Is McLean Really That Desirable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Truly awful restaurants. With all the money there, you think we could get better restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the thread about scummy realtors, OP claimed it was the most sought after neighborhood in the region. Would residents of Spring Valley, Kalorama, Georgetown and Somerset disagree? What other neighborhoods would you put above McLean, or are the old split levels and white modern farm houses that have replaced them the best thing going in the region?

Gtown and Kalorama are urban and don't have SFH living (very rare to find a truly detached house). Why would anyone with a brain compare this to an area where people go to live in a large SFH with a yard? People who seek Gtown aren't looking in Mclean, and vice versa. If you want a suburban home and good public schools through HS you aren't going to be looking for $$$$ rowhouses in Gtown. Even if you don't mind a TH you won't be looking in Gtown unless you have millions. Many TH communities in Mclean and around commerce and transit in the suburbs for much more reasonable prices. Price per sq.ft. in DC premium urban neighborhoods will always be more than anywhere suburban, it's meaningless to compare.

How about neighborhoods like The Palisades and Spring Valley, which are suburban communities within the city limits. The Crate and Barrel and surrounding retail in Spring Valley seems a lot more tasteful than anything I’ve seen in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s super popular, even with young grads.

You mean young grads moving back home to mom and dad’s huge house? (which I don’t blame them for, that would be great for a year or two post graduation)

Because hardly any 21 year old grads are moving to McLean to live on their own.

[Anonymous]

The fact that the question even gets posed means it's one of the more desirable parts of the DC area. You can love it or hate it, but it has enough going for it that it's always going to be an expensive, sought-after area for many DC-area residents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the thread about scummy realtors, OP claimed it was the most sought after neighborhood in the region. Would residents of Spring Valley, Kalorama, Georgetown and Somerset disagree? What other neighborhoods would you put above McLean, or are the old split levels and white modern farm houses that have replaced them the best thing going in the region?

Gtown and Kalorama are urban and don't have SFH living (very rare to find a truly detached house). Why would anyone with a brain compare this to an area where people go to live in a large SFH with a yard? People who seek Gtown aren't looking in Mclean, and vice versa. If you want a suburban home and good public schools through HS you aren't going to be looking for $$$$ rowhouses in Gtown. Even if you don't mind a TH you won't be looking in Gtown unless you have millions. Many TH communities in Mclean and around commerce and transit in the suburbs for much more reasonable prices. Price per sq.ft. in DC premium urban neighborhoods will always be more than anywhere suburban, it's meaningless to compare.

Other than a few blocks of townhouses just off CT and Mass, Kalorama is predominately grand, gorgeous and well-built single family homes. My kids go to school in McLean, but I could never live there b/c I find the downtown depressing. It is so mishmashy and a sea of ugly construction. I'd hate to have to run even my day to day errands there. I wouldn't really call any of it walkable, unless you like walking to dumpy strip malls? I also dislike that very few of the neighborhoods have sidewalks. I actually preferred McLean in the 80s and 90s when the construction seemed better and the lots were bigger and the tree canopy was at least appealing. Now there seems to be so much infill of whatever is currently trendy. The traffic has also gotten terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Different places are desirable to people with different preferences.

If you asked me, the answer is no, it’s not desirable to me— it’s too far outside the city and car-dependent. The thought of spending that much daily time driving is simply a nonstarter for me. But obviously it’s desirable to many who live and are hoping to live there, given the real estate values.

0
Exactly. Not desirable to me because I prefer a more urban, not car centric day to day but it certainly has it's appeal. We can all choose what we like, so I will live in Dupont Circle and others can choose McLean. I couldn't even begin to compare them they are so different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s super popular, even with young grads.

You mean young grads moving back home to mom and dad’s huge house? (which I don’t blame them for, that would be great for a year or two post graduation)

Because hardly any 21 year old grads are moving to McLean to live on their own.

yes, parents have a nice house $2.5M+. But that kid is hardworking and makes over $200k+ himself. He just likes what McLean can offer, close to culture center, shopping center plus a nice house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s super popular, even with young grads.

You mean young grads moving back home to mom and dad’s huge house? (which I don’t blame them for, that would be great for a year or two post graduation)

Because hardly any 21 year old grads are moving to McLean to live on their own.

yes, parents have a nice house $2.5M+. But that kid is hardworking and makes over $200k+ himself. He just likes what McLean can offer, close to culture center, shopping center plus a nice house

Sigh… 21 years old, please go live in the city somewhere and be around people your age, many of whom might look different from you and come from a different background. For a 21 year old, there is little “culture” in McLean unless they consider the hot bar at Balducci’s and a class at orange theory exciting.

For families, McLean offers the nicest housing stock in nova, greenery and nature in most neighborhoods, access to some of the best schools, and proximity to DC and Tysons and even Maryland for commuting. Downtown McLean and all the businesses are those that serve a very affluent suburb, but do not comprise a city or even a walking neighborhood of any sort. 99% of people are driving to these businesses.

I do remember one awesome business in downtown McLean from growing up. Near the intersection of chain bridge rd and 123, there was a used CD store in the 90s. I remember once picking up badmotorfinger on a whim, going home and listening and being blown away!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different places are desirable to people with different preferences.

If you asked me, the answer is no, it’s not desirable to me— it’s too far outside the city and car-dependent. The thought of spending that much daily time driving is simply a nonstarter for me. But obviously it’s desirable to many who live and are hoping to live there, given the real estate values.

I went to high school in McLean and agree with this totally. I hate being car dependent.

Mclean downtown area is arguably walkable and has every amenity necessary for daily living, also has multifamily housing and more of it going up. While areas like Woodley park or Cleveland park are more charming they have a lot fewer amenities accessible on foot than Mclean DT. There is every essential need store, 3 grocery stores, 2 drug stores, lots of restaurants and ethnic food places, fancy bakeries and cafes, clothing, shoes, pet, etc. Not to mention every type of doctor's office and spa and tutoring center :lol: All accessible on foot.

I have lived in DC for 20 years and can’t figure out what anyone would define as “downtown McLean”? What are the cross streets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s super popular, even with young grads.

You mean young grads moving back home to mom and dad’s huge house? (which I don’t blame them for, that would be great for a year or two post graduation)

Because hardly any 21 year old grads are moving to McLean to live on their own.

yes, parents have a nice house $2.5M+. But that kid is hardworking and makes over $200k+ himself. He just likes what McLean can offer, close to culture center, shopping center plus a nice house

Sigh… 21 years old, please go live in the city somewhere and be around people your age, many of whom might look different from you and come from a different background. For a 21 year old, there is little “culture” in McLean unless they consider the hot bar at Balducci’s and a class at orange theory exciting.

For families, McLean offers the nicest housing stock in nova, greenery and nature in most neighborhoods, access to some of the best schools, and proximity to DC and Tysons and even Maryland for commuting. Downtown McLean and all the businesses are those that serve a very affluent suburb, but do not comprise a city or even a walking neighborhood of any sort. 99% of people are driving to these businesses.

I do remember one awesome business in downtown McLean from growing up. Near the intersection of chain bridge rd and 123, there was a used CD store in the 90s. I remember once picking up badmotorfinger on a whim, going home and listening and being blown away!

Nova is more culturally diverse than DC. And if you want a lot of diversity live in Gaithersburg.

[Anonymous]

Ever since the Wall Street Journal ran that “Why McLean Is the Priciest Zip Code Near DC” article in October 2024, some people have been especially grouchy about its status. If you want to live in Kalorama, and can afford it, go ahead. It’s full of beautiful homes but also far stuffier than McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Truly awful restaurants. With all the money there, you think we could get better restaurants.

I like Peter Chang’s!

[Anonymous]

It’s for the pretentious, mostly. Most of the people I know living in McLean DO NOT benefit from the location nor schools. Their work location is elsewhere and kids either in private or in college. It’s mostly for status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s for the pretentious, mostly. Most of the people I know living in McLean DO NOT benefit from the location nor schools. Their work location is elsewhere and kids either in private or in college. It’s mostly for status.

Exact opposite for us. We wanted to be between DC and Tysons for work and the strong public schools and variety of nice homes were a big plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s for the pretentious, mostly. Most of the people I know living in McLean DO NOT benefit from the location nor schools. Their work location is elsewhere and kids either in private or in college. It’s mostly for status.

McLean schools are overcrowded, so clearly someone is attending them. Lol