Would you move to McLean from Alexandria if your kids are thriving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We bought our home in Alexandria when we just finished graduate school. We cleaned out our savings to purchase our single family home in Alexandria. At the time, we had massive student loans and I worried about paying our mortgage, childcare and student loans. Fast forward to now, our income has gone up significantly, we have no debt besides the mortgage, have two kids in elementary and have enough savings to pay off our mortgage if we wanted. Older child is in AAP and younger child should also get into AAP in the future. Kids are thriving, play sports and have lots of friends. Neighbors are great. Life is good. We have seen many people move to better school districts. We like our house. Never thought it would be our forever home. It isn’t perfect but good enough. Kitchen, bathrooms and deck could use a renovation.

We work in DC so commute time could decrease if we move to McLean or Arlington. Places like Bethesda would also decrease commute time. These areas are also more expensive. Instead of being debt free, we would have to start over and get a new bigger mortgage. We would want a better home, not a worse home for the same price.

Would you move or stay put?

Sounds like you're in Fairfax County Alexandria. If you're even thinking about this now and consider AAP an escape plan by the time those kids are in MS and/or HS you will be looking at St Stephens. That school is filled with locals from Alexandria. My guess is it's cheaper to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traffic is horrible from McLean into DC. We live in Alexandria and drive to McLean in the am up the Parkway. The commute into DC is much shorter from Alexandria.

PP, not if she moves to McLean, McLean to DC would be much shorter.

Why would one's elementary school be great and the middle school only be iffy?

[Anonymous]

NP. I’d move. We were in a similar situation and moved to Vienna because we were not comfortable sending our children to Sandburg. The elementary was fine and we liked our neighborhood but there were too many concerns over the middle and high school. No regrets. They were in early elementary school and adjusted quickly. They made friends quickly and we love the area. The commute to DC is terrible but we don’t have to do it often. I’m not sure if McLean is better for commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I’d move. We were in a similar situation and moved to Vienna because we were not comfortable sending our children to Sandburg. The elementary was fine and we liked our neighborhood but there were too many concerns over the middle and high school. No regrets. They were in early elementary school and adjusted quickly. They made friends quickly and we love the area. The commute to DC is terrible but we don’t have to do it often. I’m not sure if McLean is better for commute.

I've lived in both Vienna and McLean. The commute to DC is much better if you live in McLean inside the Beltway than if you live outside the Beltway in Vienna, on the other side of Tysons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We bought our home in Alexandria when we just finished graduate school. We cleaned out our savings to purchase our single family home in Alexandria. At the time, we had massive student loans and I worried about paying our mortgage, childcare and student loans. Fast forward to now, our income has gone up significantly, we have no debt besides the mortgage, have two kids in elementary and have enough savings to pay off our mortgage if we wanted. Older child is in AAP and younger child should also get into AAP in the future. Kids are thriving, play sports and have lots of friends. Neighbors are great. Life is good. We have seen many people move to better school districts. We like our house. Never thought it would be our forever home. It isn’t perfect but good enough. Kitchen, bathrooms and deck could use a renovation.

We work in DC so commute time could decrease if we move to McLean or Arlington. Places like Bethesda would also decrease commute time. These areas are also more expensive. Instead of being debt free, we would have to start over and get a new bigger mortgage. We would want a better home, not a worse home for the same price.

Would you move or stay put?

OP, are you in Alexandria City or the Fairfax part of Alexandria?

We live in Fairfax County. I think we will be fine through middle school. We have an AAP middle school with very diverse population.

To the pp, yes, we can afford private middle and high school.

Then I would stay and go private if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traffic is horrible from McLean into DC. We live in Alexandria and drive to McLean in the am up the Parkway. The commute into DC is much shorter from Alexandria.

PP, not if she moves to McLean, McLean to DC would be much shorter.

Depends on if she really lives in Alexandria proper or Fairfax (which people really like to call Alexandria even though it isn’t) also depends on where she works in Dc. For ex, we live in Del Ray, I work by Farragut Square, my commute door to door is 20 minutes tops. I leave at 7:30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traffic is horrible from McLean into DC. We live in Alexandria and drive to McLean in the am up the Parkway. The commute into DC is much shorter from Alexandria.

PP, not if she moves to McLean, McLean to DC would be much shorter.

Depends on if she really lives in Alexandria proper or Fairfax (which people really like to call Alexandria even though it isn’t) also depends on where she works in Dc. For ex, we live in Del Ray, I work by Farragut Square, my commute door to door is 20 minutes tops. I leave at 7:30.

One of her children is in AAP, that means Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

We are in a pretty similar situation OP, except we have one DS which makes considering private school for a few years more reasonable. Our DS is thriving as well, and I think the disruption would be hard on him. Our neighbors just moved, and he took that badly. I don't see the need to rock the boat now and move.

I do, however, share your concerns about MS and HS options in the FCPS in Alexandria. We had looked in West Springfield for this very reason. I would say if you plan to stay put consider whether you may need to look at Sts. Stephen & Agnes or Bishop Ireton going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in a pretty similar situation OP, except we have one DS which makes considering private school for a few years more reasonable. Our DS is thriving as well, and I think the disruption would be hard on him. Our neighbors just moved, and he took that badly. I don't see the need to rock the boat now and move.

I do, however, share your concerns about MS and HS options in the FCPS in Alexandria. We had looked in West Springfield for this very reason. I would say if you plan to stay put consider whether you may need to look at Sts. Stephen & Agnes or Bishop Ireton going forward.

I wonder where all these bright kids go for high school. There are 100+ kids per grade at my child’s AAP center. I wish everyone would just stay and then the high schools would be better. Our children would attend Hayfield or Edison depending on whether we want AP or IB. I actually am fond of the IB curriculum but Edison seems to be an inferior school. It is disappointing that it is one of the lower performing high schools in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Alexandria City to some plastic Mclean HOA off 123? No way in hell.

FC portion of Alexandria (Waynewood, etc) to old Mclean? Probably.

[Anonymous]

You could not pay me to live out in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could not pay me to live out in McLean.

And we're supposed to think you could afford it? LOL.

McLean is the best area in NoVa, hands down.

[Anonymous]

Yes, move into the Mclean HS district before your kids get too old. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could not pay me to live out in McLean.

And we're supposed to think you could afford it? LOL.

McLean is the best area in NoVa, hands down.

Really? It's nicer than Old Town? Nicer than Rosemont? Nicer than Great Falls?

Put down your crack pipe, lady. Mclean sucks.

[Anonymous]

Your kids would be better off in Mclean because it's safer, fewer bad influences and the schools are very good. Also, they will be exposed to the better side of life and meet people who may be able to give them a leg up later in life.