Help! Vienna Vibes and Feel? TOV?

[Anonymous]

OP - Vienna is great. I wish I had moved here from the very beginning instead of waiting until kids were already in elementary. I would pick a house zoned for LA if possible. Teachers are really happy there and the administration is wonderful. The non-AAP classes usually are smaller in size than other schools too.

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like it here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I can’t stand L, her worshippers, and the types of posts about food that are DISallowed.

Sounds a little strange when I hear/ read these types of comments. Leave her alone. I believe she has good intentions. Just ignore it if you don’t like it.

We can each have our opinions. You think it is strange that several people complain when a group called Vienna Foodies only allows positive comments about restaurants, zero feedback on anything negative like sound, wait, staff, food- all things people who are foodies want to know, yet will get you banned if you post about them AND strange when people complain about the many posts of non food related stuff but the group leaders also chastise others who posts non food related stuff.

I think the opposite is what is strange. Don’t foodies want to know about real restaurant experiences? Not a whitewashed version?



I think that, like a lot of things, this is completely resolved by getting off Facebook. You are describing a social media issue not a Vienna issue.

It's like saying "Don't live in the DC area because DCUM is full of mean girls."

[Anonymous]

There are other areas of Fairfax with less wealth that also have good schools and friendly neighborhoods and are maybe a little less intense and a little less conformist and cohesive, but they tend to be towns in Fairfax further south or further west of Vienna. Look for strong HOA groups, pool clubs and country clubs, and strong elementary schools and high schools. The neighborhoods further east and north are typically more intense than Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are other areas of Fairfax with less wealth that also have good schools and friendly neighborhoods and are maybe a little less intense and a little less conformist and cohesive, but they tend to be towns in Fairfax further south or further west of Vienna. Look for strong HOA groups, pool clubs and country clubs, and strong elementary schools and high schools. The neighborhoods further east and north are typically more intense than Vienna.

City of Fairfax can be a good alternative. If you live in City boundaries you can't be redistricted away from a city school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are other areas of Fairfax with less wealth that also have good schools and friendly neighborhoods and are maybe a little less intense and a little less conformist and cohesive, but they tend to be towns in Fairfax further south or further west of Vienna. Look for strong HOA groups, pool clubs and country clubs, and strong elementary schools and high schools. The neighborhoods further east and north are typically more intense than Vienna.

City of Fairfax can be a good alternative. If you live in City boundaries you can't be redistricted away from a city school.

I thought all the schools were FCPS schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are other areas of Fairfax with less wealth that also have good schools and friendly neighborhoods and are maybe a little less intense and a little less conformist and cohesive, but they tend to be towns in Fairfax further south or further west of Vienna. Look for strong HOA groups, pool clubs and country clubs, and strong elementary schools and high schools. The neighborhoods further east and north are typically more intense than Vienna.

City of Fairfax can be a good alternative. If you live in City boundaries you can't be redistricted away from a city school.

I thought all the schools were FCPS schools?

Yes but the city has its own school board that controls and builds its own facilities that are contracted out to FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are other areas of Fairfax with less wealth that also have good schools and friendly neighborhoods and are maybe a little less intense and a little less conformist and cohesive, but they tend to be towns in Fairfax further south or further west of Vienna. Look for strong HOA groups, pool clubs and country clubs, and strong elementary schools and high schools. The neighborhoods further east and north are typically more intense than Vienna.

City of Fairfax can be a good alternative. If you live in City boundaries you can't be redistricted away from a city school.

But, conversely, you have to attend Fairfax, when Woodson, Oakton, and Madison are all stronger schools.

[Anonymous]

even if so, by so very little
np here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are other areas of Fairfax with less wealth that also have good schools and friendly neighborhoods and are maybe a little less intense and a little less conformist and cohesive, but they tend to be towns in Fairfax further south or further west of Vienna. Look for strong HOA groups, pool clubs and country clubs, and strong elementary schools and high schools. The neighborhoods further east and north are typically more intense than Vienna.

“Intensity” isn’t just a function of wealth; it’s also a function of uniformity. Vienna tends to attract a fairly homogeneous population of affluent but not wealthy people pursuing rather similar goals and frequently measuring themselves and their kids against others.

If that’s OK with you, Vienna can be a nice place to live. You will take pleasure in the fact that it’s comfortably upscale and that you’re surrounded by lots of high achievers just like you. If and when you move, however, it dawns on you that it was kind of Stepford.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t the area like 15-20% Asian? That means it’ll probably be highly competitive academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the area like 15-20% Asian? That means it’ll probably be highly competitive academically.

Madison is the whitest high school in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the area like 15-20% Asian? That means it’ll probably be highly competitive academically.

Madison is the whitest high school in FCPS.

Madison’s administration is a hot mess with a chaotic grading system. This year is shaping up to be even worse than the two prior years.

[Anonymous]

Op; FWIW, we are pretty normal people and have been very happy living in TOV and with Vienna ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the area like 15-20% Asian? That means it’ll probably be highly competitive academically.

Madison is the whitest high school in FCPS.

Madison’s administration is a hot mess with a chaotic grading system. This year is shaping up to be even worse than the two prior years.

I hate to agree with this, but it’s not wrong. I feel that my oldest got a strong education at Madison. But my current senior has had four different, inconsistently applied, grading systems in four years (and a change of counselor every year to go along with that). We actually tried to move to private school but there were no openings. I’m not the least bit sorry to be saying goodbye to Madison for good at the end of this academic year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the area like 15-20% Asian? That means it’ll probably be highly competitive academically.

Madison is the whitest high school in FCPS.

Madison’s administration is a hot mess with a chaotic grading system. This year is shaping up to be even worse than the two prior years.

I hate to agree with this, but it’s not wrong. I feel that my oldest got a strong education at Madison. But my current senior has had four different, inconsistently applied, grading systems in four years (and a change of counselor every year to go along with that). We actually tried to move to private school but there were no openings. I’m not the least bit sorry to be saying goodbye to Madison for good at the end of this academic year.

To be honest, Madison hasn’t had consistently good leadership. Thought Hood was very solid and made good strides after the dumb jock who was principal for a long time and let athletes get away with all sorts of crap. But the current principal, who bears primary responsibility for the inconsistent grading, is awful and mostly seems to want to curry favor with Gatehouse so she can get a job in central administration.