We recently moved from just outside FCC (we lived in Fairfax County but basically did everything in FCC) and while my kids didn't go to the schools there, we only ever heard good things about them from preschool friends, sports teammates, camp friends, etc. - the one thing I heard was that the elementary schools, Mt. Daniel especially, were getting very crowded.

We moved because we wanted a larger home and couldn't find one in our price range (we tried!). I would have loved to stay in the area because it really did feel like a small town after a while (we saw the same families out and about, kids did camp with the same kids every year, etc.), but my husband was starting to get really fed up with the traffic and congestion and all the new development is going to make it so much worse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCC is great. Virginia is growing and FCC is on fire. New high school is basically a public private with 800 students. 15min drive to DC and great metro access to avoid rush hour. Houses are more set back than in Arlington which creates a better feel imo.

There’s no such thing as a public private.

That's right, public schools like Thomas Jefferson are far superior to any private school.

A 4 year magnet isn’t private school. What are you going to do the other 9 years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCC is great. Virginia is growing and FCC is on fire. New high school is basically a public private with 800 students. 15min drive to DC and great metro access to avoid rush hour. Houses are more set back than in Arlington which creates a better feel imo.

There’s no such thing as a public private.

That's right, public schools like Thomas Jefferson are far superior to any private school.

Anonymous wrote:FCC is great. Virginia is growing and FCC is on fire. New high school is basically a public private with 800 students. 15min drive to DC and great metro access to avoid rush hour. Houses are more set back than in Arlington which creates a better feel imo.

There’s no such thing as a public private.

FCC is great. Virginia is growing and FCC is on fire. New high school is basically a public private with 800 students. 15min drive to DC and great metro access to avoid rush hour. Houses are more set back than in Arlington which creates a better feel imo.

The Good:
Proximity to DC
2 Metro stations
Lots of good restaurants/shops
It has "character"
Load of tear-downs bringing in really high-end homes
FCC schools
Close to trails, parks, etc.
Walkable

The Bad:
Traffic

The Ugly:
A lot of the new condos going up are an eye sore
Some of the older stuff on Route 7 is an eye sore
The car dealerships on Route 7 - those need to move west to Tysons
Some of the older retail plazas feel sketchy

Better sign up for those private schools now. You don't want to be forced in to making your child interact with families who can only afford to spend $5,500 per month on a new 2BR condo at The Oak.

https://redf.in/wn2fGP

Traffic. So much traffic. The past few years have been so much worse than it used to be, especially because people cut through neighborhoods now and it’s so dangerous.

They're apartments, not condos, and the primary input to the school district remains single family homes with multiple school-age kids. We've lived here just over 15 years and like it more now than when we first moved in. There are great restaurants (other than a few stalwarts that are still here, it was slim pickings 15 years ago), and we've been very happy with the infrastructure upgrades to the schools, library, parks/playgrounds and city hall. A PP mentioned it was quieter 15 years ago, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing - it was quiet due to a lack of businesses and activity. I'm not a huge fan of high rise development and think we should limit it soon, but in general we're in a good place.

None of the new projects in FCC are cheap. It's like 3K for a 1 bedroom apartment. I live in the "cheaper" neighborhood called Winter Hill and it's still 2.5-4K for a small townhouse. We get tons of state department and military families that care about education. Compared to FCPS, FCCPS is a breath of fresh air. I know, my child started at TJ and I can't get straight answers about anything from anyone. In FCCPS the staff are much more responsive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, we moved from FCC to Vienna last May and population density was a big part of why. We moved to FCC about 15 years ago and it was much quieter then. Less traffic, etc. We never paid much attention to the state of the schools as we don’t have kids. We did keep our house and are renting it out, at least for now.

To someone who moved there in the year 2000, YOU increased the density.

What? My DH and I moved into a house that had three adults and two children in it. So, no. We did NOT.

Anonymous wrote:Also, the condo units will eventually become blighted properties that drag down the city. Here is a preview of what the condo buildings built before 2010 years will become in the next 20 years. https://www.redfin.com/VA/Falls-Church/600-Roosevelt-Blvd-22044/unit-506/home/12036404

Condos eventually ruin communities because it is almost impossible to redevelop them once they get too old. The HOA shared ownership structure incentivizes deferred maintenance and then the monthlies become so high that the properties become practically worthless over time.

This is true. Everyone knows for example that condos destroyed the UES of Manhattan.

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, we moved from FCC to Vienna last May and population density was a big part of why. We moved to FCC about 15 years ago and it was much quieter then. Less traffic, etc. We never paid much attention to the state of the schools as we don’t have kids. We did keep our house and are renting it out, at least for now.

To someone who moved there in the year 2000, YOU increased the density.

Anonymous wrote:FCC has around 65% multifamily housing units now (condos and apartments). I suspect the schools are going to rapidly go downhill since they are pursing terrible development policies. It used to be such a great place to live, but I'm not sure I would be interested in buying a place there anymore.

this is so ridiculous. FCC’s population has grown over time and the schools will continue to adapt.