Annandale

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Newbie2Fairfax

I checked with the West Springfield Police department and they said that the area with single family houses is pretty safe and quiet.

Just as a quick aside just how did you manage to get this information out of the police department? When I was apartment-hunting here in NoVA back in April we stopped by the Herndon Police Station and were informed that they couldn't "legally" give out information one way or another on any specific neighborhoods. Was I misled, and, if so, does anyone know of any legal recourse I may have if I ended up in a not-so-desirable area based upon the police selectively deciding who to give solid neighborhood crime advice to and who to lie to? Is this problem just confined to Herndon?

[DC Oldtimer]

Originally Posted by Newbie2Fairfax

I looked on the map and that is farther away from I-395. Why would those school districts be better?

The areas of Annandale outside the Beltway are generally nicer, safer, and have been holding their value much better. Inside the beltway areas have lost about 30% of value in 2008; outside only about 10%.

You also have to decide if you want your children in a school where a large portion of the students dont speak English as a first language. Some people like the idea of their kids picking up Spanish. Others dont think this is so good for them in the early elementary years. It is a personal preference.

Although there are some very nice neighborhoods inside the beltway in Annandale and even million dollar homes, I personally would not live in an inside the Beltway neighborhood. Outside the beltway Annandale, however, is great.

[car54]

Hey DC Oldtimer....too bad about Steve Marino. Although I'm an Atom, and normally despise Cavs....I was rooting for the hometown boy!

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It's basically the issue that gets played out on this forum time and time again - schools like Canterbury Woods and Wakefield Forest have fewer lower-income students and students for whom English is a second language than a school like Braddock. As a result, their test scores are typically higher.

The question that you probably would want to ask is whether students who don't require the special assistance that lower-income and/or ESL students may receive also thrive in schools such as Braddock. In general, you'll find more posters on this forum who will simply steer you to the less diverse schools (often in their own current or former neighborhoods) on the assumption that you're seeking out the schools with the highest test scores.

ITA with this advice. My daughter attended Braddock ES and will be attending Canterbury Woods GT Center in the fall. At Braddock, she had full day Kindergarten with 17 students in her class, and her 1st grade and 2nd grade classes never numbered over 21 students. Her last year at Braddock was in the Young Scholars class, and her teachers (she was in a team taught class) were able to keep her challenged, even though she was far above grade level.

I suggest checking with the school principals at Braddock, Canterbury Woods, and Wakefield Forest and making your decision about school districts that way. It can also help just to look at the school's web sites, too:

Braddock Elementary School

Canterbury Woods Elementary School Home

Wakefield Forest Elementary School

Good luck!

[pcity]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Just as a quick aside just how did you manage to get this information out of the police department? When I was apartment-hunting here in NoVA back in April we stopped by the Herndon Police Station and were informed that they couldn't "legally" give out information one way or another on any specific neighborhoods. Was I misled, and, if so, does anyone know of any legal recourse I may have if I ended up in a not-so-desirable area based upon the police selectively deciding who to give solid neighborhood crime advice to and who to lie to? Is this problem just confined to Herndon?

It's not legal for realtors to give out that information, but it is legal for the police to do so. I wouldn't bother getting it from the police though. The Fairfax County website has information about crime on it.

[terrence81]

Personally I have to agree and say that generally speaking outside the beltway Annandale is nicer and newer than inside the beltway Annandale. Inside Annandale is kinda odd in that there are some really nice little pockets and some really run down pockets often right next to each other. But it's an interesting area with so much diversity. The Sleepy Hollow neighborhood in Annandale is a nice area to check out and it's inside the beltway but in my opinion Annandale is pretty far from the metro though so that's something to consider too.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by pcity

It's not legal for realtors to give out that information, but it is legal for the police to do so. I wouldn't bother getting it from the police though. The Fairfax County website has information about crime on it.

So the Herndon Police lied to me when they told my parents and I that they "couldn't" divulge personal safety information about specific neighborhoods. Good to know for future reference. Thank you!

[Newbie2Fairfax]

Thank you all for your time and for your valuable advice!

I spoke with two of the school principals on the telephone today, and one of the principals arranged a telephone call with two teachers today for me. And, thanks to some folks that sent me direct messages, I also found a realtor to help in our house rental search.

Thanks again for sharing your wisdom!

[ConfusedInDC]

ITA with what most poster have said, especially Old Timer. I lived in Annandale for about 5 years and although I never attended high school there, my family lived there while I was going to college in DC. My sister, and brother briefly, attended Annandale High and yes it is diverse but it is not the best place to send your kids. That part of Annandale around the high school and Braddock ES is not the best part of Annandale. If you want a great neighborhood feel and a nice environment for your kids, Wakefield Chapel may be the best neighborhood for your, depending on what your criteria in choosing one is.
Not to scare you off but there has been growing Hispanic gang activity around the high school area in the past few years. Overall, I found Annandale to be prettty safe though.
Just my two cents.

[Newbie2Fairfax]

Thank you again for all of your help in our housing search. We visited three elementary schools and toured several rentals over a long weekend trip and found a nice house for a good price in the Braddock Elementary school district. Thanks to the commuting advice here, I also found my way to where my new job will be and it seemed pretty easy. I am guessing that once school is back in session it will add some time to the commute, but overall it does not seem to be too bad.

Now we need to continue packing.