Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:51     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:Hi all,

We are relocating to the DMV and are seriously considering a house in Falls Church City. In our naive minds, it would be a good spot because we have young kids about to enter schools, enjoy the mix of small town and big city life, and like the downtown vibe as a nice alternative to going into DC proper. We can just barely afford a house there.

Could anyone weigh in on the community in Falls Church that they have experienced? Generally friendly? Generally family and kid-oriented? Generally able to talk about something other than work?

I'll be commuting into downtown a few days per week, and my spouse will WFH, if that matters.

Any real world experience or thoughts would be helpful. Much appreciated.


Amy Coney Barrett lives there
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:51     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Sorry, our taxes, not are! Been a long day.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:51     Subject: Life in Falls Church
We looked in FCC but ended up just over the line in Arlington where are taxes are half the price of similar priced homes in FCC. I really like both jurisdictions. My kids do some camps and activities through Falls Church Rec since some are closer than parts of Arlington. Lots of good parks and cute walkable area. We can walk to the EFC metro. Good schools, tons of kids in our neighborhood, and both the Falls Church and Westover farmers markets are really nice. I suggest also looking in the parts of Arlington that border FCC since there is very little housing stock around here.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:30     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:"downtown vibe??" I'm not sure what you're referring to here. Do you just mean that there are things you can walk to?


Yes, just the sense of some walkability compared to many of the suburbs in Northern Virginia that seem almost exclusively car-bound. Again, we are searching from a distance and not from the area so we might not be seeing things correctly.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:29     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you decide to go the Falls Church/Fairfax County route (as we did), look carefully at the school pyramid you're getting into. Some are better than others.


+1. Generally speaking, you should look to avoid Falls Church in Fairfax County, as their schools are subpar to say the least.


Um, Haycock? Lemon Road? Both excellent elementary schools that feed to excellent middle and high schools.

OP - we looked at both and prefer Falls Church, Fairfax County, literally one block from FCC. This means we do almost all of our business in FCC. We chose this because we are a mixed race family and wanted our children in a more diverse school. People will tell you FCC is diverse, but it's not socioeconomically diverse at all. I know one hispanic family that moved away because their child felt different and was bullied.

That said, the schools are highly rated and have a lot of money so if that's what you want, go for it.


Thank you this is helpful.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:20     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCC is not diverse, if that matters to you.


It does. I will definitely look more at that. I assume that includes the schools (i.e. they don't draw from nearby communities?)


Correct - many years ago the then-town of Falls Church (which is now Falls Church City) redrew its borders to exclude the town's Black neighborhood to disenfranchise the Black residents and keep them from voting in local elections. The area that was carved out is now part of Fairfax County, rather than Falls Church City, and is heavily Hispanic today. The kids there go to Falls Church High (which is part of the Fairfax County schools) rather than to Meridian High (which is the Falls Church City high school).


OP in every thread about FCC this poster, or someone else I guess, always posts this information about FC from more than 60 years ago as if Arlington and Fairfax and other nearby areas of NoVa weren't also segregated and in no hurry to integrate. Falls Church City has been a progressive city full of highly educated people for many decades now and the schools are currently 65% white and 35% minority. That's not as diverse as many other schools but they are hardly trying to keep the city or the schools segregated, that's just ignorant and incorrect.


And the post to which you responded doesn't claim otherwise. Note the "many years ago" reference. But it provides context for why the demographics of FCC today are what they are, compared to areas not far away with much more diversity. And it's certainly less "ignorant and incorrect" than the claim that the schools attended by those who live in parts of Fairfax County with Falls Church addresses are "subpar."
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:04     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCC is not diverse, if that matters to you.


It does. I will definitely look more at that. I assume that includes the schools (i.e. they don't draw from nearby communities?)


Correct - many years ago the then-town of Falls Church (which is now Falls Church City) redrew its borders to exclude the town's Black neighborhood to disenfranchise the Black residents and keep them from voting in local elections. The area that was carved out is now part of Fairfax County, rather than Falls Church City, and is heavily Hispanic today. The kids there go to Falls Church High (which is part of the Fairfax County schools) rather than to Meridian High (which is the Falls Church City high school).


OP in every thread about FCC this poster, or someone else I guess, always posts this information about FC from more than 60 years ago as if Arlington and Fairfax and other nearby areas of NoVa weren't also segregated and in no hurry to integrate. Falls Church City has been a progressive city full of highly educated people for many decades now and the schools are currently 65% white and 35% minority. That's not as diverse as many other schools but they are hardly trying to keep the city or the schools segregated, that's just ignorant and incorrect.


Diversity is not the same when everyone is rich.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:04     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you decide to go the Falls Church/Fairfax County route (as we did), look carefully at the school pyramid you're getting into. Some are better than others.


+1. Generally speaking, you should look to avoid Falls Church in Fairfax County, as their schools are subpar to say the least.


Um, Haycock? Lemon Road? Both excellent elementary schools that feed to excellent middle and high schools.

OP - we looked at both and prefer Falls Church, Fairfax County, literally one block from FCC. This means we do almost all of our business in FCC. We chose this because we are a mixed race family and wanted our children in a more diverse school. People will tell you FCC is diverse, but it's not socioeconomically diverse at all. I know one hispanic family that moved away because their child felt different and was bullied.

That said, the schools are highly rated and have a lot of money so if that's what you want, go for it.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 17:01     Subject: Life in Falls Church
OP, just look at demographics of FCC versus Marshall, McLean and Falls Church HS (all three in FCPS) and you will see the demographic differences.

Separate from the schools … I live on the border with Fairfax and it’s crazy how white the FCC restaurants and businesses are. I am usually the only nonwhite person or one of fewer than five in FCC businesses.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 16:59     Subject: Life in Falls Church
"downtown vibe??" I'm not sure what you're referring to here. Do you just mean that there are things you can walk to?
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 16:42     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCC is not diverse, if that matters to you.


It does. I will definitely look more at that. I assume that includes the schools (i.e. they don't draw from nearby communities?)


Correct - many years ago the then-town of Falls Church (which is now Falls Church City) redrew its borders to exclude the town's Black neighborhood to disenfranchise the Black residents and keep them from voting in local elections. The area that was carved out is now part of Fairfax County, rather than Falls Church City, and is heavily Hispanic today. The kids there go to Falls Church High (which is part of the Fairfax County schools) rather than to Meridian High (which is the Falls Church City high school).


OP in every thread about FCC this poster, or someone else I guess, always posts this information about FC from more than 60 years ago as if Arlington and Fairfax and other nearby areas of NoVa weren't also segregated and in no hurry to integrate. Falls Church City has been a progressive city full of highly educated people for many decades now and the schools are currently 65% white and 35% minority. That's not as diverse as many other schools but they are hardly trying to keep the city or the schools segregated, that's just ignorant and incorrect.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 15:59     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCC is not diverse, if that matters to you.


It does. I will definitely look more at that. I assume that includes the schools (i.e. they don't draw from nearby communities?)


The schools do draw from nearby communities which is why they are full of wealthy people.


Conversely, the FCC schools also exclude the nearby communities that are not full of higher income people.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 15:58     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:From friends who live there, it's way too small if you don't like people who gossip, think that FCC is THE BOMB, and are all up in your business. The schools are excellent, but they are also very small, so you are going to be going to school with the same kids from K-12. Plus the property taxes are higher than surrounding areas.

It is a great place to live I'm sure, but I prefer Arlington which is much bigger.


It makes sense that the taxes are much higher because you've got a much smaller population supporting a city school system, police department, and local government. While some of the associated costs are variable, some of the costs are fixed and end up borne by a smaller number of residents.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 15:57     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCC is not diverse, if that matters to you.


It does. I will definitely look more at that. I assume that includes the schools (i.e. they don't draw from nearby communities?)


The schools do draw from nearby communities which is why they are full of wealthy people.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2023 15:56     Subject: Life in Falls Church
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCC is not diverse, if that matters to you.


What does that even mean?


I mean, it's pretty uniformly affluent, so there's that.