Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 20:30     Subject: Re:Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:

Hate to break it to you, but your 1940s colonial in Arlington was probably built post-war for returning soldiers. It's the definition of cookie cutter.


+1

Arlington is full of cookie-cutter boxes for soldiers and New Deal bureaucrats.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 19:52     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
OP: Please go to the school websites of the three communities you are looking at - they all post maps. The zips and the school boundaries are not the same at all.

I also think the posted houses are ugly.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 19:43     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
OP check 22205. You might be able to find something for 1.2. It's not the best school district though. You could also buy a tear down in 22207 for $550k and then build. I've had neighbors do it and total cost is around $900k for average fixtures.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 19:41     Subject: Re:Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Again, the OP likes those homes. She is probably is a normal american from outside of our area that is used to larger homes and not jaded by being a craftsman midget bethesda /arlington bungaloo dweller. This area changes people and makes them bitter to larger home because they can't buy or build one themselves. The homes pictured are NORMAL sized in every part of the country except for here.

THIS is a real Mcmansion. Note that the square footage is over 10000 not 3000-5000sqrft.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Mclean/612-Rivercrest-Dr-22101/home/12038870


McMansion does not = greater than 10K square feet. It means a home that is built in an area that is not proportioned to the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. so yes, as an Arlington dweller in a 1940s colonial, I am bitter when I see neighborhoods get ruined by these overdone, gluttonous homes.

Nor do I like the cookie cutter neighborhoods that have sprouted up all over Loudoun County.


Hate to break it to you, but your 1940s colonial in Arlington was probably built post-war for returning soldiers. It's the definition of cookie cutter.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 19:38     Subject: Re:Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Again, the OP likes those homes. She is probably is a normal american from outside of our area that is used to larger homes and not jaded by being a craftsman midget bethesda /arlington bungaloo dweller. This area changes people and makes them bitter to larger home because they can't buy or build one themselves. The homes pictured are NORMAL sized in every part of the country except for here.

THIS is a real Mcmansion. Note that the square footage is over 10000 not 3000-5000sqrft.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Mclean/612-Rivercrest-Dr-22101/home/12038870


McMansion does not = greater than 10K square feet. It means a home that is built in an area that is not proportioned to the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. so yes, as an Arlington dweller in a 1940s colonial, I am bitter when I see neighborhoods get ruined by these overdone, gluttonous homes.

Nor do I like the cookie cutter neighborhoods that have sprouted up all over Loudoun County.


Will you donate.the.equity the bigger homes bring your neighborhood
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 18:47     Subject: Re:Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:Again, the OP likes those homes. She is probably is a normal american from outside of our area that is used to larger homes and not jaded by being a craftsman midget bethesda /arlington bungaloo dweller. This area changes people and makes them bitter to larger home because they can't buy or build one themselves. The homes pictured are NORMAL sized in every part of the country except for here.

THIS is a real Mcmansion. Note that the square footage is over 10000 not 3000-5000sqrft.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Mclean/612-Rivercrest-Dr-22101/home/12038870


McMansion does not = greater than 10K square feet. It means a home that is built in an area that is not proportioned to the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. so yes, as an Arlington dweller in a 1940s colonial, I am bitter when I see neighborhoods get ruined by these overdone, gluttonous homes.

Nor do I like the cookie cutter neighborhoods that have sprouted up all over Loudoun County.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 17:12     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Goodness those homes are hideous.

If you are going to spend 1.2 M, I suggest buying a teardown in Vienna and having a custom home built. Much better neighborhood and not those horrible McMansions with poor quality construction.


That is your opinion, there is nothing wrong with McMansions.


There is nothing wrong with McDonalds.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 14:37     Subject: Re:Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Again, the OP likes those homes. She is probably is a normal american from outside of our area that is used to larger homes and not jaded by being a craftsman midget bethesda /arlington bungaloo dweller. This area changes people and makes them bitter to larger home because they can't buy or build one themselves. The homes pictured are NORMAL sized in every part of the country except for here.

THIS is a real Mcmansion. Note that the square footage is over 10000 not 3000-5000sqrft.

http://www.redfin.com/VA/Mclean/612-Rivercrest-Dr-22101/home/12038870
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 14:29     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:The first two pictured homes are poorly proportioned, although the second one is slightly better. The first one is an insult to quality home design--just pick up a house pattern book at Barnes & Noble and copy the plans and elevations. And I would hate to be the family in the one huge house on a street of tiny pimmit hills homes. For people that like McMansions, there are better options. The last two houses look fine.


About every 5-7 houses in Pimmit Hills is a McMansion. Drive through it and youll be suprised, you won't be th only mcmansion on the street.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 14:28     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:Goodness those homes are hideous.

If you are going to spend 1.2 M, I suggest buying a teardown in Vienna and having a custom home built. Much better neighborhood and not those horrible McMansions with poor quality construction.


That is your opinion, there is nothing wrong with McMansions.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 12:43     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Here's a great thread on city-data about area builders, and which ones are McMansioney and which ones are not:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/northern-virginia/923780-nova-mcmansions-vs-custom-homes.html

Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 12:15     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
The first two pictured homes are poorly proportioned, although the second one is slightly better. The first one is an insult to quality home design--just pick up a house pattern book at Barnes & Noble and copy the plans and elevations. And I would hate to be the family in the one huge house on a street of tiny pimmit hills homes. For people that like McMansions, there are better options. The last two houses look fine.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 10:15     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Anonymous wrote:Goodness those homes are hideous.

If you are going to spend 1.2 M, I suggest buying a teardown in Vienna and having a custom home built. Much better neighborhood and not those horrible McMansions with poor quality construction.


A lot of the new construction in Vienna is of no better quality. And JDA Homes in Vienna couldn't be more "McMansion" if they tried.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 10:11     Subject: Re:Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
I don't like the first house. The next three houses seem fine to me if you're OK with a Colonial. There are tons of Colonials all over this area. They are definitely in a good school district. Vienna is nice, too.

Anonymous
Post 11/20/2011 07:08     Subject: Falls Church, Alexandria or Arlington Schools?
Goodness those homes are hideous.

If you are going to spend 1.2 M, I suggest buying a teardown in Vienna and having a custom home built. Much better neighborhood and not those horrible McMansions with poor quality construction.