Lower McLean vs North Arlington vs Vienna

[Anonymous]

Which would you choose and why?

Budget: 950k-1.2m
House: prefer colonial style
Kids: 2 kids soon starting ES
Work: Penn Quarter
Race: white

[Anonymous]

Arlington since it's closest to work. The rest is basically all the same. McLean maybe, too... Not Vienna. Too far away in traffic.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea where Lower McLean is (somewhere in the brain of a whacky DCUM poster I suppose), but if you are talking about southern McLean, verses North Arlington verses Vienna- I would pick the house that you like the best that has the shortest commute for you.

[Anonymous]

Arlington, because I also work in Penn Quarter and have a kid in ES. We love it there and the commute is not bad. I used to live in Merrifield and it was fine, but the commute plus kid pickup/dropoff meant I was always squeezed for time and had trouble working a standard day and also making it to pickup on time.

In that price range, you won't get "new" in most North Arlington neighborhoods but you could probably get 3 bedrooms up, 1 bedroom somewhere else and renovated.

[Anonymous]

McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

[Anonymous]

Alert: Most people on this forum can never say anything bad about "North" Arlington. What type of response did you really expect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

Sometimes, although not always, but in any event that's less important than knowing your children will end up zoned for one of three excellent high schools (Langley, McLean or Marshall) that, among them, will have enough space. Go to the VA schools forum and you'll see from the threads that Arlington parents don't know whether future high school kids in APS will end up attending school in shifts, or in an auxiliary building at a 3,000-student Washington-Lee, or on-line.

[Anonymous]

I'd go with Lower McLean. Good schools, decent commute, McLean name will give you better resale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

Sometimes, although not always, but in any event that's less important than knowing your children will end up zoned for one of three excellent high schools (Langley, McLean or Marshall) that, among them, will have enough space. Go to the VA schools forum and you'll see from the threads that Arlington parents don't know whether future high school kids in APS will end up attending school in shifts, or in an auxiliary building at a 3,000-student Washington-Lee, or on-line.

Actually, ALWAYS much smaller classes in Arlington. Always. Not "sometimes." Always.

There will be space at APS high schools. Don't worry your pretty little head about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

Sometimes, although not always, but in any event that's less important than knowing your children will end up zoned for one of three excellent high schools (Langley, McLean or Marshall) that, among them, will have enough space. Go to the VA schools forum and you'll see from the threads that Arlington parents don't know whether future high school kids in APS will end up attending school in shifts, or in an auxiliary building at a 3,000-student Washington-Lee, or on-line.

Actually, ALWAYS much smaller classes in Arlington. Always. Not "sometimes." Always.

There will be space at APS high schools. Don't worry your pretty little head about it.

Wrong. It all depends upon the enrollment in a particular grade at an individual school that year.

And you know very little about APS if you think the space issues aren't a huge concern. Perhaps you live in Great Falls?

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity, what is your HHI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

Sometimes, although not always, but in any event that's less important than knowing your children will end up zoned for one of three excellent high schools (Langley, McLean or Marshall) that, among them, will have enough space. Go to the VA schools forum and you'll see from the threads that Arlington parents don't know whether future high school kids in APS will end up attending school in shifts, or in an auxiliary building at a 3,000-student Washington-Lee, or on-line.

Actually, ALWAYS much smaller classes in Arlington. Always. Not "sometimes." Always.

There will be space at APS high schools. Don't worry your pretty little head about it.

Wrong. It all depends upon the enrollment in a particular grade at an individual school that year.

And you know very little about APS if you think the space issues aren't a huge concern. Perhaps you live in Great Falls?

+1000. We wrote and supported petitions, but School Board members will still say in private no fourth high school will be built.

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-board-aps-should-build-new-high-school-space-not-make-schools-bigger-and-double-shift-students

If we'd known what we know now about APS back when we were looking, we would have bought in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean is best. Vienna is too far out and I'd be too nervous about the lack of clear plans to deal with school overcrowding in Arlington to buy there now.

Much smaller class sizes in Arlington.

Sometimes, although not always, but in any event that's less important than knowing your children will end up zoned for one of three excellent high schools (Langley, McLean or Marshall) that, among them, will have enough space. Go to the VA schools forum and you'll see from the threads that Arlington parents don't know whether future high school kids in APS will end up attending school in shifts, or in an auxiliary building at a 3,000-student Washington-Lee, or on-line.

Actually, ALWAYS much smaller classes in Arlington. Always. Not "sometimes." Always.

There will be space at APS high schools. Don't worry your pretty little head about it.

Wrong. It all depends upon the enrollment in a particular grade at an individual school that year.

And you know very little about APS if you think the space issues aren't a huge concern. Perhaps you live in Great Falls?

+1000. We wrote and supported petitions, but School Board members will still say in private no fourth high school will be built.

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-board-aps-should-build-new-high-school-space-not-make-schools-bigger-and-double-shift-students

If we'd known what we know now about APS back when we were looking, we would have bought in McLean.

This is the OP. I'm not following. Is the problem over enrollment at APS?