Living in Centreville, Chantilly, Burke... need real insight

[Anonymous]

I live in Arlington but lived in fairfax for 12 years. I actually like Burke a lot. If I didn't commute to DC, I'd probably be perfectly happy living there. My friends who live there are happy. Burke lake is a gem. Chantilly is decent but you are reliant on 66 or 50, which can get congested. I'm not a fan of centreville; it's not as nice as the other two.

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed living in Centreville. I lived near 28/29. It has everything. I live in Arlington now and work in DC.

[Anonymous]

If I had to commute 5 days a week to DC, I wouldn’t live in Chantilly (or Centreville)

I live here and try to avoid 66 and 50 as much as I can. I work in Reston, so I can take West Ox to some back roads into my office.

There are Connector busses to the Metro nearby, so that is an option if you need to get downtown. I’d rather that than driving myself.

[Anonymous]

“ well, not Burke, Burke seems pretty white b/c of the military families), but I'm curious if some of you who live in these areas could talk about diversity? I'm South Asian.”

In Burke - yes it has a higher white % than most areas that are middle class / not super expensive in the NOVA area - agree that is likely due in key part to the heavy military officer presence. But there are a notable amount of Asians too I would say - both my kids have always had several in their classes and we have a number of neighbors that are from various parts of Asia.

What there are very few of are black and Latino families.

[Anonymous]

Centreville and Chantilly are really diverse.

[Anonymous]

If I was going to move out to Chantilly or centreville, I would look in South Riding, too, and that development in Loudoun county built around its own farm.

[Anonymous]

out of the three suburban hellscapes you listed, Burke is the best. centreville and chantilly ... you might as well move to literally anywhere else,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in the Chantilly HS district, right on the line between Fairfax and Chantilly. Fair Lakes is right around the corner and has everything you need. Our neighborhood is lovely, has a private pool (but it’s hard to join), parks, walk to all 3 school levels, etc. Really just a nice laid-back place and so much more affordable than closer-in. I don’t feel like we settled at all, and we used to live in Arlington for years.

I can’t speak for further out in Chantilly/Centreville.

Hmm, this sounds like that ugly neighborhood behind Bob's Discount Furniture right off route 50. Glad you have a positive attitude about it. But I would not consider that area "lovely" or "walkable".

Wow, okay. That’s on you then. I live in a perfectly nice neighborhood where the people are very friendly and yes, it is walkable whether or not you enjoy what it’s walkable to. You forgot to mention the Starbucks, Giant, many restaurants, Total Wine, etc. in that same shopping center. But you sound snobby so I’m not surprised you pick the one store you find crappy to deride my neighborhood.

+1 Hello, neighbor! I love our neighborhood. It is one of the most affordable with all the amenities WE need. We actually bought when my husband worked in Ashburn and I went to Lorton a couple days a week. I now work in Reston and my husband in Stafford.

Walkability to all 3 levels of school was so important to us when we bought. We also walk to the shopping center in nice weather and the library (I used to hold Girl Scout meetings over there when my daughter was a little younger). There are a couple parks we can easily walk to, and the little one loves the trail by the creek in the middle of the hood. We haven't paid the ridiculous fees to join the pool since I am not a SAHM and we just can't spend the entire summer at the pool, but we have enough friends with memberships that my kids can usually go a few times in the summer.

We are in the process of renovating our house right now and should have it all fixed up in the next couple months - new windows, updated bathrooms, new siding, etc. Lots of people have been sprucing their homes up lately.

Yes, we visit a lot of chain stores and restaurants. It's the burbs. We're fine with it.

I had thought about whether we should move early on in this mess for a little more room, but the good things about this neighborhood keep me here. I love being able to hear the games and band over at the HS from my backyard. I love that the Homecoming parade goes right by my house (in normal times). I love that my daughter has a best friend right next door. It is so very small town, honestly. Our neighborhood has an active social media where we all help each other out with recommendations and sharing things, etc. It'sreally nice and I just can't leave it.

Do you mind sharing more info for those of us that are house hunting? What school district?

This is Greenbriar. The homes are 50 ish years old, so they are in various stages of repair. Lots of chances to buy something and fix it up to your liking. There are 2 ESs in the neighborhood (very creatively named Greenbriar East and West), Rocky Run MS and Chantilly HS. Seriously, it is very Brady Bunch/Leave it to Beaver out here in the old timey feel.

jfc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know, I love Arlington but we can’t afford a SFH here.

Why the hell do you need a sfh. What’s wrong with a TH?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Centreville and Chantilly are really diverse.

in terms of chain restaurants?

[Anonymous]

I think Burke is beautiful, but difficult to get around and without many restaurant options. I hear good things about the schools.

In Chantilly / Centreville, the area near E.C. Lawrence park is pretty (and the park is great). The area near Frying Pan Farm park is also pretty and convenient, though that is technically Herndon. We drive all around that area to look at Christmas lights.

I'm in Oakton, not sure if that is an option for OP.

[Anonymous]

What’s your budget and where are your jobs? I find all three of those so white bread, generic, cheap siding suburbia, and not in a pretty white picket fence way. You literally could be anywhere. It doesn’t have nice scenery, walkable streets, etc. it’s just - housing and rectangular business parks. Can you get a decent sized house and meet nice people? Sure. But the main roads are traffic nightmares, and you’re always sitting on them.

So it depends on what matters to you. I would never sit in traffic to live out there, that’s for sure. But if you’re working out there, okay. There are parts of old town Herndon that have some character.

[Anonymous]

7:20-what exactly is your problem? It is small town, throwback feel in the middle of suburbia. Except not as white - we have a large Asian population and also a decent Hispanic population. Like most of nova, not quite as many AA folks. But my children have friends of all different backgrounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centreville and Chantilly are really diverse.

in terms of chain restaurants?

Look at the school statistics and you will see what we mean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centreville and Chantilly are really diverse.

in terms of chain restaurants?

Look at the school statistics and you will see what we mean

People surface in every one of these threads to bemoan how the dc suburbs lack diversity and non-chain restaurants, and succeed in demonstrating that they don't know what they're talking about.