Tell me about Arlington Forest

[Anonymous]

We used to live in Bluemont and I drove through there recently and noticed that the tear-downs are picking up in our old neighborhood. The developers might be making their way towards AF, but the schools might be an issue as far as what they can sell for.

[Anonymous]

The school ‘issue’ is that there is more diversity than 22207 (where there is mostly zero diversity). We are zoned for long branch/TJ which also picks up kids from south Arlington and is diverse. We’ve had great experience. we know lots of 22207 families who have also found middle schools less impressive but I think that’s true across dmv and the country. And are thrilled to be zoned to W-L for high school. AF is great neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

I find it interesting that Swanson boundaries are under consideration to expand to take more bluemont area from kenmore as the old homes are knocked down for 1.8m McMansions. It is like once x number of homes are over 1.5m the northern schools want the neighborhood./students.

AF may be the next bluemont and they will bus the kids to Williamsburg MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that Swanson boundaries are under consideration to expand to take more bluemont area from kenmore as the old homes are knocked down for 1.8m McMansions. It is like once x number of homes are over 1.5m the northern schools want the neighborhood./students.

AF may be the next bluemont and they will bus the kids to Williamsburg MS.

Okay for boys but it is a mean girl school.

[Anonymous]

OP AF is a nice area. Very family friendly.

For schools in Arlington MS is 3 years. And as previously mentioned there is no great MS option. Actually, kenmore probably has some of the best facilities for MS - but no middle school would be a game changer as it is the shortest time kids are in school. ES and HS makes a difference- but MS is miserable no matter where they go.

Arlington is facing a challenge as more apartments keep going up on orange line that they need another high school and have no space for one. You will see a shift to more going to Yorktown that used to go to W&L to make room as the growing part of county is Wilson Blvd and south of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've always assumed there is some restriction in the deeds from when it was first built?

I searched and found this:

Placement on the National Register of Historic Places does not protect structures in the Arlington Forest Historic District from being modified or even destroyed. The first complete teardown of an original Arlington Forest house took place in 2015 at 234 North Galveston Street in Greenbrier. Since then, perhaps a dozen original houses have been gutted, with no more than a few exterior walls left untouched so that the interior could be completely replaced.

https://arlington.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=44&clip_id=4047&meta_id=209156

Sounds like there's nothing prohibiting it, but tear downs are very rare. That's actually surprising, I wonder how that's happened.

That really is surprising. The uniformity always made me think they had to stay. From friends who live there it does seem that there are a few contractors who really specialize in renovating those homes.

I’ve lived in Arlington Forest for 15 years. The original houses are solid as a rock — really sturdy construction, which is why people don’t tear them down, but rather add on.

It’s a wonderful neighborhood with a real sense of community, good schools, and walkability. Someone said it doesn’t have that, but lots of people walk to Ballston and there is the Lubber Run community center and summer concert series, it’s near the bike path and Arlington Forest Club (swim and tennis). No HOA and people do different things with their homes, so it has sort of a bohemian vibe in places.

The thing I like most is that people strike the right balance between being neighborly but not nosy. And a guest visiting us once described the neighborhood as being “Mannerly, but not pretentious.” I thought that was spot on.

If you are looking for a neighborhood with stately homes and bragging rights to a snobby zip code, Arlington Forest won’t be for you. Arlington Forest feels a little like living in a small town. It’s nice.