Relocating from NY/NJ - Advice Needed: Elementary Schools in Arlington or surrounding areas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria City Public Schools, abbreviated ACPS here in DCUM, are a mess to avoid at all costs.

Arlington Public Schools, abbreviated APS here in DCUM, are generally considered good. Fairfax County and Falls Church City and Loudoun County public schools also are generally considered good.

Plenty of people have excellent experiences with ACPS, including my three kids.

+1
I would have posted to rent in old town, Del ray or even Carlyle and be walking distance to the king st stop. You can either take the slower train all the way from there, or metro to union station and hop on the Acela. We’re in old town and go frequently to ny. We also moved here from NY and find it to be a great mix of urban and walkable but still very neighborly and friendly. The schools are very diverse, and many have excellent programs, but you won’t hear about those on this board. You’ll just heat hatred, including from many who don’t even realize the Fairfax co portion of Alexandria goes to FCPs vs ACPS. OP, see if you can find a rental for Lyles crouch (LCTA). We have friends who rent a condo in old town village that’s in your price range and has everything you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work remote, but will have to travel into NY/NJ at least once a month. A friend mentioned she takes Amtrak into Penn Station which I understand is a pricey option. I’ve looked into bussing and flights as alternative options.

I would love to be walking distance to the school unless the school has an option for school bus. Do they allow 4th graders to take the bus?

I am looking to enroll my child into a diverse school, as 1) we are a minority - Asian and 2) I want them to have exposure.

At this point, since the summer is around the corner, I am trying not to be too picky since it is probably slim pickings but I do want a place that has at least 2 bedrooms, in unit full size laundry, parking, safe in a good school district ( 0 tolerance for school bullying), close to supermarkets and transit. Is that too much to ask? Lol.

Maybe doesn’t necessarily have to be in Arlington but does have to be accessible to the train and bus since I have to travel to NY/NJ. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Falls Church amd Fairfax County. How is it comparable to living in Arlington?

Lots of Asians in N Arlington or Falls Church City or Fairfax County.

School buses are the normal way most students get to school. Exception would be if one is living very very close to the school and sidewalks along the whole route.

Except along the MetroRail lines, Northern VA is largely suburban, rather than urban. Most people drive where they need to go, but there is local bus service along the major travel routes.

Falls Church City has IB for high school, and not AP. Fairfax County has some IB high schools and some AP high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria City Public Schools, abbreviated ACPS here in DCUM, are a mess to avoid at all costs.

Arlington Public Schools, abbreviated APS here in DCUM, are generally considered good. Fairfax County and Falls Church City and Loudoun County public schools also are generally considered good.

Plenty of people have excellent experiences with ACPS, including my three kids.

It is the only local school system that keeps an annual student death count. Glad to hear you have been lucky.

[Anonymous]

For OP in case of confusion. APS is Arlington Public Schools. ACPS is Alexandria City Public Schools. FCCPS is Falls Church City. FCPS is Fairfax County.

Plenty of Asians in N Arlington in particular. Large Mongolian population, some Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc. Typically clustered around Arlington’s Orange Line metro stations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria City Public Schools, abbreviated ACPS here in DCUM, are a mess to avoid at all costs.

Arlington Public Schools, abbreviated APS here in DCUM, are generally considered good. Fairfax County and Falls Church City and Loudoun County public schools also are generally considered good.

Plenty of people have excellent experiences with ACPS, including my three kids.

It is the only local school system that keeps an annual student death count. Glad to hear you have been lucky.

You are amazingly naive if you think violence is limited to Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Tysons Corner has a significant Asian population.

[Anonymous]

I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

[Anonymous]

Old Town Alexandria (esp the southwest quadrant) is walkable to the metro and Amtrak, along with easy access to the Beltway. Can walk to shops, restaurants, pharmacies and grocery stores. Many newer townhome developments. Lyles Crouch elementary school is highly sought after, and St Mary’s has preK-8th grade if you want parochial. I lived in the southwest quad of Old Town for over 20 years - I still miss it.

[Anonymous]

I really think you should take a close look at downtown Bethesda. It has everything you need. Lots of walk to grocery, library, shops, metro. Highly rated Bethesda ES is very diverse with significant Asian presence. Easy metro ride to Union Station and Vamoose and another company have multiple trips to Penn Station every day. Lots of apartments to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Arlington has the best skate park in the dmv.

Other than that, it is a toss up between Bethesda and Arlington for best close in area to live.

Do some research- currently Marylands taxes and electricity are higher than VA. Subtle differences between the states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

Grow up--there is life beyond the orange line. Maybe you never leave the Rosslyn to Ballston bubble, because Falls Church is plenty convenient, has many more Asians and thus Asian grocery stores, and plenty of elementary schools within walkable neighborhoods, for example Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

Grow up--there is life beyond the orange line. Maybe you never leave the Rosslyn to Ballston bubble, because Falls Church is plenty convenient, has many more Asians and thus Asian grocery stores, and plenty of elementary schools within walkable neighborhoods, for example Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

Falls Church also is relatively small and has its own government and schools which is going to feel more familiar to someone coming from NY/NJ. However, as someone who goes to NJ every other weekend, Bethesda or Chevy Chase is SO much easier for that and worth a look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

Grow up--there is life beyond the orange line. Maybe you never leave the Rosslyn to Ballston bubble, because Falls Church is plenty convenient, has many more Asians and thus Asian grocery stores, and plenty of elementary schools within walkable neighborhoods, for example Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

Falls Church also is relatively small and has its own government and schools which is going to feel more familiar to someone coming from NY/NJ. However, as someone who goes to NJ every other weekend, Bethesda or Chevy Chase is SO much easier for that and worth a look.

Falls Church City is small, but Falls Church encompasses six zip codes and stretches from the Western boundary with Alexandria out to 495/Tysons/McLean.

Not sure Bethesda or Chevy Chase is more convenient unless OP is driving. If flying then look closer to DCA, if Amtrak, then Redline or close in Nova is best.

[Anonymous]

Arlington is full of snobs for a reason - it is the closest to DC in Virginia and, for the most part; Virginia is bigger and better than Maryland across the board.

North Arlington is where you want to live if you can afford it.