Relocating to NOVA, but possible reverse commute. (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, rental)

[dmindc]

The wife and I are relocating to NOVA next month. We are from the Midwest and want to get to know the city before we buy or build in the suburbs. I will most likely hold my office near Reston and want to get an apartment downtown. What's the commute like if I were heading out to Reston in the morning and the reverse during the afternoon/evening rush hour??

I will be moving out a few months earlier than my wife and would like a chance to get to know some new people. I have family that lives in DC and will visit with them often, but want to meet new friends. I've seen quite a bit on here about the Clarendon area about being hotspots. We're in our early 30's and enjoy the nightlife, but don't want to be "older" ones when we go out. Where might you recommend living if we just want to make some friends, do some networking but not run into the "college" crowd? Any recommendations on apartments? Price range is open.

Thanks in advance.

[JfromReston]

Welcome to Reston! There is no such thing as a reverse commute in the DC metro area. It will take about an hour to commute from DC to Reston - more depending on the time of day and where in DC you are starting. One bedroom apartments in NW DC will cost about $2K/month. My recommendation is to get an apartment in Reston Town Center - about $1600 for 1 bedroom. It will be easier to travel into DC when you want to visit friends and family than to do it daily for the commute.

[Margery]

I will second the above advice. If you can afford to live in central Reston you will be close to restaurants and the night life in Reston. Why tie yourself into a long commute when you can be close to work?

[CaliTerp07]

Gotta agree with the others. It will be a fairly obnoxious commute from downtown DC to Reston. A friend of mine is doing it currently (from Friendship Heights area), and he's already started looking for a new job downtown after a month of it. Unless there is a specific reason you're looking to be in the city, I'd pick a place closer to Reston.

Clarendon is the hot spot for 20-somethings. I wouldn't worry too much about being there. If you want to make friends with other 30-somethings, I'd suggest finding an activity that interests you. Join a church/small group, find a hiking club on meetup.com, or volunteer with an animal rescue or at a soup kitchen or something. That's what I've found to be the best way to meet folks.

[South Jersey Styx]

Living in DC and working in Reston will be unpleasant. You should look for a place near your job and save yourself the headache many of us have had to deal with. Reston is easily accessible to DC, Arlington (Clarendon) and other parts if your looking for activities.

I'm not sure if there's an exact place that 30-somethings gather at. Most people I know meet friends at certain places whether it's a theatre, restaurant, etc.

[FindingZen]

I "fifth" the recommendation of Reston, particularly the Town Center. Even in Clarendon, you might feel like you're on the upper end of the age bracket. You're about "ready" for the Old Town or Del Ray areas of Alexandria but the expense and commute to Reston wouldn't be worth it.

[terrence81]

Okay this "reverse commuter" needs to jump in. Yes, the simplest solution would be to just get a pad in Reston and just go into the city on the weekends. During the weekdays there's Reston Town Center which I will admit to be fairly unfamiliar with.

I'm in my late 20s so not too far from said age bracket. I'm dating someone in the city, live in south Arlington, work next to Fair Oaks mall in Fairfax. So I'm all over the place. The gas pump stopped being my friend a long time ago.

I've spent plenty of nights in the city and my commute is 45 minutes in the morning and about an hour in the evening from Fair Oaks to Capitol Hill. However I've had to be downtown right after work and it an hour and a half when you count street parking. I think a commute to Reston would be probably the same. So while I think city living can be very rewarding, you have to keep in mind that it would not involve a short commute.

When I'm spending the night at my place it takes me about 30 minutes to get to work in the morning and about 45+ in the evening. So am I tempted to move closer to work? Yes. But almost all of my after work activities are either in the city or in the close-in suburbs of VA. I truly think the longish commute is worth it though. I've spent a year in Oakton VA (15 minutes from Reston even in rush hour) and I was forever driving into the city.

I think a nice compromise would be North Arlington (particularly if money isn't a concern) or downtown Falls Church.

I like Clarendon. Yes, being early 30s will make you feel a little older if you're hanging out at the bars in Clarendon but just regular day to day life its fine but its crazy expensive even by Northern Virginia standards.

Alexandria is great but the commute up the beltway from there will not be pretty. Some of the coolest people I've met in Del Ray and Old Town were in their 20s so I wouldn't call them "older folks" neighborhoods. Some of the most pretensious folks in their 20s called Clarendon home.

As far as meeting people well it can certainly be done in Reston. Being a married couple will help. Its not the greatest for singles but for couples shouldn't be a problem.

[claremarie]

If you absolutely, positively want to live in DC, I would suggest that you find a short-term studio rental in the neighborhood you are considering (or stay on someone's couch), and try the so-called "reverse commute" for a month or so before you commit your family to a longer lease. Only you can decide whether DC is worth the hassle of a long commute, but it's hard to make that decision without experiencing the commute. If you can manage to toss in a major snowstorm and/or a massive street-closing downtown event into the mix during your trial, you'll get the full picture.

[NOVAmtneer82]

I live in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington and frequently make the "reverse commute" out to clients in Reston...it usually takes me about 45 minutes in the morning and an hour or so in the evenings if there are no major incidents. Rain will add 30 or more minutes. Snow..well...forget about it. For most neighborhoods in NW DC you will add at a minimum 15 minutes onto each way.

Also keep in mind that those times are for the "fastest" route from Arlington/DC to Reston which involves using the Dulles Toll Road. You might want to check and see if your employer reimburses for commuting expenses because otherwise you are going to be paying $3.50 each day (well $4.00 beginning January 1st) for the privilege of using the easiest way to/from Reston.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

You might want to check and see if your employer reimburses for commuting expenses because otherwise you are going to be paying $3.50 each day (well $4.00 beginning January 1st) for the privilege of using the easiest way to/from Reston.

Yikes, they're raising it again? No me gusta.