Moving to Reston (Burke, Chantilly, Leesburg: apartment, rental, townhouses)

[OAF01]

Hi, first post so please be gentle

I am considering relocating to the US through an intra company transfer to my company offices based in Reston. I am 32 years old with a 29 year old wife and two young Children 2years and 2 months......

I have been trying to research rental accomodation looking mainly at 3/4 bedrooms and have been shocked at the cost although I think this is most likely due to my lack of understanding of the area and therefore my inability to search specific areas other than just using "Reston" as my search criteria.

Could anyone give me some advice on cheaper areas surrounding Reston within say an hours commute that are worth considering. I am after a family friendly location and am quite open to the type and location of property its more about finding the right property to rent in an area that my partner can look to get invloved with the local community and socialise relatively easily.

We have family in South Carolina so are thoughts are preferably up to an hour South of Reston but initially I just want to get a feel for the best areas in terms of affordability and quality of life......

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[slduvall]

First bit of advise...don't pick a location based on going south to see family every once in awhile. Your daily communte and lack of family time will be miserable. South up to Reston...horrible commute, and one to avoid if you can.

Providing your price range will be very helpful. Apt living? Townhouse? Single Family house? Depending on what country you are coming from, your reference for Apts and Townhouses might be different. This area does some great townhouses, compared to other parts of the US. They can be great alternatives to a SFH. Unless a yard is a big factor.

Welcome...

[hilsmom]

Yes, what is your price range? And what kind of house are you hoping for?

Reston is wonderful for young families. Lots of great amenities - parks, pools, shopping, etc. I highly recommend it.

Might also consider Ashburn. There are several areas in Ashburn - one that lots of families I know are moving to is Brambleton. A commute to Reston is not too bad from there - a friend of mine does it.

If you're willing to go even further, you might look at Leesburg and Purcellville, although your commute would probably be painful from out that direction.

You could also go a little south on Fairfax County Parkway - we live in Greenbriar, on the western edge of Fairfax/basically Chantilly. You could also consider Burke or Franklin Farm/Chantilly Highlands.

[Nate_VA]

I live in Reston and I love it here. Reston has a wide range of housing styles, so you should be able to find something that fits your needs.

[OAF01]

Thank you for your replies some really helpful advice, I tend to agree in resect to picking a location to travel south from, the main reason for this was that we will have a newborn so my partner wants the security of being able to call on family if needed. Im hoping that if we get the right location we will hopefully be able to make friends relatively quickly given that we already have a two year old so this concern should hopefully reduce over time.

I haven't agreed a package yet but I would say we would be looking at somewhere in the region of $2k per month for rent. I think we would most likely opt for a townhouse or family house rather than an apartment but as I say I am open to advice.

[hilsmom]

My family from SC comes up every so often. I don't think 8 hours vs. 9 hours is REALLY that much of a difference. It still takes all day.

[ICS67]

I think you should in fact start your search in Reston itself, which as other posters have pointed out is family-friendly and has quite a range of housing options. Although Reston likes to style itself as some dynamic 1960s-ish "new town" concept in urban planning, it is for all intents and purposes still suburbia. That said, however, it does have its attractions, including its mini-urban core (Reston Town Center), the coming of mass transit (Metro) by the end of next year, four lakes, very nice protected natural areas, and a whole range of acitvities for adults and children. It's also only 15 minuts to Dulles Airport, if that matters.

The general rule of thumb in Northern Virginia is that you want to try to live as close to your job as possible, given the rather horrendous traffic congestion. If you don't find what you're looking for and/or can afford here in Reston, you can expand your search outward.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

[ViennaSausages]

But mediocre schools (when compared to neigboring areas).

[hilsmom]

Armstrong, Aldrin and Forest Edge all have great reputations. Hunters Woods is a magnet school and an AAP center. Lake Anne has a wonderful immersion program.

I think a lot of the "mediocre school" reputation is based on old information, to be honest. The makeup of the student bodies are changing as more families move in.

[ViennaSausages]

Oh, they all have AAP centers somewhere in the area, but there are some pretty rough and tuble zones of Reston (Glade Ave. area) which feeds into the local elementary and then into Langston Hughes and South Lakes.

Put it to you this way: if Hughes and South Lakes were so good, then why did parents create a FIRESTORM when FCPS announced that many school boundaries would be revised to move more students into South Lakes?