House Hunting: Fairfax or Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have the money definitely consider Falls Church City schools - super small district, but the commute is really pretty easy (I have a hybrid so I take 66 into my office near the Air and Space museum in DC and it takes about 30-40 minutes door to door each morning - leaving around 8 or 8:15 - less time to get home.) We are walkable to the West Falls Church metro too which is a nice alternative, although with the hybrid, metroing would be a longer (albeit cheaper) commute.

Lots of Falls Church addresses that are in Fairfax County schools which are good. If you see a "Falls Church, VA" address that DOESN'T have a zip of 22043 or 22046, then it's in Fairfax. The lines are VERY strangely drawn for Falls Church City, so if that's important to you, look really carefully.

22043 feeds into Fairfax County school. I teach at one - Marshall HS - and our zip is 22043. It may also feed into Falls Church City, but it definitely is part of Fairfax County as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have the money definitely consider Falls Church City schools - super small district, but the commute is really pretty easy (I have a hybrid so I take 66 into my office near the Air and Space museum in DC and it takes about 30-40 minutes door to door each morning - leaving around 8 or 8:15 - less time to get home.) We are walkable to the West Falls Church metro too which is a nice alternative, although with the hybrid, metroing would be a longer (albeit cheaper) commute.

Lots of Falls Church addresses that are in Fairfax County schools which are good. If you see a "Falls Church, VA" address that DOESN'T have a zip of 22043 or 22046, then it's in Fairfax. The lines are VERY strangely drawn for Falls Church City, so if that's important to you, look really carefully.

22043 feeds into Fairfax County school. I teach at one - Marshall HS - and our zip is 22043. It may also feed into Falls Church City, but it definitely is part of Fairfax County as well.

There are parts of 22046 (behind the Giant plaza) that are Fairfax County and all of 22043 is definitely Fairfax County, split between Westgate/Kilmer/Marshall and Haycock/Longfellow/McLean school triangles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There are parts of 22046 (behind the Giant plaza) that are Fairfax County and all of 22043 is definitely Fairfax County, split between Westgate/Kilmer/Marshall and Haycock/Longfellow/McLean school triangles.

22043 could also be Lemon Road/Kilmer/Marshall, Lemon Road/Longfellow/McLean, or Shrevewood/Kilmer/Marshall.

[Anonymous]

14:42 here - sorry about the erroneous info on zip codes. I knew that any Falls Church City addresses ONLY have one of those two zip codes, but didn't realize those zip codes were larger than FCC. Apologies! I guess my statement still stands correct though that if you see "falls Church, VA" with a zip other than those two, it's definitely NOT FCC, but if you see either of those two, it doesn't GUARANTEE FCC!

[Anonymous]

If you want an urban feel and easy commute, the choice is obvious -- stay in DC. Seriously, your unborn child won't be starting school (at least in Arlington or Fairfax) for at least five years -- why be unhappy with where you live for that half-decade? Why choose a school district now that you won't use for five or six years, and which might change a lot in the interim? Or your priorities could change. You just can't know now. So live where you want to live now. If your place is really too small, buy or rent a bigger one, but don't sweat the school district. Near a nice park or playground you need. A few kid-friendly restaurants, too. The zoo or a library? Fabulous! But don't sweat the school district. Really. Your kid(s) will benefit so much more from having you happy and there (read: short commute) during the early years than they ever could from attending just the right Fairfax County public school (which they could still do, of course, just later).

[Anonymous]

There are two FCC neighborhoods with 22042 (including Oakwood Apartments). 22046 is almost all FCC, but there are a few exceptions to that, too. Buyer beware.

[Anonymous]

agree with recommendation of falls church city.
agree with arlington over ffx for urban feel and commute. commute is something you do every day and impacts what time you get with kid so although some close in ffx neighborhoods take that part VERY seriously.
agree GT makes little difference. very good Arlington schools - but not all are created equal so research them before you buy.
i think ffx going to part-time kindergarten expect for Title I schools bc of budget cuts.
if you have room for baby in your condo, don't feel need to make decision today. you have a lot of commuting to do before baby hits K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: If you want an urban feel and easy commute, the choice is obvious -- stay in DC. Seriously, your unborn child won't be starting school (at least in Arlington or Fairfax) for at least five years -- why be unhappy with where you live for that half-decade? Why choose a school district now that you won't use for five or six years, and which might change a lot in the interim? Or your priorities could change. You just can't know now. So live where you want to live now. If your place is really too small, buy or rent a bigger one, but don't sweat the school district. Near a nice park or playground you need. A few kid-friendly restaurants, too. The zoo or a library? Fabulous! But don't sweat the school district. Really. Your kid(s) will benefit so much more from having you happy and there (read: short commute) during the early years than they ever could from attending just the right Fairfax County public school (which they could still do, of course, just later).

All good points, and I've thought about it, and we decided that we just don't want to move twice in five years. So the place has to be good through elementary school age.

[Anonymous]

If you end up in FCC, keep in mind that George Mason HS is very small and doesn't have the same breadth of courses available to its students as the neighboring Fairfax and Arlington County high schools. Buyer beware, indeed.

[Anonymous]

22043 is never Falls Church City. City boundaries are roughly Sycamore (north), Hillwood/Lee Hwy (south), Roosevelt (west) and Haycock (east). Some real estate professionals have been known to fudge those boundaries; in fact, one we used tried to convince us that a house just outside city limits "would be absorbed soon into FCC." Ha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22043 is never Falls Church City. City boundaries are roughly Sycamore (north), Hillwood/Lee Hwy (south), Roosevelt (west) and Haycock (east). Some real estate professionals have been known to fudge those boundaries; in fact, one we used tried to convince us that a house just outside city limits "would be absorbed soon into FCC." Ha!

Shame on the so-called "professional" - of course, just as many people would prefer 22043 over FCC as vice versa.