Falls Church / McLean vs Bethesda
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Anonymous
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Considering a move to the DC area and trying to decide whether to move closer to one set of family in Maryland and another in Virginia. We're looking at Falls Church / McLean and Bethesda, respectively. We have 2 small children and plan to send them to public schools. Here's how we see it, but would be great to get some additional input and reactions:
MD --> Bethesda, Potomac and Chevy Chase are more appealing to us visually. Downtown Bethesda is pretty nice for what it is. No bridges to DC. Seems to have a more robust Jewish community (which matters to us). Downside-- wow, those taxes! Economy looks like it's in a much worse place than Virginia. VA --> May be more resilient to the government changes, though that's probably a guess, given the private sector jobs there. Lower taxes huge plus. Some neighborhoods are super nice. But I hate the tangle of 8 lane highways and Tysons-- wow, what a monstrosity. Those giant parking lots are anxiety inducing. Budget is $2M, give or take. We're not federal workers and not tied to government employment in any way. |
Anonymous
| Virginia > Maryland |
Anonymous
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I had to make this decision and chose McLean for a number of reasons but they may not apply to you.
But it sounds like Bethesda might be a better fit for you. Mclean is diverse whereas Bethesda is not but does have a significant Jewish population. |
Anonymous
| McLean |
Anonymous
How is McLean diverse with 79% white? |
Anonymous
| Will you be here when your kids apply to college? In-state options in Virginia are better than those in Maryland. |
Anonymous
| I think VA is more convenient and the taxes are better but if I were Jewish then I would pick Md. |
Anonymous
| Where are you coming from? We chose MD over VA for many of the reasons you listed. We’re walking distance to metro, which is great and in very walkable part of Chevy chase. McLean feels more suburban to me but I really don’t know it well. |
Anonymous
66%. https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/mclean-fairfax-va/residents/ |
Anonymous
| $2m is a tough budget. If you are Jewish and not vapid, I think the falls church area around temple Rodef Shalom is great. It’s a wonderful Jewish community there. |
Anonymous
| If you go an exit down towards Montrose RD/Seven Locks in MD, your children may love Old Farm, surrounding neighborhoods, and JDS! Your budget could get you a lovely home out there, too. |
Anonymous
| You can get more for your money in Falls Church while still feeding into the McLean school district |
Anonymous
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Why live in McLean instead of FCC? Better schools in FCC, closer to various retail options, and closer to Arlington and DC. Plus, downtown FCC keeps getting nicer.
McLean is better if you want a country estate feeling and more privacy / less community. |
Anonymous
| Since your Jewish, Bethesda. If you were a POC, I would recommend otherwise. |
Anonymous
| Bethesda |