WFH - Rank These DMV Neighborhoods -$1.5M Budget

[Anonymous]

In Arlington the really walkable neighborhoods are zoned W-L. Families like W-L and fight hard not to be zoned away from it. So, its main downside is that it's bigger that the others.

Houses in the $1.5 budget are often bought by developers and torn down but I've seen a few actually go to families recently. Older homes that need some work
https://redf.in/RSyacR
https://redf.in/nm4J39

[Anonymous]

For 1.5, you don’t have to live in Nova

[Anonymous]

With blue voting, good public schools, great colleges -- you shouldn't have a problem with Northern Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you visited all of the neighborhoods? You should. Bethesda is the only one that's not a suburban hellscape, so I would pick that.

Agree you should visit. Especially look at the areas near Lynnbrook park. FCC is discussed as "walkable" but doesn't actually have sidewalks, so it may not be the vibe you're thinking.

I live in fcc. I have no idea what you mean. My street doesn’t have a sidewalk but that’s bc it’s basically a dead end street that is plenty wide with minimal traffic. All the through streets in fcc have sidewalks. I consider fcc to be the most walkable place around. I can easily walk to 40 restaurants, Walk to the farmers market, walk to the pool, etc. fcc is very compact so the chances of your kids being able to walk to friends houses is extremely high. walk ability to me means I can walk to places I want to go. When we lived in arlington there were also places we could walk to, but in general things are more spread out and we had to drive more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moving here and have a $1.5M budget. Looking for good schools, kid friendly neighborhoods, and walkability. Want to be close enough to DC in case we have to commute in the future, so not looking in Ashburn or far out counties.

I’ve found these neighborhoods with great school scores close to the Beltway that might fit my budget. Can you please help rank them?

Falls Church zoned for Meridian
Falls Church zoned for Marshall
North Arlington zoned for Yorktown
Bethesda zoned for Bethesda Chevy Chase
Kensington or Garrett Park zoned for Walter Johnson

These are all fine choices. I would just pick the house you like best- 1.5M budget won't go far here, as I'm sure you're aware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you visited all of the neighborhoods? You should. Bethesda is the only one that's not a suburban hellscape, so I would pick that.

Agree you should visit. Especially look at the areas near Lynnbrook park. FCC is discussed as "walkable" but doesn't actually have sidewalks, so it may not be the vibe you're thinking.

I live in fcc. I have no idea what you mean. My street doesn’t have a sidewalk but that’s bc it’s basically a dead end street that is plenty wide with minimal traffic. All the through streets in fcc have sidewalks. I consider fcc to be the most walkable place around. I can easily walk to 40 restaurants, Walk to the farmers market, walk to the pool, etc. fcc is very compact so the chances of your kids being able to walk to friends houses is extremely high. walk ability to me means I can walk to places I want to go. When we lived in arlington there were also places we could walk to, but in general things are more spread out and we had to drive more.

People moving from areas with more sidewalk availability may not be used to the idea of their kids needing to share the street with cars/landscaping trucks/Amazon delivery vehicles on the way to their friends' houses. Looking into sidewalk availability may never occur to them especially when considering an area described as "walkable."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$1.5 million isn't get you walkability in Bethesda or North Arlington unless you're willing to do a townhouse.

Haha, that budget is going to be tough even for townhouse. The only two townhouses I can find with walkability in her budget. The few others are not worth considering



https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2139-N-Pierce-Ct-22209/home/11248774

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2170-21st-Ct-N-22201/home/11248992

These are gerrymandered to get poor kids into yorktown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With blue voting, good public schools, great colleges -- you shouldn't have a problem with Northern Virginia

It's a very low budget, unfortunately. NOVA, no, Arlington, Falls Church, yes.

[Anonymous]

OP wil get so much more for her money in Bethesda than Arlington. Walkability will be an issue.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/9705-Montauk-Ave-20817/home/10663544

Chevy Chase if you are ok with BCC. IMO WJ is better.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Chevy-Chase/4428-Stanford-St-20815/home/10651305

[Anonymous]

My townhouse in FCC has a walk score of 93 (probably should be higher) but it's now over $1,000,000 for a townhouse.

I, personally think it's worth it. Smallest class sizes in the area, most funding, and when I call the high school only occasionally they know who I am and are very helpful solving issues.

FCC
Arlington
Fairfax County
Montgomery County (a total mess, high taxes)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Arlington the really walkable neighborhoods are zoned W-L. Families like W-L and fight hard not to be zoned away from it. So, its main downside is that it's bigger that the others.

Houses in the $1.5 budget are often bought by developers and torn down but I've seen a few actually go to families recently. Older homes that need some work
https://redf.in/RSyacR
https://redf.in/nm4J39

That’s right OP, you’re not going to be in a nice street for 1.5m

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have kids at Yorktown, and I went to BCC. BCC is more like W&L. I wouldn’t send my kids there. No to falls church Marshall as well. Meridian is too small. $1.5 is a very tough budget. Good luck.

This is so funny to me because the W&L parents say they wouldn’t send their kids to Yorktown because of the serious bullying and hard drugs problem.

It’s true about the hard drug problem, but isn’t it the case all around here, including the private schools?

It’s not and I’m sorry you’ve been led to believe that’s the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP wil get so much more for her money in Bethesda than Arlington. Walkability will be an issue.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/9705-Montauk-Ave-20817/home/10663544

Chevy Chase if you are ok with BCC. IMO WJ is better.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Chevy-Chase/4428-Stanford-St-20815/home/10651305

She’s right. You will not get homes as nice in Arlington for these prices.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/139-S-Abingdon-St-22204/home/11260285

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/4004-9th-St-S-22204/home/11261333

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/614-S-Ivy-St-22204/home/11263028

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/606-S-Barton-St-22204/home/11262934


And to get as comparable street as the ones the homes posted above even in S. Arlington, you’d need to up your budget 500k and without the school options

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/1417-S-Nelson-St-22204/home/172270689

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/816-S-Veitch-St-22204/home/11263351

And I think it’s total bullsh*it that it’s getting to the point where one will need 2M+ to get a new home even in ugly S. Arlington these days.


https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/3516-16th-St-S-22204/home/11264011

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/3935-6th-St-S-22204/home/11260716

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:North Arlington is the answer, but if you want a sfh you’re not going much for that budget

PS I actually recommend 22205 - look at the Westover and Tara Leeway areas. This area is zoned for w-l high school but it is very good with a strong IB program. Good luck !

agree 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP wil get so much more for her money in Bethesda than Arlington. Walkability will be an issue.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Bethesda/9705-Montauk-Ave-20817/home/10663544

Chevy Chase if you are ok with BCC. IMO WJ is better.

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Chevy-Chase/4428-Stanford-St-20815/home/10651305

She’s right. You will not get homes as nice in Arlington for these prices.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/139-S-Abingdon-St-22204/home/11260285

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/4004-9th-St-S-22204/home/11261333

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/614-S-Ivy-St-22204/home/11263028

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/606-S-Barton-St-22204/home/11262934


And to get as comparable street as the ones the homes posted above even in S. Arlington, you’d need to up your budget 500k and without the school options

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/1417-S-Nelson-St-22204/home/172270689

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/816-S-Veitch-St-22204/home/11263351

And I think it’s total bullsh*it that it’s getting to the point where one will need 2M+ to get a new home even in ugly S. Arlington these days.


https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/3516-16th-St-S-22204/home/11264011

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/3935-6th-St-S-22204/home/11260716

Why? It's so much closer to downtown DC than Bethesda or Chevy Chase. People aren't tied to those towns anymore because they didn't grow up here and have preconceived notions about them. When I grew up in Bethesda, Arlington was a dump. Now new houses in good school districts are close to $3m.