Recommendations for neighborhoods in Fairfax County? [VA]

[Anonymous]

Moving to the DMV from the San Francisco Bay Area and we've spent most of our attention on looking at Bethesda / Chevy Chase, mostly because my spouse is from the Northeast and thinks MD feels more like NY/NJ. I'm trying to convince him to look at Northern Virginia in part because the state and local income taxes are so much more reasonable, but we don't know where to really begin. Cultural differences aside (if there really are any), he doesn't like that NOVA has so many big roads and strip malls and doesn't seem to have more walkable neighborhoods. He thinks B/CC neighborhoods are full of beautiful older homes and VA seems to have a lot more recent McMansions. Is that really true? Are there exceptions?

We've heard traffic can be very bad in Virginia, particularly on main roads and over the bridges, and although we're both WFH, we would like to go into DC regularly to visit museums with the kids. Here in the Bay Area, we're lucky enough to be able to walk to school, the public library, the grocery store, neighborhood parks, and we'd love not to have to get into the car and sit in traffic to do everything.

Would love some help with recommendations on neighborhoods to look at? Some have mentioned McLean and Vienna, but we don't know which parts. Our budget is $2M, give or take. Excellent public schools are very important to us.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend Annandale or anything in the Justice pyramid

[Anonymous]

Look in town of Vienna in walking distance of the Whole Foods if you want walkable.

[Anonymous]

Falls Church City.

[Anonymous]

It's OK, Maryland can have you. And your $2M will probably go farther there now, too.

[Anonymous]

Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I highly recommend Annandale or anything in the Justice pyramid

Hahaha. That gave me a good, laugh out loud laugh!

[Anonymous]

Yup, Vienna. Lots of Bay Area transplants here.

[Anonymous]

Look for homes a short walk to one of the parks around downtown McLean (google McLean Central Park) and homes near parks around McLean HS.

These neighborhoods won’t be walkable unless you buy right next to downtown McLean, but they feature some of the very best schools in the region (at least based on test scores) and if you buy in the right spot, you can drive to all the schools, multiple grocery stores, and a bunch of restaurants and fitness studios in 5 minutes or less with minimal traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vienna.

+1 Although Vienna is farther out from DC than, say, Arlington, you may find that your kids like activities in the opposite direction (west) as well. You can go to pumpkin patches/fall festivals, pick fruit, visit cool historic towns, go to waterparks. Kids like these types of activities just as much or more than going to museums.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t factor visits to DC museums into the neighborhood choice. You’ll be living here…not a tourist. You’ll likely see them once or twice and then have no inclination to visit again. Instead, Look at commute and schools. Vienna could work. Maybe Falls Church.

[Anonymous]

Burke or Annandale

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moving to the DMV from the San Francisco Bay Area and we've spent most of our attention on looking at Bethesda / Chevy Chase, mostly because my spouse is from the Northeast and thinks MD feels more like NY/NJ. I'm trying to convince him to look at Northern Virginia in part because the state and local income taxes are so much more reasonable, but we don't know where to really begin. Cultural differences aside (if there really are any), he doesn't like that NOVA has so many big roads and strip malls and doesn't seem to have more walkable neighborhoods. He thinks B/CC neighborhoods are full of beautiful older homes and VA seems to have a lot more recent McMansions. Is that really true? Are there exceptions?

We've heard traffic can be very bad in Virginia, particularly on main roads and over the bridges, and although we're both WFH, we would like to go into DC regularly to visit museums with the kids. Here in the Bay Area, we're lucky enough to be able to walk to school, the public library, the grocery store, neighborhood parks, and we'd love not to have to get into the car and sit in traffic to do everything.

Would love some help with recommendations on neighborhoods to look at? Some have mentioned McLean and Vienna, but we don't know which parts. Our budget is $2M, give or take. Excellent public schools are very important to us.

I live in central Fairfax County and rarely sit in traffic for anything. I’ve lived in NOVA in different places for almost 25 years.

[Anonymous]

You can get a nice home in Burke for 2M. Great schools, nice neighborhood. Restaurants are lacking but community feeling is high. The VRE has two stations in Burke; easy train access to DC.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Burke/9102-Parliament-Dr-22015/home/9736102?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=1021567&utm_term=kwd-2351660752487&utm_content=697046782924&adgid=159651950125&intent=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADirq3v4VydpF2fErvyz3RPksHF4Q&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi_eC-MXThQMV7mpHAR09Uw9MEAAYASAAEgInjfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Anonymous]

If you look at Falls Church, with your decent budget I would suggest the Broadmont neighborhood.