Relocating from NY/NJ - Advice Needed: Elementary Schools in Arlington or surrounding areas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is full of snobs for a reason - it is the closest to DC in Virginia and, for the most part; Virginia is bigger and better than Maryland across the board.

North Arlington is where you want to live if you can afford it.

If you think Arlington is full of snobs, don't even think about Bethesda.

OP, for commuting to NY, I would live in Maryland. I used to go back and forth a lot, and I live in Arlington now, but used to live in Bethesda. It's a 1/2 hour closer which is a big difference if you go a lot.
For Arlington elementary schools I'd consider:


Jamestown
Discovery
Nottingham
Tuckahoe
Cardinal
Taylor
Arlington Science Focus
Glebe

FCC only has one and it's good.

In Bethesda/Chevy Chase/McLean anything will be good, but a lot of people use private school in MD.

She’s traveling to NY once a month? She asked about Falls Church and Arlington? She’s smart and she did her research. She prefers easy access to everything, like walking to schools , grocery, and multiple avenues of transport to NY: bus, train and airport. She can walk to the bus stop from both courthouse and Rosslyn, as well as to one of the elementary schools on your list, not to mentioned several grocery stores. The airport is less than 3 miles away. County/city amenities like parks, playgrounds, bike trails are top notch. Easy access to county offices and multiple metro lanes. She’s not looking for confusion. She did her research and is clear about what she was looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

Grow up--there is life beyond the orange line. Maybe you never leave the Rosslyn to Ballston bubble, because Falls Church is plenty convenient, has many more Asians and thus Asian grocery stores, and plenty of elementary schools within walkable neighborhoods, for example Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

Falls Church also is relatively small and has its own government and schools which is going to feel more familiar to someone coming from NY/NJ. However, as someone who goes to NJ every other weekend, Bethesda or Chevy Chase is SO much easier for that and worth a look.

Falls Church City is small, but Falls Church encompasses six zip codes and stretches from the Western boundary with Alexandria out to 495/Tysons/McLean.

Not sure Bethesda or Chevy Chase is more convenient unless OP is driving. If flying then look closer to DCA, if Amtrak, then Redline or close in Nova is best.

Sorry for not being more specific but when I referred to Falls Church having its own government and schools I thought it would be obvious that I meant Falls Church City and not the various other areas that are just called that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think you should take a close look at downtown Bethesda. It has everything you need. Lots of walk to grocery, library, shops, metro. Highly rated Bethesda ES is very diverse with significant Asian presence. Easy metro ride to Union Station and Vamoose and another company have multiple trips to Penn Station every day. Lots of apartments to choose from.

I also read the post and immediately thought Bethesda. Tripper bus and Vamoose both leave direct from there to NYC. Metro red line to Union Station, or drive to the next stop on the way to NY for a slightly later departure.

can you still get seats?

Always. Has never been an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington also has Tripper and Vamoose bus service.

Bethesda is a little closer to NYC though if you drive.

This is what people are saying...taking the bus is using those same roads and routes, which will cut half an hour of bus time.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t choose where you live based on a 20-30 minute difference to NYC. I imagine while you may think you’ll go often at first, it’ll slowly taper off.

[Anonymous]

You can only take the Acela from Union Station. You can take NE Regional from Alexandria to NYC but remember in DC that train switches engines so you’re stuck with a 45 min layover in DC in either direction. It may not be that beneficial to live by the Alexandria Amtrak station if you’re taking the train to New York.

Also the train is crazy expensive. It usually is much cheaper (and faster door to door) to just take one of the shuttles from DCA. I love the Acela and I hate to fly but even I am no longer able to stomach the insane train prices (last time I took the Acela it took 6 hours to get to Union Station bc of downed lines by Wilmington, so the time difference is always anyone’s guess).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

Grow up--there is life beyond the orange line. Maybe you never leave the Rosslyn to Ballston bubble, because Falls Church is plenty convenient, has many more Asians and thus Asian grocery stores, and plenty of elementary schools within walkable neighborhoods, for example Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

Falls Church also is relatively small and has its own government and schools which is going to feel more familiar to someone coming from NY/NJ. However, as someone who goes to NJ every other weekend, Bethesda or Chevy Chase is SO much easier for that and worth a look.

Falls Church City is small, but Falls Church encompasses six zip codes and stretches from the Western boundary with Alexandria out to 495/Tysons/McLean.

Not sure Bethesda or Chevy Chase is more convenient unless OP is driving. If flying then look closer to DCA, if Amtrak, then Redline or close in Nova is best.

Sorry for not being more specific but when I referred to Falls Church having its own government and schools I thought it would be obvious that I meant Falls Church City and not the various other areas that are just called that.

OP is from NY/NJ, so she wouldn't necessarily understand the not-so-subtle shade you're throwing on the rest of Falls Church. This area is full of colossally insecure climbers who can't fathom life outside their narrow Arlington, FCC, Vienna, McClean, Great Falls bubbles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Arlington and there are many schools that fit your requirements here. That said, if you need to travel to NY/NJ frequently and don't have commuting reasons to be in VA, you should definitely consider MD.

Vamoose bus, like someone already pointed out stops in Rosslyn. It’s very convenient for closer in parts of VA. There is also GO BUS that stops in more than one location in NOVA, one of them being Tysons Corner metro by Capital One. I have never taken Go Bus before, but I am a fan of Vamoose and Best Bus. Best Bus has a luxury bus service for slightly more on weekends and Vamoose has a luxury bus service every day but limited times and it’s more expensive, but still cheaper than train, if not booking way in advance. Train is expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commuted to NYC every week for five years. Took Amtrak or the Delta shuttle into La Guardia. If you buy in advance, it's about the same price, and depending on where you need to be in the city, and what time you're looking to arrive, they roughly equivalent, with the shuttle being the better option in my case because I can get to DCA in 15 minutes at 6am, and the traffic into the city from La Guardia at 7:15/7:30 was always pretty light. Sometimes I would take the Delta shuttle up, and the train back because I could catch the last train and just sleep on the ride home. As for where to live to make it all easy, consider Crystal City for ease to DCA and Union Station. You could go as far out as Falls Church City and it would still be pretty easy. The South side of Lake Barcroft maps to Belvedere which a great elementary school, and you'll have an easy commute to DCA or Union Station via Columbia Pike if you leave early in the morning. Plenty of options.

What you presented here is the third best option or maybe you didn’t read OP’s statements. Or, you just don’t know this area very well. OP wants a diverse school she can walk to, easy access to transport to NYC, a grocery store nearby and other amenities. Rosslyn to ballston corridor offers this. DCA is only 2.5 miles and $10 - $15 Uber ride from Rosslyn. So, she doesn’t need to live within a mile of the airport, as apposed to within 2.5 miles and be walking distance to the bus line to NYC and more direct access to the Amtrak. She’s going to be going to New York once a month, her life doesn’t need to revolve around being 1.5 miles closer to an airport at the expense of other conveniences.

Grow up--there is life beyond the orange line. Maybe you never leave the Rosslyn to Ballston bubble, because Falls Church is plenty convenient, has many more Asians and thus Asian grocery stores, and plenty of elementary schools within walkable neighborhoods, for example Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

Falls Church also is relatively small and has its own government and schools which is going to feel more familiar to someone coming from NY/NJ. However, as someone who goes to NJ every other weekend, Bethesda or Chevy Chase is SO much easier for that and worth a look.

Falls Church City is small, but Falls Church encompasses six zip codes and stretches from the Western boundary with Alexandria out to 495/Tysons/McLean.

Not sure Bethesda or Chevy Chase is more convenient unless OP is driving. If flying then look closer to DCA, if Amtrak, then Redline or close in Nova is best.

Sorry for not being more specific but when I referred to Falls Church having its own government and schools I thought it would be obvious that I meant Falls Church City and not the various other areas that are just called that.

OP is from NY/NJ, so she wouldn't necessarily understand the not-so-subtle shade you're throwing on the rest of Falls Church. This area is full of colossally insecure climbers who can't fathom life outside their narrow Arlington, FCC, Vienna, McClean, Great Falls bubbles.

It’s not shade - those areas literally don’t have their own city government and school systems like Falls Church City has, which is the same system that all of New Jersey and New York have. Counties don’t run things up there like they do here.

[Anonymous]

Stop denigrating Fairfax County Schools. By most measures they are better than Arlington.