Anonymous wrote:Highlands is pretty run down honestly. Dive championships were supposed to be there and they had to switch because the boards weren’t safe. Chesterbrook is a much nicer facility.

If you believe Highlands is “run down,” you’ll be downright bewildered if you have to stray outside the comfy confines of close-in Northern Virginia.

If you enjoy mascot sacrifice and warpaint, Chesterbrook is your jam!

I believe I heard that Highlands was embarking on a large capital improvement project to their facilities.

It depends on what you are looking for. If you're looking for a place to simply swim in the summer, either would be a great option. If you're within certain neighborhoods, either is walkable (e.g. Potomac Hills for Highlands or parts of Franklin Park for Chesterbrook) which could be key depending on your kids ages. As others have mentioned, friends at the pool is a great thing as it can become a destination in the summer.

Chesterbrook opens their waitlist every year and you have a "better" chance for membership, especially if you are an established swimming family looking to join a club. As others have mentioned, the swim team is very competitive. Highlands will have a traditional waitlist and is also in the same NVSL swimming division 1, but much less intense for swim team. If you're not interested in summer swim for competitive reasons, either is really a great option. We know many families at both clubs and all are happy there.

Highlands is truly a beautiful pool with towering trees all around and it does feel like an escape. Chesterbrook has new pool facilities but is on a major road.

There are other pools in McLean as well - McLean Swim and Tennis, Kent Gardens and Tuckahoe. I think all of them have waitlists, so if you're interested, I'd put your name on as soon as possible.

Highlands is far from rundown but not as shiny and new as CB. But if your kid has any interest in swim team Highlands is the better option.

I’m sort of shocked either one has an opening. I thought the waitlists were years long?

Highlands is pretty run down honestly. Dive championships were supposed to be there and they had to switch because the boards weren’t safe. Chesterbrook is a much nicer facility.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the tennis pro who is taking over at Highlands this year and he's fantastic! I'm a member at Tuckahoe and he's leaving to start his own business & going to Highlands.

Interesting- the Pros over the fall were.... sub par.

Chesterbrook used to have ProsToYou and it was a great crew, but then for some reason they gave up the contract. I play tennis at both.

Pros To You were at Highlands this summer. The new Pro starts this spring

Yeah, I was there for that, but it isn’t the same PTY group that was at Chesterbrook for the past several years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the tennis pro who is taking over at Highlands this year and he's fantastic! I'm a member at Tuckahoe and he's leaving to start his own business & going to Highlands.

Interesting- the Pros over the fall were.... sub par.

Chesterbrook used to have ProsToYou and it was a great crew, but then for some reason they gave up the contract. I play tennis at both.

Pros To You were at Highlands this summer. The new Pro starts this spring