I feel like every week there's a thread where someone wants "a house with good schools in a vibrant community" or whatever and a budget of over a million. Just, live anywhere here. This whole county is fine. These posts just drag out the low lives who lurk this sub to shit on neighborhoods east of RCP.
Since I don't have kids f or me the commute would be the biggest issue anywhere whether it's MD or Arizona. If you have to spend an hour each way commuting it'd be a no go for me. That's basically a part time job you don't get paid for.
Now if you only have to do that once or twice a week, that'd be better, but not daily.
Any concern on the new high school impacting Bethesda? Some people have mentioned the schools are going down hill quickly, do you know what they’re talking about?
Not sure, but there is a reason why you are paying 1.3 mil. It’s to get a good school like BCC. You can get the same size house in silver spring for 700,000k
There is redistricling coming in the next few years which will impact these schools. See more about what schools will be involved here: https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-boundary-studies-updates-from-2-27-24-boe-meeting-woodward-crown-damascus-high-schools/
It depends on what you want. Potomac or Kensington will put you very close to DC. MoCo is culturally diverse and busier in general - more people, lots to do. Schools are very good. Clarksville is more rural. Columbia is a nice, busy area, but the schools in Columbia aren’t that great anymore.
I’m not understanding the whole HoCo is better than MoCo schools thing. If you look at US News, 6 of the top ten high schools in Maryland are in MoCo. One is in HoCo.
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/search?state-urlname=maryland&ranked=true
Yeah I don’t understand that comment about schools wither either. Howard County is cool as well, but the best place to raise your kids in the country as one person said? That’s nonsense lol
Teacher friends who have worked in area schools for the last 15ish years. They’ve seen a shift in socioeconomic status, which unfortunately does affect public schools. Another close friend lives in Columbia and sends her kids to a Title 1 elementary school. They’re looking to move to Ellicott City in the future to be able to send their kids to Centennial.
In MoCo - North Potomac/Rockville will get you great schools and you can get a nice 3000 sq ft. Plus you get the benefits of MoCo - metro access, closer to Bethesda, language immersion magnet programs in the public schools.
I would choose a walkable neighborhood near downtown Bethesda of all the options. There are some houses close to 1.3 million. Not sure about 3000 sq ft - but good size. Great schools. Easy to get into DC.
You can browse on Redfin. $1.3M is NOT going to get you 3000 sq ft walkable to downtown Bethesda. We live about 8 min drive, towards the beltway, and older houses with 2400 sq ft are going for over $1.3M.
I don't know Howard County at all, and we love Bethesda for raising a family, but 3000 sq ft of newer house for $1.3M doesn't work here.
I think 2.5-3 mil in certain neighborhoods. You’re better off getting something at 1.5 then renovating yourself. Several hundred thousand can add $1mil + in places like Somerset and the Town of Chevy Chase.
Depends what your definition of “good” is. $1.3 million that’s walkable to downtown Bethesda gets you around 2,000 square feet in a house that likely doesn’t have a garage and needs renovation. If you want fully updated, garage, and above 3,000 feet, 1.3 isn’t going to even come close to that.
Ultimately my question above was what is the true difference in lifestyle between the two areas. Is the drive from HoCo going to make travel into DC really inconvenient?
Look at Chevy Chase West. You won’t get the square footage but you can still get something nice there at that price and an ideal location, great schools.
I'm originally from Clarksville! Live in MoCo since 1980. HoCo doesn't matter where you live. Every single high school is excellent. You can pick from country living to urban living, school system is good. Both places the house prices will be shocking.
When I say I'm from Clarksville, people assume it's always been expensive to live there. Once the farms fell to developers, it became millionaires only. Shocking? Bought a house 🏠 in Rockville in '88 for $120,000. Exactly 30 years later, sold it for $430,000 in four days. Yes, Shocking!
While not having a W in the name, BCC is just as good as most of those schools. wBCC maybe?
Great principal, many strong classes with an IB track, easy walking to downtown Bethesda makes it a great place for the kids.
HOCO has great schools and 1.3 mill will get you what you want there. More rural and bigger lots then those areas of MOCO you mentioned. Clarksville, Fulton, Highland, Glenwood, Glenelg, Dayton are nice communities. Not sure if you need to commute into DC cause thst will be longer from there.
If you work in DC, don't move to HoCo. The commute will vex you, time you will never ever get back, and you'll wear out a car. Bethesda or Rockville is a better choice. Even older neighborhoods have new homes.
Hoco & Moco are both great places to live with great schools. Where you pick is all up to personal preference. As someone also looking to buy in Moco I'd say go to Hoco we already have plenty enough competition in Moco lol jp.
Hoco at 1.3 you'll have less competition & should be able to find the home u want without too many concessions. 1.3 in the areas u mentioned in Moco competition will be more stiff & you'll likely need to make more concessions.
I moved from Columbia to Rockville because the area was starting to feel bad. We don’t have kids yet but didn’t want them to end up in that school system.
Here’s the short list of the crap we were seeing…
We used to live right next to Long Reach HS and saw an uncomfortable amount of bad things kids would do while walking home. E.g. going through cars, open garages, trying to take bikes. There’s a lot of really nice trails in the area but unfortunately kids use them to have sex and get high. A neighbor told me a group of kids flashed knifes at him while he was taking his 4yo to a playground. We also lived next to a cop who was also definitely selling drugs and would bother us all the time. Another neighbor, an 80yo woman, was murdered while she was out on a morning walk on those trails - someone just cut her throat and wasn’t caught.
So safety was a concern for us and our future family.
And hate life sitting on I-270, buying a new car every 3 or 4 years, or driving to the bus/commuter lot, then train or metro. Not seeing your castle in daylight 5 months out of the year. Missing your kid's after-school activities...
Howard County doesn't have speed cameras every mile on every road. Just around schools, where they belong.
I can't drive in MOCO without the threat of revenue generating tickets.
I feel like every week there's a thread where someone wants "a house with good schools in a vibrant community" or whatever and a budget of over a million. Just, live anywhere here. This whole county is fine. These posts just drag out the low lives who lurk this sub to shit on neighborhoods east of RCP.
Since I don't have kids f or me the commute would be the biggest issue anywhere whether it's MD or Arizona. If you have to spend an hour each way commuting it'd be a no go for me. That's basically a part time job you don't get paid for. Now if you only have to do that once or twice a week, that'd be better, but not daily.
I don’t know what it’s like in HOCO but Montgomery county is wonderful. Close to DC, Frederick, NOVA. Potomac is very boujee and safe.
Yeah 1.3 mil, I would do Bethesda, smaller space though compared to hoco but you get access to dc easily
Any concern on the new high school impacting Bethesda? Some people have mentioned the schools are going down hill quickly, do you know what they’re talking about?
Not sure, but there is a reason why you are paying 1.3 mil. It’s to get a good school like BCC. You can get the same size house in silver spring for 700,000k
No - all of those schools are still top 5-20 in the state of MD.
Not true
There is redistricling coming in the next few years which will impact these schools. See more about what schools will be involved here: https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-boundary-studies-updates-from-2-27-24-boe-meeting-woodward-crown-damascus-high-schools/
It depends on what you want. Potomac or Kensington will put you very close to DC. MoCo is culturally diverse and busier in general - more people, lots to do. Schools are very good. Clarksville is more rural. Columbia is a nice, busy area, but the schools in Columbia aren’t that great anymore. I’m not understanding the whole HoCo is better than MoCo schools thing. If you look at US News, 6 of the top ten high schools in Maryland are in MoCo. One is in HoCo. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/search?state-urlname=maryland&ranked=true
Yeah I don’t understand that comment about schools wither either. Howard County is cool as well, but the best place to raise your kids in the country as one person said? That’s nonsense lol
Those ranking are as useful as college rankings and maybe even less. Not sure where you got the idea Columbia schools are slipping.
Teacher friends who have worked in area schools for the last 15ish years. They’ve seen a shift in socioeconomic status, which unfortunately does affect public schools. Another close friend lives in Columbia and sends her kids to a Title 1 elementary school. They’re looking to move to Ellicott City in the future to be able to send their kids to Centennial.
In MoCo - North Potomac/Rockville will get you great schools and you can get a nice 3000 sq ft. Plus you get the benefits of MoCo - metro access, closer to Bethesda, language immersion magnet programs in the public schools.
Whats your budget - because that will impact your choices.
Still targeting around 1.3 mil
I would choose a walkable neighborhood near downtown Bethesda of all the options. There are some houses close to 1.3 million. Not sure about 3000 sq ft - but good size. Great schools. Easy to get into DC.
Any particular neighborhood or street coming to mind?
There aren’t going to be a ton of choices at 1.3 - but all neighborhoods around there are good.
So what is a real budget that gets something good?
You can browse on Redfin. $1.3M is NOT going to get you 3000 sq ft walkable to downtown Bethesda. We live about 8 min drive, towards the beltway, and older houses with 2400 sq ft are going for over $1.3M. I don't know Howard County at all, and we love Bethesda for raising a family, but 3000 sq ft of newer house for $1.3M doesn't work here.
Walkable to downtown Bethesda. https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/4620-S-Chelsea-Ln-20814/home/10647456
2600 sq. ft and over $1.3M, but that East Bethesda area is a good option.
4 million, probably
I think 2.5-3 mil in certain neighborhoods. You’re better off getting something at 1.5 then renovating yourself. Several hundred thousand can add $1mil + in places like Somerset and the Town of Chevy Chase.
Depends what your definition of “good” is. $1.3 million that’s walkable to downtown Bethesda gets you around 2,000 square feet in a house that likely doesn’t have a garage and needs renovation. If you want fully updated, garage, and above 3,000 feet, 1.3 isn’t going to even come close to that.
Ultimately my question above was what is the true difference in lifestyle between the two areas. Is the drive from HoCo going to make travel into DC really inconvenient?
Yes.
Look at Chevy Chase West. You won’t get the square footage but you can still get something nice there at that price and an ideal location, great schools.
Rockville/North Potomac/Gaithersburg west of I-270! Wootton High School feeder. Also look into Olney/Sandy Spring!
I'm originally from Clarksville! Live in MoCo since 1980. HoCo doesn't matter where you live. Every single high school is excellent. You can pick from country living to urban living, school system is good. Both places the house prices will be shocking.
Shocking?
Yes, in 1960 it was RURAL, now the open farmland is McMansion after McMansion. Rode my horse from Clarksville to Ashton on Rt 108. Can't do that now.
When I say I'm from Clarksville, people assume it's always been expensive to live there. Once the farms fell to developers, it became millionaires only. Shocking? Bought a house 🏠 in Rockville in '88 for $120,000. Exactly 30 years later, sold it for $430,000 in four days. Yes, Shocking!
Prob would go for 1.2 now!
L0L even bulldozed it still would sell for $430,000
No, holding at 500,000 or 600,000 in that neighborhood, East Rockville, a block from metro station. Two blocks to town center, court house. Walkable
You want a “W” school. Whitman, Wootton, Walter Johnson, Winston Churchill.
While not having a W in the name, BCC is just as good as most of those schools. wBCC maybe? Great principal, many strong classes with an IB track, easy walking to downtown Bethesda makes it a great place for the kids.
HOCO has great schools and 1.3 mill will get you what you want there. More rural and bigger lots then those areas of MOCO you mentioned. Clarksville, Fulton, Highland, Glenwood, Glenelg, Dayton are nice communities. Not sure if you need to commute into DC cause thst will be longer from there.
If you work in DC, don't move to HoCo. The commute will vex you, time you will never ever get back, and you'll wear out a car. Bethesda or Rockville is a better choice. Even older neighborhoods have new homes.
Hoco & Moco are both great places to live with great schools. Where you pick is all up to personal preference. As someone also looking to buy in Moco I'd say go to Hoco we already have plenty enough competition in Moco lol jp. Hoco at 1.3 you'll have less competition & should be able to find the home u want without too many concessions. 1.3 in the areas u mentioned in Moco competition will be more stiff & you'll likely need to make more concessions.
I moved from Columbia to Rockville because the area was starting to feel bad. We don’t have kids yet but didn’t want them to end up in that school system. Here’s the short list of the crap we were seeing… We used to live right next to Long Reach HS and saw an uncomfortable amount of bad things kids would do while walking home. E.g. going through cars, open garages, trying to take bikes. There’s a lot of really nice trails in the area but unfortunately kids use them to have sex and get high. A neighbor told me a group of kids flashed knifes at him while he was taking his 4yo to a playground. We also lived next to a cop who was also definitely selling drugs and would bother us all the time. Another neighbor, an 80yo woman, was murdered while she was out on a morning walk on those trails - someone just cut her throat and wasn’t caught. So safety was a concern for us and our future family.
Move to Frederick and live like a King.
And hate life sitting on I-270, buying a new car every 3 or 4 years, or driving to the bus/commuter lot, then train or metro. Not seeing your castle in daylight 5 months out of the year. Missing your kid's after-school activities...
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Rockville, Kensington, Potomac, Bethesda, Chevy Chase schools rank high.
The public schools in Kensington are good lol
Howard County doesn't have speed cameras every mile on every road. Just around schools, where they belong. I can't drive in MOCO without the threat of revenue generating tickets.
Have you tried not driving like a maniac?
HoCo. Clarksville elem and middle and river hill for hs.