The Reality of Annandale
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8/23/2008
We've lived in the Western part of Annandale for years now. Anyone considering a move here should understand a basic reality. It is that Annandale is not one place but two.
The first Annandale is the large part inside the Beltway. Although there are pockets of beautiful homes, I could not in good conscience recommend it. This is the part of Annandale that has been going downhill over the last decade. Good shopping, but not a place you want to live.
The second Annandale is the smaller part, outside of the Beltway. This is where we are. It has been a lovely place to live: quiet, safe, clean, beautifully wooded ... the nicest place I have ever lived. The people are terrific and take excellent care of their property. The neighborhoods are largely upper middle class with a few very exclusive areas but some good real estate deals can be found.
One other thing. Everyone raves about the local elementary school, but no one I know sends their children to the middle school (poe) or to Annandale High School. In our neighborhood, all the older kids go to private school, parochial school, or TJ, the very exclusive public magnet school. If I understand the situation correctly, some have also finagled their way into Woodson--another public high school--instead of Annandale for various reasons.
Peter | Annandale, VA