S/O: Tell me about Mclean

[Anonymous]

Why are we talking about Potomac?! The question was about McLean! Which are the most family friendly parts of McLean? Best neighborhoods in terms of community pools, etc.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the recent Potomac thread, someone mentioned Mclean as a suburb with a reasonable commute to georgetown. Is that true? I know NOTHING about Mclean, other than that the high school is good. Can anyone who lives there shed any light? Any particular neighborhoods that are good for young families, recently transplanted from the city? Is there a true downtown? Good restaurants? Is anything walkable? A sense of community and the sorts of hubs (like pool clubs, a good library, a ymca..I don't know) that encourage a sense of community? I'd appreciate any insight you all have!

McLean is a short commute to Georgetown - esp. if you live closer to Chain Bridge. Schools are good and it's very family friendly, with quite a few neighborhood pools. That said, it's not walkable at all except for a couple of areas near "downtown" McLean. And downtown McLean is a collection of strip malls - it's not like Bethesda where they've built Bethesda row, etc. There are not really any good restaurants - you'll end up driving downtown, going to Tyson's or just eating pizza or Chinese food. There is a library and community center. I grew up there and there were lots of kids in my neighborhood. But lack of walkability makes it very different from the city -- you will be driving everywhere.

[Anonymous]

The gang activity can be a problem, but the McLean Daily Dispatch (you have to register) sends out daily phone calls whether the crips or the bloods are likely to be feuding over drug corners, so most of us just keep done red and blue flags to put up outside our windows to let the bangers know we roll. It keeps most of the riffraff out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the recent Potomac thread, someone mentioned Mclean as a suburb with a reasonable commute to georgetown. Is that true? I know NOTHING about Mclean, other than that the high school is good. Can anyone who lives there shed any light? Any particular neighborhoods that are good for young families, recently transplanted from the city? Is there a true downtown? Good restaurants? Is anything walkable? A sense of community and the sorts of hubs (like pool clubs, a good library, a ymca..I don't know) that encourage a sense of community? I'd appreciate any insight you all have!

Most of the inner neighborhoods(within the beltway) are good for young families. There is turnover as the older homes are being sold. Very little is walkable, but if you stick within a half mile of the center, it can be walkable. There is a "true" downtown. Surprisingly few good restaurants. The sense of community tends to surround the schools from Sept-June and the pools (get on the waitlist now, some of the swim teams are cut throat) in the summer - bit there isn't a feeling of a greater community. Decent soccer and baseball leagues. We have a good library and community center. It is a very good location because it is commutable to DC, Tyson's, Toll Road, 270.... A bit far to Capitol Hill, but people do it. We can get to National and Dulles within 30 minutes. One of the things I do like about it is that people tend to leave their national/state politics out of the schools, sports teams and pools. I have seen people from the past four administrations working togther on the various committees. (People do talk queitly amongst themselves of course, but it doesn't infiltrate the events.)

You should be able to find something within your price range but you may have to wait for something to go on the market.

[Anonymous]

One thing that's depressing and dangerous is the amount of seniors trying to drive around. If you ever drive to the chain bridge road giant / cvs it's a death trap of old people driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are we talking about Potomac?! The question was about McLean! Which are the most family friendly parts of McLean? Best neighborhoods in terms of community pools, etc.?

Franklin Park, Salona Village, McLean Hamlet, Langley Oaks, Potomac Hills are nice. For $1.1 million or less maybe McLean Hamlet and Potomac Hills are places to start.

Other parts of McLean are nice. Other parts of Arlington, Bethesda and Potomac are nice. DC is fun. Stop fighting over what's best and think about what's good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Price range of $1 million to maybe $1.1

Take a look at Chain Bridge Forest/Chesterbrook woods. Great neighborhood, on the border of North Arlington, close to chain bridge. Easy drive to Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

The areas that are mentioned to you are worth a look OP. If you were in a different market/part of McLean, you might face more residents who grew up here but can barely afford to stay, and might try to create problems for others.

They are getting outnumbered very quickly and BOY are they p*ssed!

[Anonymous]

Mclean is like Chevy Chase. Very rich suburb. Does not have much of a town center, and is very rich area. Hard to find a house you love for less than 1.2M. Unless you want a small house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is like Chevy Chase. Very rich suburb. Does not have much of a town center, and is very rich area. Hard to find a house you love for less than 1.2M. Unless you want a small house.

In close-in McLean (22101) $1.2 million gets you a house with 2500-3500 SF above grade and perhaps a finished basement. Further out in 22102 you could get even more space. Won't be new construction, which is now almost always above $1.5 million for new single-family homes, but not exactly a "small house" either.

Chevy Chase has a much older feel than McLean, which has very few pre WW II homes. Just about every style of home built since the 50s can be found in McLean, ranging from fairly modest ramblers and split-levels to very large Colonials and Craftsman-style houses. There is not much below $650,000, but there's a fair amount in the $1.0-1.2 million range, although there may not be that much on the market at certain times.

[Anonymous]

OP, McLean is a VERY small town, you realize that right? Is this the lifestyle you want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP, McLean is a VERY small town, you realize that right? Is this the lifestyle you want?

Better than getting beaten unconscious by tax supported welfare thugs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not walkable, but a nice area.

No one cares about "walkable."

Really.

That is such an inconsequential part of the real estate equation.

[Anonymous]

19:37 - speaking of tax supported, you basically support the county if you live in a new house in McLean. But you likely already figured that out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is like Chevy Chase. Very rich suburb. Does not have much of a town center, and is very rich area. Hard to find a house you love for less than 1.2M. Unless you want a small house.

In close-in McLean (22101) $1.2 million gets you a house with 2500-3500 SF above grade and perhaps a finished basement. Further out in 22102 you could get even more space. Won't be new construction, which is now almost always above $1.5 million for new single-family homes, but not exactly a "small house" either.

Chevy Chase has a much older feel than McLean, which has very few pre WW II homes. Just about every style of home built since the 50s can be found in McLean, ranging from fairly modest ramblers and split-levels to very large Colonials and Craftsman-style houses. There is not much below $650,000, but there's a fair amount in the $1.0-1.2 million range, although there may not be that much on the market at certain times.

...or a house built in the 1960-70s for 1.2M in Mclean that "maybe" has a basement.