Working at The Pentagon & Ft. Myer - where to live (Arlington: real estate, apartment complexes)

[pentagoner]

Moving to Northern Virginia in a few months. I need some ideas of where to live. I read the instructions, so here we go!

-Where you are working
I'll be working at the Pentagon, my husband will be stationed at Ft. Myer

-How much you are willing to spend on housing
I'm not really sure yet. I from NY, lived in VA for a few years, but for quite a while, I've been living in NC, so I haven't quite clicked my brain over the comparison. We're looking to buy, so I'll shoot for what I guess is low (haha) and say $300,000

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate
Up to an hour

-Children
None yet, but probably within the next year or so.

-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight?
Either small town or suburbia. Away from the main city, but not too far from the city excitement. Definitely looking to live in a house/townhouse and not an apartment or condo.

-Community amenities important to you
It needs to be safe. That's the number one thing for us. It'd be nice if it were quiet, too. Preferably close to public transportation, hospitals. shopping and entertainment The like.

-Pie or cake?
Mmmm pie

Thanks!

[Tish Thompson]

I think your best bet would be to stick to the eastern side of Northern VA...Alexandria, Arlington...maybe even Lorton. What part of NY are you from? I've lived in VA for over 20 years, but I grew up in Wappinger Falls...near Poughkeepsie.

[saganista]

If you're looking to use public transportation (which is usually a pretty good idea), the easiest thing might be for both of you to Metro it to the Pentagon, from where Hubby can catch the 24P bus toward Ballston to reach the Hatfield Gate (south side). If he needed to get to the Henry Gate (north side), it would be easier to ride the Metro into Rosslyn, then catch the 4A toward Culmore.

The bigger problem though will be finding anything at all for $300K that meets the rest of your wants. There are certainly some nearby places that do meet those wants, but they tend to be more expensive that that.

[pentagoner]

Originally Posted by saganista

The bigger problem though will be finding anything at all for $300K that meets the rest of your wants.

What would be a more reasonable affordable price? I just don't know haha. Thanks so much for your help, that transportation info sounds like the best bet. I'm definitely all about the metro.

Tish - I'm from Brooklyn. Then moved to NOVA. Then down to NC for the last decade - where $300,000 is a huge deal, haha! It's such a trip comparing.

[dullnboring]

Generally, townhouses in the area (usually 3 bed/2.5 bath) start at around 350K, as jaw-dropping as that may be (hey, at least it's not as bad as Brooklyn now ). There are however within an hour's commute of the Pentagon, a handful of townhouses in the lower 300s, but they are generally smaller (maybe with one less bath or bedroom and/or no basement), older, and perhaps in communities that may be a little shady at nighttime, although that's not the case for all of them, so it's worth checking them out a bit as well.

[pentagoner]

So I've done some searches for areas/price ranges and I've gotten some hits in a hadnful of places.

In addition to the more obvious Alexandria and Arlington, I saw places in a range I could consider in Fairfax, Woodbridge, Springfield, Reston, Herndon and Centreville. Could anyone tell me areas that I should probably stay away from? It doesn't have to be perfect - but I'd prefer not to worry a great deal about getting shot or my house getting broken into!

[leighleigh_bird]

Centreville is pretty nice - lots of townhomes etc., but close to 66 and buses. I would recommend staying away from the VRE if you plan on using public transportation and sticking with the metro (more reliable). Also, in Centreville you can find townhomes in Little Rocky Run in the high 200,00s to mid 300,00s depending on size, etc. We have 2 kids and our townhome is just right for us. Safe, quiet, sidewalks, playgrounds, pools, etc.

[caution]

Check 22206

there's a few nice apartment complexes in there -- best bet is the Park at Arlington Ridge, it is in a quiet neighborhood but close to everything (except a metro station about 1.5 miles away, but with free shuttle)

i lived in that zip for about 3 years, moved due to work, and i'm moving back again due to work -- only this time down the road a little bit due to pet policies at the two places i lived before (dog over 50 lbs)

with no kids in school, you won't regret living close, and IMHO now is not the time to buy

you can listen to your co-workers complain about traffic and know that you'll be home a few minutes after quitting time -- at least that's what I did when I got smart and moved closer to work

[knopfler]

I have an idea! Your budget more or less precludes you from living in Fairfax or Arlington Counties, unless you want a small condo. You would do well, then, to look at Lake Ridge, zip code 22192. It's in Prince Willliam County, directly south of Fairfax, and more importantly there is an OmniRide coach that goes direct from Lake Ridge to the Pentagon, for less than what you would have to spend to drive, park, and then take Metro. The link is - OmniRide Lake Ridge-Pentagon & Crystal City AM Schedule.

There's also a direct bus from Dale City, but Dale City can be and often is kinda icky, so unless you need to I'd stay away from that area. Lake Ridge is usually quite nice, though.

[Zack]

There are some smaller townhomes in South Arlington and western Alexandria for under 400,000, even a few small detached places. If you don't have children this shouldn't be a problem. Quite a few of them are older and need a little work, but you'll cut your stress from commuting significantly and the real estate prices tend to be much steadier than outer Fairfax or Prince William. Don't let the stereotypes you sometimes hear about these areas scare you away. They aren't bad areas and the number of incidents around there tend to be exaggerated.