Relocating to work in Olde Town Alexandria - need some help (Woodbridge: to rent, insurance)

[joy6]

Hello, here is the background:



-Where you are working - Olde Town Alexandria

-How much you are willing to spend on housing - need to rent 3 bdr no more than $1350

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate - 45 min

-If you have kids: Private school or public school? - public, I have four kids in elementary to middle

-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? - nice neighborhood, family friendly with good diversity, suburbia delight

-Community amenities important to you - close to shopping

Looking in Woodbridge, VA because of cost and VRE, but would like some other suggestions. The whole point of move is to get out of NJ rat race and high cost of living. I am aware that NOVA is expensive too but still much less than NJ on all levels. I've seen some decent town homes in that price range but would need some names of comparable towns that you could find the same. Thanks!

[tysonsengineer]

You could also look in Fredericksburg which also has VRE. Are you sure it is cheaper here than NOVA? You are suggesting living about 90 minutes by vehicle outside of where you are working... and its very rat racey around here.

I think your budget will be tough for most parts of Woodbridge and Fredericksburg that are atleast family friendly. But I'll let someone else confirm that.

[joy6]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

You could also look in Fredericksburg which also has VRE. Are you sure it is cheaper here than NOVA? You are suggesting living about 90 minutes by vehicle outside of where you are working... and its very rat racey around here.

I think your budget will be tough for most parts of Woodbridge and Fredericksburg that are at least family friendly. But I'll let someone else confirm that.

I have found housing in Woodbridge that is comparable to what I am renting now at $500-$600 less per month (and I am at the low end of renting in most parts of central and north Jersey). That amount of money is enough to make the move.


In my opinion, NJ is one of the hardest states to live in right now for many reasons. Even the wealthier folks are starting to complain. I love this state but there is no way I could describe it without one actually having to live here. Between the taxes, insurance, cost of living, and job market, if you lose a job here, you are screwed and that is what happened to us. Plus my husband is in healthcare and the cost of schooling down there for what he needs to get certified in is SIGNIFICANTLY less than the loopholes he will have to jump in NJ for the same title. I will end up making the same amount of money that I was in NJ.


My coworker who is working in the location that I am getting the job in told me the commute will be about 45 min. unless I take the VRE (then 20-30 min).

[tysonsengineer]

45 minute 9 in 10 days, 80 minutes 1 in 10 days. When the I-95 monster gets you, you have no choice.

Of course that is all dependent on when you leave, for 45 minutes I assume you are leaving around 6:30, because around 7:15 there is no chance you can get from Woodbridge to Old Town Alexandria on a consistent basis in 45 minutes, closer to an hour most of the time and like I said, once in a while a total decay of traffic movement resulting in complete gridlock.

The VRE is where you wanna be.

And hey, I love my state, so I dont disagree it's better for lots of reasons than NJ including education, taxes, but I just wanted to point out that very few people consider this area a low cost of living.

Hope you find a good place.

Can you post where in Woodbridge you are finding a 3br townhouse for 1350? There are some neighborhoods of Woodbridge that I would suggest you not move your children into.

http://spotcrime.com/va/woodbridge#woodbridge

[joy6]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

45 minute 9 in 10 days, 80 minutes 1 in 10 days. When the I-95 monster gets you, you have no choice.

Of course that is all dependent on when you leave, for 45 minutes I assume you are leaving around 6:30, because around 7:15 there is no chance you can get from Woodbridge to Old Town Alexandria on a consistent basis in 45 minutes, closer to an hour most of the time and like I said, once in a while a total decay of traffic movement resulting in complete gridlock.

The VRE is where you wanna be.

And hey, I love my state, so I dont disagree it's better for lots of reasons than NJ including education, taxes, but I just wanted to point out that very few people consider this area a low cost of living.

Hope you find a good place.

Can you post where in Woodbridge you are finding a 3br townhouse for 1350? There are some neighborhoods of Woodbridge that I would suggest you not move your children into.

Woodbridge, VA Crime Map - Showing Crimes in Woodbridge - Crime Statistics, Alerts and Reports - Crime Stops Here

Thanks for the help, let me know if this link works and any of these properties are in decent neighborhoods with decent local schools. There are 16 properties listed. Thanks again, this is foreign territory for me. Been a NJ gal my whole life!

http://www.realtor.com/homesforrent/.../price-na-1350

[CAVA1990]

There's no "e" in "Old Town".

[tysonsengineer]

West of 95 near Cardinal Drive is a nicer and newer area, so I think some of those could work nicely. Note though that it is about 4 or 5 miles to the VRE station from there along either Route 1 or 95 which can add an extra 15 minutes to your commute.

As long as you are an early riser then I think you will find it to be a good location. Can't speak to the school district though here in NOVA we generally have above average schools just about everywhere compared to national standards.

Best advice I can give is to visit here and drive around that portion of the 95 corridor as conditions can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and to find the right one for you. There are certainly some very great parts of woodbridge/dale city and some less desirable ones as well (as is the case in any suburban region).

[szug-bot]

Joy, please check your email. i sent you a mssg pertaining to this topic.

good luck w/ your decision and your move. i think you should consider some options, though!

[ACWhite]

It's cheaper than Manhattan, but it's not cheaper here than in NJ for comparable housing and all the other things we buy/rent, and unlike many other areas, housing costs continue to rise in close-in locations. The factors that make it attractive to you (e.g., jobs) make it attractive to a lot of people who then have the ability to pay higher prices. My guess is that you are not comparing similar neighborhoods if you are seeing a $500 lower rent.

If the perceived COL is a big factor in your decision (vs. the cost of certification), please do more research.

[HokieFan]

[quote=joy6;25380660]
My coworker who is working in the location that I am getting the job in told me the commute will be about 45 min. unless I take the VRE (then 20-30 min).[/]

I commute (drive) from Lake Ridge to Alexandria and it takes me an average of about an 1 hour each way. Leaving LR at 6am and leaving Alexandria at 4pm.