Where to move in Virginia, walkable to metro, with good public schools, budget 1.3M

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia didn’t do as good of a job as Maryland in planning and building around Metro stops. They were mostly planned like a regular train station.

Wut? https://www.smartergrowth.net/virginia/arlington/

Winner of the first EPA Smart Growth Award and the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Capital Region Visionary Award, Arlington County is a national leader in transit-oriented development, affordable housing, transit, and street design.

Arlington’s journey began when it decided to construct Metro’s Orange Line under the Rosslyn-Ballston (R-B) corridor, rather than aboveground in the middle of I-66, and created their “bullseye” plan for the Metro stations.

Today, Arlington boasts 50 million square feet of transit-oriented development in the R-B corridor alone and has done so without increasing traffic. The land in their two Metro corridors (their other one is Pentagon City/Crystal City) occupies just 11 percent of the county, but provides 50 percent of the tax base. 39 percent of trips in the R-B corridor are made by transit, walking, and bicycling.

What’s the point in this? You don’t point out one or a few well designed station and say Virginia planned the metro stations well. That literally doesn’t mean that. Unless you think Arlington is Northern Virginia and all the rest of the stations are Central VA. Maryland has done a better job developing around the Metro. That’s a fact. Virginia is trying to improve.

The planning is done by the localities, not the states. Arlington has done a nationally award winning job with its metro stations better than MoCo until quite recently. Fairfax was about as far behind Arlington on that as MoCo was. Alexandria ditto, at least for Van Dorn and Eisenhower. King Street and Braddock they did pretty well from the get go.

As for PG County, well, hmmmm.

So I am not sure exactly what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

The sweet spot for you would be Falls Church 22043, walking distance to West Falls Church and zoned for Longfellow-McLean pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sweet spot for you would be Falls Church 22043, walking distance to West Falls Church and zoned for Longfellow-McLean pyramid.

+1

[Anonymous]

Try South Arlington, Crystal or Pentagon City area with Arlington Ridge, Aurora Hills subdivision. One light to DC, and Metro in area. You’ll spend under your budget for big close in home. Elementary School is good, same with Middle School (they are just about side by side on Arlington Ridge). High School is Wakefield, new building, good AP track. Also eligible for charter (H.B.Wooten sp?) high school, populated with high SAT scorers. If you don’t like those schools there are several private schools, several Catholic ones. Lower house price allows for private tuition. My 2 cents.

[Anonymous]

CIty of Falls Church, between East and West Falls Church metros 22046 zip

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try South Arlington, Crystal or Pentagon City area with Arlington Ridge, Aurora Hills subdivision. One light to DC, and Metro in area. You’ll spend under your budget for big close in home. Elementary School is good, same with Middle School (they are just about side by side on Arlington Ridge). High School is Wakefield, new building, good AP track. Also eligible for charter (H.B.Wooten sp?) high school, populated with high SAT scorers. If you don’t like those schools there are several private schools, several Catholic ones. Lower house price allows for private tuition. My 2 cents.

Wakefield High isn't good and H.B. Woodlawn (not H.B. Wooten) isn't a charter. Plus admission to HB is by lottery and nothing anyone in S. Arlington can count on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sweet spot for you would be Falls Church 22043, walking distance to West Falls Church and zoned for Longfellow-McLean pyramid.

If OP wants a new construction, this area’s price tag is over 1.6M now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sweet spot for you would be Falls Church 22043, walking distance to West Falls Church and zoned for Longfellow-McLean pyramid.

+1. But it also includes some 22046.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vienna

Thanks, but Vienna is like 10 miles away from dc. Is there anything closer with good schools. looking for a 3 or 4 bedroom house. I mean like is there anything like this in Clarendon?

There was one in Lyon Village listed for 1.2 like a week ago but looks like it already sold (not showing up on Redfin anymore). But yes, 3 bedrooms come up for under 1.3 in this area sometimes!

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can get this in Clarendon. Something like this...

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/1204-N-Nelson-St-22201/home/11248458

Yes, the schools are crowded and don't get too attached to your elementary because boundaries are changing but the schools along the Orange line in Arlington are good, if you don't mind your kids going to a more diverse school. They aren't all 8-10 rated but if you dig further into the scores, they are all 9-10 for not-disadvantaged kids.

We're a few blocks from metro, zoned Long Branch / Jefferson / W-L and have been happy with our schools (now have 1 at Jefferson and 1 at W-L).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you can get this in Clarendon. Something like this...

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/1204-N-Nelson-St-22201/home/11248458

Yes, the schools are crowded and don't get too attached to your elementary because boundaries are changing but the schools along the Orange line in Arlington are good, if you don't mind your kids going to a more diverse school. They aren't all 8-10 rated but if you dig further into the scores, they are all 9-10 for not-disadvantaged kids.

We're a few blocks from metro, zoned Long Branch / Jefferson / W-L and have been happy with our schools (now have 1 at Jefferson and 1 at W-L).

If I’m paying $1.2 million, I want something nicer than that house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vienna

Thanks, but Vienna is like 10 miles away from dc. Is there anything closer with good schools. looking for a 3 or 4 bedroom house. I mean like is there anything like this in Clarendon?

Vienna is more like 15-20 miles from DC.

No. I live in VA and work in DC. 12 miles for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vienna

Thanks, but Vienna is like 10 miles away from dc. Is there anything closer with good schools. looking for a 3 or 4 bedroom house. I mean like is there anything like this in Clarendon?

Vienna is more like 15-20 miles from DC.

No. I live in VA and work in DC. 12 miles for me.

Vienna^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sweet spot for you would be Falls Church 22043, walking distance to West Falls Church and zoned for Longfellow-McLean pyramid.

+1. But it also includes some 22046.

Which would also work for OP. I’d take a look at 22043 and 22046 then pick the house you like best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you can get this in Clarendon. Something like this...

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/1204-N-Nelson-St-22201/home/11248458

Yes, the schools are crowded and don't get too attached to your elementary because boundaries are changing but the schools along the Orange line in Arlington are good, if you don't mind your kids going to a more diverse school. They aren't all 8-10 rated but if you dig further into the scores, they are all 9-10 for not-disadvantaged kids.

We're a few blocks from metro, zoned Long Branch / Jefferson / W-L and have been happy with our schools (now have 1 at Jefferson and 1 at W-L).

If I’m paying $1.2 million, I want something nicer than that house.

Well, then you'll need to have a longer commute.