Soon to be empty nesting in Arlington-somewhere (Alexandria, Orange: Valentine's day, apartment complex)

[JD984]

The Rosemont neighborhood in City of Alexandria sounds like a good fit. You can find older homes on lots of .10-.20/acre for less than $800K. Within walking distance to things in Alexandria, and you don't pay extra for schools as might be the case in some Arlington neighborhoods.

[Carlingtonian]

I *love* Old Town--but there aren't many single-family homes. Rosemont (just up the hill and almost part of OT), as others have said, is very charming but pricey--though [edit] you can definitely find houses there in your range. Del Ray is very quaint as well.

Don't overlook the City of Falls Church. Plenty of options there.

I disagree with GMUAlum08 that all of Arlington is not for you. I'm guessing (based on his presumptive age) he's thinking "Clarendon" when he thinks of Arlington. There's plenty of Arlington that's quiet and has empty-nesters. You'll get more for your money in South Arl, but parts of it aren't as attractive. I like Arlington Heights and Penrose, though.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I *love* Old Town--but there aren't many single-family homes. Rosemont (just up the hill and almost part of OT), as others have said, is very charming but pricey--though it can't hurt to check the RE sites and see if there might be a small fixer-upper in your range. Del Ray is very quaint as well.

Here's an example of a house in Del Ray under $800K:

403 E Custis Ave Alexandria VA - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #AX7775195 - Realtor.com®

Here's an example of one in Rosemont under $800K:

101 Adams Ave Alexandria VA - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #AX7736280 - Realtor.com®

They both seem like they are in good condition to me and not fixer-uppers.

[ACWhite]

I think the SFHs in 22202 would fit all of your requirements, and prices range from about $600K to over a million, so there is price diversity. However, there have been few detached home sales in the zip in the last couple of years.

There are several different neighborhoods within 22202, so it depends on how you weigh your criteria. For example, if you don't mind more tenants vs. homeowners nearby in exchange for a shorter distance (less than a half mile) to the metro (and a smaller house, in many cases), Addison Heights would work better than Oakcrest or most of Arlington Ridge. Most houses are older and some will need a lot of work.

Re: why do people like the areas north of 66? They may want less diversity, as Tone implies, or they may want larger lots, or public schools are extremely important, so the parents are willing to pay more for those houses. 22202 kids mostly go to South Arlington schools, but there are a lot of residents who do not have kids at home (as in your situation) and some whose kids go to private schools.

The best part of the zip is that it is close to everything--Alexandria, Clarendon, DC, as well as grocery stores, restaurants, and a big mall within walking distance. If you consider it, though, you ought to look into Arlington's development plans as there is a lot of building going on and changes planned, in North Potomac Yard and Crystal City. There are also high rises east and west of Rte 110, with lots of 20-something professionals and a lot of Asian-Americans as well as people from other groups. There is some property crime, mostly near the main drag of Rte 110, but that is true along many main drags in the metro area.

Hope this helps.

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I *love* Old Town--but there aren't many single-family homes. Rosemont (just up the hill and almost part of OT), as others have said, is very charming but pricey--though it can't hurt to check the RE sites and see if there might be a small fixer-upper in your range. Del Ray is very quaint as well.

Don't overlook the City of Falls Church. Plenty of options there.

I disagree with GMUAlum08 that all of Arlington is not for you. I'm guessing (based on his presumptive age) he's thinking "Clarendon" when he thinks of Arlington. There's plenty of Arlington that's quiet and has empty-nesters. You'll get more for your money in South Arl, but parts of it aren't as attractive. I like Arlington Heights and Penrose, though.

I agree with Carlingtonian--all three paragraphs. I would add these comments, though: I would think Falls Church would seem a lot like where you are already. Most of Del Ray, Rosemont, and Old Town are not very close to the metro, and as a woman, I would be uncomfortable if walking home alone from one of the metros (Braddock) that is closest to Del Ray/Rosemont/OT late at night. There is some talk of a Potomac Yard metro, which would be closer to Del Ray, but I would imagine that is years away. Del Ray is charming, but it is a "small town" charm rather than a sophisticated urban charm, so it depends on what you are looking for.

http://potomacyardmetro.com/index.html

[claremarie]

City of Falls Church has lots of small older houses with compact yards perfect for a few tomatoes but not requiring extensive weekend work. And the W&OD trail is right there. And I think that the community has a lot of diversity in age -- at the farmer's market and library, for example, there are families with little kids, empty nesters, and retired people. You might be paying a premium for the schools that you aren't using, but you would be getting an extremely safe community that is close to everything (Metro, DC, Tyson's) without being right on top of it.

[JD984]

Much of Rosemont is close to the King Street metro station. While everyone has their own sense of personal safety, I'd personally feel as safe walking from the King Street metro station to the adjacent areas in Rosemont as I would feel walking around much of South Arlington at night. The King Street station also has the advantage of being on the same Metro line as the L'Enfant Plaza station (the Yellow Line), with fewer stops than one would have if one were taking the Orange Line from Arlington to L'Enfant.

To be clear, I don't live in Alexandria (or Arlington), much less Rosemont, but I find Rosemont a very appealing neighborhood, and also perhaps a bit more affordable and safer than some posts could be read to imply.

Also agree with Claremarie's suggestion to consider the City of Falls Church. While not particularly urban as cities go, it definitely has a different feel from West Springfield/Burke.

[Carlingtonian]

I'd somehow gotten it into my head that they didn't want to go much over 550. Looking again at the original post, I see now that they can go up to 850. So yeah, that opens things up a LOT.

Here's one: 3029 4th St N, 22201. 2BR/1BA Cotswold cottage, asking 650K in Ashton Heights--one of N. Arlington's oldest and prettiest neighborhoods. Lots of huge trees and old bungalows. This house has been on sale for something like two years, I think because the original listing tried to claim it had 3 bedrooms, instead of 2. I'd bet they're desperate for a buyer, and not many people will be OK with one bath--but empty-nesters might!

Also, 1701 N. Pocomoke, 22201--4BR/3BA Colonial near Westover, for $735K. Westover is a little shopping strip with an independent hardware store, post office, library, grocery with beer garden, a couple of small coffee shops, etc.

(I would post links, but links from, ah, let's call it Radfun [the only RE site I use, due to its super-easy user interface] are verboten.)

EDIT: Your current 45-minute commute is gonna be hard to beat if you're set on taking the Metro. I'd check out places as far NE as you can along the Orange Line--e.g., Maywood, Cherrydale, even Rosslyn (with a smattering a old SFHs left on the north side).

[irvine]

Originally Posted by Tone509

South Arlington is more socioeconomically diverse than North Arlington...but there are still plenty of great neighborhoods. I'll defer to others more knowledgeable about which ones would fit the bill (although some areas in/near Crystal City seem fine.) It's been said on the forum that once you get somewhat north of the Orange Line, it's like living in an upscale suburb (which I guess Arlington is, since it's technically a county).

For the most part, the single family neighborhoods around the orange line stations are all upscale (Lyon Village, Lyon Park, etc). Further north, and along the river especially, the lots are larger and there are some homes in the multi-millions vs. the 1.5 -2 mill homes in Lyon Village.

Consider Arlington Forest. Parts of the neighborhood are within walking distance of the Ballston metro, and the homes are around 6-800k. It is an attractive family friendly neighborhood adjacent to the W&OD bike path, the lubber run park and trails, and a popular outdoor amphitheater. You will be close to the Kettler Ice Center, and the shops and restaurants in N Arlington and Georgetown.

You may also want to consider a small townhouse. There are a number of townhouses around Ballston, and the historic 1930s era rowhouses in Glebewood Village just up Glebe Rd from Ballston sell for about 600k.

Further away from Metro, but closer to Old Town, I'd suggest one of the historic rowhouse condos in Fairlington. Fairlington is adjacent to the Shirlington commercial area that has popular shops, cafes, the signature theater, a grocery store, library, and a public transportation center.

[irvine]

Check out that Lyon Park/Ashton Hts cottage that Carlington suggested!! That would put you within a 10 minute casual walk of the metro and all the restaurants and shops in Clarendon. That house is on one of the prettiest streets in Arlington. You would also benefit from a newly renovated and expanded Lyon Park Community house located in the neighborhood's privately maintained park a one minute walk away. 4th street always goes all out for Halloween, because of the annual bonfire in the park.

Also, the 38B is a direct bus line to Georgetown, and there is a stop right next to the Clarendon station.