Soon to be empty nesting in Arlington-somewhere (homes, neighborhoods)

[indiko]

Wow, some really great observations here. I will need to go get my pen and notebook to take some notes.

Nice school district is not a requirement since we have grown up kids - at least that's what their drivers licenses say. Hopefully, the house we find will be the one where we can retire-in-place, even though we feel that is a long, long time away.

Diversity would be great since that generally equates with good food! We like Korean and Indian mostly.

Safety is a must since I work out of my home and envision myself walking around a bit during the day to interact with *real people, rather than with internet people (not that any of you are not *real people in person )

We also hope to have a stint overseas in a few years, so the house will have to be a rental during those years. We feel strongly that we want to keep a house here Northern Virginia...it is home...and we never want to be out of the market here. I remember the sticker shock seven years ago, moving from cornfield, USA where you can have twice the house for a quarter of the price! Don't want to go through that trauma again.

Thanks all! You guys sure know a lot about Arlington/Alexandria!

[Huckleberry3911948]

good luck. all my friends have experienced returning to the nest syndrome.

[Carlingtonian]

Happy to help! Here's another one: 2032 N. Utah, in Cherrydale. Gorgeous prewar fieldstone 4BR Cape asking 740. We used to live a few blocks from here. It's not near the train (probably a 25-minute but pleasant walk to Ballston), but it's literally a 30-second walk to a bus stop on Lee Highway. I recall the 3Y picks people up there to take them into downtown DC, going all the way to McPherson Square. (Not sure which bus lines go to L'Enfant, though I think you'd have to transfer.) The negative is that there's an apartment complex behind it, but that might not bother you. It's an easy walk to Pastries by Randolph and the quaint little strip of shops there (Lee Heights Shoppes).

Another great thing about Ashton Heights (the house on N. 4th) is the fantastic Thai place right there at Pershing/Glebe, Thai Curry. We're huge fans now. Ate there on Valentine's Day. I never thought anyone would beat Thai Square, but they do.

N. Arlington desperately needs more Indian and Korean places, though.

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

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).

22202 is two yellow line stops from L'Enfant Plaza (where OP or her husband works). Even with a 10 minute walk to the stop, s/he would have a much shorter commute.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

22202 is two yellow line stops from L'Enfant Plaza (where OP or her husband works). Even with a 10 minute walk to the stop, s/he would have a much shorter commute.

You're right; I'd forgotten exactly where L'Enfant is. I'd pictured it as being somewhere east of McPherson, but I realize now it's in SW DC.

[irvine]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Another great thing about Ashton Heights (the house on N. 4th) is the fantastic Thai place right there at Pershing/Glebe, Thai Curry. We're huge fans now. Ate there on Valentine's Day. I never thought anyone would beat Thai Square, but they do.

Carlingtonian, I think you got the address wrong. The two bedroom cottage is at the corner of Highland and 4th, which is Lyon Park, one block away from the park itself.

That house has not sold because it only has two bedrooms, but it looks fairly large on the outside, and it is on one of the prettiest streets in Arlington.

You should definitely check out that house. That location near Clarendon can't be beat.

[ACWhite]

It's 3029 N. 4th. I think it's easy to see why it hasn't sold despite the proximity to Clarendon -- it's very small, < 1200 square feet per the county website, and some of that space is limited by Cape Cod - style slanted walls. It appears to need a lot of (expensive) work, inside (e.g., it has no central A/C and adding it could be $15K with the ductwork needed) and in the yard; since the long term owner has a different address, my guess is that it has been rented. There's usually a reason when Realtors don't include a lot of photos. It's also on the corner with street that has fairly heavy traffic (Highland), not a good thing. I hate to say it (to people who hate the tear down trend) but my guess is that developers are probably waiting for a price drop (due to the semi-busy street, they aren't willing to pay the current asking price) and will then bid for the land and put another McMansion there.

Retirees also probably don't want to walk up and down lots of stairs (which you would have to do to get to the roughed-in bath and BR in the basement), and though OP is nowhere near retirement age, joints can be a problem for many younger people who have done at lot of athletic stuff through the years. Looking forward, OP may want a bit more space on the ground floor. But maybe there is something else in the neighborhood that would work.

[Carlingtonian]

Thanks, Irvine, AC: Indeed, it was 3029 (not 4029). "Bluefin" calls it Ashton Heights, but they could be wrong.

Since the OP said they want a transit commute of less than 45 minutes to L'Enfant, I think that narrows things somewhat, presuming that criterion is firm. Pentagon City/Crystal City would be fastest (at least by rail), with close-in Orange Line being slightly farther, I think.

I think of C-City and P-City as being more young people than empty-nesters, though. (Is that accurate? I haven't spent much time in either place.)

Maybe they should look hard at Aurora Hills and the areas just east of Arlington Ridge Road. (AC, don't you live somewhere over that way?) Gotta be something in there for under 850!

[ACWhite]

C, yes, I live in the area. It's a lot like 22201, but a little cheaper, probably because of the school situation. There are a lot of young people in the high rises, and rental SFHs in Addison Heights, but lots of people of other ages (e.g., first time buyers, long term residents) in Addison Heights as well. The demographics and neighborhood "feel" for the rest of 22202 are a lot like those in Lyon Park, Ashton Heights, etc., with possibly fewer households with school-age children. For anyone wanting more details on demographics, this site (city-data.com) has them.

For example:

http://www.city-data.com/zips/22201.html
http://www.city-data.com/zips/22202.html

[irvine]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

C, yes, I live in the area. It's a lot like 22201, but a little cheaper, probably because of the school situation. There are a lot of young people in the high rises, and rental SFHs in Addison Heights, but lots of people of other ages (e.g., first time buyers, long term residents) in Addison Heights as well. The demographics and neighborhood "feel" for the rest of 22202 are a lot like those in Lyon Park, Ashton Heights, etc., with possibly fewer households with school-age children. For anyone wanting more details on demographics, this site (city-data.com) has them.

For example:

http://www.city-data.com/zips/22201.html
http://www.city-data.com/zips/22202.html

I think Aurora Highlands (south of 23rd St) more closely resembles Lyon Park and Ashton Heights in terms of the craftsmans and colonials (some quite large). I always thought Adisson heights was the neighborhood of modest capes adjacent to Pentagon City. But I could be wrong. Those neighborhoods near the Ridge are all attractive.