Best Place to Live Near DC and Work in Chantilly? (Arlington: safe area, living in)

[hapyoutdoors]

Hi! I am new to the area and will be working in Chantilly. I would like to live close to the city and am thinking either Arlington (Ballston, Clarendon) or Dupont area. Does anyone have any suggestions of other nice, safe areas with a lot of young professionals (20 somethings)? Also, could you please advise on commute duration and best methods from those areas to Chantilly and back?

Thanks so much!

[roninsedge]

Arlington would be your best bet. Especially since you will be doing a reverse commute. Getting into and out of the city in a car can be a pain during rush hour so I feel that Dupont would be a bad choice. You have the metro to get into and out of the city from Arlington. As for the best way to and from Arlington I-66 west going to Chantilly and I-66 east coming back. Depending on where you will start and end your commute you may also be interested in looking into Rte 50.

[buildinginva]

The reverse commute on 66 is actually really bad. I recommend you look a little further west - perhaps Falls Church.

[bmwguydc]

Yes, I-66 west in the morning is slow at Fairfax Drive, which is the entrance from Ballston, so all of the Arlington entrances would encounter the slow traffic. The return commute on I-6 in the evening is actually significantly worse than the morning. If you like Arlington, you can also take Lee Highway to Falls Church, and then enter I-66 where the prevailing speed is much improved.

The afternoon/evening return on Lee Highway is not as easy, however, as traffic begins to build at the exit for Lee Highway on I-66 and slow traffic/stop-and-go traffic is not unknown back to the Route 7 exit. Route 7 is also very congested through the City of Falls Church, as are alternative routes through Tysons Corner.

Route 50 is an alternative, since leaving Arlington it's relatively trouble-free, but it has traffic lights that can slow progress all the way to Chantilly. In the evening, there are traffic delays on 50 E in Chantilly, and again in Fairfax City because of all the traffic lights.

Arlington is a place where many singles live, so if that's important to you, just factor the commute into the equation. It's not the worst commute, and might only take an extra 15-30 minutes (can vary by day) as opposed to non-rush.

[terrence81]

I live in south Arlington and did the commute out to Chantilly and currently work in Fairfax. I second bmwguy and kinda follow that same route. I also spend a lot of time in the city and at least twice a week spend the night at a friend's house. My friend stays on the Hill and has been campaigning for me to move to the city, all it takes is a bad commute on 66 to ruin his campaign.

Anywho for me coming from south Arlington in the morning is about 35-40. I go up George Mason, take 50 to Annandale Rd then get on Lee Highway in Falls Church, then Nutley to 66 and get off at 50. I know complicated. There are a lot of lights but Lee Highway especially is smooth. As mentioned the afternoon is another story and not a good one.

In the afternoon I usually just do 66. The lights and heavier traffic on 50 make the trip the same as the overcrowded freeway. It is usually 45 but an hour afternoon commute is not unheard of. The same applies when I'm seeing Friend in the city.

If you're going to live in the city don't move to Dupont. I think this is the worst neighborhood to be a car owner. Most city car owners I know live in Mt. Pleasant, Columbia Heights, Brightwood, or Capitol Hill. These neighborhoods tend to have better parking (well Columbia Heights might be an exception) and also be more affordable than Dupont. I work just 2 exits down from Chantilly and it took me a little under an hour to get to work from the Hill today. The nice thing about the Hill is that it has better freeway access than the other neighborhoods. I can't even imagine trying to drive from Brightwood to Chantilly everyday.

I'm in the same predicament now that I'm looking for a new pad. I hate the traffic but living in the burbs just ain't me. And anyone tells me I have an easy reverse commute because I'm coming from either Arlington or the District can go jump in the lake. There is no such thing as a reverse in Northern Virginia anymore thanks to Tysons Corner and the Dulles Tech Cooridor.

[Pequeño_Bonsai]

I'd also suggest looking into Fairfax near Fair Lakes or Reston. A lot of young single folks are living/working out that way. It only takes about 15 mins to get to a metro if you wish to roam around the city often. (Rent can also be much cheaper for larger floor plans, depending on the area.) Otherwise, I wouldn't move further East than Arlington... Reverse commute can still be pretty bad near the city.