https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 06 Aug 2026 22:24:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2689406 Mon, 30 Jan 2017 21:24:56 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2689406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do enjoy it. We are about 1/2 mile from the metro station and bus station as well. There are lots of restaurants, bars, and stores in the area. We live directly on the train tracks and hear trains day and night, particularly the freight trains. Our building is nice, but I wish we were closer to a park. </p> <p>Getting into downtown DC takes about half an hour by metro. My commute is about 45 minutes, but I am going a little further into DC or into Virginia. Metro is having major maintenance issues and it has made the commute worse at times. You can easily get to most places by metro and the rest by bus. However, a car makes getting some places a lot easier and definitely much faster if leaving downtown Silver Spring and not going to downtown DC. We use it mostly to get to the doctor's office. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2688841 Sun, 29 Jan 2017 23:08:44 +0000 hellobear 2688841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Toad: hi! bumping.. how do you like living in silver spring? is it easy to metro into dc? we are thinking of moving there for DH job and we are used to living in an area where i don't have to drive.. TIA! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639853 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 17:23:15 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2639853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@britindc: I live in Silver Spring, on the opposite side of the red line. I still don't know much about the area, but I am in the walkable downtown area of Silver Spring. </p> <p>I will say that Montgomery county (Bathesda, Silver Spring and the general area) do have drop in play at some of the community centers. We have several in our area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639846 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:36:54 +0000 MaryM 2639846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@britindc: For groups, you might check out Meetup.com. I'm more familiar with stuff in VA so I'm not sure if there's as much in DC or not, but it's worth a shot. </p> <p>@nana87: mentioned Brookland and I thought I'd add that there are a TON of townhouses being built in that area if you're looking for more space and not so much of a city feel. But the metro from Brookland to AU is pretty far (about a half hour, and the redline is notoriously delayed).</p> <p>But it is a nice area if you find Tenleytown to be a little more pricey than you'd prefer. There's been a lot of development lately so there is a lot more to do and more options for places to live, but the prices aren't quite as high yet as the Northwest area of town (i don't think...it's all changing super fast!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639829 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:44:32 +0000 britindc 2639829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is maybe a stupid question - or perhaps I should start a new post - but do drop in play sessions for parents and toddlers / preschoolers exist in somewhere like DC? In England playgroups (nominal charge, couple of hours each week, usually in a church, but non-religious, parents stay with children) are really common, but I can't find something similar by googling. But maybe I'm searching the wrong terms.<br /> Or are there other options popular with SAHM? Some kind of cheap-ish music / dance / art groups? I'm assuming I won't be able to continue my freelance work whilst we're in the US and so will be providing full time childcare, which will also take a bit of getting used to for all of us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639824 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:35:40 +0000 britindc 2639824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: thanks for the reassurance - my husband is working at AU part of the time, so would be convenient for that too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639822 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:34:03 +0000 britindc 2639822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: Interesting, thanks - hadn't considered there but is closer than I thought. Will look into it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639766 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:47:42 +0000 MrsSCB 2639766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not IN DC but I grew up in Arlington, VA, and loved it. Very family friendly, great schools. A lot of my classmates still live there now and are starting their own families :-) DH and I will likely move there within a few years (currently in TX). Easy commute, too, both my parents worked in DC. One thing I liked about it is it's a pretty small county, so you got a bit of a town feel but within a very short drive of a big city. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639745 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:32:13 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 2639745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@britindc: I echo everything PPs have said. Tenleytown is great. I went to college there (AU) and loved the neighborhood. It's very residential and quiet but offers very easy access to downtown/monuments/Smithsonian etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639732 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:18:28 +0000 britindc 2639732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: Thanks so much, that's all really helpful detail and confirms what we were thinking pretty much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639728 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:17:14 +0000 britindc 2639728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: Thanks! Exciting but also slightly terrifying - I'm out of practise at big city living, and the kids have zero experience of it. But it will be all work out great once we're settled I'm sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639725 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:14:56 +0000 britindc 2639725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Dolphin: Thank you! And exciting to (virtually) meet someone in the general area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639599 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 10:11:58 +0000 nana87 2639599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used to live in DC and lived near Tenleytown in the Vaughn Place/Mclean Gardens apartment complex (we lived in a townhouse but there's also a highrise; we had a 1 bedroom but there are 2 bedrooms as well) and really liked it! Those would be cheaper than a house, but are very nice, and there were definitely some kids living there. Plus, for commuting downtown, there was an express bus during rush hour that got me to my office in like 15 mins! Or there are tons of buses that run up and down Wisconsin to Tenleytown (I think it's like a 10 min walk to either Cleveland Park or Tenleytown metros). There's a recently renovated playground too that's amazing that we just went to on a recent visit back. Anywhere near there, off Wisconsin, Connecticut, or Mass Ave--AU area/Cathedral, Cleveland Park, Glover Park, Woodley Park, etc--is very nice. If you go a bit further east to like Mt Pleasant, it's also a lovely neighborhood. I think if we were moving back, we'd try to find something around there. The (free!) zoo is closeby, too!</p> <p>Downtown DC is very business-like--I wouldn't want to have a kiddo quite that far into town. I also have lived in Dupont and Logan Circles, and loved it, but it's a lot more expensive, most people I know who've had kids have moved further away from downtown. My friends who live in DC who have had kids are pretty spread out--inside DC, some are in Brookland or Mt. Pleasant. Outside the city, we know families in Arlington or Rockville. Bethesda is also really nice. Dh grew up in Potomac, but personally I wouldn't want to live that far out--I prefer a walkable neighborhood. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639591 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 09:55:33 +0000 youboots 2639591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice on DC but I wants to welcome you to HB. What an exciting change you have coming. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639589 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 09:49:34 +0000 Mrs. Dolphin 2639589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Tenleytown is a great area! If you're willing to commute a bit, the Bethesda/North Bethesda is really great too. We live in North Bethesda (Grosvenor metro stop, same line as Tenleytown and just four stops away) and there are tons of great parks in the area. and lots of children. Grosvenor isn't the most walkable area for what you're looking for, but Bethesda is (and just two stops away), as is Friendship Heights and Tenleytown. If you're close to the Friendship Heights metro, there's a good library there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-friendly-area-in-washington-dc#post-2639581 Thu, 20 Oct 2016 09:27:33 +0000 britindc 2639581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are moving to Washington DC from a small town in England from February - June 2017 and are looking for advice about a family-friendly neighbourhood to live in. We're considering Tenleytown or nearby as my partner will be based there for work for part of the time (also Downtown DC) - and we'd like to minimise his commute.</p> <p>I'll be looking after our 4 yo and 2 yo - we'd like to be walking distance to a playground and a community where there are children's activities and classes or groups. </p> <p>Any recommendations for a good area to be based in, groups that we might be able to join - and also how to make contact with stay at home parents and children of a similar age would be very welcome - I know the kids and I are going to miss our local friends a lot.</p> <p>Thank you! </p>