How is Annandale? (Burke, Springfield, Oakton: section 8, to rent, chapel)

[Crotongal]

We are looking for a large home to rent and a few of the ones that seem to best suit our family are in Annandale. I graduates from Annandale High in '81 and it was a nice area then. My kids are homeschooled so how the schools are now doesn't matter. I am more interested in things like if the area is safe, how it has changed, etc. The houses I am looking at are near Gallows Road and another one in Camelot. I am looking for houses long distance until my dh moves up there in a week and he visits them personally.

[MacUser85]

Annandale is a very diverse community and VARIES greatly. You can be in areas of Annandale that are as nice as Vienna/Oakton and then other areas that are low-income with section 8 housing. Generally speaking, the outside Beltway portions of Annandale (Camelot, Wakefield Chapel Rd., Canterbury Woods, areas around Holy Spirit Catholic Church) are all great! It's inside the Beltway where you need to watch out. There are some nice homes and good neighborhoods off Gallows Rd between the Beltway and Hummer Rd or so. Either way, you need to see for yourself, but the center of Annandale I'm sure has changed greatly since 1981. Many businesses in Annandale have signs in Korean only and there are some old beat up shopping centers along Little River Tnpk. The George Mason Library is nice and I believe they have an active 'friends of the library' group going which keeps it nice.

This is just a snapshot. Bottom line is that if you are looking outside the Beltway, you don't have anything to worry about. Best of luck in your move!

[barryhussein]

That Beauty academy in Annandale next to the old Kmart has the cheapest haircuts in town: 5 bucks.
I give thumbs to to the 'Dale. The above post is very accurate, too.

[VRE332]

they have lots of korean restaurants there.

[SaratL]

The area of Annandale you are looking is very safe. There is a police station down woodburn (that also has the NoVA 911 Center) and you can get a report from them. The camelot area is fine. The Gallows road area is OK in my opinion too but the area where Gallows meet 236 has more apts and significant hispanic population.

[DC Oldtimer]

Casey Mac is dead on. Annandale outside the beltway (including Camelot) is another world from the Annandale inside the Beltway. It's safe, it's beautiful, it's a great place to live. Anywhere close to the community college you will be fine.

If Camelot doesnt work out see if you can find something off of Wakefield Chapel Rd. Lots of leafy established family oriented neighborhoods.

[terrence81]

I actually like Annandale and this includes the section inside the beltway. It's just that it's not fancy or anything. It does have a working class vibe to it but it's so diverse and interesting in my opinion. I guess someone who grew up here and is used to the area's diversity would not be impressed. Yeah the further out you go the newer and nicer the area will be though. It will boil down to your taste some people like houses that are older and some want as new as they can afford. Annandale is certainly in the eye of the beholder. And they have renovated the Giant in Annandale and they're supposed to be building a Bloom so there's still some improvement going on. But Oakton and Vienna are going to have a newer feel than Annandale though.

[CandCsmom]

Hi, we are looking at house's in the Wakefield Forest ES area and found one in Annandale that is about as far east as you can go before the beltway - it backs up to the Wakefield Forest park. My question's are: 1. I just recently realized that not all Wakefield Forest es kids go to Frost/Woodson - that those east of Wakefield Chapel Rd go to Poe/Annandale. My kids will most likely only still be in elementary school while we are stationed here, but who knows for sure. Is there any kind of "division" of kids of those that live in the neighborhoods that will go on to Frost and those that will go on to Poe? And 2. Do I need to be concerned about living in a house by myself for the most part with small children that backs up to such a huge county public park? Are there drifters or otherwise strange things that go on in there at night? The proximity to the beltway and the neighborhods on the other side is a little disconcerting, too. Seems like open access to our backyard! Thanks for any feedback!

[Fern435]

Hello CandCsmom--

That's a pleasant area, and the homes are nice. You might have some people coming through the parkland (occasional drinkers, teens, etc.) The home we rent backs up to county parkland too, and we do have people traipsing through sometimes.

Braddock Road is a mess right now. They are redoing the Braddock Road overpass bridges over the Beltway. One bridge has been torn down, and all the traffic is forced to use the other old bridge for now. They are expanding the interchange and the Beltway itself. The entire project won't be done until 2011 or 2012. I'm sure someone else who lives closer has more information. I completely avoid the area now.

I like the West Springfield/Burke/Fairfax area because there are several roads to get you where you need to go, a little less congestion than the areas north, and it has all the amenities with a lower cost of living.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by CandCsmom

Hi, we are looking at house's in the Wakefield Forest ES area and found one in Annandale that is about as far east as you can go before the beltway - it backs up to the Wakefield Forest park. My question's are: 1. I just recently realized that not all Wakefield Forest es kids go to Frost/Woodson - that those east of Wakefield Chapel Rd go to Poe/Annandale. My kids will most likely only still be in elementary school while we are stationed here, but who knows for sure. Is there any kind of "division" of kids of those that live in the neighborhoods that will go on to Frost and those that will go on to Poe? And 2. Do I need to be concerned about living in a house by myself for the most part with small children that backs up to such a huge county public park? Are there drifters or otherwise strange things that go on in there at night? The proximity to the beltway and the neighborhods on the other side is a little disconcerting, too. Seems like open access to our backyard! Thanks for any feedback!

There are many other elementary schools like Wakefield Forest that are "split feeders," where the children go on to attend different middle and high schools. The kids really don't care (or "divide") at that age but, if you are in the Poe/Annandale portion of the district, you should prepare for the occasional condescending conversation with a parent living in the Frost/Woodson portion of the school district. If you have a tough skin, or won't even live in the same house by the time your kids reach middle school age, it's no big deal. If you think such attitudes will bother you, you should probably look elsewhere, though, because you will surely come across such parents.