Working in Arlington... (Alexandria, Springfield, Jefferson: days on market, for sale, rental)

[cordaal]

Hello!
My husband will be working in Arlington this fall and we will be relocating from Kentucky. I have read through several of the threads and so feel like I have gained a little knowledge from you all! He will be traveling quite a bit and we have 2 children. One of them will be in kindergarten this year and unfortunately it appears we will be moving in the middle of the school year, our youngest is one. Suggestions on somewhere to live based on commute and schools? We were thinking of probably $2K on rent and would like to at least have a townhouse so the kids can have a bit of a yard, so an area with things available in that range? Buying seems like a far off goal at this point, so we will just rent awhile and see how things go. Thank you!

[aea136]

I have a friend who works at the Pentagon and lives in a great townhome with a nice yard in Springfield. Alexandria would be more expensive. Consider approaching the owners of townhomes listed for sale with a huge DOM (days on market), and ask if they would consider renting it out to you.

Beforewarned that most newer townhomes have no yard at all -- only a small deck with a fenced, postage-sized paved or gravel area underneath. A townhome that backs to a common area or has a nearby "tot lot" could make up for the lack of yard, depending on your needs. Greatschools.net will help you assess the local schools.

[cordaal]

Thank you! We don't know much of the area at all and my last trip to DC consisted of "touristy" things and no time really cruising around Northern Virginia.

[saganista]

Arlington is a pretty big place. Any idea of an approximate work address? If it's near the Metro, a decent number of areas would come into play at $2K per month. As for schools, those in North Arlington are all very good, as are the Falls Church City schools if you lived within the (quite tiny) city limits. The schools in neighboring Fairfax County are almost all excellent as well. Basically, the variance between schools tends to be small enough not to matter very much in comparison to things like the principal, indiviudal teachers, and so forth. The same could be said for safety, as all of these areas are hotbeds for crime such as parking in a handicapped space, and you won't actually see that very often either. There are a couple of small areas to watch out for, but only because there would be something better nearby. There just isn't much of anyplace that's actually dangerous. All the usual websites can give you an idea of what you can expect for your rent money where. There is usually a decent stock of rental houses and townhouses available on account of the various government and military folks who get sent overseas for a few years and rent their place out while they're gone.

Otherwise, traffic is basically awful everywhere during rush hour, and the cost of living is pretty high. And it can get pretty hot and/or humid in the summertime. Otherwise, it's a wonderful area with tons of things to offer to almost any taste...

[mlv311]

If you are looking to rent, I suggest that you also check out THs for rent in militarybyowner.com and Craig's List. Most schools in Northern VA are very good. There are also plenty of fun activities for children in the area. Good luck.

ETA: If you can afford to live and work in Arlington, that would be your best bet as far as limiting your husband's commuting time and having access to good schools. Arlington County has an excellent library and parks and recreation program.

[gnu]

Fairfax county would be an excellent choice if you have kids and want good schools and quiet suburban neighborhoods. All of Falls Church City is good as is the western half (west of Seven Corners) of Falls Church.

[cordaal]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond! We are getting excited! My husband will be working at the National Guard Bureau, so he is military. He was in the Marines 8 years and we lived in North Carolina and California also, so change isn't new to us. However, this position is one that he can have for a very long time. Much longer than the typical 3 years.
It does seem in militarybyowner.com there are some TH's available in our price range nearby in Arlington and Fairfax county.
Having opinions from people who are there and know the area helps a tremendous amount!

[saganista]

Originally Posted by cordaal

Thank you all for taking the time to respond! We are getting excited! My husband will be working at the National Guard Bureau, so he is military.

NGB HQ is at 1411 Jefferson Davis Highway, which is on the north side of Crystal City. The Crytal City Metro station is at about 1800 JDH, so that will be an option if a little bit of a walk isn't a problem. There is bus service from the Metro station which might be worth it as well. Getting into and out of Crystal City by car during rush hour can be a bit of a problem, and there is never enough parking. It would be a good idea to talk to some people who already work in that building to get the lowdown on what to expect in the way of local commuting conditions. That info will be important in evaluating which areas you can live in and still get to and from work each day without soon needing psychiatric counseling.

Originally Posted by cordaal

It does seem in militarybyowner.com there are some TH's available in our price range nearby in Arlington and Fairfax county.

That's a very useful site, as is Craigslist, but don't forget the good old Washington Post classifieds either. A lot of people who do rent, put their ads only in the Post, so checking it out might be a worthwhile exercise.