moving to Alexandria-22309 (Richmond, Mount Vernon, Fairfax: low income, apartments, crime)

[csessine]

My husband and I w/ our 2 young children are considering homes in Alexandria near Mt Vernon Country Club and old mill road??? He's working with a realtor in the area. Any suggestions or concerns about the neighborhood? How are the schools? It's on a flood plain-should I be concerned? My husband will be commuting to/fro dupont circle-any suggestions for the best route? any help would be greatly appreciated.

[seldomseen]

I wouldn't worry about any "bad" neighborhoods in the Mt. Vernon area. All the neighborhoods in these area are mature neighborhoods that are /clean/safe, and excellent for families. There've been some new developments in sections throughout Mt. Vernon; which have all been upscale builds.

You're husband could take various "backroutes" into the District or take the Mt Vernon Pkwy into the District, or just take route 1 to work. There's going to be traffic/congestion regardless of the route he takes into the city. He'll just have to try out various routes, to gauge which is best for him to drive each morning/evening.

[jb124]

Alexandria does suffer from floods, mainly in the Old Town area along the waterfront. But that's Alexandria City and you're in an area of Fairfax County called Alexandria.

[seldomseen]

Because of the recent flooding that's the Alexandria City has experienced...I believe they have been the Potomac River at a low water level to prevent the river from overflowing in the event of a heavy rain.

[av227]

Hey Guys
My wife and I are planning to buy a property (TH) around Route 1 and Skyview Drive intersection , property is advertised as a Skyview park in zipcode 22309.

I would like to know about the area in general and about the traffic , I would be a taking a metro bus to huntington station and then to metro center.

I took a trip around that area and it looks OK to me but I am interested in knowing if it this area is safe enough for females who would be commuting daily using metro buses. This property is a Townhouse in skyview drive /hallie rose street and a 7-11 is right at the end of the street.

any help is appreciated.

[FairfaxCoResident]

I wouldn't worry about any "bad" neighborhoods in the Mt. Vernon area.

Sorry, but I would. Luckily, you are on the "nicer" side of Rt. 1. Richmond Highway can be pretty rough. Just look at the crime map and decide for yourself.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/crime_w.htm (broken link)
That area is extremely patchy. Check the other Mount Vernon posts here. They have excellent information.

I took a trip around that area and it looks OK to me but I am interested in knowing if it this area is safe enough for females who would be commuting daily using metro buses. This property is a Townhouse in skyview drive /hallie rose street and a 7-11 is right at the end of the street.

It depends on how street smart you are. If the bus stops near your door, you should be alright. During the day it's fine, but I would not walk around that area alone at night by myself. It sounds as though you are referring three to six miles away from the Huntington station? The farther away you are, the safer it is. The crime isn't as bad as areas downtown but there are many low income apartments scattered among groups of the town homes and many small larcenies, robberies, etc...
During rush hour, the 151, 152, REX and 171 busses run along Rt. 1. An average bus is full of construction, restaurant and retail workers, single mothers and children, blue collar minorities, (most do not speak English) and almost a handful of business professionals and the ocassional shady character.

[adctvmonkey]

In general, csessine, the neighborhood you are looking in is a very upscale established area. However, that area falls into Mt. Vernon high school, which (make your own judgment) has the highest F/R lunch rate in the county and is considered the worst high school in Fairfax County. The Route 1 corridor in general is divided into two areas. The areas lying close around and along Route 1 are sketchy, while neighborhoods between the sketchy areas and the Potomac River are very upscale and established.

Going further into the topic of schools, the Route 1 corridor has two high schools, Mt. Vernon as stated above and West Potomac. West Potomac covers the northern portion, lying North of the area you are looking at, has more of the upscale neighborhoods and is considered much more stable than Mt. Vernon high school, which receives Ft. Belvoir and the 'roughest' neighborhoods along Route 1. Many of the wealthier families in the pockets of affluent neighborhoods in the Mt. Vernon district send their kids to private school in Alexandria City, such as Bishop Ireton or St. Stephen & Agnes.

In other words, the neighborhood you are looking at is a nice cluster and pocket amidst less desirable areas.

Good luck on your home-hunting!