Good area of Mount Vernon?

[slduvall]

Have you considered being just north of Ft Belvoir? There are some decent rentals in 22315 and the surrounding area. It is very walker/family friendly (compared to some areas of Mt Vernon) Kingstowne, Island Creek, Hayfield area.

I saw your other post regarding preschool. Do you have school age kids? We are military as well and come here with preschool child who is now in 2nd. Most people around here buy/move into areas with good highschools, but if you are like me and have no intention of being here in 6+ years the local elementary schools are all pretty much the same.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by slduvall

Have you considered being just north of Ft Belvoir? There are some decent rentals in 22315 and the surrounding area. It is very walker/family friendly (compared to some areas of Mt Vernon) Kingstowne, Island Creek, Hayfield area.

Just curious where that would be that's not walker/family friendly considering the number of walking trails, parks, and schools we have around here. One of the most beautiful trails in the area, along the GW Parkway is here.

One other plus I should mention is the homes here sit on relatively large lots (many 1/3 to 1/2 acre) and have lots of trees so you won't feel like you're scrunched up against your neighbors as in some of the newer areas. The zip codes here are 22308 and 22309.

[slduvall]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Just curious where that would be that's not walker/family friendly considering the number of walking trails, parks, and schools we have around here. One of the most beautiful trails in the area, along the GW Parkway is here.

One other plus I should mention is the homes here sit on relatively large lots (many 1/3 to 1/2 acre) and have lots of trees so you won't feel like you're scrunched up against your neighbors as in some of the newer areas. The zip codes here are 22308 and 22309.

I should have clarified..more walkable to stores, starbucks, etc. Of course that is not important to some, but is to others. There are more immediate convenices available in that zip code vs some in Mt Vernon. For instance within 3 miles of my house are my childs school, aftercare facility, dance/gym/karate, dentist, dr, eye dr, an emergency room, 4 grocery stores. As well as the metro station. Some will say that isn't important, well to me it is. When you are only someplace for a short time, you weigh what is important..but you really don't have to make it perfect..since you will be moving anyway.

And as for large lots..been there done the yard work. Have one in FL on 1/2 acre, almost impossible to find a renter that will take care of it.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by slduvall

I should have clarified..more walkable to stores, starbucks, etc. Of course that is not important to some, but is to others. There are more immediate convenices available in that zip code vs some in Mt Vernon. For instance within 3 miles of my house are my childs school, aftercare facility, dance/gym/karate, dentist, dr, eye dr, an emergency room, 4 grocery stores. As well as the metro station. Some will say that isn't important, well to me it is. When you are only someplace for a short time, you weigh what is important..but you really don't have to make it perfect..since you will be moving anyway.

And as for large lots..been there done the yard work. Have one in FL on 1/2 acre, almost impossible to find a renter that will take care of it.

Actually you make a good point that's always been a sore spot for me. The lack of decent retail and eateries in this area. Unfortunately the demographics don't seem to lend themselves to places like Starbucks. It's like we're stuck back in the 50s or 60s from that aspect here in Leave it to Beaver Land. Not much yuppie culture in these parts.

[marie5v]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I've known lots of parents around here who've sent their kids to schools other than their assigned one. Many of them are underenrolled so it's apparently not a big deal. You can call the school and ask. If you're willing to drive 15 minutes you'll have quite a selection but with the younger kids it's probably not going to matter much which one they attend.

One shouldn't count on that in these circumstances - unfortunately, if it were easy to do, a whole lot of parents would be trying to get their kids into Waynewood and the few other schools in the area that are not low-income. I suspect it is particularly difficult to transfer from a title I school into one of the very few others in that area.

[JD984]

Belle View, Waynewood, Fort Hunt and Stratford Landing are not Title I schools, and they are all in the eastern section of the Alexandria part of Fairfax County. Nor is Fort Belvoir ES a Title I school. The schools closer to Route 1 and Mount Vernon tend to be Title I schools.

I'm not taking a position here as to whether parents with the means to do so should actually avoid Title I schools - which, after all, do get additional funding. Nor am I suggesting that it's easy to transfer kids from a Title I school that's regularly been making AYP (and doesn't have to offer a transfer option) to a non-Title I school. Instead, I'm just clarifying that there are more than 1-2 schools in that area that aren't Title I schools.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by marie5v

One shouldn't count on that in these circumstances - unfortunately, if it were easy to do, a whole lot of parents would be trying to get their kids into Waynewood and the few other schools in the area that are not low-income. I suspect it is particularly difficult to transfer from a title I school into one of the very few others in that area.

Or maybe they wouldn't, I don't really know.

By the way, here's what life appears to look like at one of the "low-income" schools in the area. Granted it's a pep rally, but these sure look like a bunch of healthy, well-adjusted kids to me.

Photo Gallery: Mount Vernon High School's Fall Pep Rally!