Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks so much everyone. Are there particular elementary/middle/high schools that are considered to be very good?

Also, if anyone else knows of any specific apartment/condo complexes or townhouse neighborhoods that might fit the bill for us, we'd appreciate hearing about them. We do have a dog, also - so if you know of pet friendly places that'd be awesome!

PP - about how long do you think the commute would be from Ballston and what are the schools like there? Thanks again!

I worked in Shirlington for 7 years - lived for part of the time between Ballston and Va. Square near the Gold's Gym on Wilson and part of the time in a SFH in Arlington Forest. Driving down George Mason Dr and cutting over to Four Mile Run, I could make it in about ten minutes.

If you live in Arlington Forest, your schools are Barrett/Kenmore/Washington-Lee. We have kids at Barrett and are very happy with it; others think they can do better school-wise (check out the threads on Va Public Schools page). If you lived closer to my old place near Wilson Blvd and the Va Square metro, obviously the homes are going to be more expensive. Not sure what the school districting is between Wilson and Pershing (Key? Long Branch?); once you cross Pershing between there and Rt 50 it's Long Branch/Jefferson/Washington-Lee.

Back to Arlington Forest, in addition to SFHs, there are townhomes (new, luxury) and apartment buildings, including brand new ones being built across the street from Barrett.

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria could be do-able for both commutes and you'd get more space for your money. There are also good schools in Alexandria.

Um, the second half of this isn't true past elementary school. ACPS is probably the weakest system in the NOVA area.

The IO Piazza http://www.windsorcommunities.com/apartments/northern-va/iopiazza/ in Shirlington Village is very pet friendly. I lived there for two years with two dogs and I miss it so much.

OP here - thanks so much everyone. Are there particular elementary/middle/high schools that are considered to be very good?

Also, if anyone else knows of any specific apartment/condo complexes or townhouse neighborhoods that might fit the bill for us, we'd appreciate hearing about them. We do have a dog, also - so if you know of pet friendly places that'd be awesome!

PP - about how long do you think the commute would be from Ballston and what are the schools like there? Thanks again!

Anywhere in Arlington. We live near Ballston and it's a less-than-10-minute drive to Shirlington but also not too long a haul to get over Key Bridge (or Roosevelt) into Georgetown.

Alexandria could be do-able for both commutes and you'd get more space for your money. There are also good schools in Alexandria.

North Arlington. Spend more to live closer in (if you live in Clarendon, you could even walk to Gtown on a nice day -- I've done it many times). Your commutes will be 15 minutes (including traffic), tops.

Would you prefer a house or an apartment? Those two areas (Gtown, Shirlington) are pretty close together so most of Arlington would be a great commute, though North Arlington schools have better test scores. There are some great elementary schools on the orange line between Rosslyn and Ballston. (something near Lee Hwy/29 on the map would be an easy commute to Gtown/ near Glebe Rd or Washington Blvd would make a Shirlington commute pretty painless.)

Neighborhoods to keep an eye on, roughly from West to East: Arlington Forest North, Westover/Larchmont/Parkhurst/Fostoria/Highland Park, Country Club, Cherrydale, Waverly Hills, Bon Air, Bluemont, Dominion Hills, Clarendon, Lyon Park, Ashton Heights, Courthouse/Rosslyn. I probably left out a few, but if you stick to the odd numbered zip codes, you'll mostly be ok. (even numbers are south arlington, which are ok too, but the test scores tend to be lower.) Not all of these areas have apartment buildings.

I would aim for Arlington, probably in the Westover neighborhood to fit your budget. You may also find something in the Fairlington area.

I work in Georgetown and DH is considering a job near Shirlington. We currently live in Maryland and are not that familiar with the NOVA area. We have a DC in pre-school so schools are important to us. We are looking to rent a 2-3 bedroom place for $2000-2700/month range and would ideally like at least 1000 sq ft. Any suggestions for neighborhoods or developments with a good commute to both areas? Thanks!