What’s the allure of Fairfax County

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Raised the kids in North Arlington and moved to downtown DC as youngish empty nesters. Bought a second home in the country about 90 minutes from the city when Covid started. None of our places is particularly fancy, and we’re well off but I wouldn’t say wealthy.

Was in Fairfax County today having car work done. Spent a couple hours walking around the area (more or less the between Vienna and Merrifield) while I waited.

I found it horrifying. Strip malls followed by town houses and single family homes hugging congested highways, no real sidewalks (mostly asphalt), and all the same in every direction. Walked into what looked like a quiet leafy ‘hood to get away from it and quickly found myself walking into a sound wall for I-66.

I’m sorry, but why does anyone with any other options choose to live in an area like that? It raised my blood pressure!!

One plus side is that we don't have a bunch of jerks like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools. I live in Old Town Alexandria. Come walk around my 'hood. It's lovely. But, the schools. We're trying to move to Fairfax County.

why do you believe Ffx county schools are better than alx schools?

[Anonymous]

I’d shoot my eye out before living in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call ‘troll’. Your whole assessment of FFX is rubbish. Most people do not live along a wall running next to Route 66. Try again.

this is no troll. This person is real. Their question is valid. Look at the map near Dunn Loring metro and you find multiple neighborhood adjacent to the 66wall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You walked around while having your car worked on? Generally, no matter where you are, the places around auto garages and dealerships are not exactly the nice residential or shopping parts of an area.

This.

And let’s be honest, none of us are living in Arlington or Fairfax for the beauty. This is where are jobs are.

[Anonymous]

I live here because it was what I could afford while being within a reasonable commute.

That said, we actually do like our neighborhood quite a bit. It is like a little town in the middle of the craziness. All our schools are walkable. We can walk to the local shopping center that actually has several eateries, a CVS, a Giant, etc, etc. The library is walkable. And we have a leafy stream park in the center of it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You walked around while having your car worked on? Generally, no matter where you are, the places around auto garages and dealerships are not exactly the nice residential or shopping parts of an area.

This.

And let’s be honest, none of us are living in Arlington or Fairfax for the beauty. This is where are jobs are.

NP but this exactly. I am not sure why so many are having fists with the OP. Let be serious, Fairfax and Arlington are not pretty. Nobody moves there because of their charm and character. People move there because of the jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call ‘troll’. Your whole assessment of FFX is rubbish. Most people do not live along a wall running next to Route 66. Try again.

this is no troll. This person is real. Their question is valid. Look at the map near Dunn Loring metro and you find multiple neighborhood adjacent to the 66wall.

Yea I’m no troll. I was wandering aimlessly into what I thought was a quiet neighborhood when boom! There it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call ‘troll’. Your whole assessment of FFX is rubbish. Most people do not live along a wall running next to Route 66. Try again.

this is no troll. This person is real. Their question is valid. Look at the map near Dunn Loring metro and you find multiple neighborhood adjacent to the 66wall.

Yea I’m no troll. I was wandering aimlessly into what I thought was a quiet neighborhood when boom! There it was.

You can do the exact same thing in several McLean neighborhoods. Do you wonder why people live there?

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the alternative. People are not choosing between Fairfax and the French Riviera.

For many of us who work in DC:

why Fairfax over Arlington or Alexandria: schools and big(ger) yard

Why Fairfax over DC: schools and having a garage.

Why Fairfax over MD: schools and commuting

Why Fairfax over some random other place in the US: work and schools.

as I write this... I'm finding a common thread...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the alternative. People are not choosing between Fairfax and the French Riviera.

For many of us who work in DC:

why Fairfax over Arlington or Alexandria: schools and big(ger) yard

Why Fairfax over DC: schools and having a garage.

Why Fairfax over MD: schools and commuting

Why Fairfax over some random other place in the US: work and schools.

as I write this... I'm finding a common thread...

Some of your assertions are incorrect. At the end of the day, it's about the commute and affordability. Almost all the school districts in the DMV area are the same. In all systems, there are bad schools and there are good schools and plenty of in-between.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call ‘troll’. Your whole assessment of FFX is rubbish. Most people do not live along a wall running next to Route 66. Try again.

this is no troll. This person is real. Their question is valid. Look at the map near Dunn Loring metro and you find multiple neighborhood adjacent to the 66wall.

And that is just one teeny tiny portion of Fairfax County. We live nowhere near any highways. We live in a walkable neighborhood - we can walk to the grocery store, and we can also walk on trails in a wooded area. I loved living in DC in my 20s and early 30s, but have absolutely no desire to live there now. Especially given the number of friends I know that have been victims of crime in the past two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call ‘troll’. Your whole assessment of FFX is rubbish. Most people do not live along a wall running next to Route 66. Try again.

this is no troll. This person is real. Their question is valid. Look at the map near Dunn Loring metro and you find multiple neighborhood adjacent to the 66wall.

Yea I’m no troll. I was wandering aimlessly into what I thought was a quiet neighborhood when boom! There it was.

You can do the exact same thing in several McLean neighborhoods. Do you wonder why people live there?

I sure do! I’d die of boredom and McLean. Terrible downtown area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I call ‘troll’. Your whole assessment of FFX is rubbish. Most people do not live along a wall running next to Route 66. Try again.

this is no troll. This person is real. Their question is valid. Look at the map near Dunn Loring metro and you find multiple neighborhood adjacent to the 66wall.

Yea I’m no troll. I was wandering aimlessly into what I thought was a quiet neighborhood when boom! There it was.

You can do the exact same thing in several McLean neighborhoods. Do you wonder why people live there?

I sure do! I’d die of boredom and McLean. Terrible downtown area.

As opposed to bustling north Arlington? They’re basically the same.

[Anonymous]

Now that you don’t have kids, you proudly moved the city and feel superior. Congratulations, I guess.