Chesterbrook elementary zone is the best as there are no apartments or townhomes and work your way down from there.

Have you driven around various neighborhoods? If you are local to DC metro, please do this to get a feel for the area, the types of homes, natural scenery, access to amenities, all of this is different in different parts of Mclean, so are the prices. Some parts have smaller homes, others have large expensive homes, some areas are hilly and wooded, others are smaller lots with sidewalks, some areas provide walkability to the Mclean downtown, others are very car dependent where you cannot walk anywhere. You said nothing about your price range or what "family friendly" means to you, so it is hard to recommend anything.

Anonymous wrote:Any recommendations for a buyer agent that knows these areas well?

Jennifer Thornett at Washington Fine Properties was the seller's agent when we were buying in McLean and we'd probably use her if we were selling. I think most agents work on both the buyer and seller sides. Also met and liked both Marianne Predergast and Dean Yeonas. [And, no, I'm not any of them, nor do I work at their firms. Just sharing the names of some agents who seemed knowledgeable and low-key for what you might come across in McLean.]

No more so than Potomac Hills and many others.

Any recommendations for a buyer agent that knows these areas well?

Hamlet is probably the best kid friendly neighborhood.

Anonymous wrote:Younger families in McLean tend to live south of 123 (closer to Arlington, Falls Church, and Metro), so I'd probably focus on Broyhill McLean Estates, Bryn Mawr, El Nido, Potomac Hills, and Southridge. There are also some younger families in Chesterbrook Woods, Franklin Park, Salona Village, and West McLean, but these neighborhoods are more expensive.

I'm north of 123 off Georgetown Pike, and the number of strollers and kids at bus stops would seem to disagree with this statement. There are tons of kids all over McLean. OP never came back to give a price, so all of this is pointless anyway. In my neighborhood homes start at $2m. If her budget is $5m, there are plenty of choices. If it's $1m, she's competing with builders on tear downs in most areas. Who knows if its real.

Old Dominion Gardens, which includes Elizabeth Dr, Capitol View Dr, Earnestine Dr, etc. Tons of families as it has really turned over in the last 5 years.

Younger families in McLean tend to live south of 123 (closer to Arlington, Falls Church, and Metro), so I'd probably focus on Broyhill McLean Estates, Bryn Mawr, El Nido, Potomac Hills, and Southridge. There are also some younger families in Chesterbrook Woods, Franklin Park, Salona Village, and West McLean, but these neighborhoods are more expensive.

Hamlet is very friendly. Also, there are great townhouses just behind the Hamlet swim club - a really small, super friendly community that is walkable to the swim club and school. On the other side of McLean there is Langley Oaks I think is what they call it? Maybe Langley Ridge. Anyways just next to Langley High School - very family friendly. That feeds into Churchill Elementary which is a great school. If you are independently wealthy, I'd also recommend Langley Forest which is a beautiful neighborhood on that side of town.

Potomac Hills would be my top choice for a younger family.

McLean Hamlet is a great family neighborhood with no cut through traffic and an elementary school and pool/tennis club that you can walk to without going out of the neighborhood. That said, a recent split level in need of work went for $1.4M. A bit nicer colonial that backs to the highway sold for $1.2.

Anonymous wrote:Newly pregnant and early thirties. What are the more children-friendly neighborhoods? McLean Hanlet? Greenway Heights?

Budget is more important than what you think might be family friendly. Neighborhoods turn over, going from mostly 60ish to young famiies and vice versa fairly quickly.


I used to live in Chain Bridge Forest/Chesterbrook. It was chock full of kids (you could tell when the school buses dropped off) but never saw any kids outside playing.

Those are very competitive areas. What is your budget? What matters to you?

Newly pregnant and early thirties. What are the more children-friendly neighborhoods? McLean Hanlet? Greenway Heights?