Great Falls or Reston?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I both work in Tysons and we have a 2 and 4 year old. Heavily debating where to live but narrowed it down to Reston or Great Falls. He's pushing for Great Falls I'm pushing for Reston - his main points are GF's schools and my main points are Reston's trails/walkability/things to do and feels more like a community. We both love the mid-century modern/contemporary homes that we've found in both places and that there still is a lot of nature.

We don't particularly care for Vienna/Burke/Oakton.

I know there are a ton of threads and I've read through most of them, but tell me things I need to know!

I lived in Reston, now live in Great Falls. Reston’s downside is the heavy-handed homeowners association. The plus side is the pools, though you can join for a fee if you live in Great Falls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reston is more ghetto

Reston is where Fairfax dumps most of its low income housing. I would never....

This is why we left.

[Anonymous]

south lakes is perfectly fine. people are holding on to really old info about the school.

yes, there is a low income housing area in reston. it is near dogwood elementary school, which does filter into south lakes. that does NOT mean that the school is unsafe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

this

I have kids at South Lakes. It’s a great school and both kids are doing well, have never experienced any gang activity or violence. At worst, they know kids who vape—not exactly uncommon. But the “ghetto” claims are unfounded. Yes, there is low-income housing in a part of South Reston, a small segment of the community. We moved here for the diversity—and that includes economic diversity.

[Anonymous]

I lived in Reston, now live in Great Falls. Reston’s downside is the heavy-handed homeowners association. The plus side is the pools, though you can join for a fee if you live in Great Falls

I visited a friend in another state who lived in a neighborhood with no HOA. Having seen the horrors that result when people can do whatever they want to their house, I regard a "heavy handed HOA" as a definite plus.

[Anonymous]

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

So a higher level of blacks and hispanics is a bad thing? Ok Donald Trump

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

So a higher level of blacks and hispanics is a bad thing? Ok Donald Trump

Yeah, I'm sure you send your kids to Lee or Annandale HS because you love diversity so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are currently only 6 houses for sale in 20194. There are 155 houses for sale in 22066. Why do you think this is?

Maybe because all the elderly people who have lived in Great Falls are finally ready to sell? Nearly every house in my neighborhood that sold in the last four years was sold by the original owner or retirees who were downsizing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are currently only 6 houses for sale in 20194. There are 155 houses for sale in 22066. Why do you think this is?

Maybe because all the elderly people who have lived in Great Falls are finally ready to sell? Nearly every house in my neighborhood that sold in the last four years was sold by the original owner or retirees who were downsizing.

You also have to consider the types of houses being offered: 1) is it land or a home? (GF has a lot of land for sale); 2) is the home less than or greater than $1.3M? (it's easier to sell a home that is less than $1.3M, and more homes in Reston are less than $1M than in GF); are you commuting downtown or not? (more people are likely to choose Reston if they commute downtown); are there restrictions with the property that are unattractive to builders (who are snapping up lots in McLean, and Vienna)? (many areas in GF require you to have a 1/2 acre lot and certain setbacks on the property, which limits builders' ability to cram 455 McMansions onto a postage stamp). In my small neighborhood, about 33 homes were sold in the last few years. Overwhelmingly, most of the homes under $1.5M sold in 2 months or less on the market (actually, most sold within one month on the market). Several $2M+ homes sat on the market for a long time, but liek I said above, these properties are not attractive to builders because they cannot be subdivided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

ONE FAIRFAX! ONE FAIRFAX! ONE FAIRFAX!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

Are you also pretending you'd send your kid to a crappy school full of poor, non-English speaking kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have talked with many of the parents on our street and no one has said word one about problems at South Lakes. I have friends who teach at South Lakes and they have no concerns with sending their kids to South Lakes. The kids I know who have graduated from there, neighbors kids, babysitters, and the like have been happy with their four years at the school.

OK, but that's now. The OP needs to consider what SLHS will be like ten years from now.

If you look at the demographics of the schools that feed SLHS (Dogwood, Forest Edge, Fox Mill, Hunters Woods) it is obvious that in ten years, SLHS will have a higher percentage of blacks and Hispanics, and a lower percentage of whites, than it does now, as well as a higher percentage of economically "disadvantaged". It won't be quite as "diverse" as Herndon HS, but getting there.

You may or may not regard this as a bad thing. Perhaps you will revel in the rich, vibrant diversity!

And who knows what the school board will decide to do to... adjust... Langley HS in the meantime.

Aren’t you lovely?

Langley has a toxic culture and it starts with people like you.

Are you also pretending you'd send your kid to a crappy school full of poor, non-English speaking kids?

I live in Reston. Both my DH and I have advanced degrees. We are certainly sending our currently small children through the Reston Public Schools, and that means SLHS. I am a Latina, so perhaps you don't want to live next to me or send your kids to the same school as mine because you have ideas about immigrants and people of color. Don't move to Reston if you are racist/xenophobic/classest jerks.