Advantages are houses at a discount to Great Falls (estate variety) or Vienna (the subdivision variety). The biggest drawbacks are that commutes suck to just about anywhere, there's no real center, and the schools there get rezoned more than any schools in the county.

Oakton is beautiful, but it is not very family friendly because it lacks community because of basically no sidewalks, lacks community pools, and has one playground that is far away, and has a lack of preschools, and no sports teams for Oakton.

It's really better for families whose kids have grown and moved away and who love privacy and lack of community.

I love Oakton but there can be a TON of traffic on 123 on week nights. I mean: a TON. My daughter attends a class at Ideaventions (located right on 123) on Wednesdays from 4:15-5:15 and it's always a disaster trying to get her there on time, and then trying to get out of there. It's just crazy!

Oakton is great for families - fantastic schools. Most houses are further apart, so sometimes you don't get that "neighborhood" feel, but you do get lots of land. It took awhile for my husband to convince me to buy a home with septic - so maybe that is why some of the houses stay on longer?

Oakton is a great place, nice big lots and lots of nature. Folk will tell you that you can't walk to the stores, but guess what most of Vienna and McLean can't either.

Oakton is a very nice place for families to live. Vienna, then Oakton are my favorite places in this area. It is close to the Vienna Metro, Tyson's.

Was all the rage in the 80s but is the redheaded step child of vienna and great falls. Avoid it.

I love it there actually (since we work in VA) and would have loved to have found a SFH (that wasn't super tiny or in need of serious $ to update) for 550-600. Alas, no!

My good friend and her family live in Oakton and love it. It is definitely too far out for me, but she commutes into downtown by Metro and it's really easy for her. It's a nice suburb, IMO.

OP again. One of the Oakton houses I've been watching is not fat from the Wegmans in fairfax. I am so surprised that it hasn't sold yet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think oakton is nice but a bit too far out

Do you know where Oakton is located?

Absolutely, it's by vienna and reston. It's not quite mclean and not quite vienna.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think oakton is nice but a bit too far out

Do you know where Oakton is located?

This is the OP. Not sure if this question is for me, but yes, I know where it is. We live in a town close by, and I've been watching some homes in Oakton for a while. My husband works in Tysons, and I think Oakton would be a doable commute for him. I know Oakton is far out, but we are used to it by now--we used to live in DC, but have been out here for about 10 years

Anonymous wrote:I think oakton is nice but a bit too far out

Do you know where Oakton is located?

I think oakton is nice but a bit too far out

Is Oakton a nice place to live (esp for families with young kids)? It seems nice, but I've been watching some properties in Oakton languish on the market for 300+ days in some cases. They are beautiful homes, so I am wondering why they aren't selling. Also, Zillow rates the market in Oakton as "cold." Is there some drawback to Oakton of which I'm unaware?