Falls Church Neighborhoods: Tyler Park and Sleepy Hollow (Arlington, Alexandria: short sales, foreclosures)

[lak29]

Any information on the Tyler Park and Sleepy Hollow areas in Falls Church? I am seeing good bargains in these neighborhoods but wasn't sure what these areas are like Thanks.

[JD984]

Tyler Park is an older area of smaller, mid-1940s Cape Cods north of Route 50 and south of Route 29. It's comparatively rough at the edges for Fairfax County. Some properties are well-maintained; others are not.

Sleepy Hollow isn't a single development, but instead refers to a range of neighborhoods near Sleepy Hollow Road (which runs between Columbia Pike in Annandale and Seven Corners in Falls Church). Most of the homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s, with some more recent housing as well. Some of the neighborhoods - particularly those that feed into BeechTree Elementary - are composed largely of smaller ramblers and Cape Cods, while other neighborhoods (many of which feed into Sleepy Hollow or Belvedere Elementary) are spacious homes on large lots.

The schools in both areas, particularly Tyler Park, are increasingly Hispanic. The schools in the Sleepy Hollow area are a bit more balanced demographically.

[JD984]

Also - FYI, here is an earlier thread from mid-2008 about Tyler Park.

//www.city-data.com/forum/north...-newlywed.html

[leighland]

Originally Posted by JEB77

Also - FYI, here is an earlier thread from mid-2008 about Tyler Park.

I'm now in 22042 and renting. Sounds the same. If I was looking to buy, I would not buy south of Lee Hwy 29.

[sabistarr]

I agree with PP. Loads of foreclosures and short sales in the neighborhoods South of Lee HW, and its not a particularly attractive area...

[arabellava]

Logistically- I'm anti seven corners area (and my parents live there)- it;s a traffic mess - captive to rt. 50- maybe 496 if you're close but the 50 can be a snails crawl between bumper to bumper cars and people crossing the highway with groceries. Sleepy Hollow basically to me is 7 corners (but nicer- same captive to 50, 7, major traffic area) and Tyler Park (which is also super close to 7 corners) is as others said "up and coming"- if you have kids, you may want to read about the public schools (not good). Personally, I'd focus away from that part of FC though it is a "bargain" (for a reason).. I just haven't seen that area develop to the positive (even if new houses are built around old)- it appears to be getting worse. I also have kids so there is no way I'd consider that area since we're not rolling in the $ for private schools.

[claremarie]

I would concur. There are some very nice neighborhoods in that area, and the swim club is lovely, but it's extremely difficult to get in and out. In addition to the Route 50 jams, you can't turn left from Sleepy Hollow Road onto Route 7, and taking various side streets brings you out to a traffic light opposite the Seven Corners shopping center -- good luck turning left there with oncoming traffic and numerous pedestrians oblivious to traffic signals. Most area residents try to avoid Seven Corners like the plague, but Sleepy Hollow dwellers can't do that. As others have pointed out, there is a reason that some neighborhoods are more affordable than others.

[MacUser85]

I agree of course that Seven Corners is a mess. But I will say that driving Sleepy Hollow Road in the spring and summer with the windows down is very nice. It's a pretty road with hills and is a nice escape from all the congestion so close to it.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by claremarie

I would concur. There are some very nice neighborhoods in that area, and the swim club is lovely, but it's extremely difficult to get in and out. In addition to the Route 50 jams, you can't turn left from Sleepy Hollow Road onto Route 7, and taking various side streets brings you out to a traffic light opposite the Seven Corners shopping center -- good luck turning left there with oncoming traffic and numerous pedestrians oblivious to traffic signals. Most area residents try to avoid Seven Corners like the plague, but Sleepy Hollow dwellers can't do that. As others have pointed out, there is a reason that some neighborhoods are more affordable than others.

Seven Corners is a pain, but it's actually not as bad for the people living off Sleepy Hollow Road. They all know the side streets off Sleepy Hollow Road (one right turn, followed by one left turn) that you take in order to make a left turn onto Route 7. I've never had a problem making that left turn and it's then relatively easy then to make a right turn to head into Arlington on Arlington Boulevard or Wilson Boulevard. On the other hand, if your goal is to head west on Route 50 or Route 7, you find another route that avoids Seven Corners entirely. [Having said that, if you are coming from Tysons on Route 7 and have to go through Seven Corners in order to get to Skyline or Alexandria, it is a huge delay.] In addition, depending where you live in the Sleepy Hollow area, if you are heading west from DC or Alexandria, you can take Columbia Pike through Arlington, turn right on Sleepy Hollow Road, and avoid Seven Corners altogether.

The area is closer to DC than other parts of Fairfax County, close to the East Falls Church metro, and not far from either Tysons/Dulles to the northwest or Fort Belvoir to the southeast. As a result, property values in the Sleepy Hollow area have held up reasonably well. Not everyone wants to live in McLean or can afford to do so.

[lak29]

Thanks for all the helpful responses. After doing some more research we decided these areas were not the right fit for us.