Young family considering Clifton? (Arlington, Burke: daycare, townhouses, neighborhood)

[DC resident]

My wife and two boys (16 months) are thinking about moving to Clifton. We like the small town feel, the large wooded lots, the horse farms, nature trails, the historic town, the big parks, etc. We both are currently working in DC. The commute seems just as good (or bad) as anywhere in else in N.Va. It actually might even better if you make use of the HOV 3 lanes. Wanted to hear your opinions on living in CLifton as a young family, the schools (Clifton Elem. & Robinson HS), the commute, other kids for the boys to play with, good daycare providers, places to eat....the whole package. Thanks

[oneasterisk]

I'm not familiar with any of the amenities, but I have to say Clifton is a beautiful area. I regularly ride there on my motorcycle and the town itself is very quaint.

[Bigfoot424]

Before moving there I'd suggest you go there during rush hour traffic and see if you like what you see. You can't believe how congested the place can become. I live near there and I'm still amazed when I drive there which is not very often.

[CaseyMac]

I guess if you like open spaces, Clifton is for you. Boy oh boy is that a commute though. Definitely take our advice here and do the commute, both ways in full rush hour. Don't sign on the dotted line before doing so!!!

Here's the thing with Clifton and Fairfax Station. Yes, beautiful homes. But what about when you want to eat out? Maybe you feel like eating alfresco at a sidewalk cafe and then walking to Barnes and Noble afterward to read some books. That is all easily 25-30 minutes away from you. For me, that's just too far. So for me, I could never live in a place like Clifton, yet I fully acknowledge and am happy for those that like it there. But if you're like me and in love with places like North Arlington, Clifton is not for you!

[horseplayer]

People were going to the Pentagon from Clifton long before the Parkway. It would beat I-66, for one.
I think it would be a good choice, especially if you can get one from the bank. Might look in the West Springfield Country Club area, or even near Burke Lake. $$$$

[car54]

I think Clifton is great....I don't live there but I drove a school bus down there for a few years. BTW, most of what is called Clifton is really Fairfax Station. And some of what really is called Clifton (by the post office) is a bunch of crappy townhouses near Centreville High School.

As the above poster noted, it's all what floats your boat....people that can afford Clifton can easily afford North Arlington. I drove through the town twice every afternoon and saw people strolling around with ice cream cones bought at Mayor Peterson's shop. Heart in Hand has put in a sports bar.
Stefan Trummer will soon open his new restaurant in the Hermitage building on Main Street.

There are several annual community events that are pretty cool...in fact the Annual Clifton Homes Tour is this Thursday. I loved driving my bus through town on Halloween when the whole town in decorated.

I don't think the commute from Clifton to DC would be too awful....I can think of a LOT worse. It's a short, easy hop to the VRE station in Burke. Not much traffic headed to I-95 via 123 or Silverbrook Rd. 95 of course is bad....but would be eased by HOV.

There are some inconveniences due to the rural setting.....no natural gas, no city water or sewer. If I wasn't happy where I am, I'd buy a place down there in second!

[Denton56]

How far to the closest grocery store? How far to the children's doctor? How about daycare? Will you need to drive a long distance to daycare and then commute to DC? What happens when it's time for pre school? How far away will that be? It's not just the length of your commute to work, but your commute to daycare and/or pre school, and then your commute to work.

I live in a rural area in western Loudoun and I love it. I love the horse farms, the views, the quiet. But I raised my children in Vienna because it was convenient. Everything they did and needed was within 10 to 15 minutes. We walked to pre school and the playground. If a sick child needed to see the pediatrician, no problem, he was less than 10 minutes away. If I needed to get a prescription, same thing, 5 minutes to the pharmacy. There was a pediatric dentist in Vienna and several orthodontists. They walked to school, with all the neighborhood kids. If they forgot a book at school, we could run back in 5 minutes. For sports practices, they could walk, or ride their bikes. The kids could walk to the park, the playground, and the pool. Same with friends, they could walk or ride their bikes to see their friends. There were tons of kids close by because it was a neighborhood.

It's totally different where I live now. No child can walk or ride their bikes anywhere. The closest pre school is close to 30 minutes away, as is the high school and all the private schools. The closest pediatrician is 30 or more minutes away. That means an hour in the car, to get a sick child to a doctor and back. Then another 50 minute round trip to the drug store. There is a playground and library only 15 minutes away. If you move to a rural area and have kids, they, and you, will spend hours a day in the car. It's not likely that your children will have kids to play with unless you are willing to drive them there, however far it may be. Rural areas can be lonely for kids, and it will be very, very, inconvient for you and your wife.

Just my 2 cents, I would never move to a rural area with young children. It just makes everything so much more difficult for a family.

[Denton56]

Forgot to add, no city water and no natural gas is not a problem here in the country. We have propane, and that acts exactly the same as natural gas. It's filled automatically. Our well water tastes MUCH better than city water. Septic system has to be pumped every 4 to 5 years, but that's it. We don't miss those city services.

[janie01]

Parts of Clifton like Little Rocky Run (near Centreville) are in the Union Mill ES, Liberty MS and Centreville HS pyramid. Some of the very large houses with large lots off of parts of Clifton Road and half of the Balmoral neighborhood are also in this district. I know people who prefer this pyramid to the Clifton ES and Robinson HS one, but both are very good. For the most part though, Clifton is Clifton ES and Robinson. If you have a preferance, make sure to check the boundaries since they changed a few years ago. When you drive around Clifton, it may seem remote, but it really isn't. Depending on where you are in Clifton, Fair Lakes, Fairfax Corner, Centreville and Burke are fairly close. There is a Giant, Starbucks etc. in the Collonade on Union Mill Rd. This is only about 5 minutes from Main St. Clifton. Driving to DC during rush hour won't be fun, but it isn't too bad on the weekends. I think Clifton is the best of both worlds: You can get a beautiful house with acreage if you want it and still be close to all amenities. I used to live in Annandale, and apart from the commute to DC (which I no longer do) I actually find this part of the county to be more convenient to everything. Good luck!

[ChristineVA]

I think Clifton is beautiful but you do get that "out there" feeling when you are in Clifton proper. It's going to take you a few minutes to get off the winding roads and up to any "commuting" areas. Pros and cons, of course, to that. Other areas of Clifton, to me, aren't really Clifton. My friend has a Clifton mailing address but is closer to Centerville. He lives in a lovely neighborhood but, much to his chagrin, his high school is Fairfax HS, which is 8 miles from his house and horrible traffic. They've never been able to get rezoned in the neighborhood and it's a sticking point for him. He is considering moving over to Little Rocky Run. Her best friend used to live in Balmoral and, while that was nice, it sure seemed "out there" and not really like Clifton to me. Her family decided to downsize last year and they live in a townhome off the Fairfax County Parkway and 29 now (near the Wegmans) and they LOVE the location. I think the whole Clifton thing with driving can wear you down.

Some of my daughter's friends live in Clifton and they love it; however, they do attend the local private Catholic school so they do not use the school pyramid for the town of Clifton so I can't speak to that.