Did a quick search on Frankly MLS - seems like Janet ("JD") Callander is one of the leading realtors in the Haycock area.

http://jdcallander.weichertagentpages.com/

I've never worked with her directly, so just passing this on for what it's worth.

He does work in building above rosslyn station and we are a srtaight shot down prosperity to dunn loring. He leaves early meaning parking is closer to the station entrance. If i am a bullsh$tter then maybe by only 5 minutes. So sorry. My point was that it's a good area and the commute is not that bad.

Ok, well, most people don't have what I assume is a 2-minute (?) drive to the metro station, early enough that they will get the closest possible parking spot so they have only a 30-second walk to the platform, and, on the other end, work in a building that is attached to the metro station. The commute from Vienna/Dunn Loring into DC sucks if you ask just about anyone who does it on a daily basis. The traffic is so bad that just adding a little bit of distance between your home and the metro is going to add significant time, parking is a pain & expensive, and the Metro itself is notoriously unreliable (and becoming more so, unfortunately). Your husband appears to have a dream commute from Dunn Loring to Rosslyn but for most people, a realistic door-to-door commute from Dunn Loring to Rosslyn is at least 30-40 minutes, and longer if they are going into DC. I LOVE Vienna, and I'm not saying Dunn Loring is not a nice place to live, but ease of commuting downtown is just NOT one of its selling points.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the areas mentioned can be pricey. For bang for your buck try Mantua area in fairfax. Near dunn lorIng metro/orange line and up gallows to tysons. Close to 495, rt 50, and 66. Pyramid is Mantua ES (Which is a success by 8 school with AAP), Frost MS, and Woodson HS.

We live in Mantua and it's been a great fit for us. We have one kid in AAP and one in the regular program and I feel the school does a terrific job of addressing the needs of both kids. If both children had been STEM stars I would have opted for Haycock as I understand the STEM emphasis in their AAP program is terrific, but I think the AAP program there also dwarfs the regular program in size and has a bit of a reputation as a pressure cooker, so it might not have been as good a fit for my non AAP kid.
It also helped that we were able to find a really nice house for about 300k less than it would have cost in McLean

OP here -- you all have been super helpful, thank you so much! It sounds like the Mantua area and the Haycock area would both be great for schools and for our commute. Now can anyone recommend a good agent for either or both neighborhoods? We'll also need to sell our home in Merrifield, so we need someone who can help us with both buying and selling.

Thanks!

I'd try to live inside the beltway with that commute and perhaps along Route 7, 50, or 123 not too far from the metro? It depends on how far into DC you need to go to determine how far out you can live and have a decent commute. Falls Church City, East Falls Church, Arlington, Pimmit Hills, and Mclean are all options worth considering. Outside the beltway could be 45 minutes or over a 60 minute commute. People like living near Vienna though since it is the end of the line and they can more easily get a seat. It is a little time consuming, but you can check the test scores and class options at each school from elementary to high school and how active the PTA is by going to each school's website. If you are going to live in Fairfax County, it is good to check out the AAP center and local level IV schools as well just to have an idea where your child might go for those options and they have immersion and magnet schools too to check out which interest some. Personally I live the idea of my children not having to travel far to go to school though. It makes it easier to get to know the families.

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, it is fairfax, but closer then most parts of fairfax. My husband works in rosslyn and it takes him 20 minutes door to door using dunn loring metro. I can make it to tysons mall in 15 minutes using backroads. Parts of fairfax just outside the beltway and close to the Orange line arent that bad. Zip code 22031.

I am going to call bullsh$t on this. I ride the orange line every day. The train ride alone is 20 min from Dunn Loring to Rosslyn, assuming no delays and no wait for a train. Check the WMATA trip planner yourself for travel times. There is NO way the total door to door commute is 20 min on metro. Well, I guess if PP lives IN Dunn Loring station & her DH works IN Rosslyn station, then yes, it's 20 min door to door.

He does work in building above rosslyn station and we are a srtaight shot down prosperity to dunn loring. He leaves early meaning parking is closer to the station entrance. If i am a bullsh$tter then maybe by only 5 minutes. So sorry. My point was that it's a good area and the commute is not that bad.

Yes, it is fairfax, but closer then most parts of fairfax. My husband works in rosslyn and it takes him 20 minutes door to door using dunn loring metro. I can make it to tysons mall in 15 minutes using backroads. Parts of fairfax just outside the beltway and close to the Orange line arent that bad. Zip code 22031.

I am going to call bullsh$t on this. I ride the orange line every day. The train ride alone is 20 min from Dunn Loring to Rosslyn, assuming no delays and no wait for a train. Check the WMATA trip planner yourself for travel times. There is NO way the total door to door commute is 20 min on metro. Well, I guess if PP lives IN Dunn Loring station & her DH works IN Rosslyn station, then yes, it's 20 min door to door.

Anonymous wrote:

We live in Mantua and it's been a great fit for us. We have one kid in AAP and one in the regular program and I feel the school does a terrific job of addressing the needs of both kids. If both children had been STEM stars I would have opted for Haycock as I understand the STEM emphasis in their AAP program is terrific, but I think the AAP program there also dwarfs the regular program in size and has a bit of a reputation as a pressure cooker, so it might not have been as good a fit for my non AAP kid.
It also helped that we were able to find a really nice house for about 300k less than it would have cost in McLean

Haycock's AAP program probably gets more attention than most AAP programs because Haycock feeds into Longfellow MS, which traditionally has sent many students on to TJHSST (Carson, Rocky Run and Kilmer MS are the other middle schools that usually send the most students to TJ). However, the AAP program there doesn't "dwarf" the regular program (about 40% of Haycock's students are in the AAP program vs. about 25% at Mantua), and parents with kids who aren't in AAP at Haycock seem to like it as well.

By the way, Haycock is in Falls Church, not McLean, and the houses in the Haycock district tend to be somewhat less expensive than those in McLean. But, given that it's close to both Tysons and the West Falls Church Metro station, houses may be more expensive than those in neighborhoods like Mantua, Truro and Canterbury Woods, all of which are also very nice.

Anonymous wrote:Some of the areas mentioned can be pricey. For bang for your buck try Mantua area in fairfax. Near dunn lorIng metro/orange line and up gallows to tysons. Close to 495, rt 50, and 66. Pyramid is Mantua ES (Which is a success by 8 school with AAP), Frost MS, and Woodson HS.

We live in Mantua and it's been a great fit for us. We have one kid in AAP and one in the regular program and I feel the school does a terrific job of addressing the needs of both kids. If both children had been STEM stars I would have opted for Haycock as I understand the STEM emphasis in their AAP program is terrific, but I think the AAP program there also dwarfs the regular program in size and has a bit of a reputation as a pressure cooker, so it might not have been as good a fit for my non AAP kid.
It also helped that we were able to find a really nice house for about 300k less than it would have cost in McLean