If you're doing well financially, and McLean or North Arlington would get you better schools and a shorter commute than your Alexandria neighborhood, it seems like a no-brainer to move. But I'll confess that I hate 395 and the 14th Street Bridge with a passion, so that may color my perspective.

I live in the Alexandria section of FFX Co and have kids at Edison HS. I didn't see anyone else posting who has first hand experiences with FCPS in the Alexandria section (although I could be wrong since I blew thru the Alex City bashing posts).

In your situation, I would not move. I don't say that to justify the choice we made to stay but because I've been in your shoes and I've been happy with the decision we made to stay. I don't buy into the hysteria some people have about the 'bad schools' in this part of the county. I've seen no evidence of it. Sure, there are problems but there are also problems in the affluent schools. You can get a quality education at any school in FCPS. All the research I've seen doesn't support a conclusion that my kids will suffer from going to these 'less desirable' schools.

My kids went to a Title 1 elementary school. It was fabulous! Yeah, the PTA struggled and couldn't fund the things I'm sure the McLean school PTAs can fund but that's okay. There was enough. Twain MS was great, too. About 1/3 of the kids that went to our ES went to Hayfield. Our kids are still in contact with their friends there and, as much as Hayfield is derided, it seems as good as Twain and Edison. Our neighbors' kids went to Edison have gone to college all over the country. While I don't know anyone who went to an Ivy, I do know neighborhoods kids who went/go to Stanford, Penn State, UVA, William & Mary, etc. We don't know anyone who dropped out and, so far, encountered no significant issues.

So, if it's schools you're worried about, I wouldn't move until you have more concrete data on why it would be in the best interest of your kids. From your posts, I'm not hearing a compelling case. I just hear fear.......

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853053/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0276562416300038

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Olde Town Alexandria V generic Fairfax County Alexandria? Darn-that PP might be Daughter of the Confederacy. I bet the Skip n Muffy go to St Stephens.

There's no "e". It's Old Town.

To OP, I hope you have gleaned what you wanted from this thread.

To Alexandria City residents (since that's the only way we can break them out within "Alexandria", City vs Fairfax County), I hope you realize we are in a LOT OF TROUBLE with our schools, i.e., ACPS. It's time to stop all the "it will be all right" and get on with improving ACPS majorly.

Parenthetically, I elected to view the 5 hour (!) Alexandria City Council Retreat held two weeks ago, where Councilman Tim Lovain (who is thankfully retiring at next election) said (paraphrasing) "those who say ACPS is not making improvements are wrong, we should (be) happy with our results". What world do you live in Mr. Lovain that you are so isolated from the rest of Northern Virginia public schools? Alexandria City remains at the bottom of the rankings! What is there to be "happy about" that Alexandria City schools are "growing"? We can't even handle what we have!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Olde Town Alexandria V generic Fairfax County Alexandria? Darn-that PP might be Daughter of the Confederacy. I bet the Skip n Muffy go to St Stephens.

no. Skip and Muffy go to a Fairfax County PUBLIC SCHOOL WHERE THEY ARE IN THE AAP PROGRAM! How dense are you people?

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Olde Town Alexandria V generic Fairfax County Alexandria? Darn-that PP might be Daughter of the Confederacy. I bet the Skip n Muffy go to St Stephens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
op doesn't live in Old Town Alexandria. Why are you derailing this thread talking about a place she doesn't live?

Last time I checked, Old Town was in fact in Alexandria. And OP's question was "Would you move to McLean from Alexandria if your kids are thriving?"

Derailing? No.

It has been asked, answered and confirmed multiple times on THIS thread that OP lives in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. That is the only way her kids could be in AAP. Try to keep up.

No one cares about Old Town Alexandria (in this thread) except for a few people who like to bicker about irrelevant things.

Anonymous wrote:
op doesn't live in Old Town Alexandria. Why are you derailing this thread talking about a place she doesn't live?

Last time I checked, Old Town was in fact in Alexandria. And OP's question was "Would you move to McLean from Alexandria if your kids are thriving?"

Derailing? No.

op doesn't live in Old Town Alexandria. Why are you derailing this thread talking about a place she doesn't live?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Wow! I'm so in awe of you that I want to BE you! I especially like your humility...

I just read a post on another site that talked about to get people like this postet off the invite list to the black tie events in Alexandria.

Just think- if you hadn't finished that box of wine while sitting in your Italianate villa (circa 2006) this post just might be intelligible!

You are making an exceptionally strong case that Old Town is full of disagreeable twits. Was the water damage from the last flood to your head as well as to your furniture?

Umm, not the person you're addressing, but the 'floods' in old Town are limited to a handful of commercial buildings at the very bottom of King Street. In my 15 years in Old Town I haven't heard of a single home flooding. Probably because every single house west of Union is up a huge hill.

You (and others) look foolish and, frankly, ignorant, when you bang the flood drum.

You do know that the use of the word "frankly" typically signals when someone is about to start dissembling, right? Between the bad attitudes and the low altitude, Old Town is a niche location at best.

Translation = I can't afford Old Town so I'll throw shade on those that can.

Plenty of people move from Alexandria to both North Arlington and McLean for the schools. You'll have plenty of company, and so will your kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Wow! I'm so in awe of you that I want to BE you! I especially like your humility...

I just read a post on another site that talked about to get people like this postet off the invite list to the black tie events in Alexandria.

Just think- if you hadn't finished that box of wine while sitting in your Italianate villa (circa 2006) this post just might be intelligible!

You are making an exceptionally strong case that Old Town is full of disagreeable twits. Was the water damage from the last flood to your head as well as to your furniture?

Umm, not the person you're addressing, but the 'floods' in old Town are limited to a handful of commercial buildings at the very bottom of King Street. In my 15 years in Old Town I haven't heard of a single home flooding. Probably because every single house west of Union is up a huge hill.

You (and others) look foolish and, frankly, ignorant, when you bang the flood drum.

You do know that the use of the word "frankly" typically signals when someone is about to start dissembling, right? Between the bad attitudes and the low altitude, Old Town is a niche location at best.

The lady doth protest too much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Wow! I'm so in awe of you that I want to BE you! I especially like your humility...

I just read a post on another site that talked about to get people like this postet off the invite list to the black tie events in Alexandria.

Just think- if you hadn't finished that box of wine while sitting in your Italianate villa (circa 2006) this post just might be intelligible!

You are making an exceptionally strong case that Old Town is full of disagreeable twits. Was the water damage from the last flood to your head as well as to your furniture?

Umm, not the person you're addressing, but the 'floods' in old Town are limited to a handful of commercial buildings at the very bottom of King Street. In my 15 years in Old Town I haven't heard of a single home flooding. Probably because every single house west of Union is up a huge hill.

You (and others) look foolish and, frankly, ignorant, when you bang the flood drum.

You do know that the use of the word "frankly" typically signals when someone is about to start dissembling, right? Between the bad attitudes and the low altitude, Old Town is a niche location at best.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Wow! I'm so in awe of you that I want to BE you! I especially like your humility...

I just read a post on another site that talked about to get people like this postet off the invite list to the black tie events in Alexandria.

Just think- if you hadn't finished that box of wine while sitting in your Italianate villa (circa 2006) this post just might be intelligible!

You are making an exceptionally strong case that Old Town is full of disagreeable twits. Was the water damage from the last flood to your head as well as to your furniture?

Umm, not the person you're addressing, but the 'floods' in old Town are limited to a handful of commercial buildings at the very bottom of King Street. In my 15 years in Old Town I haven't heard of a single home flooding. Probably because every single house west of Union is up a huge hill.

You (and others) look foolish and, frankly, ignorant, when you bang the flood drum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mclean is just cookie cutter blah with zero history and even less culture. We live in Old Town and belong to several private social groups whose charters predate the Civil War. We attend annual black tie functions at historic homes and buildings. These are frequented by former presidents and other contemporary men and women of distinction. these are people whose ancestors shaped this country and often can be traced to the founders.

Anyone that finds Mclean attractive simply wouldn't understand.

Wow! I'm so in awe of you that I want to BE you! I especially like your humility...

I just read a post on another site that talked about to get people like this postet off the invite list to the black tie events in Alexandria.

Just think- if you hadn't finished that box of wine while sitting in your Italianate villa (circa 2006) this post just might be intelligible!

You are making an exceptionally strong case that Old Town is full of disagreeable twits. Was the water damage from the last flood to your head as well as to your furniture?