House Hunting: Fairfax or Arlington?

[Anonymous]

I would appreciate some advice from you all who had to go through this dilemma before. I am 4 months pregnant and we live in DC in my little condo, which is not going to work anymore once DC is around. So we are house-hunting in NOVA and I find myself torn between Ffx and Arlington because there are so many good things about both of them. Here are my priorities:

1. Priority #1 is quality of education for DH. (Otherwise I'd gladly stay in DC). From what I gather, both Arlington and Ffx are very strong, but not without its nuances. Arlington has full-time preschool and afterschool care, which Ffx either does not, or is harder to find. On the other hand, Ffx has a very strong GT program, which I understand Arlington is not too big on due to smaller size of its school system. Yes, I intend to push DC to be in GT We don't care about language immersion.

2. Commuting distance. I loathe the thought of wasting 2 hrs of my day in a car. Arlington is a bit more tolerable that way, and you don't have to deal with I-66. I have to drive to work.

3. Urban flavor. I find myself depressed by completely suburban settings and would like to live within reasonable (walking) distance to some downtown-ish areas where you can walk about, go to restaurants, just take in the streetscape, in other words, not live from car to home 24 hrs of your day. Arlington comes out a bit better on this.

4. Affordability. Frankly, none of those is super-affordable so it's a toss-up. We would rather live in a smaller place closer to DC.

What would you do??

[Anonymous]

I think I'd go with Arlington in your case - somewhere where you can walk to the metro and have good schools and an easy commute. I wouldn't worry too much about GT right now. It will be years before your child is even eligible, and there are plenty of smart kids in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I live in Arlington and teach in Fairfax County, so I have a few opinions. I'll try to respond to your questions:

1. I really think this depends on the individual school. Fairfax Co. is SO huge and there is such a variety of school options, that is really hard to say which is better. In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with any of the schools in either Arlington or FCPS - it really just depends on what you want. I teach in a high school in FCPS and I do think they have a lot of options for high school students - there are several academies which offer tons of classes ranging from Chinese to Auto Mechanics. That is a great plus in my opinion.

2. The commute to DC is great from Arlington. But there are places in Fairfax Co. that are really not that far - the Falls Church part of Fairfax for example.

3. Agree that Arlington is probably more "urban" than most parts of Fairfax. But a lot of it is really suburban once you get off the Orange Line corridor. You might also want to check out Falls Church City - more walkable than most of Fairfax and great schools.

4. What's your price range? Arlington has really held its value - at least the part where I am. Places are selling for more than they were a couple of years ago, so the slump has not really hit us at all.

Do you have particular neighborhoods you are looking at? Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't base any part of your decision on arlingtons public preschool programs. They are nearly impossible to
get into and most end at 3 pmish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't base any part of your decision on arlingtons public preschool programs. They are nearly impossible to
get into and most end at 3 pmish.

I think she meant pre (before) school care, not preschool. I was confused by that the first time I read it, too.

[Anonymous]

Yes, that's what I meant - before and after school. Thanks everyone, please keep it coming.

[Anonymous]

Arlington. If you live in DC now, moving to Fairfax will be a huge shock to your system. It's definitely the 'burbs. Arlington has more of the urban flavor, even if it is faux-urban. Try the Clarendon/Rossyln/Ballston corridor, North Arlington. Nice houses, places to walk to, good schools. I moved to Arlington from DC, and even that was a little hard at first. Every time I visit friends in Fairfax, it seems really far away, and even "downtown" Fairfax isn't really a downtown.

Other option is McLean. Fairfax county for schools, but still close to everything, including Arlington and Georgetown (15 minutes).

[Anonymous]

I assume OP means Fairfax County (which is huge and not all far away), not Fairfax City, which is far away.

[Anonymous]

The way I see it, the schools are a toss-up. Commuting and urban feel are much better in Arlington. Affordability is better in Fairfax. Given that you are just expecting #1 I'd go for something in N. Arlington - probably a smaller place than you could get in Fairfax but has lots of what you're looking for. If down the road you need more space then you can consider moving/adding on, but if you're like us you'll stay in the teeny house for the location (current Arlington resident living with 2 kids in a 2 BR house, but I can walk everywhere).

[Anonymous]

I love being in Arlington having the proximity to DC (10-15 minutes from our house without traffic), but yet still having the amenities of the suburbs. The schools are great, we have tons of playgrounds and parks, and a decent amount of shopping and restaurants within walking distance from our house. I commute to Falls Church and it takes me 10 minutes. My husband works in Clarendon which is a 5 minute drive or he can walk. I just really feel like everything I want and need - shopping, restaurants, parks, good schools - are right here. But if we want to have dinner in DC or go to a museum, it is easy to just drive into the city for a couple of hours. Or if we want to go out to Wal-mart in Fairfax, that is only 20 minutes from here. Our house is not big (3BR 2 baths), but it is fine for our family of four and the location can't be beat.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you would prefer Arlington.

I live in Fairfax and it's lovely. But if you want a short commute (to DC) and an urban flavor, FFX is not for you.

Now that said, I have flex hours at work/partial work from home and can run up route 50 to DC in half an hour or so once rush hour eases up. I take HOV home before it closes and jsut zip on through. I love Fairfax because we do have plenty of bars, restaurants, cuisine of every type, great parks, farmers markets, etc. My daughter's public school is awesome.
Everything's a trade off. It depends on what is important to you.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax does have before and after care, my kids aren't in school yet but most of the people in my neighborhood use it:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc/sacc.htm

I think both school systems have their advantages- Fairfax is larger and has more variety in programs- which may better serve kids who are gifted or who have special needs. Arlington is much smaller so kids aren't as likely to get lost in the system, great options like public montessori- though such programs are notoriously difficult to get into.

As far as commuting and a more urban feel, arlington is your best bet- hands down. Make no mistake- you do pay a lot more for that location, we were priced out of Arlington so we ended up in Fairfax. If price turns out to be an issue I would look into Falls Church- parts feed into McLean schools, Falls Church City is quaint and you are very close to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like Arlington would be the better fit, but it is generally more expensive than Ffx Co.

You may also want to re-think "pushing" your unborn child into GT (I know you are partially at least kidding). The poor kid isn't even born yet and I've learned the hard way that sometimes your kids don't turn out exactly how you expect them to (e.g., autistic). Not trying to be Debbie Downer, just saying that I wouldn't base your decision on GT programs at this point.

[Anonymous]

I'm in relatively close-in Fairfax, and commuting sucks up a lot of my time. (I average 3 hours a day.) I hate it. That said, it is easier to use metro from the Fairfax county stations - the trains are pretty packed by the time they get to North Arlington. Driving is better from Arlington. (depending on your office location, buses might even be an option.)

Fairfax County schools in general are generally considered to be better than Arlington county schools, though Yorktowne is supposedly pretty comparable to the best schools in Fairfax. You'll pay a LOT for a house in Yorktowne area, though, and you didn't tell us your price range. (which is going to be your determining factor - that and luck.)

I'm a very reluctant suburbanite - I like denser areas and walkability - so if money were no object for me, I'd live in Clarendon, then Ballston area (both fall under Wash-Lee), then farther-out North Arlington and Falls Church. You should consider Falls Church, except for the area served by Stuart high school, which ranks a lot lower than Madison, Marshall or the Falls Church City school George Mason. (you definitely wouldn't want Fairfax City - good schools, but traffic is bad.)

Also, the farther out you get from the city, the easier it can be to find daycare and preschools. I haven't had much trouble with that, but my friends in North Arlington have had a harder time. Fairfax does have SACC (pre and post-school care) but I've heard that depending on the school, you might be waitlisted for a year.

[Anonymous]

Arlington, for sure. Specifically, anything within walking distance of the Rosslyn/Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston metros.

The commute is terrific, even by car. There's always a little traffic getting over the bridges, but that's about it. You really (REALLY!) do not want to deal with Rt 66 unless you need to. I hear it just gets worse each year.

The schools are fantastic -- all the elementary schools, middle schools, and both high schools in this area are top notch. My understanding is the schools in this particular part of Arlington are always highly rated, not just for test scores, but also for parent satisfaction etc.
You really can't go wrong, so the idea is to find a house or townhome you like and can afford and just enjoy the security of great schools no matter what.

As for the lack of a GT program, I wouldn't worry a bit. The Arlington schools are known for their individualized teaching, much more than expected for a public school system. I never got the sense it's a place that requires a GT program to educate/challenge/enrich the top students -- it's built right into the curriculum.

Finally, the walkability in this area is wonderful. Tons of playgrounds and parks everywhere you look, and stores and restaurants etc. It's not exactly "urban" -- it's Arlington -- but it's not all car-focused either. The other thing I like is the mix of young, single 20-somethings and older families and empty nesters all mixed together here with the families with young kids. When we walk around Clarendon on the weekends, we see all ages and it's great -- kid friendly but not a kid ghetto. Oh, and tons of dogs, which DC loves.

Of course, it's expensive, which is the issue. I agree with the PP who said home prices have held steady. We're amazed, but it's true. Good once you buy in, but there aren't exactly bargains to be had.

Good luck.