Clifton (Hemlock Park) vs Fairfax Station (Fountain Head Park) (Burke: real estate, 2009)

[dcresident33]

Considering Clifton, Va or Fairfax Station. How do they compare?
Schools - Clifton Elem and Robinson vs Sangster Elem and Lake Braddock?
Commute to downtown DC?
Daycare and eventually School age child care?
Proximity to grocery store and other retail?
Quality of life?
Real Estate Value?
Neighbors, family friendly, other toddlers for my kids to play with in the future (they are 2 now)?

Thank you.

[CaseyMac]

Before you are sold on commuting to DC from far off destinations like Clifton and Fairfax Station, check out this past Saturday's Post article A Community Built From Scratch - washingtonpost.com.

It talks about folks who stay close-in so they can make friends in their neighborhood and be close to all the restaurants and fun stuff.

You may be sold on Clifton and Ffx, Station and if so, I understand. Either way good luck to you.

[car54]

Clifton and Fairfax Station are basically the same place...lots of what people refer to as Clifton is really Fairfax Station.

I don't live there but I've spent a lot of time driving a school bus down there

I doubt there's any daycare nearby....this is an affluent area, not the kind of place where folks run home daycares, I'd say the closest commercial daycare would be Burke...likewise grocery and other retail.

Quality of life?....people pay a LOT of money to live down there.

The lots are mostly 5 acres or larger...your neighbors will be a ways away and there are no sidewalks, just winding country lanes.

I used to do a Clifton Elementary kindergarten run (the kiddies must be released to an adult)....and more often than not, the kids were met by servants, nannies, etc. Most folks need dual incomes to crack those multi-million dollar house notes....

I don't understand the park question....Fountainhead is a "regular" park....Hemlock is owned by GMU and I don't know the exact story with the place. FCPS does scads of field trips to Hemlock and all I know is it's hard to turn a bus around in their tiny parking lot! The small lot precludes a normal park operation it would seem.

[athousandlogins]

There is a daycare in "Clifton" called Childtime. However, that particular part of Clifton - on Union Mill Road near Centreville High - may as well be Centreville. In fact, I'm not sure but it may just be a Clifton mailing address.