Please recommend your family friendly neighborhood with playground, metro and good schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was shocked that City of Falls Church was just recognized as the wealthiest area in the entire nation -- with a median income of $113K. I live in Falls Church (part of FX, not the city part) and I have always thought Falls Church was ghetto. I am near Falls Church High School, which is totally ghetto. Can someone tell me what area is nice, metro-accessible and has good schools?? I have never heard this.

The part where you live is on the "wrong" side of 50/rt 7. You want to live on the north side of 7.

[Anonymous]

I used to live in Dupont and moved to Captiol hill (eastern MArket area) after we married. We have two kids and are very happy! PArk right across the street and we love our neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

I agree that most of the areas along Lee Highway from Rosslyn west to East Falls Church metro meet all of that criteria. We are in Waverly Hills (22207) and love it. Close to shops (Lee Heights), playgrounds (Woodstock and Clarenford Station), and a great school with an active PTA (Glebe). The areas of Cherrydale, Maywood, and Lee Heights are also really nice and not quite as "suburban" as other areas of N. Arlington (i.e. you can still walk to some things from your house).

[Anonymous]

If $ is no option..Lyon Village. There is so much happening right around it...a literal explosion in of new restaurants and shops in the last few months. Plus- trader joes and whole foods within 2 blocks. Right on the metro and Soooooo close to DC.

Public schools are fantastic and neighborhood is FILLED with kids and friendly neighbors. Lots of impromptu get togethers as well as bigger neighborhood events---parades, holiday parties, etc.

Wait for housing can be long. Inventory non-existent and prices keep going up.

[Anonymous]

We moved a couple of years ago to Mantua, which is wedged just south of both Vienna and Dunn Loring stations.The elementary school and AAP center are great, and it feeds into Woodson high school.
There are shops within a mile or so in several different directions.
Activiites wise, the neighborhood plans a lot of get-together type events (Moms of Mantua, book club etc.) and there is a terrific community pool that a lot of families belong to with swim, dive and tennis teams for the kids. It's also close to the Fairfax Ice Arena which the kids attend year round, and there's a great bike trail right behind our house that we can take to the playground or further to Audrey Moore rec center.
Overall we've been very pleased.

[Anonymous]

Depending on where you work in DC, either the Falls Church/Lyon Village areas in VA (orange line), or the close-in Bethesda suburbs (red line). We are in East Bethesda (tucked away behind the BCC high school). Great playground a 5 minute walk from the house; 10 minute walk to metro; BCC cluster. Though if we could afford it, we've move to Chevy Chase - the part bounded by Wisconsin and Bradley, behind the Trader Joe's. Gorgeous houses, much bigger than ours, and bigger lots too. Not quite as convenient for walking to groceries and such, but equally good for metro, schools, and playground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was shocked that City of Falls Church was just recognized as the wealthiest area in the entire nation -- with a median income of $113K. I live in Falls Church (part of FX, not the city part) and I have always thought Falls Church was ghetto. I am near Falls Church High School, which is totally ghetto. Can someone tell me what area is nice, metro-accessible and has good schools?? I have never heard this.

The city itself and the areas of Fairfax Co north of the city itself.

If you're going to call Falls Church City "ghetto" I think you secretly want a 5-acre lot in Fauquier or Loudoun.

And why are you in the ghetto? It'll wear you down. Living in one of South Arlington's ghettos (*) nearly ruined my marriage (of course I'm the only one who'll admit on DCUM to moving out of an "up and coming" area.)

(*) ghetto, relatively speaking. Yes I am aware that there are worse places (parts of SE DC and innermost Prince George's.) At the same time, why should I put up with an neighborhood that doesn't meet my desires?

Lol i only call it ghetto b/c I grew up in Fairfax going to Woodson High School. Some of the houses in my neighborhood are run down. We have a man on house arrest and a sex offender living next to us. We are in the Falls Church High School pyramid where more than 1/2 the kids are on free lunches. I guess I am in the south side of Falls Church.

I also lived in the ghetto of south arlington and while I liked it as a young adult, I would not want to raise kids there. Why did South Arlington almost ruin your marriage???

[Anonymous]

Clarendon (Lyon Village, Lyon Park) is my favorite area of North Arlington, followed by Westover, which was mentioned by 15:07 PP. Clarendon is walkable to metro; Westover is close to metro but most homes aren't technically walkable to metro unless you're in the western part closer to East Falls Church metro. Good schools, though, and lots of parks and things to do nearby. (Westover is very close to the Custis and W&OD trails, too, which I like.) Have heard Lyon Village is very tough to get into, though - lots of folks want to live there.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park /Brightwood.

[Anonymous]

The earlier PP really needs to learn the difference between Falls Church and the City of Falls Church. The City of Falls Church is small, with expensive houses and condos and very good schools and a charming little downtown. The areas of Falls Church in Falls Church high school and Stuart are not as nice. (the demographics are not as wealthy, or as caucasian.) There's also West Falls Church, which is the part of Falls Church (some of Falls church city, some in Fairfax County) closer to Tysons.

And yeah, some of the areas that feed into Falls Church HS are rougher. there's a fair amount of lower-income housing in that boundary. Not unusual around here.

[Anonymous]

The earlier PP really needs to learn the difference between Falls Church and the City of Falls Church. The City of Falls Church is small, with expensive houses and condos and very good schools and a charming little downtown. The areas of Falls Church in Falls Church high school and Stuart are not as nice. (the demographics are not as wealthy, or as caucasian.) There's also West Falls Church, which is the part of Falls Church (some of Falls church city, some in Fairfax County) closer to Tysons.

And yeah, some of the areas that feed into Falls Church HS are rougher. there's a fair amount of lower-income housing in that boundary. Not unusual around here.

Wow, now that is blatant racism & classism. Scary. PP stay out of my neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Highly recommend Rosemont in Alexandria, VA, same for Del Ray. Both have lots to walk to, huge sense of community, kids and dogs everywhere, YMCA, parks for kids and dogs, Mt Vernon Community School is good, metro is walkable (Braddock Road) and new metro to be built at Potomac Yard. We have two children and couldn't be happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depending on where you work in DC, either the Falls Church/Lyon Village areas in VA (orange line), or the close-in Bethesda suburbs (red line). We are in East Bethesda (tucked away behind the BCC high school). Great playground a 5 minute walk from the house; 10 minute walk to metro; BCC cluster. Though if we could afford it, we've move to Chevy Chase - the part bounded by Wisconsin and Bradley, behind the Trader Joe's. Gorgeous houses, much bigger than ours, and bigger lots too. Not quite as convenient for walking to groceries and such, but equally good for metro, schools, and playground.

do you know what the zip codes are for these two neighborhoods - lyon village and the part of CC you mentioned?

[Anonymous]

We're in Tenleytown/AU park and really love it. 5 blocks to metro - stuff to walk to (coffee, restaurants, new library). In Janney, Deal and Wilson district and home to the famed Turtle Park and St. Columbas (a preschool that is also a wonderful playground in the afternoon when school is out of session/in summer, etc). We've been here 5 years and love it. On the rare occasion that we drive to work, we can drive one car (park once downtown) and it's a straight shot down Mass. My husband also rides his bike to work which is even faster! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on where you work in DC, either the Falls Church/Lyon Village areas in VA (orange line), or the close-in Bethesda suburbs (red line). We are in East Bethesda (tucked away behind the BCC high school). Great playground a 5 minute walk from the house; 10 minute walk to metro; BCC cluster. Though if we could afford it, we've move to Chevy Chase - the part bounded by Wisconsin and Bradley, behind the Trader Joe's. Gorgeous houses, much bigger than ours, and bigger lots too. Not quite as convenient for walking to groceries and such, but equally good for metro, schools, and playground.

do you know what the zip codes are for these two neighborhoods - lyon village and the part of CC you mentioned?

LV is a small part of 22201. Be warned there is next to nothing out there..and when something comes on the market it goes in first 24 hrs (if not before it gets to market). They also list houses as LV which aren't really LV and those r the few that sit and dont move as quickly--but would b a great investment in the way Clarendon has moved and they are in fantastic school district.

It took us 2 years and many bids to finally get our house.