In my experience, commuting to DC during rush-hour typically takes 20-25 minutes less from McLean than from Vienna. You don't have to go through or around Tysons and you don't have to arrive at the Metro before the crack of dawn to beat the people who've driven to Vienna from Haymarket, Gainesville, Centreville and Oakton to take every last parking space.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vienna has better parks, the C&O bike trail, a real city center, and real community spirit as well as the Halloween parade and concerts during the summer.

I have probably bike commuted on the C&O trail to work over a few thousand miles during the past ten years while living here in Vienna. Good luck trying to do that in McLean.

But, but McLean has less traffic...
But no, not really. I have driven through McLean enough times to know that the traffic in McLean sucks. Just like it sucks everywhere else around here during rush hour.

McLean has parks, libraries and community centers, higher-ranked schools, just as much community spirit as Vienna, and a more location for local commuting with considerably less traffic.

I personally would not want to pay additional taxes to bankroll the oddballs that typically get elected to the Town of Vienna government. And the Vienna Police Department seems to exist primarily to harass and issue tickets to motorists, like something you'd find in some rural county in Alabama. No thanks.

Better location for local commuting...

Anonymous wrote:Vienna has better parks, the C&O bike trail, a real city center, and real community spirit as well as the Halloween parade and concerts during the summer.

I have probably bike commuted on the C&O trail to work over a few thousand miles during the past ten years while living here in Vienna. Good luck trying to do that in McLean.

But, but McLean has less traffic...
But no, not really. I have driven through McLean enough times to know that the traffic in McLean sucks. Just like it sucks everywhere else around here during rush hour.

McLean has parks, libraries and community centers, higher-ranked schools, just as much community spirit as Vienna, and a more location for local commuting with considerably less traffic.

I personally would not want to pay additional taxes to bankroll the oddballs that typically get elected to the Town of Vienna government. And the Vienna Police Department seems to exist primarily to harass and issue tickets to motorists, like something you'd find in some rural county in Alabama. No thanks.

Vienna has better parks, the C&O bike trail, a real city center, and real community spirit as well as the Halloween parade and concerts during the summer.

I have probably bike commuted on the C&O trail to work over a few thousand miles during the past ten years while living here in Vienna. Good luck trying to do that in McLean.

But, but McLean has less traffic...
But no, not really. I have driven through McLean enough times to know that the traffic in McLean sucks. Just like it sucks everywhere else around here during rush hour.

Vienna has better parks, the C&O bike trail, a real city center, and real community spirit as well as the Halloween parade and concerts during the summer.

I have probably bike commuted on the C&O trail to work over a few thousand miles during the past ten years while living here in Vienna. Good luck trying to do that in McLean.

But, but McLean has less traffic...
But no, not really. I have driven through McLean enough times to know that the traffic in McLean sucks. Just like it sucks everywhere else around here during rush hour.

My impression of McLean is not necessarily that there are more people trying to "keep up with the Joneses" but that there are more Joneses to keep up with, simply because it's wealthier there than in Vienna. Disclaimer: I've never lived in McLean, just Vienna, so my impression might be wrong

Anonymous wrote:ok, here is the straight dope:

1. Vienna zip codes:

222182

$730K median
$744K avg

22181

$650K median
$611K average

22180

520K median
$618K average

2. McLean

22101

$901K median
$1,050K average

22101

$451K median
$795 average

Your "straight dope" is information on median and mean housing prices in different Vienna and McLean zip codes?

Of course, one might also look at income levels. Some of the highest-income census tracts in the region are in Vienna/22182. On the other hand, the housing data for McLean/22102 (which I think you've mislabeled as the second 22101) is skewed by the number of condos in Tysons in the 22102 zip code. The single-family housing in 22102 tends to be pretty expensive. If, at some point, Tysons gets its own zip code that includes the THs and condos in 22182 and 22102, the median and mean housing prices in 22102 would go up substantially.

lets face it, neither area has a nice town-center area like bethesda or reston. I think Vienna has more potential though, because you already have Maple as THE road with all of the crappy strip falls. just tearing down one of those strip malls and replacing it with mixed use and underground parking would be huge.

ok, here is the straight dope:

1. Vienna zip codes:

222182

$730K median
$744K avg

22181

$650K median
$611K average

22180

520K median
$618K average

2. McLean

22101

$901K median
$1,050K average

22101

$451K median
$795 average

Anonymous wrote:Look OP (if your still even listening to all this bickering), both Mclean and Vienna are fine places to live and they both have great schools. I responded to the underlined post to show another side- that having money does not always mean one would automatically choose Mclean over Vienna. Not sure why the whole humbleness BS got thrown in after that, but this is DCUM and juvenile cattiness over rational discussion is to be expected.

If you do a search for "Mclean vs Vienna" you'll probably find more posts that turn into this same type of bickering.

My suggestion to you would be to take what you want from this post ( the mclean "voices" vs the vienna "voices) and also just go into both of the towns and walk around, have lunch somewhere and strike up a conversation with the residents. It's the best way to get non-catty advice from the locals.

Good luck with your decision!

FWIW, I'm the poster who's lived in both Vienna and McLean and thinks each has its pros and cons. I can definitely see how some people who could afford either would pick Vienna - McLean works best for us due to commutes and I do not miss the Vienna traffic, but I miss other things about it.

I did think it was silly when one or more of the Vienna posters claimed that Vienna - one of the area's wealthiest suburbs - is somehow more "down to earth" than McLean and less likely to have people who want to "keep up with the Joneses." I tend to think that's language that people use whenever they are, in fact, comparing themselves to others. But at the end of the day, I think that the efforts by a different poster to hijack the thread to try and "debunk" that notion is a colossal waste of time. Bottom line is that the OP should consider herself lucky if her family could afford either location.

And OP, if you didn't get this already, Vienna is wealthy and McLean is wealthiest. Both have lots of good qualities and you can feel comfortable that having only one i-pad will not be considered keeping up with the Jones's.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:let's cut the bull shit. If you have more money you would live in McLean over Vienna. Vienna is a nice place to live but not as good as McLean.

Not true! My husband works in Tysons and we looked at both Mclean and Vienna and our budget was 1.2-1.5 million, so decent options in both places. We chose Vienna for the community, the closer proximity to the now finished Target and MOM's, the trail, the walkability, the more "down to earth"ness about it.. pretty much we preferred the Vienna lifestyle.

Yes, really down to earth living in a $1.5 mil house.

Only in the DC area would a stay at home mom say 1.2-1.5 million with such humbleness

Fake humbleness.

Okay you win, I'm fake humble. Don't know what you have against SAHM's. I work from home btw after many years of out of the home work. Too bad its temporary, will go back to long hours when the kids are older. I guess since DH and I got post graduate degrees in fields with high paying stable careers albeit with very long hours, saved a lot of money by not keeping up with the Joneses and live in a nice home we are not allowed to be called anything but fake.

Work hard, achieve goals and dreams, feel fortunate = fake. Got it.

Is this what you teach your kids too?

Who said anything about SAHM's? Check your reading comprehension.

Refer to the bolded posts. My reading comprehension skills are fine.



Look OP (if your still even listening to all this bickering), both Mclean and Vienna are fine places to live and they both have great schools. I responded to the underlined post to show another side- that having money does not always mean one would automatically choose Mclean over Vienna. Not sure why the whole humbleness BS got thrown in after that, but this is DCUM and juvenile cattiness over rational discussion is to be expected.

If you do a search for "Mclean vs Vienna" you'll probably find more posts that turn into this same type of bickering.

My suggestion to you would be to take what you want from this post ( the mclean "voices" vs the vienna "voices) and also just go into both of the towns and walk around, have lunch somewhere and strike up a conversation with the residents. It's the best way to get non-catty advice from the locals.

Good luck with your decision!

Preschool in Vienna is cheaper too.

Anonymous wrote:526k won't buy my TH in Vienna; 650 will, though. Where did u come up with that ridiculously low number for Vienna? OP, good for you on being a SAHM. Life choices make it possible. Enjoy your day and ignore the folks with issues of jealousy on this thread.

Regarding McLean Vs. Vienna. the town of Vienna is much more walkable and has many cute shops. McLean has the gourmet Giant, but Vienna has WholeFoods and FreshMarket. I prefer FreshMarket. McLean is like 90210, if you can afford it go for it! Vienna is the stepsister to McLean so it is more affordable in that your dollar will go further.

Oakton HS, Madison and Marshall all good HSs.

McLean has a Balducci's as well.

Your dollar will go further in Vienna - services like dry cleaning are cheaper, Amphora isn't as expensive as McLean Family, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the 526k is for the shacks in Vienna Woods, not in my area of Vienna, though. And yes, my comprehesion was off, meant WAHM. Still better that a WOHM!

It's probably the figure for the 22180 zip code.