Would you move to Arlington or Mclean for SFH living?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

I'm not the pp, but apparently the pps neighbor (hi fellow happy neighbor!), and haven't lived in Mclean but will share my perspective.

What I love about where I live:

It feels like the best of every world -

Small town feel - on Sunday mornings when I walk to the farmers market year round, or on Saturday afternoons in the summer when I walk up with my son to get ice cream and go to the library, it feels like the best little small town. Or even when I go on an afternoon after school gets out and the stores are a mad house because all the middle schoolers have landed, walking from Swanson after school. It's crazy then - but I love it because that's what I want for my kid - to run around after school with his friends. There is an independent hardware store that has been owned for decades next to a small beer garden. Not to mention the delicious lebanese place across the street or pizza/sandwiches at Italian store or Lost Dog. It has everything you need.

City feel just a jog away - If I want to be in the city, it took us 12 minutes to drive and park to take my son to a museum downtown two Saturdays ago. Ballston and Clarendon are obviously not the same as the city, but a hop away for a different feel (sometimes we walk to Ballston on the trails on a Saturday morning, though not often - biking is better)

The housing is really pretty dense, the lots small. I really like this for a few reasons - you see your neighbors regularly and can't help but interact, the housing stock is really varied - some are very small homes like ours (2 bedroom) and some have additions making them larger, but still retaining some unique charm. Due to the varied housing and some smaller homes my street has a variety of family makeups and some variety in income (this has it's limitations anywhere in Arlington before people flame me. But my street ranges from government workers, tech, to two families who own their own businesses in an area similar to handyman, for example). I also like that the housing stock is varied in the neighborhood in other ways - affordable housing apartments, townhouses, and a few duplexes. This doesn't mean integration - in my opinion we have a long way to go there, but it's something I do appreciate about the neighborhood vs where I grew up in Arlington that is all SFH. My neighbors are down to earth, I think a bit more so than the farther north arlington neighborhood I'm also familiar with.

So many playgrounds within walking distance and living at basically a trail head for multiple trails four mile run, Wo&D. I can be down walking the trails near a creek in a 5 minute walk.

It's pretty easy to get wherever I want to go.

Life is pretty easy and simple for us there. Anyway - I'm sure most people could list all the reasons they love where they live! So take it all with a grain of salt. But I think it's a special place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

We spend all of our weekends in the neighborhood and don’t need the car. We can walk to the library, farmers market, and parks. We see the same people out and about, there’s a community feel. Tons of families and my kids can walk to their respective schools. It feels idyllic.

How are the schools, do all kids go to zoned schools or lots go to private schools?

Only one of my kids is school age, but I’ve been really happy with the public schools thus far. There’s a group of vocal wackadoodle parents who think that the APS school board are doing satan’s bidding. They do just fine given the constraints. The schools are good. The teachers are good. I’m not sure what people are expecting, honestly. Except for a few pockets of South Arlington, where I used to live, everyone goes to public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

We spend all of our weekends in the neighborhood and don’t need the car. We can walk to the library, farmers market, and parks. We see the same people out and about, there’s a community feel. Tons of families and my kids can walk to their respective schools. It feels idyllic.

How are the schools, do all kids go to zoned schools or lots go to private schools?

Only one of my kids is school age, but I’ve been really happy with the public schools thus far. There’s a group of vocal wackadoodle parents who think that the APS school board are doing satan’s bidding. They do just fine given the constraints. The schools are good. The teachers are good. I’m not sure what people are expecting, honestly. Except for a few pockets of South Arlington, where I used to live, everyone goes to public school.

The problems will be when your kids go to high school, they simply will not be enough seats, and they will have night classes and telelearning, that’s why people are freaking out.

If they don’t ask soon, there’s no way to build the schools in time to help, they may already be too late honestly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

We spend all of our weekends in the neighborhood and don’t need the car. We can walk to the library, farmers market, and parks. We see the same people out and about, there’s a community feel. Tons of families and my kids can walk to their respective schools. It feels idyllic.

How are the schools, do all kids go to zoned schools or lots go to private schools?

14:42 - my kid is not school age but all of our neighbors elementary and middle school kids go to local schools. It's not very common to go private in Arlington in my experience - I've been in the area a long time (though did leave for awhile). Like the pp said, there is a bunch of boundary stuff going on that if you read dcum you would think everyone is freaking about. But I don't think that's actual reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

I'm not the pp, but apparently the pps neighbor (hi fellow happy neighbor!), and haven't lived in Mclean but will share my perspective.

What I love about where I live:

It feels like the best of every world -

Small town feel - on Sunday mornings when I walk to the farmers market year round, or on Saturday afternoons in the summer when I walk up with my son to get ice cream and go to the library, it feels like the best little small town. Or even when I go on an afternoon after school gets out and the stores are a mad house because all the middle schoolers have landed, walking from Swanson after school. It's crazy then - but I love it because that's what I want for my kid - to run around after school with his friends. There is an independent hardware store that has been owned for decades next to a small beer garden. Not to mention the delicious lebanese place across the street or pizza/sandwiches at Italian store or Lost Dog. It has everything you need.

City feel just a jog away - If I want to be in the city, it took us 12 minutes to drive and park to take my son to a museum downtown two Saturdays ago. Ballston and Clarendon are obviously not the same as the city, but a hop away for a different feel (sometimes we walk to Ballston on the trails on a Saturday morning, though not often - biking is better)

The housing is really pretty dense, the lots small. I really like this for a few reasons - you see your neighbors regularly and can't help but interact, the housing stock is really varied - some are very small homes like ours (2 bedroom) and some have additions making them larger, but still retaining some unique charm. Due to the varied housing and some smaller homes my street has a variety of family makeups and some variety in income (this has it's limitations anywhere in Arlington before people flame me. But my street ranges from government workers, tech, to two families who own their own businesses in an area similar to handyman, for example). I also like that the housing stock is varied in the neighborhood in other ways - affordable housing apartments, townhouses, and a few duplexes. This doesn't mean integration - in my opinion we have a long way to go there, but it's something I do appreciate about the neighborhood vs where I grew up in Arlington that is all SFH. My neighbors are down to earth, I think a bit more so than the farther north arlington neighborhood I'm also familiar with.

So many playgrounds within walking distance and living at basically a trail head for multiple trails four mile run, Wo&D. I can be down walking the trails near a creek in a 5 minute walk.

It's pretty easy to get wherever I want to go.

Life is pretty easy and simple for us there. Anyway - I'm sure most people could list all the reasons they love where they live! So take it all with a grain of salt. But I think it's a special place.

You’ve captured so much about what I love about the neighborhood! Even the kids who roam in packs and create playful havoc along Washington Blvd. after school. It’s what I wanted for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think it's a personal preference OP - both can be great places to live, but have slightly different vibes. I live in Arlington (Westover, same as the other poster), have lived in other areas of Arlington and spent a lot of time in Mclean due to other reasons and personally do prefer Westover to all other options, and prefer Arlington generally over Mclean. But that is because I prefer a denser neighborhood vs bigger lots and really value the walkability I have even if it's not city walkability. But if you prefer a bigger home/lot than I think Mclean hits that mark. I like that things feel close in Arlington, even if I'm driving. I like that there are multiple ways to get any one place when getting around Arlington and into DC. I think the dense neighborhoods in Arlington are a little more supportive of kids running around together, though there are certainly neighborhoods where this is a thing in Mclean too I'm sure! I like the flexibility that Arlington provides commuting as I anticipate my husband and I's jobs will change over the years, but I feel comfortable we have lots of choices within a reasonable commute. I like that my neighborhood has the benefits of the suburbs, but within 5 minutes there is a lot of variability within the density and offerings. It's a good mix for me, personally.

I'm bias to where I live, of course. So I really think it's more about what feels like a "fit" for your family. What I would recommend is spend some time on some upcoming Saturdays in both places. On a nice day, walk around each neighborhood and try to get a feel. On a Sunday morning you could walk around the Westover Farmers market for example and check out things around there. You could go over to the little shops in Mclean and then drive around different neighborhoods. Then I would come back and drive around the neighborhoods at rush hour. Try different commutes out, see which arteries get clogged. Do it multiple days. Drive to the elementary schools (if you have young kids) and see what that's like. I have a weird thing with Mclean that I feel like the winding roads get really backed up and it personally drives me a little batty but it probably happens in Arlington too and I'm just used to it and notice it less.

I agree with all of this. McLean does tend to have larger houses/lot sizes which is a pro or a con depending on what you are looking for.

For the schools, both the N. Arlington and McLean schools are generally considered "good" although people will argue about gradations of "good. Outside of the challenges APS is having with growth (and McLean is not immune to that seeing the overcrowding at McLean HS) -- the main difference to be aware of is how APS vs FCPS handles gifted education. APS basically doesn't have much of a gifted program, just supposed to provide some added enrichment via in-class differentiation and a gifted resource teacher. FCPS has their AAP program which tests kids to ID those who get put into a separate program, either at their neighborhood school or going to a different school, for more accelerated work. Which you prefer comes down to personal preference and what you think might work best for your specific children.

IME in APS, I had 2 kids ID'd as gifted -- one across all subjects and the other just in math. I felt both seemed reasonably well challenged in school and certainly once in HS had plenty of options for higher level classes. I think the main weakness is in MS where they don't offer an "honors" classes outside of math. If we'd been in FCPS, I expect one would have qualified for AAP and the other not. I do have concerns about what the experience is for non-AAP kids and what that dynamic can do in a family where close siblings get different experiences, and the influence on the school environment if the "smart" kids are all pulled out to go somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

I'm not the pp, but apparently the pps neighbor (hi fellow happy neighbor!), and haven't lived in Mclean but will share my perspective.

What I love about where I live:

It feels like the best of every world -

Small town feel - on Sunday mornings when I walk to the farmers market year round, or on Saturday afternoons in the summer when I walk up with my son to get ice cream and go to the library, it feels like the best little small town. Or even when I go on an afternoon after school gets out and the stores are a mad house because all the middle schoolers have landed, walking from Swanson after school. It's crazy then - but I love it because that's what I want for my kid - to run around after school with his friends. There is an independent hardware store that has been owned for decades next to a small beer garden. Not to mention the delicious lebanese place across the street or pizza/sandwiches at Italian store or Lost Dog. It has everything you need.

City feel just a jog away - If I want to be in the city, it took us 12 minutes to drive and park to take my son to a museum downtown two Saturdays ago. Ballston and Clarendon are obviously not the same as the city, but a hop away for a different feel (sometimes we walk to Ballston on the trails on a Saturday morning, though not often - biking is better)

The housing is really pretty dense, the lots small. I really like this for a few reasons - you see your neighbors regularly and can't help but interact, the housing stock is really varied - some are very small homes like ours (2 bedroom) and some have additions making them larger, but still retaining some unique charm. Due to the varied housing and some smaller homes my street has a variety of family makeups and some variety in income (this has it's limitations anywhere in Arlington before people flame me. But my street ranges from government workers, tech, to two families who own their own businesses in an area similar to handyman, for example). I also like that the housing stock is varied in the neighborhood in other ways - affordable housing apartments, townhouses, and a few duplexes. This doesn't mean integration - in my opinion we have a long way to go there, but it's something I do appreciate about the neighborhood vs where I grew up in Arlington that is all SFH. My neighbors are down to earth, I think a bit more so than the farther north arlington neighborhood I'm also familiar with.

So many playgrounds within walking distance and living at basically a trail head for multiple trails four mile run, Wo&D. I can be down walking the trails near a creek in a 5 minute walk.

It's pretty easy to get wherever I want to go.

Life is pretty easy and simple for us there. Anyway - I'm sure most people could list all the reasons they love where they live! So take it all with a grain of salt. But I think it's a special place.

You’ve captured so much about what I love about the neighborhood! Even the kids who roam in packs and create playful havoc along Washington Blvd. after school. It’s what I wanted for my kids.

Yes! Totally agree. It was all on my mind because my husband and I were trying to figure out whether to add onto our house when the time comes or move and it ended in a discussion of all the reasons we couldn't possibly replicate our lives elsewhere and have to find a way to stay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

We spend all of our weekends in the neighborhood and don’t need the car. We can walk to the library, farmers market, and parks. We see the same people out and about, there’s a community feel. Tons of families and my kids can walk to their respective schools. It feels idyllic.

How are the schools, do all kids go to zoned schools or lots go to private schools?

14:42 - my kid is not school age but all of our neighbors elementary and middle school kids go to local schools. It's not very common to go private in Arlington in my experience - I've been in the area a long time (though did leave for awhile). Like the pp said, there is a bunch of boundary stuff going on that if you read dcum you would think everyone is freaking about. But I don't think that's actual reality.

+1 We live in a different part of Arlington and all our neighbors send their kids to public schools, except for one with a learning disability who is better served by a school that specializes in that.

I do hear more people talking about private school as the capacity crisis is looming. However, the sticking point is that there just isn't much of a culture of using private schools and so there aren't a lot of convenient private school options so I don't know how many will actually follow through.

My kids are in HS now and we do hear from people who have older kids that W-L is "worse" now with the big student population than it was when their older kids went through. That may be, but my kids are fine, enjoying high school, generally like their teachers, don't have huge classes and find it easier to get through the lunch line than they did in middle school. Staff has been very responsive when I've had questions and concerns. We as parents may make those comparisons over time but the kids just know what happens in their specific four years.

All that said, they absolutely need to figure out what they are going to do for HS seats down the road so that's certainly a concern and anyone considering moving to APS w/ young kids now should pay attention to the upcoming CIP process for building/funding plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think it's a personal preference OP - both can be great places to live, but have slightly different vibes. I live in Arlington (Westover, same as the other poster), have lived in other areas of Arlington and spent a lot of time in Mclean due to other reasons and personally do prefer Westover to all other options, and prefer Arlington generally over Mclean. But that is because I prefer a denser neighborhood vs bigger lots and really value the walkability I have even if it's not city walkability. But if you prefer a bigger home/lot than I think Mclean hits that mark. I like that things feel close in Arlington, even if I'm driving. I like that there are multiple ways to get any one place when getting around Arlington and into DC. I think the dense neighborhoods in Arlington are a little more supportive of kids running around together, though there are certainly neighborhoods where this is a thing in Mclean too I'm sure! I like the flexibility that Arlington provides commuting as I anticipate my husband and I's jobs will change over the years, but I feel comfortable we have lots of choices within a reasonable commute. I like that my neighborhood has the benefits of the suburbs, but within 5 minutes there is a lot of variability within the density and offerings. It's a good mix for me, personally.

I'm bias to where I live, of course. So I really think it's more about what feels like a "fit" for your family. What I would recommend is spend some time on some upcoming Saturdays in both places. On a nice day, walk around each neighborhood and try to get a feel. On a Sunday morning you could walk around the Westover Farmers market for example and check out things around there. You could go over to the little shops in Mclean and then drive around different neighborhoods. Then I would come back and drive around the neighborhoods at rush hour. Try different commutes out, see which arteries get clogged. Do it multiple days. Drive to the elementary schools (if you have young kids) and see what that's like. I have a weird thing with Mclean that I feel like the winding roads get really backed up and it personally drives me a little batty but it probably happens in Arlington too and I'm just used to it and notice it less.

I agree with all of this. McLean does tend to have larger houses/lot sizes which is a pro or a con depending on what you are looking for.

For the schools, both the N. Arlington and McLean schools are generally considered "good" although people will argue about gradations of "good. Outside of the challenges APS is having with growth (and McLean is not immune to that seeing the overcrowding at McLean HS) -- the main difference to be aware of is how APS vs FCPS handles gifted education. APS basically doesn't have much of a gifted program, just supposed to provide some added enrichment via in-class differentiation and a gifted resource teacher. FCPS has their AAP program which tests kids to ID those who get put into a separate program, either at their neighborhood school or going to a different school, for more accelerated work. Which you prefer comes down to personal preference and what you think might work best for your specific children.

IME in APS, I had 2 kids ID'd as gifted -- one across all subjects and the other just in math. I felt both seemed reasonably well challenged in school and certainly once in HS had plenty of options for higher level classes. I think the main weakness is in MS where they don't offer an "honors" classes outside of math. If we'd been in FCPS, I expect one would have qualified for AAP and the other not. I do have concerns about what the experience is for non-AAP kids and what that dynamic can do in a family where close siblings get different experiences, and the influence on the school environment if the "smart" kids are all pulled out to go somewhere else.

yes this is such a good point pp. It really is personal preference, but knowing the difference can be helpful in making a decision. For us, we preferenced Arlington's non-pull out approach for the reason the pp mentioned as I just didn't like that potential dynamic (as pp mentioned, in FCPS, some gifted students may be pulled out and go to a completely different school than others or a sibling, or do a totally different program than other kids in the same school while in Arlington everything is considered "push in"). Some people really like the heavy emphasis on gifted students in FCPS though and if your kids are older and you have a better sense I'm sure it's good for some kids. So it really is to each his/her own.

[Anonymous]

Figure out your commutes first. Then figure out the rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is too far and too white, which is what some people want.

I’ve lived in both. Most recently in the Westover area of Arlington. It’s the best of the best.

What makes it so for you? Tell me more.

We spend all of our weekends in the neighborhood and don’t need the car. We can walk to the library, farmers market, and parks. We see the same people out and about, there’s a community feel. Tons of families and my kids can walk to their respective schools. It feels idyllic.

How are the schools, do all kids go to zoned schools or lots go to private schools?

Only one of my kids is school age, but I’ve been really happy with the public schools thus far. There’s a group of vocal wackadoodle parents who think that the APS school board are doing satan’s bidding. They do just fine given the constraints. The schools are good. The teachers are good. I’m not sure what people are expecting, honestly. Except for a few pockets of South Arlington, where I used to live, everyone goes to public school.

The problems will be when your kids go to high school, they simply will not be enough seats, and they will have night classes and telelearning, that’s why people are freaking out.

If they don’t ask soon, there’s no way to build the schools in time to help, they may already be too late honestly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Figure out your commutes first. Then figure out the rest.

Are commutes really that significantly different from close-in parts of Mclean vs. Arlington? They are neighbors. We are not talking about Rosslyn vs. Ashburn by of difference here or Bethesda vs. GF, vs. Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Arlington.

[Anonymous]

McLean if you’re in your 40s
Arlington If you’re in your 20s-30s.

McLean has the better housing where a 1.5 million dollar home actually looks like a million dollar home. Arlington housing looks like you’re paying a million bucks for a shed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean if you’re in your 40s
Arlington If you’re in your 20s-30s.

McLean has the better housing where a 1.5 million dollar home actually looks like a million dollar home. Arlington housing looks like you’re paying a million bucks for a shed.

Depends on an area, both have priciest and less expensive parts.