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We are an Air Force Family that just got an assignment to the Pentagon for July, 2012. We do not have orders/rip yet, but they should be coming quite quickly. I have been doing some preliminary house hunting, and I would love some suggestions and more things to consider.
We have two children, and first grader and a 3 year old. We need a good elementary school.
We need a preschool for my 3 yr. old (just a few days a week, part day, not full time). This can be a church, etc. but not a daycare. I just want an area that has these available without driving super far.
Churches are important, family friendly neighborhood, etc. We also have two small beagles (dogs) so that complicates townhouses with no yard (a small yard will work, they get walked).
I have been looking at Alexandria (fairfax), Burke, and West springfield. I love the idea of living in Alexandria because of it's proximity to the Pentagon, and the fact that on weekends we can go into D.C. and do stuff. We are the type of family that will be there often. Alexandria houses are more expensive and more hit/miss with schools...some seem much better than others....so I am having trouble figuring out where in Alexandria is good, and not.
Burke looks like it would be a great fit for us without being too far out. Houses are more like what we are used to, with garages, yards, etc. Same for Springfield. Both areas seem to have good schools.
So, with all that...do we shoot for Burke or springfield due to our dogs and wanting a bit of storage, more living space for less, or do we try and live in a smaller space with possibly to garage and no yard, but with great access to entertainment, etc?
My husband is an 0-4, so we are looking at paying up to around $2750 for rent. Our BAH is slightly higher (3030) but I don't want to top it out.
Depends what your priorities are! My husband and I have gradually been migrating south--we started in Arlington, then Alexandria City, then N. Springfield, and finally bought a house in Burke. We've found that we definitely go out in DC far less now in Burke than we did living in Arlington or Alexandria. It's just a hassle to drive that far (it takes around 40 minutes at non-rush hour to get to the heart of the city).
That said, we still go to plenty of things, because it's a priority to us to take advantage of DC's entertainment. We go to shows, concerts, the comedy club, sporting events--but it's more like 1-2x per month instead of 1-2x per week like it used to be.
If you choose Springfield or Burke, your husband will have non-driving options to get to the Pentagon if he wants them. There is the metro in Franconia/Springfield, and the VRE in Burke (which goes to Crystal City, which is a doable walk to the pentagon, especially in nice weather). Definitely something to think about, depending on whether or not he gets a parking space at the pentagon.
Burke is great, but bland. It's safe, it's got everything you need on a daily basis, and you get more for your money than closer in, but if you're wanting to experience DC this isn't it--it's just suburbia out here. You should easily be able to find a place on your budget though out here. There are a couple townhouses around the $2000 mark that are walkable to the Rolling Road VRE. If you can find a SFH, it should around the top of your budget.
There are churches, preschools, and church preschools all over the place. You'll want to contact those ASAP as they fill up EARLY.
Depends what your priorities are! My husband and I have gradually been migrating south--we started in Arlington, then Alexandria City, then N. Springfield, and finally bought a house in Burke. We've found that we definitely go out in DC far less now in Burke than we did living in Arlington or Alexandria. It's just a hassle to drive that far (it takes around 40 minutes at non-rush hour to get to the heart of the city).
That said, we still go to plenty of things, because it's a priority to us to take advantage of DC's entertainment. We go to shows, concerts, the comedy club, sporting events--but it's more like 1-2x per month instead of 1-2x per week like it used to be.
If you choose Springfield or Burke, your husband will have non-driving options to get to the Pentagon if he wants them. There is the metro in Franconia/Springfield, and the VRE in Burke (which goes to Crystal City, which is a doable walk to the pentagon, especially in nice weather). Definitely something to think about, depending on whether or not he gets a parking space at the pentagon.
Burke is great, but bland. It's safe, it's got everything you need on a daily basis, and you get more for your money than closer in, but if you're wanting to experience DC this isn't it--it's just suburbia out here. You should easily be able to find a place on your budget though out here. There are a couple townhouses around the $2000 mark that are walkable to the Rolling Road VRE. If you can find a SFH, it should around the top of your budget.
There are churches, preschools, and church preschools all over the place. You'll want to contact those ASAP as they fill up EARLY.
That is very helpful! That is what I am looking for in advice...I have had people say, live in alexandria, or that burke is the best..and I just want to know why!
I would love some other opinions/considerations!
Just a word about pre-schools, since you mentioned that you don't want one that is in a daycare.
We moved here several years ago when my kids were 6, 4, 2 and just born--and I was also DEAD SET AGAINST a pre-school in a daycare. We had our older two in Montessori school in our old location (California) and wanted the same here in VA.
Well, as it turned out, Montessori didn't work out as well for us out here (we're out in PWC, though--I've heard there are more options closer to DC) and I ended up sending my younger two to a Winwood pre chool (in a full time day care center) in Gainesville out of desperation.
I have to say, I could not be more thrilled with Winwood. They did an AMAZING job teaching my kids to read, my kids LOVED to go to school, LOVED their teachers. Honestly, I was shocked, because I had orginally thought of a day care based pre-school as a "last resort". My kids only went 3 days per week/3 hours a day, so it was still just a part time thing.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention that Welcome to VA!
What about Vienna? With that budget, you could rent a decent townhouse with a small yard right next to the Vienna metro. I think the elementary school for that development is Marshall Road, and all of the parents I knew there were happy with the school. There may be some single family homes within that budget close to the metro there as well.
We moved from Vienna last summer. We lived in a townhouse right downtown. I absolutely loved living there, as we could walk anywhere, and we were right at the W&OD trail. For commuting purposes, thought, it was more difficult, as my husband had to drive to the metro and pay for parking.
Our kids went to Vienna Baptist for preschool, and we were really happy there. There are plenty of other part time preschool options in the area as well.
I'm sure there are plenty of other places that will meet your needs, but I'm still homesick for our old life in Vienna, so that's what I'll recommend.
As fellow AF member - welcome to NOVA. I would remind you to think about access to healthcare and Bx/Comm. Most likely your servicing facility will be Ft Belvoir (your husband will get care at the Pentagon) It is based on where you live, not what branch of service. With that in mind I would recommend the Alexandria area and/or Burke/W Springfield. It will more like what you might be used to depending on where you are coming from, vs High rises etc.
We live in Kingstowne, 22315 which is about as far west in Alexandria as it gets, this provides us great access to the metro - we go into DC all the time, we go to Old Town Alexandria all the time as well.
The dogs will cause a problem, both rentals I had here did not allow pets. As a homeowner myself and pet lover, I have always allowed them, but to each his own.
And as someone who has lived in an apt next door to a beagle - a SFH house might be the best option for you. and you will see those in the Burke/Springfield area. Maybe even Island Creek - 22310..to stick in your price range.
"So, with all that...do we shoot for Burke or springfield due to our dogs and wanting a bit of storage, more living space for less, or do we try and live in a smaller space with possibly to garage and no yard, but with great access to entertainment, etc?"
With two little kids and two dogs, the former makes more sense. Especially after school starts, you may find yourselves getting involved in "kid stuff" on weekends (soccer games, birthday parties, going to parks/playgrounds, etc.) that limits how much time you can actually spend zipping into DC for fun. Consider how you will spend MOST of your time on a daily/weekly basis, and then go with the housing that makes your life easier.
I live in Burke, and we actually go to DC a lot. There are amazing parks and pools in the area. Another great resource for children is the website and facebook page Super NoVA Mommy at [url=http://www.supernovamommy.com]Super NOVA Mommy »[/url]. They list all the free and cheap kid-friendly events going on in Fairfax County.
We are a mil family too. We purchased in Gainesville, which is a haul to the Pentagon everyday and I don't recommend it for renting.
The Pentagon has great metro access and there are a lot of bus lines that stop there but parking is a nightmare, unless you're lucky enough to get a parking pass.
I strongly recommend people look in the Kingstowne area of Alexandria because it's very close to Belivor, and they have a great AAFES and Commissary and also has the family clinic. You should be able to get a place in that general area for the BAH.
If you decide to stretch the BAH, you can live in Arlington which is closer to work and Ft Myers also has good Marine Corps exchange and Commissary. If you live in Arlington, I'm not sure where they would place you for healthcare, either the Rader clinic in Ft Myers or Belivor.. not sure.
Schools in either area are comparable and the crime rates are low. You will have plenty of choices for pre-school but start looking soon.
We considered Burke. The rental was very hard to come by (as quick as they were listed they were gone) and since we both work, the after school care was a challenge. The waiting lists were very long for the CASA programs and the private care was very expensive. We eventually settled on Ashburn. There is an express bus to the Pentagon as well (Which is what you'll find in Burke). I will tell you though, Burke is a lovely area and we have friends that live there and like it.
We do not go into DC very often. We've done most of the touristy stuff but surely don't make a habit out of it. On the weekends it is about a 35-40 minute drive. But there is almost always traffic near the tourist spots so we usually get hung up in that.
What size dogs do you have? I have two small dogs and honestly it was a challenge in the rentals as well. I actually had to have a seperate pet addendum drawn up from my insurance company for TWO YORKIES.
In regards to the medical care that someone spoke about. I had to submit a letter to the Commander explaining why I wanted permission to use a PCM closer to our home. We were actually inside the distance radius. I submitted my letter including the drives times in peak traffic hours and it was approved. Prior to that my son and I were both assigned to the Family Healthcare Center of Fairfax.
Oh!!! One last tid bit. If you are using the military for the move, do a door to door! I had to have my stuff put in storage and because it was a peak move period it took me several days before they could schedule me for delivery. The truck that packed us up actually left that same day and I wasnt able to hit the road for another day. On top of that it was a 2 day drive to get out here.
Best of luck! I am sure you'll love it once you get here. If not the good news is you wont have to be here too long
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Welcome to VA!
and you will see those in the Burke/Springfield area. Maybe even Island Creek - 22310..to stick in your price range. 
