Thoughts on moving to Arlington?
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Anonymous
| We only have one DC and want to move closer to the city (we live in Oakton) for proximity to work and for a somewhat more urban lifestyle. DH thinks that north Arlington would shave off about half an hour from his commute. We are a small family and actually want LESS house, unlike most of our neighbors in the Oakton area. So, yes, we do realize that we will be getting a smaller house for more money than we are paying currently but that is fine with us--bigger is not always better in our perspective. Don't exactly want a fixer-upper at this point in our lives so ideally the new home would already have some basic renovations if it is older. 3 bedrooms and a small fenced yard for our dog would be nice. A bedroom and full bath on the 1st floor would be ideal so we can age in place but we know that might be hard to find. The ability to walk to neighborhood amenities would also be nice. A low crime area is another key priority since DH travels often and I am often alone with DC. We can go up to $1 mill. but hope not to have to. If you know the Arlington area well, where do you suggest we should start looking? please name specific neighborhoods so I can look them up on real estate websites. I have also posted on the VA public schools forum to inquire about specific schools/neighborhoods. Thanks in advance! |
Anonymous
| Fairfax County has better schools check out McLean or Marshall districts for close in good areas. |
Anonymous
Honey, she's already in Fairfax County and is making the smart move. The notion that Fairfax has "better" schools is entirely subjective. Test scores are only marginally better in some pyramids, but overall, Arlington has smaller class sizes, a healthier fiscal outlook, and superior teachers. So, OP, you can safely ignore this troll. The fact that she even mentioned Marshall is a tip-off that she's nuts. For up to $1 million you should have little difficulty finding something. Any of the ESs that feed into Swanson or Williamsburg and then to Yorktown will be the most coveted. You can find a dated, smaller home that fits your requirements in many neighborhoods for around $800k. Assuming there's any inventory -- that will be the big question mark when the Spring season begins. I recommend looking in Country Club, Westover, Yorktown, Dominion Hills neighborhoods. |
Anonymous
| If you want to be able to walk, you probably don't want Country Club Hills, but that still leaves you plenty of options: 22207, 22205, 22201. I don't think you need to stick to schools that feed into Yorktown; I don't know anyone whose kids are at Washington-Lee who are pining for Yorktown (I do know some who are zoned for W-L who are sending their kids to private or Catholic school). |
Anonymous
I didn't say Country Club Hills. I said Country Club, which is a different neighborhood. But CC Hills is plenty walkable. Sidewalks everywhere. Bigger lots, too, so fewer intersections. I'm not sure what prompted a remark about not being able to walk in CC Hills. It's a wonderful neighborhood with gorgeous houses. I didn't mention it b/c PP wants to be under $1 million. |
Anonymous
|
ignore the idiot poster@ 10:53.
love, love, love N. Arlington after 10+ years of living in Vienna (which was nice, but a nightmare of a commute to DC). if you like the Clarendon area (walk ability), you would need to look in 22201 - some neighborhoods for searching include Ashton Heights, Lyon Park (different from Lyon Village - which is much more pricier), Clarendon. in 22205, Waycroft, Westover are a couple I know - there are many more and these areas are close to Ballston. in 22207, you have wonderful neighborhoods to walk in but the area that has good walking proximity to actual amenities would be around Nottingham elementary school. GL |
Anonymous
| also forgot to mention the Lee Heights neighborhood around Taylor elementary is walking distance to a few shops/cafes |
Anonymous
| The Westover area is a nice area if you don't need to be super close to the Metro - newly renovated library, restaurants, grocery store, etc. Not as $$ as Clarendon. |
Anonymous
| I'm renting but if I wanted to buy or relocate, I'd go to Westover. I LOVE it. You can get everything there but gas, which actually makes it better because you're not walking when you're getting gas anyways. |
Anonymous
Not the poster to whom you're responding, but McLean or WFC would be a significantly easier commute to DC than Oakton, and I can't count the number of times posters have asked about those parts of Fairfax only to have someone from Arlington pipe in that they should also be considering North Arlington. It goes both ways, you know. |
Anonymous
| The Arlington choices for a million are sad. Look at the thread regarding the dump next to a 711 day laborer pickup area. |
Anonymous
| The Arlington choices for a million are sad. Look at the thread regarding the dump next to a 711 day laborer pickup area. |
Anonymous
Tacky. Has anyone ever seen day laborers at this 7-11, because I have lived not too far from there for 15 years, travel Lee hwy daily, and have never seen one. BTW, it's not my house and I understand why it's not that appealing, but let's not be meaner than necessary or completely inaccurate. |
Anonymous
|
choice for a million are not sad - just the really good ones (i.e., no work needed at all) are few and get snatched up in a day (and sometimes with bidding wars).
there were quite a few in 2013 in the areas suggested by PPs - some totally renovated some needing a bit of work but all falling in the 850+ to 1m range. Just be ready with financing and a strong application in order to pounce. |
Anonymous
| Make bubble in North Arlington |