Best kid/family neighborhoods in Arlington and Falls Church?

[Anonymous]

Falls Church and McLean are relatively easy commutes to DC. You balance price, commuting times, schools, and residential appeal in making a decision, but the idea that anyone commuting to DC would naturally favor Arlington is ridiculous, unless the OP's goal is indeed to move as short a distance from Clarendon as humanly possible, consistent with having some type of yard, however small.

[Anonymous]

This is a tough question, OP (as you can see by the varied answers). There are tons of families in virtually every SFH neighborhood in Northern VA. If you give some more information about what your priorities are (big yard, big house, walkable to metro, walkable to shops/restaurants, charm, convenience, etc.) you will get much better answers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you love living in Clarendon, i'd stick with the orange line corridor out as far as Ballston. at your price range, I really wouldn't bother with Falls Church or McLean if you want something urban/walkable. (unless a bigger yard is something you'd choose over the walkability.) Agree with the poster who suggested Lyon Park. I might also look at things walkable to Ballston metro, and I'd definitely look at the Westover area - my friends who live there LOVE it. (I was unfortunately priced out of Westover - I had an upper boundary below $600K.) Also near Westover: Fostoria/Highland Park, Larchmont, Parkhurst. Westover is mostly not walkable to Metro, but it's a quick drive to a lot of places. Country Club and Ashton Heights are nice. (Disclosure: I'm in Country Club.) Or a bit farther out, Overlee/Berkshire? (You could also try to stay closer to Clarendon or keep an eye out for something in Lyon Village.)

good luck!

How did you find something under $600k in Country Club?? That is amazing- congrats to you for finding something there. I'd live in a shoebox for that. And I do live in a shoebox in N Arlington, just not Country Club.

[Anonymous]

There have been lots of sales in CCH over past several years below $600K - typically fixer-upper small Cape Cods or Colonials. Despite the chi-chi name of the neighborhood, it's no Great Falls.

[Anonymous]

There have been a few recent sales in Country Club (NOT Country Club Hills, which is a different, more exclusive/expensive area) recently at about the $575K mark. yes, the median price in that area is somewhere around a million. But similar houses seem to be grouped together on streets - like one street has all small colonials, one street has all capes, etc. Ours is a 4BR/2BA cape (on the "all capes" street) with a family room bumpout, that needs new bathrooms and a few cosmetic things. we were thrilled to find it. Definitely keep an eye out if you like that neighborhood. There's one on the market now on 23rd St. at around $600K but it's very close to Lee Hwy, which I wouldn't want, personally.