Need advice on places to live moving to D.C from GA (Alexandria: renting) - City-Data Forum

cowtomo4 · 11-02-2010, 01:01 PM

We are military and getting ready to move to the DC area in May. My husband will be stationed at Bolling AFB. I have heard the areas around Bolling are not so great. What are some good places to live near there? We are leaning on staying on the VA side and would like to stay in Fairfax county for the school systems. We have been looking at Alexandria but are not real sure what areas are good and what areas are not. We will be renting and would like to stay around $1800 for a three bedroom. Could anyone give me an idea of what zipcodes in alexandria are good??

Thanks so much!

Qasim75 · 11-02-2010, 07:34 PM

Good luck with the PCS! Bolling is in SE DC, which would not be my first choice to live in, but its not as bad a neighborhood (especially these days) as a lot of people make it out to be. Its just that military towns tend to have shabby streets, cities like DC get shabby neighborhoods.

Fairfax Schools do have a good rep. FYI, Alexandria is an independent city to the east of Fairfax. Don't know too much about the school situation in Alexandria, but I have lots of friends who live there and they are not fleeing. Most of the school districts in VA have computerized systems that give ranking info. Fairfax does.

I'd check local boards for neighborhoods. If you want crime statistics, they are available here. Alexandria has lots of charming neighborhoods, but some grungy ones as well, especially near parts of route one.

One thing that is hard for many military families to comprehend is the difficulty of commuting in the DC area (compared to most military towns). Definitely a factor. Though, if you are honest about what is acceptable for the family, it can sometimes be worth it to trade a short commute for square footage and lot size.

Best of luck,

Qasim

robbobobbo · 11-02-2010, 07:37 PM

There have been several threads in this forum about people relocating here for a job at Bolling. You might want to search to see what recommendations were made.

Roth Asher · 11-02-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qasim75

Bolling is in SE DC, which would not be my first choice to live in, but its not as bad a neighborhood (especially these days) as a lot of people make it out to be.

1. Southeast isn't a neighborhood, its a quadrant of the city, along with NE, NW, and SW D.C. which all have neighborhoods and ward within it.

2. The area around Bolling is bad, along with anything thats in D.C. across the Anacostia river (Wards 7 and 8) no doubt about it. High crime rate, high murder rate, worse schools in the area, poorest section of the city. "Shabby" is an understatement. However it did used to be a hell of a lot worst, along with the rest of the city.

bmwguydc · 11-03-2010, 12:03 PM

In Alexandria, I would look to 22307 and 22308, off the GW Parkway and Fort Hunt Road. Parts of 22306 are fine, but others are a bit derelict in terms of housing quality and with respect to blight issues. 22310 is another area that's largely fine, but has a couple of neighborhoods that have older homes. 22315, which is Kingstowne, is also another popular area. Your budget range might be a little limiting in some of these areas, but perhaps not impossible for a smaller house or townhouse. These areas offer an easier commute to Bolling via the Wilson Bridge.

Some areas are flood plains, especially in 22307 around Belle View as Dyke Marsh provides a conduit for water from the Potomac when it floods. It's not a common occurrence, but has happened, especially with hurricanes, tropical storms, nor'easters, etc.

cowtomo4 · 11-03-2010, 01:00 PM

Thanks for all the info!! It is very helpful! I will check out the other posts about Bolling. Like, I said previously we know we want to live in VA and in Fairfax county. Thanks ALL!!

cowtomo4 · 11-03-2010, 01:13 PM

One more question? Is there a part of alexandria in fairfax county? I see that the county line for alexandria county and than what looks to be the county line for fairfax county in alexandria. Does anyone know how this works with schools??

CaliTerp07 · 11-03-2010, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowtomo4

One more question? Is there a part of alexandria in fairfax county? I see that the county line for alexandria county and than what looks to be the county line for fairfax county in alexandria. Does anyone know how this works with schools??

There is "Alexandria City", which is a rather small area, all inside the beltway. Then there is the area that has an Alexandria mailing address, but is technically Fairfax County. Anyone in the non-city parts of Alexandria will attend ffx county schools.

cowtomo4 · 11-03-2010, 01:57 PM

Thanks!

Qasim75 · 11-03-2010, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roth Asher

"Shabby" is an understatement. However it did used to be a hell of a lot worst, along with the rest of the city.

Compared to some other urban areas I can think of it is pretty good. There is some relativity to the measurement. As you stated, from your perspective (shared by many, certainly), it is far past "shabby."