Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having less money is no crime, but having catastrophically bad taste and constantly talking shit about any school that doesn't get a 9 on Great Schools like the Pimmit Hills cheerleaders do, is fair game for ridicule. You're just pissed that people called you on it.

I am an observer and yes the Marshall booster is over the top but so are the responses from the McLean people as seen with the person.

Ohh to add "catastrophically bad taste" is code word from the McLean people to saying your tast is bad because you didn't spend $1000 on a toto toilet and your house has home depot flooring.

Anonymous wrote:Having less money is no crime, but having catastrophically bad taste and constantly talking shit about any school that doesn't get a 9 on Great Schools like the Pimmit Hills cheerleaders do, is fair game for ridicule. You're just pissed that people called you on it.

I am an observer and yes the Marshall booster is over the top but so are the responses from the McLean people as seen with the person.

Having less money is no crime, but having catastrophically bad taste and constantly talking shit about any school that doesn't get a 9 on Great Schools like the Pimmit Hills cheerleaders do, is fair game for ridicule. You're just pissed that people called you on it.

Anonymous wrote:Most people in McLean are pretty down to earth in my experience. I've never seen them boast about their neighborhood or schools the way some people in Pimmit Hills boast here about their "hot" neighborhood or Marshall HS.

- an Arlington observer

There is boosting about a neighborhood and then there is making fun of for having less money

Anonymous wrote:You may feel out of place by the way the mclean people make fun of the less fortunate and nearby neighborhoods a shown on this message board.

+1 especially if you live in apartments

Anonymous wrote:So a budget for a month:

2K for rent
500 for utilities
2K for preschool
1K for groceries
500 for everything else

TOTAL: 6K net

72 net

90K gross

Sounds right?

Sounds tough. Car payment? Insurance? Gas? Taxes?

Most people in McLean are pretty down to earth in my experience. I've never seen them boast about their neighborhood or schools the way some people in Pimmit Hills boast here about their "hot" neighborhood or Marshall HS.

- an Arlington observer

You may feel out of place by the way the mclean people make fun of the less fortunate and nearby neighborhoods a shown on this message board.

Did the OP say they must have the mailing address of McLean, or did they just want to live close to where they work in McLean? In the Tysons area, you cross two streets and the mailing address may change from McLean to Falls Church to Vienna and back to McLean, and it's all really Fairfax. That's within a couple of miles of bustling downtown McLean. . . .

Anonymous wrote:So a budget for a month:

2K for rent
500 for utilities
2K for preschool
1K for groceries
500 for everything else

TOTAL: 6K net

72 net

90K gross

Sounds right?

2K for a 2BR? I have a friend who rents out her condo in McLean (really Tysons) and it is nothing special....1800/mo for a very very small 1BR. I own a rental in McLean hills (right off Magarity)....it is a 1BR-pratically a studio at 598sqfeet for 1500/mo and I normally have multiple applicants.

Utilities should be no where near 500/mo. My rental includes utilities, except electric.

I think you can get preschool for less than 2K/mo, that sounds astronomical. Also groceries for 2 people at 1000/mo?! We are a family of 4 which includes 2 boys and that is what we spend when I'm buying without any regard to prices whatsoever.

I think one should afford a 2K rent on an 80K income even with preschool. It won't be glamorous, but it will be sufficient.

So a budget for a month:

2K for rent
500 for utilities
2K for preschool
1K for groceries
500 for everything else

TOTAL: 6K net

72 net

90K gross

Sounds right?

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Why all the interest in McLean? Its not all that. I don't know what the attraction is. Plenty of my friends own in McLean, and there are much more "down to earth" areas that I would prefer to raise my kids. And we could afford anywhere. But I figure, while we are in the area (we own), we may as well enjoy it, as well as the kids. It all ties together, right? The people do matter.

Good commute, excellent schools, big lots.

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of apartments near the Whole Foods in Tysons. We lived in one complex for a while. It's not upmarket, but it was fine--safe and well-maintained. The schools were Freedom Hill Elem, Kilmer MS, and Marshall HS. All decent.

THese are not McLean. I believe its Falls Church, 22043.

There are a lot of apartments near the Whole Foods in Tysons. We lived in one complex for a while. It's not upmarket, but it was fine--safe and well-maintained. The schools were Freedom Hill Elem, Kilmer MS, and Marshall HS. All decent.

There are lots of places around the Tysons area. I could have sworn I read some where that Commons of McLean (near the Safeway on Anderson) is being torn down to build highrises, but not sure if that was definite and don't recall the source. If you look at that condo complex for renting I would ask if that is happening soon or ever.

Preschools in the area vary in cost substantially. Are you looking for daycare or part-time preschool? A free option would be to call up Fairfax County Child Find and find out if they need any typically developing peer models for their free developmental preschool. They do a lot of prep for kindergarten together with play and it's a small group.