McLean "Town Center"- Where is it?

[Anonymous]

I'm a McLean native -- attend K-12 there, graduated from MHS, parents still live in the same house. Would never live/raise my kids there -- happy with my life in EOTP DC. Walkable, playgrounds a few blocks all around us, great rec centers, etc. Oh, the schools aren't that much better than DC out there -- affluent yes, higher quality, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean is more pricey and a step up from Arlington , not sure how you are priced out of Arlington and looking at McLean

McLean is not a step up from North Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all of the input. I took a drive out to McLean and went to the "town center" Giant. Stopped by Starbucks and StarNut. It's not what I was hoping for, but I'm just happy for a neighborhoody Starbucks. I also saw that there were plans in 2010 to redo the "town center", but the owner's were gun shy due to the recession. Does anyone know if they've changed their mind for the upcoming future? Also, how does the area expect to change with the completion of the Tyson's projects? I really prefer Arlington because of Clarendon, etc... however; for the square footage we want (I want to feel like I have more space after living sandwiched in between to other families in a rowhouse for 12 years), we're priced out. You can actually get more land for your buck in McLean in some of the more modest neighborhoods. What I want would cost upwards of 1.5 to 2 mil. in Arlington. It ain't happenin'!!!

We were in the same shoes as you are, wanting to have walkability, metro access and neighborhood feeling. We looked in N.Arlington but were disappointed what we found in our price range. We found ourselves looking further into the more residential parts of N.Arlington, which were over 1-2 miles away from metro, where prices were more reasonable. But at that point, we also realized we might as well be in Mclean, it's just extra 3-5 min drive, but we actually could be walkable to something near downtown Mclean, whereas, the residential parts of Arlington, we looked at, were not walkable to anything. Downtown Mclean does provide some walkability to most of the businesses you may need on regular basis as well as some PT options, like buses taking you to Arlington metro stops and Tysons. In the future, there is supposed to be a shuttle bus from DT Mclean to Tysons East station, from what I heard. So, I would look somewhere near DT Mclean if I were you, I don't think it's a bad idea, even if it's obviously, not a glamorous or cute type of location.

Wonderful for you but most people don't really covet "walkable" and so that's why you found prices cheaper, and why you'll be penalized in the future when you sell.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes people "land" in McLean, and it really is so much better than where they came from. So, they think they have to stay there, or they will never do any better. Which is kind of sad, if you think about it.

An old house in McLean is better than a new house anywhere else? How much sense does that make to sane people?

[Anonymous]

Where did you go to college and/or grad school? Are you happy with your career?

Anonymous wrote:I'm a McLean native -- attend K-12 there, graduated from MHS, parents still live in the same house. Would never live/raise my kids there -- happy with my life in EOTP DC. Walkable, playgrounds a few blocks all around us, great rec centers, etc. Oh, the schools aren't that much better than DC out there -- affluent yes, higher quality, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is more pricey and a step up from Arlington , not sure how you are priced out of Arlington and looking at McLean

McLean is not a step up from North Arlington.

Correct it's like 10 steps up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is more pricey and a step up from Arlington , not sure how you are priced out of Arlington and looking at McLean

McLean is not a step up from North Arlington.

Yeah, it is. The homes are more expensive and the schools have higher test scores. There are very few run-down apartment complexes there, as there are in North Arlington off Wilson, Washington and Glebe. Parts of North Arlington may be more expensive per square foot, but that's about it.

You might want to pick another fight.

[Anonymous]

McLean and Arlington are different, one is not better than the other. Arlington has a better and more vibrant downtown so Arlington wins on restaurants, etc. You can get more land in McLean and it isn't as crowded so McLean wins there. Arlington is a shorter commute to DC than most places in McLean. McLean has more really expensive houses/mansions than Arlington. The two locations just attract different types of people, it's not a competition. As to the subject of this thread though, McLean's downtown is abysmal. I really wish it would be updated and improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes people "land" in McLean, and it really is so much better than where they came from. So, they think they have to stay there, or they will never do any better. Which is kind of sad, if you think about it.

An old house in McLean is better than a new house anywhere else? How much sense does that make to sane people?

It depends on ones perspective. I like older houses and would chose one over a new one almost every time.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you spent much time around the people of McLean? Is there any way you could do that, or at least visit the schools at pickup time? I recommend trying to get a feel for the people there before committing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Town Center" -- bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Welcome to the bedroom suburbs!

Fine by me. I love McLean. Please do not move here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Town Center" -- bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Welcome to the bedroom suburbs!

Fine by me. I love McLean. Please do not move here.

I also like McLean. No, it does not have vibrant downtown. If I wanted that, I would live in the city, as I did for 10 years. I got tired of it, and gor a number of reasons moved to McLean. I guess I would either prefer to live in actual city, or a more quiet suburb rather than the worst of both worlds like the Reston "Town Center". To each his own.

[Anonymous]

McLean is a nice place to raise a family. Not hip by any stretch of the imagination, but the schools are great, the yards are decent sizes, there is everything you need (and if you want great restaurants, they are a short drive away), and a good commute to DC. The prices of the homes reflect that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean is a nice place to raise a family. Not hip by any stretch of the imagination, but the schools are great, the yards are decent sizes, there is everything you need (and if you want great restaurants, they are a short drive away), and a good commute to DC. The prices of the homes reflect that.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a McLean native -- attend K-12 there, graduated from MHS, parents still live in the same house. Would never live/raise my kids there -- happy with my life in EOTP DC. Walkable, playgrounds a few blocks all around us, great rec centers, etc. Oh, the schools aren't that much better than DC out there -- affluent yes, higher quality, no.

So irrelevant to the OP.

Also, that's just funny to say that the schools in DC are as good as MHS and LHS.