out.

What about Rockville ,thx

Rockville is on the red line so that is good but is a much longer ride to where you would have to get off - you loop all through DC. Rockville is also pretty spread out. From what I have seen, rents tend to be on the high side there - I work in Rockville and they just put up some new apartments accross from my office. A one bedroom is going for $1700, and a 2 for $2400. I think that is pretty average for Rockville. Your closest commute that would still give you the good Montgomery county schools and fit your budget would be Silver Spring or Takoma Park. BTW, in TP, the apartment buildings on Maple ave do not have a particularly good reputation - mixed at best- although they are very affordable for the area.

Rockville is a very nice suburb and has good schools. It's a huge expanse - the closer "in" toward the beltway the better. Near White Flint Mall is the furthest out I would consider. Rockville is probably too spendy in terms of rents for you (but DO research some Rockville apartments - you never know). And then there's commuting...

The commute into WHC from Rockville would be BRUTAL. The Metro is not a good option for getting to WHC from there - you would have to drive. That stretch of I-270 and the Beltway between I-270 and I-95 during rush hours is about the worst traffic in the DC area. Please do yourself and your family a favor and keep looking at places inside the beltway (both Montgomery & Prince Georges counties).

I agree with bardo about driving from Rockville to WHC, which is why I only mentioned public transportation. There are a few driving route options, none good. As far as the area around White Flint, if you do look there know that it is also referred to (particularly by real estate agents)as "North Bethesda." You may find some condo rentals at Grosvenor Towers that could be near your max price point. That is a decent place and an easy walk to the Grosvenor metro stop. One can often do better around here by leasing someone's condo rather than an apartment building.

Thank you

Again, u want to avoid PG county schools. good idea to check around the Grosvenor apt area. Across Rockville Pike is also Parkside apts. Sometimes you can get a good deal on a sublet from an owner.

yestravel,

Yes, GENERALLY SPEAKING and ON AVERAGE, schools in Mont. Country are better than those in Prince Georges. But you do a great disservice to simply discount the best schools in Prince George's and to use such a broad brush. The better schools in Prince Georges are all in the Northern part of the county, close to WHC. The same goes for DC - there are some (not most, granted) VERY good public schools in DC.

It would be a huge mistake if the OP ended up sending her children to a bad school in Montgomery County based on such a broad generalization. Not to mention living with a longer commute than may have been necessary had she done some homework.The best Prince Georges and DC schools are infinitely better than the worst Montgomery County schools.

Long story short: research each individual school of interest. Visit it, see the corridors during class changes, visit a classroom, walk the neighborhood, talk to the principal, go to a PTA meeting, etc.

Hmmm...grew up and raised kids in Dc area. friends now have kids in schools. Can't think of a school in PG county that I would send my kids or recommend sending a friends kid to. Perhaps there are a few good elementary schools, but certainly not HS. Same is true in Dc, some good elem schools and Alice Deal is a good middle school. school without Walls which is competitive to get into is a good DC HS. Wilson HS is a mixed bag.

and yes, of course one must research the school, visit etc as u suggest.

One can certainly learn a lot by visiting a school. But before even doing so you can do research online to get info on the school ratings (class size, teacher qualifications, ranking on std test, # of graduates and # of those going to 4 year colleges). This will help you weed out the obviously poor so you don't waste time with them.

PG County does have some good magnet schools. Eleanor Roosevelt HS is one and is quite good.

I live in Northern Va. I have friends in the Tantallon area of Fort Washington in Prince George's County. I don't know about the local schools (they don't have children), but the houses are roomy and the neighborhood is large and pretty. They have lived there for years, socialize with their neighbors, and love the place.

Shirlington, Ballston, South Arlington are great places to live that are not super expensive and the schools are excellent.

Have you asked the human resources dept. at the hospital for suggestions? They may be of some assistance; however, sounds like you've got a good group here that are very knowledgeable in the DC area.

Good luck -- I love that area; my brother-in-law lives in Alexandria.

I would agree with the posters above who say that your best bet for good schools, affordable housing and a reasonable commute would be Montgomery County, but eastern Montgomery, along the Route 29 corridor from Silver Spring up to Columbia in Howard County. Affordable housing and a reasonable commute are going to be very relative, though, commuting in DC is tough and housing is expensive. The VA schools are very good, especially Fairfax Co, but the commute over to WHC would be pretty difficult. Howard County, MD schools are very good, and the commute from southern Howard to that part of DC is generally not too bad.

As far as renting in DC goes, yes, new apartments in downtown DC and a few other hot neighborhoods is extremely expensive. There are a couple of apartment complexes around Catholic University, though, that are much more reasonable, and are very close to WHC. Here is one that is actually quite nice, and would be very close to your work:

http://www.thecloistersdc.com/The-Cloisters-Apartments.htm

3BR units are a little over $2,000, but it looks like they're offering a month free, which makes the effective rent below $2,000.

I live in Arlington County and I commuted into the District to my own hospital job for years. A LOT is going to depend on your own work hours and the route you use. My commute w3as easily less than 25 minutes when I had to be in the clinic early in the day.

You do NOT have to live in Montgomery County. What you might want to do is come DOWN here and spend a couple of days before making any final decisions about areas.

Dukey is right that, if you are within the Beltway, the commute around town is much easier, including from Virginia. I was mainly referring to a commute from Fairfax Co. being a problem. A location inside the Beltway, though, means a substantially higher housing cost and this is quite true in Arlington. I think the schools in Arlington are good, maybe less so in southern Arlington, but others will know more about those particulars than me. Taking some time to get to know some of the neighborhoods & how they stack up against your preferences is a good idea.