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Public schools in DC aren't all bad, but they're not great. It depends on which neighborhood you're in, and even then you may have a great elementary experience, but terrible middle and high school. My personal favorite area is Capitol Hill, but the schools are hit and miss with elementary being fairly okay across the board. Georgetown has decent schools. MoCo and NoVA have great school systems! But you're not going to have the best public transportation. We live in a small town in PG County. It gets a bad rep, but we actually really really like it! Our neighborhood is awesome, but the schools are "in transition."

The job market is competitive. So many Type A overachievers! If you have any contacts, start networking.

Really, we love living in the DC area. We've lived on the Hill and in PG, and have loved both for different reasons. We really don't see ourselves ever moving away.

I'll chime in from the NOVA (Northern Virginia) side! We don't drive. We were a two car family, and sole DH's car because public transportation is just that great. We are steps away from the metro station. We moved to DMV so that I could find a job (the legal market was awful in ATL), and my parents are here. I found a job 1 month after passing the bar here. A lot of it is right place right time. But, I still have friends looking for a job 2yrs post passing the bar. And there are so many government jobs available, and if you network (as in I would strike up conversations and tell random people in coffee shops I just graduated law school + looking for a job+ I have cute dogs to feed) and go from there.

We first moved to Silver Spring, and we HATED it. I'm not sure where you're from, but we moved from the south, and it was a major culture shock in that no one was friendly. Now, this is my opinion, but other people we met not from this area told us, "it's just the way it is." We decided to move to the NOVA side, and people are way friendlier. My husband works in Bethesda, but commutes 1hr and 5min from Alexandria via metro, and doesn't mind it one bit. We also paid stupid taxes in Montgomery County & MD that we have not had to pay here. Our dogs paid taxes in Moco (Montgomery County), yet there are no doggy bags throughout the city except for one spot in downtown Silver Spring, and to use the dog parks it's an extra $50 a year per dog. Lame. They already paid! You can't buy alcohol in grocery stores, which drove my husband mad. And the liquor stores in Moco are all owned by the county, which actually stifles competition but that's a whole different story.

We're looking to buy within the next 2yrs, and homes are so freaking expensive, we are planning our first home to be the home our kids start school in. So, we've been researching school districts. NOVA has some of the best public schools as does Montgomery County, MD. No one we know that lives in the district sends their kid to public school in the district. One friend is dc schoolteacher and it's so sad how they randomly close schools willy nilly as in in the middle of the school year, and only give the teachers one week notice that they won't have a job next week. And it wasn't a school full of violence or anything like that. They were under-staffed, and didn't have the resources. So, they bussed the kids elsewhere and fired the staff. So many people send their kids to private school in the district that it's almost as if there aren't enough talented kids left to attend the public schools in the district if that makes sense. I once asked why someone sends her daughter to private school in dc when i first moved here, and she said it's just what you do. You budget for it, and you do it. Interesting.

Back to the metro, having lived in both Silver Spring and Alexandria within the past year I can tell you my metro experience was the exact same for both of them. I have no problems getting to where I need to get to from Silver Spring or from Alexandria. And when I first moved here I was on a mission to find the best yoga studio in DC. So, I've been to 19 yoga studios alllll over the DMV ALL by train. And I'm not one to be riding the train for hours just to get to a yoga studio. I've found plenty of options for yoga, dinner, hair salons (shoutout Drybar), shopping, etc. We will be trying for our first in a few months, and plan to continue being a "we don't drive" family. We're confident this won't be a problem as it hasn't been so far. Mind you, we do own a car for those rare occasions however!

Many of our friends live in the district. A few live in Georgetown which is ubber expensive, but oh so cute. Old Town Alexandria (where we may or may not live-in case a killer is reading this) used to be part of the district so it looks like Georgetown and has that same feel. Plus, there's tons of young families out there which we love. A few of our friends are currently buying in Brookland which is in the district. Woodley Park is also well liked with people I know.

These are my opinions and observations about my experience living and working in this great city so far. If you have any questions whatsoever don't hesitate to ask!

@Lozza: If we were buying in NoVA now I would totally go for Falls Church. GREAT schools and a nice town.

I live in NOVA. I have lived in Fairfax county pretty much my entire life and the schools are great! We recently moved to Loudoun County and schools here are excellent as well. As for transportation, it depends where you live. My first home a condo was walking distance to the metro. Our second home, a townhouse was on a express bus line that took you directly to the pentagon. Our current home is walking distance to a commuter lot which runs a direct bus line into DC. Most people I know drive though but you don't have to. They are also in the process of extending the metro to Dulles airport. Jobs in DC are plentiful! I get calls daily from recruiters.