Well, looks like I’m moving to DC, the pentagon actually, as opposed to Tampa (apparently I’m not very lucky).
Where (perhaps N. Virginia) can I get a house (preferably four bedroom) in an area with good Jr High schools and elementary schools for about $2000 to 2500? What will the commute be like (I’ve heard nothing but horror stories, but I’m from Chicago and I’ve spent the hour to travel 10 miles)? How are utility costs?
thanks for your help
DC-area school systems: Fairfax, Montgomery, Falls Church, Calvert - mostly good; DC, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel - mostly bad. There are variations within each county, of course. Fairfax, Montgomery, and Falls Church are expensive places to live, though. Out my way in Calvert, it’s nice and homes are affordable, but it’s a bit of a drive to everything.
Two possibilities:
Welcome to the mid-atlantic! You’ll be an MAD!
living in No VA will put you physically closer to work, but if you plan on driving it’ll be a pain in the ass. Fortunately the metro and rail commuter services are pretty damn good, so consider that when you look for a place. I commute into DC from just outside of Baltimore, and it’s far, far less stressful than driving. I would say as far as good school systems, Fairfax, Montgomery and Howard are all pretty darn good for the most part. I don’t know NOVA as well as MD, so I can’t comment on the other counties. Welcome to the area!
Utility costs seem pretty reasonable around here, except when the cost of natural gas was hiked for a while following 9/11.
I believe here are the rankings of local public school systems…
Anyways, where will you be working? Are you willing to take public transit? Do you want/need a big yard?
Also to clarify, did you mean a house between 200k and 250k, or for $2000 to $2500 monthly in rent?
I feel like an idiot asking where you are working as it was stated in the OP. :smack: :o
RTFirefly writes:
> DC-area school systems: Fairfax, Montgomery, Falls Church,
> Calvert - mostly good; DC, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel -
> mostly bad.
I disagree here. Compared to most schools in the U.S., the vast majority of the schools in the D.C. area are above average. There’s a lot of variance though. Some of the public schools are the sort of highly competitive places with nearly everyone going on to college that you would expect in a well-off suburb, while some of them are the sort of mediocre places you would expect in a less-well-off inner-city neighborhood or suburb.
If you’re working at The Pentagon, mass transit is the only rational way to get to work every day. There’s a Metrorail stop right there, and the Pentagon serves as a hub for a lot of the Metrobus routes, so driving there is just nuts, unless you’re working at weird times (like very late at night, or the graveyard shift). So, whenever you’re considering any particular housing location, ask about the availability of commuter bus and rail service.
I’ll just offer my condolences.
Ignore him. Stick with us MADs.
For that sort of price you can probably get a house in the upper 200s. That sounds like a lot but it’s not around here. It’ll put you in a good 3-4 bedroom place though.
I concur that getting to the Pentagon makes no sense other than by train.
Good luck to you! Tell us when you arrive and we’ll throw a welcoming Dopefest for you.
Right kids?
I agree totally for the mass transit -
I live almost dead center of DC [Columbia Heights], and I commute to Anne Arundel County Public Schools where I teach [thanks for the endorsement, btw…]. The reverse commute is nice, but the commute intown can be a bitch. Live by a metro, and you can walk and ride the train or bus [Pentagon is THE busbarn].
I spent some time yesterday on the mall watching my fiancee play frisbee, and there were people playing league and pickup games all over the place in the backdrop of the washington monument. I love this town.
Good luck!
And since I see some unidentified MADs here…
If the OP is asking ab0ut rent (or mortgage) in that range I’d recommend fairfax/burke as a place to live. If it’s for a house price you might find something in that rage in this area. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you’ve got questions, but put SDMB in the header or I won’t get it.
We’re about 15 - 20 minutes from downtown on a good traffic day, 10 minutes to metro and I live less than 3 miles from the commuter rail station.
I live in a four bedroom/3.5 bath townhouse in North Arlington with a backyard and parking for $1800 a month. The house is 6 blocks to the metro. I have a car but never use it. The schools in North Arlington are very good. The commute to the Pentagon is a breeze from where I live because route 110 is so darn close.
Silver Spring is nice. 
You should be able to find rental housing (townhouse or detached house) somewhere in Fairfax or Arlington Counties for that figure. If you’re talking 200K to purchase - that’ll buy you a condo close in, a townhouse outside the Beltway, and a detached house 30+ miles away. Really.
Schools: Avoid the District of Columbia unless you can afford private school. Prince George’s County (Maryland) is likewise best avoided for schooling purposes. Not that there aren’t good examples in both places, but you’re not playing the odds. The other localities (Fairfax County (VA), Montgomery County (MD), Arlington County (VA) and Falls Church (VA) all have decent schools.
Commuting: Metro is excellent, especially to the Pentagon - which is a major commuter hub (zillions of busses go there also). And there’s the unique-to-DC phenomenon, the slug line. If you live along / near 95 / 395 in Fairfax County or Prince William County (the next one south), basically you go to prearranged places and get into cars with total strangers who want to get passengers so they can take the carpool lanes. Seriously. Check out www.slug-lines.com or www.slugvirginia.com. The Pentagon is a major terminus of the slugline.
Yeah my friend just bought a one bedroom one bathroom condo in North Arlington for 175k. Seriously.
I live in the District and while I would love to entice more people to move in to the city the lack of quality public schools is a deterrent. Your commute would be a breeze though. I would look in Arlington or Alexandria. You want to avoid 66 if at all possible given your commute with the traffic.
I would shy away from the Maryland suburbs. Silver Spring is a nice place to live with good schools, but transportation will be very difficult. If you can afford a private school some of the neighborhoods in the District might be a good bet.
I agree with dantheman and fruitbat on the general goodness of Silver Spring. 
Housing is expensive, though!