Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you to those with the helpful suggestions! Much to think about!

We always liked walking around old town Alexandria. Many ppl suggested del ray. What’s the school situation there? When searching on school rating websites (yes I know they’re flawed) the public elementary schools in Alexandria/ del ray didn’t seem to rank as high as Arlington or Fairfax? Am I missing something?

Vienna.... I guess I don’t know much about it except it’s the last stop on the orange line. It would be 45 mins at least into DC proper? I’m assuming we’ll end up in DC once or twice a week for meeting friends etc. A bit too far me thinks..?

For those families who live in westover - and also other parts of Arlington - do you walk to local things like little kids music class... the local library... stores/ restaurants/gyms?

We live in the Rosemont neighborhood of Alexandria. We walk to Del Ray and old town all the time. I teach in Arlington (APS) and used to teach in FCPS. The local elementary school, Maury, is absolutely on par with both other counties.

The important part of OP's question about the schools is what is the race of OP's children. If they're white then they will be fine. If they are COC, even if they are not low-SES, then a good education is doable but it will require a lot more vigilance to ensure that the kids are not tracked by their race.

This is complete BS.

Fairfax City

City of Falls Church has good schools and is walkable also West Mclean has good schools and is becoming more walkable. Both expensive area however. Westover is walkable with schools that are average and it's got some diversity. Vienna schools are good but Maple Ave and it's shopping strip malls is a nightmare and not very walkable. It does have a small town vibe and is kid friendly.

It's hard to find those two features in NoVA.

Vienna is interesting. If you live near the metro, you can have a seriously easy commute to DC (length depending on your stop of course) and beautiful park, trails, and green areas close to home; there are some really lovely neighborhoods of both THs adn SFH's all super close to the metro. But, if you live by the metro its a longer trek to the main drag of town of Vienna - you are more likely to drive or bike to those areas. As a location though generally, it's really well situated between DC and jobs out West like in Reston, moving here gave us a lot more job options as we could go either direction to our works mulitple buildings. Something to consider depending on your work future expectations. Also re diversity - yes, NOVA In general is not super diverse, but south Vienna is waaaaaay more diverse then town of Vienna. Lots of international orgs have housed people close to the metro - IMF, World Bank, etc are common employers of neighbors. The neighborhoods in that part of Vienna are way more diverse (eastern euro, african, etc).

OP, given your requirements, have you considered Maryland as well? E.g. Takoma Park could be a good fit, as could many other places given your budget.

Also, I know you mentioned NW DC but you might also consider Capitol Hill. Not every place has a yard, but there are many places with pretty decent yards, and.the walkability is fantastic. There are now a number of well-reputed elementary schools around the Hill, and rapidly increasing options for older children as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you to those with the helpful suggestions! Much to think about!

We always liked walking around old town Alexandria. Many ppl suggested del ray. What’s the school situation there? When searching on school rating websites (yes I know they’re flawed) the public elementary schools in Alexandria/ del ray didn’t seem to rank as high as Arlington or Fairfax? Am I missing something?

Vienna.... I guess I don’t know much about it except it’s the last stop on the orange line. It would be 45 mins at least into DC proper? I’m assuming we’ll end up in DC once or twice a week for meeting friends etc. A bit too far me thinks..?

For those families who live in westover - and also other parts of Arlington - do you walk to local things like little kids music class... the local library... stores/ restaurants/gyms?

We live in the Rosemont neighborhood of Alexandria. We walk to Del Ray and old town all the time. I teach in Arlington (APS) and used to teach in FCPS. The local elementary school, Maury, is absolutely on par with both other counties.

The important part of OP's question about the schools is what is the race of OP's children. If they're white then they will be fine. If they are COC, even if they are not low-SES, then a good education is doable but it will require a lot more vigilance to ensure that the kids are not tracked by their race.

Back to the OPs original question -she is looking for walkable neighborhoods with good schools. I have live all over northern virginia. My opinion:

* Alexandria has many great walkable locations. Schools are spotty and you would have to seriously consider going private

* Vienna areas already mentioned are lovely and walkable. Great schools. More house and more yard for your money than Arlington

*Burke - very family friendly. Lots of families that have lived there for generations plus lots of military.

* Arlington - where I live now, so, of course, biased.
lots of urban feel in most neighborhoods. The neighborhoods that are less urban (by Marymount) are also less walkable. You have to drive in your car to get to most stores.

- Clarendon/Courthouse - lots of walkability but very expensive

- anything west of Ballston down Wilson or Washington Blvd is your best bet for what's left in affordability in N Arlington. Bluemont, Bon Air, Dominion Hills, Madison Manor, Westover. Great walkability. Lots of great bike trails, schools are great, able to walk to most stores, never have to leave Arlington to get what you need.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Old Town! Just leaving our house and walking through our alley to walk to a King St restaurant to pick up dinner, we were stopped by two different sets of neighbors for a chat and catching up. Everybody looks out for each other here and there is a very strong community feel. From where we are we are walkable all the way to the water to take our dog to the park or a myriad of restaurants. You will likely sacrifice on yard space but it’s still worth a look! We have a small yard that is enough for our dog. He is very happy with Old Town too compared to our old apartment in NE DC!

We also love Old Town. Not a massive yard but prioritized living a short walk to the waterfront and all of its parks which I could never give up now.

Access to amenities like restaurants is good but the parking is horrible. You have to make sure that you buy a house that has off-street parking or you will be very, very unhappy. And unfortunately as has been pointed out by others, the traffic in Alexandria is really bad. Our city officials have done a great job purposefully mucking up the system so that it is impossible to get around the city, like to the doctor's office or the dentist or anyplace else, without it taking an extraordinarily long time. Driving the 2-3 miles from Alexandria Hospital and the medical building on Seminary to Old Town takes at least 45 minutes to an hour in the afternoons (I know because we've clocked it) because of the new traffic patterns. Somehow the city has lost its way. Maybe it will be better in November once the rascals are voted out and the new people clean house in City Hall but that turnaround will take time.

#JustinsTrafficJam

Yes, we get it. You toiled along in a meaningless job for years and now more than half of your life is behind you, but you’ve finally found your raison d’etre and will repeatedly post on DCUM about the addition of a bike lane in Alexandria.

Um, you're missing the PP's point. There are hundreds of homeowners in Alexandria who feel the same way. It is a thing. Living in Alexandria went from being pleasant to being a nightmare virtually overnight. Go to FaceBook and NextDoor to read about it. #JustinsTrafficJam is right on. I'll add another one: TakeBackSeminaryRoad.

Adding on: The changes are not simply the addition of a bike lane. It was the narrowing of King Street from 4 lanes to 2 with ludicrous turn lanes when there is nowhere to turn. Lowering the speed on King Street (Janey's Lane to Quaker Lane) from 35 to 25. Lowering the speed on Quaker Lane from 35 to 25. Narrowing Seminary Road from 4 lanes to 2 lanes. Lowering the speed on Route 1 from 35 to 25. It is the purposefully unsynchronized lights on Washington Street and on Patrick/Henry Streets. All changes made with trumped up (truly) "data" that doesn't withstand any scrutiny in the light of day. It is impossible to get around anymore, we're locked into our neighborhoods, and we are GREATLY UNHAPPY about it!!! #JustinsTrafficJam and #TakeBackSeminaryRoad

Aurora Highlands/Aurora Hills in south Arlington

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you to those with the helpful suggestions! Much to think about!

We always liked walking around old town Alexandria. Many ppl suggested del ray. What’s the school situation there? When searching on school rating websites (yes I know they’re flawed) the public elementary schools in Alexandria/ del ray didn’t seem to rank as high as Arlington or Fairfax? Am I missing something?

Vienna.... I guess I don’t know much about it except it’s the last stop on the orange line. It would be 45 mins at least into DC proper? I’m assuming we’ll end up in DC once or twice a week for meeting friends etc. A bit too far me thinks..?

For those families who live in westover - and also other parts of Arlington - do you walk to local things like little kids music class... the local library... stores/ restaurants/gyms?

We live in the Rosemont neighborhood of Alexandria. We walk to Del Ray and old town all the time. I teach in Arlington (APS) and used to teach in FCPS. The local elementary school, Maury, is absolutely on par with both other counties.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Old Town! Just leaving our house and walking through our alley to walk to a King St restaurant to pick up dinner, we were stopped by two different sets of neighbors for a chat and catching up. Everybody looks out for each other here and there is a very strong community feel. From where we are we are walkable all the way to the water to take our dog to the park or a myriad of restaurants. You will likely sacrifice on yard space but it’s still worth a look! We have a small yard that is enough for our dog. He is very happy with Old Town too compared to our old apartment in NE DC!

We also love Old Town. Not a massive yard but prioritized living a short walk to the waterfront and all of its parks which I could never give up now.

Access to amenities like restaurants is good but the parking is horrible. You have to make sure that you buy a house that has off-street parking or you will be very, very unhappy. And unfortunately as has been pointed out by others, the traffic in Alexandria is really bad. Our city officials have done a great job purposefully mucking up the system so that it is impossible to get around the city, like to the doctor's office or the dentist or anyplace else, without it taking an extraordinarily long time. Driving the 2-3 miles from Alexandria Hospital and the medical building on Seminary to Old Town takes at least 45 minutes to an hour in the afternoons (I know because we've clocked it) because of the new traffic patterns. Somehow the city has lost its way. Maybe it will be better in November once the rascals are voted out and the new people clean house in City Hall but that turnaround will take time.

#JustinsTrafficJam

Yes, we get it. You toiled along in a meaningless job for years and now more than half of your life is behind you, but you’ve finally found your raison d’etre and will repeatedly post on DCUM about the addition of a bike lane in Alexandria.

Um, you're missing the PP's point. There are hundreds of homeowners in Alexandria who feel the same way. It is a thing. Living in Alexandria went from being pleasant to being a nightmare virtually overnight. Go to FaceBook and NextDoor to read about it. #JustinsTrafficJam is right on. I'll add another one: TakeBackSeminaryRoad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Old Town! Just leaving our house and walking through our alley to walk to a King St restaurant to pick up dinner, we were stopped by two different sets of neighbors for a chat and catching up. Everybody looks out for each other here and there is a very strong community feel. From where we are we are walkable all the way to the water to take our dog to the park or a myriad of restaurants. You will likely sacrifice on yard space but it’s still worth a look! We have a small yard that is enough for our dog. He is very happy with Old Town too compared to our old apartment in NE DC!

We also love Old Town. Not a massive yard but prioritized living a short walk to the waterfront and all of its parks which I could never give up now.

Access to amenities like restaurants is good but the parking is horrible. You have to make sure that you buy a house that has off-street parking or you will be very, very unhappy. And unfortunately as has been pointed out by others, the traffic in Alexandria is really bad. Our city officials have done a great job purposefully mucking up the system so that it is impossible to get around the city, like to the doctor's office or the dentist or anyplace else, without it taking an extraordinarily long time. Driving the 2-3 miles from Alexandria Hospital and the medical building on Seminary to Old Town takes at least 45 minutes to an hour in the afternoons (I know because we've clocked it) because of the new traffic patterns. Somehow the city has lost its way. Maybe it will be better in November once the rascals are voted out and the new people clean house in City Hall but that turnaround will take time.

#JustinsTrafficJam

Yes, we get it. You toiled along in a meaningless job for years and now more than half of your life is behind you, but you’ve finally found your raison d’etre and will repeatedly post on DCUM about the addition of a bike lane in Alexandria.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Old Town! Just leaving our house and walking through our alley to walk to a King St restaurant to pick up dinner, we were stopped by two different sets of neighbors for a chat and catching up. Everybody looks out for each other here and there is a very strong community feel. From where we are we are walkable all the way to the water to take our dog to the park or a myriad of restaurants. You will likely sacrifice on yard space but it’s still worth a look! We have a small yard that is enough for our dog. He is very happy with Old Town too compared to our old apartment in NE DC!

We also love Old Town. Not a massive yard but prioritized living a short walk to the waterfront and all of its parks which I could never give up now.

Access to amenities like restaurants is good but the parking is horrible. You have to make sure that you buy a house that has off-street parking or you will be very, very unhappy. And unfortunately as has been pointed out by others, the traffic in Alexandria is really bad. Our city officials have done a great job purposefully mucking up the system so that it is impossible to get around the city, like to the doctor's office or the dentist or anyplace else, without it taking an extraordinarily long time. Driving the 2-3 miles from Alexandria Hospital and the medical building on Seminary to Old Town takes at least 45 minutes to an hour in the afternoons (I know because we've clocked it) because of the new traffic patterns. Somehow the city has lost its way. Maybe it will be better in November once the rascals are voted out and the new people clean house in City Hall but that turnaround will take time.

#JustinsTrafficJam

Anonymous wrote:We love Old Town! Just leaving our house and walking through our alley to walk to a King St restaurant to pick up dinner, we were stopped by two different sets of neighbors for a chat and catching up. Everybody looks out for each other here and there is a very strong community feel. From where we are we are walkable all the way to the water to take our dog to the park or a myriad of restaurants. You will likely sacrifice on yard space but it’s still worth a look! We have a small yard that is enough for our dog. He is very happy with Old Town too compared to our old apartment in NE DC!

We also love Old Town. Not a massive yard but prioritized living a short walk to the waterfront and all of its parks which I could never give up now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out Old Town Fairfax.

Used to live there and loved it.

Very walkable