OUT of Centreville, CLOSER to DC for 20-something yr old female- Opinions needed (Arlington: rentals)

[Outofcentreville]

Wellllll I will just start writing about myself…

Currently I live in Centreville in a 3BR + basement townhouse by myself.
I used to need the extra bedrooms because family would visit from out of town. However my family permanently relocated out of the country- so no more frequent visits from them. I decided that I want to rent out the whole townhouse and move closer to DC.

I'm a 20-something year old and want to be closer to DC, but not in the city.
I have a car and need a (reliable/consistent) parking spot. I love the hip, vibrant nightlife and love partying, but I also need the homey, safe, suburban feel. For example I'll go clubbing on a Tuesday night in DC and get home at 4 am but the next day, this girl needs to get some good Pho and go grocery shopping at Whole Foods.

I have a temporary job in Reston, where I work Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9am-5pm. I would love to teleport because I'm always this close to ripping out all my hair when it's traffic time. But currently from Centreville to Reston my commute is 1 hour and it's acceptable. I don't hate it and I don't love it. When I move, I would definitely like the commute to stay within 1 hour or shorter.

Being close to the metro is not required. I've been in Centreville since 2007 and have not taken the bus or metro once (I know, maybe I should try it out?). I don't like having to walk .5 miles to a bus station, take a bus to the metro station, wait for 25 mins for the metro, walk another .7 miles to my destination, and on the way back, worry that the metro will get cut off.
I don't like having to drive to the metro, pay for parking, and then take the metro either. Nonono. However, if it's a short 10-15 minute walk to the metro, maybe I'll be more open to it and change my lifestyle/mindset to being more metro-friendly. So it's metro or never.

Hm what else. I'm okay with a studio. Don't need all the bells and whistles.
I recently graduated so I don't need to be around good schools but I do want a safe area bc I am a single female. If the area's walkable, that's great but not required and I do need space for parking. Don't want a family oriented gated community because I'll come barging in at 2am most nights but at the same time I don't want a college dorm either. Budget range for monthly rent is $1,200-1,400 (is that even realistic ). Definitely, $1,600 max.

I was thinking Falls Church, Annadale (unsafe ?) or Arlington (expensive). Goodness I have a gazillion things on my"list" and finding the appropriate area seems like a giant puzzle to solve. Could you recommend/give advice/opinion on where to relocate? This is a lot of information. Thank you so much in advance.

[stpickrell]

I'm thinking some of the new places in Falls Church would work best for you. Metro accessible (15 minute walk), easy reverse commute (I-66 is bad heading west until you hit Glebe Road), accessible to the massive clubbing scene but still separate from it.

Annandale isn't the safest if you're looking at rentals, IMHO. The SFH areas of Annandale are great, I think, but it's not going to be $1,600 a month. Plus, it's a terrible commute to Reston, one that you just don't need to make.

Arlington is expensive, as you said, and it seems you don't want secondhand exposure to the partying scene where you live. (But there are several pho places and a Whole Foods there, just good luck finding parking.)

With all that said, have you considered Reston itself?

[Caladium]

Where do your friends live? That might be a good indicator of where you'd like to live, too.

[michgc]

I was going to suggest Falls Church off the top of my head, too.

[brooklynborndad]

annandale is NOT unsafe. Especially for someone who is not going to have walk around at night and at that rent will NOT have to be in the sketchiest apt complexes.

However the commute to Reston will be bad, there isn't much night life she'd be interested in nearby, not many 20 somethings, no whole foods, etc, etc - and she doesn't need the space she could afford in Annandale (a smaller or older TH).

I would second looking in Falls Church, sounds like the best idea. There may be some areas on the fringes of ballston/virginia square (cherrydale?) that would give her good access to the night life, without paying so much for metro proximity - but Falls Church probably works better, net-net.

FC gives a good mix of people and amenities, a shorter commute to Reston pretty easy access to North Arlington, the chance to experiment with using metro, but still pretty easy to keep an auto.

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

annandale is NOT unsafe. Especially for someone who is not going to have walk around at night and at that rent will NOT have to be in the sketchiest apt complexes.

Can OP get something in a good part of Annandale for under $1,600, though? (The commute won't work, but was asking for future reference.)

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Can OP get something in a good part of Annandale for under $1,600, though? (The commute won't work, but was asking for future reference.)

lets see

(for this purpose I will call the SW corner near Americana unsafeand any low rise apt complex. I think thats unduly strict - some people feel quite comfortable in the better developments in the SW corner, where such crime as there is mostly nuisance crime, and Im not sure all the low rise complexes are bad either)


this, but its 1 Br in a house Pet Friendly HOUSE - Nature Haven - Metro (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/2927655911.html - broken link) for $1550.

this Annandale High School, Controlled Access Building, Elevator (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/2927317730.html - broken link)

thats a safe block, a hirise.


its true most of the listings are in low rise complexes, or in this one complex in the SW corner.

for some reason i am not currently seeing any of the smaller TH's listed for rent. The larger ones of course tend to rent for over $2000