[quote=spdrun]The counties that you describe actually have TOO big lots outside of a few towns. Annoying to maintain. There are towns outside of NY and Philly that have much more “manageable sized” housing. Generally spread out enough to have green space, but dense enough so kids can walk to school.[/quote]Yes, you are correct, spdrun. The kids in these MD and VA towns are typically bused to school with their stop situated on a two-lane country road. That is … unless they live in the town the school is located in. This applies to high schools and often middle schools as well. It’s still an awesome micro-region to raise kids in, IMHO. Fairfax County, VA (Great Falls) tends to be the most expensive out of the four, with Montgomery County, MD (Chevy Chase) coming in at a close second. (Those are the two closest-in counties to Washington DC.) I’ve never been north of Baltimore but I believe you that it’s more walkable up there.
