Falls Church? (Reston, Fairfax, Tysons Corner: real estate, homes, transfer)

[bargainhigh]

Hello,
My husband's company is transferring him to Reston by the beginning of May and we are looking for safe, family centered communities that will give him a close commute(half hour or so?)
So far, we think we like Falls Church. Could anyone tell me if this town is in close proximity to shopping, kid friendly activities(We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old boy), proximity to good preschools?
Thank you so much! I found this forum through google, and already it has become invaluable to me!
Audrey

[bargainhigh]

Specifically, how is the 22042 zip code? We found some properties online that look promising, but want to make sure that this is the actual Falls Church City. The subdivision is Greenway Downs.
Thanks so much!

[claremarie]

I'm fairly certain that Greenway Downs is part of Fairfax County.
Most real estate listings for homes in the City of Falls Church will make it clear that the home is in the City.
You can also check by the school pyramid listed. City of Falls Church homes should list George Mason HS.

[bargainhigh]

Thank you so much for your input

[lchoro]

It's roughly 30-45 minutes in non-rush to get from Reston to Greenway Downs. You would take Route 50 to get on the Beltway northbound and take the Dulles Toll Rd exit east to Reston.

I believe the neighborhood is within walking distance of the elementary school at the corner of Graham Rd & Lee Hwy. There's a Safeway and a smaller Magruder's store nearby, the latter is across the street from the school. If you're willing to drive 2 to 5 miles, there are a lot of other options, such as downtown Falls Church, Tysons Corner, Seven Corners, and Merrifield/Fairfax.

[claremarie]

Is there a reason that you are not considering living in Reston itself? You would definitely get more for your money, as Reston is considerably further from DC than the Falls Church area.

[novaman]

If your husband works in Reston, mybe you should take a closer look at Reston itself. It is a fantastic place to live- a well planned community.

[NOVAmtneer82]

The commute from Falls Church to Reston won't exactly be pleasant. I would look in Reston or communities like Cascades, Potomac Falls, and Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County.

[bargainhigh]

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate all of your helpful info and advice! We were just looking for a nice, family friendly community. For some reason, we had the impression that Reston was more for singles and couples? We will definitely look in to Reston and the other surrounding communities that were mentioned!
Audrey

[NOVAmtneer82]

Not really, there are over 60,000 people living in Reston, many of them are likely families. The Reston Town Center area does indeed have a very high concentration of young singles and couples (very nice area btw), however the surrounding neighborhoods are full of families like yours. I don't know how the schools are out there but they are in Fairfax County which is one of the best school districts in the nation. Neighboring Loudoun County also has excellent schools and TONS of families, I seem to recall an article in the Post about it having one of the largest child populations in the country.