General Pointers If You are Moving To Northern Virginia (Amended with link to Photo Tours index) (Arlington: 2013, apartment complex)

[mnm1130]

I'm really enjoying all of this new information. My name's Mike and I'm from Virignia Beach. ME and my fiance are planning on moving to northern virginia. I am 20 years old and am being offered a job making 40-45k a year which is more than what I make here. I've heard it's expensive in NOVA. I'm not so concerned with the commute because my job will consist of me driving in a company van with a company gas card all up and down 66 and I will be getting paid for drive time. The man offering the job told me to look around warrenton, manassas, springfield, and leesburg. All of these places are pretty up class, high dollar areas...am I wrong? I was thinking Fredericksburg... does Fredericksburg have easy access to 66? Are there jobs on the west side of NOVA for my fiance. She is young, too and has some office experience. I'd love some help.

[dreamofmonterey]

Good thread. I am considering the area. Alexandria reminded me a bit of Boston (which I loved) and the rentals are very reasonable compared to NYC.

[Flamingo13]

Originally Posted by dreamofmonterey

Good thread. I am considering the area. Alexandria reminded me a bit of Boston (which I loved) and the rentals are very reasonable compared to NYC.

I've never been, but we have very good friends here that are Boston natives (they'd all be older than you - that wouldn't consider moving back.

I'm in Alex. now - but you and the previous poster wouldn't go wrong in my opinion: there are so many things to do, so many commuting options, etc. I can't help out w/rental info. (homeowner here) - but I chat w/the neighbors who are renting the house next to ours and they like the area (they are from Ohio originally).

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

I've never been, but we have very good friends here that are Boston natives (they'd all be older than you - that wouldn't consider moving back.

I'm in Alex. now - but you and the previous poster wouldn't go wrong in my opinion: there are so many things to do, so many commuting options, etc. I can't help out w/rental info. (homeowner here) - but I chat w/the neighbors who are renting the house next to ours and they like the area (they are from Ohio originally).

Thanks!, I love the Old Town area, beautiful architecture.

[nova_44]

Originally Posted by mnm1130

I'm really enjoying all of this new information. My name's Mike and I'm from Virignia Beach. ME and my fiance are planning on moving to northern virginia. I am 20 years old and am being offered a job making 40-45k a year which is more than what I make here. I've heard it's expensive in NOVA. I'm not so concerned with the commute because my job will consist of me driving in a company van with a company gas card all up and down 66 and I will be getting paid for drive time. The man offering the job told me to look around warrenton, manassas, springfield, and leesburg. All of these places are pretty up class, high dollar areas...am I wrong? I was thinking Fredericksburg... does Fredericksburg have easy access to 66? Are there jobs on the west side of NOVA for my fiance. She is young, too and has some office experience. I'd love some help.

Hi Mike-I would suggest looking in Centreville, VA. You would have easy access to 66, affordable housing and would be close to many local attractions. There is a huge office park in Chantilly, VA along conference center drive where you fiance should be able to find a job. Another area she could look is in Fairfax. Fairfax is an easy commute from Centreville.

[catbird123]

Originally Posted by mnm1130

I'm really enjoying all of this new information. My name's Mike and I'm from Virignia Beach. ME and my fiance are planning on moving to northern virginia. I am 20 years old and am being offered a job making 40-45k a year which is more than what I make here. I've heard it's expensive in NOVA. I'm not so concerned with the commute because my job will consist of me driving in a company van with a company gas card all up and down 66 and I will be getting paid for drive time. The man offering the job told me to look around warrenton, manassas, springfield, and leesburg. All of these places are pretty up class, high dollar areas...am I wrong? I was thinking Fredericksburg... does Fredericksburg have easy access to 66? Are there jobs on the west side of NOVA for my fiance. She is young, too and has some office experience. I'd love some help.

If you need to be on 66, F'burg might be a bear for you. You would have to take 17 all the way into warrenton and then head east on 66 to get into work. That would take yiou about an hour in the morning at least.

If I were you, I would consider going on [URL="http://www.realtor.com"]www.realtor.com[/URL] and under rentals, type in your max cost and single family house under warrenton, gainesville and fairfax so that you can see the cost for a sfd.

the towns along 66 from east to west are: falls church, fairfax, centreville, gainesville, bristow, manassas, warrenton. warrenton being the furthest away from the beltway and dc. falls church, fairfax, centreville and manassas being town-y in nature. from $$$ to $.

You can catch the VRE train in the center of manassas and points west. The VRE train takes you into City of Alexandria and then Union Station in Dc.. There are also subway stops in falls church heading east to dc. but rental homes in falls church are prohibitively expensive

your commute by car from manassas to dc would be approx. 1 hr and 45 mins in and out during rush hour. your g'friend seeking administrative would make more money in dc and less in Tysons Corner which is near teh junction of Route 66 and the beltway and has a lot of office businesses. Other medicum sized business centers are near Dulles Airport and Herndon and Chantilly. There are more tech companies located near Dulles airport and west of Tysons Corner (at the beltway). She could easily start with temping at 12-14/hour and seg herself into a job faster than interviewing

[tridgeway]

What about a move from Atlanta Ga to DC? I am looking at rentals in Georgetown as I am single, 35 year old female, but my career in commercial real estate would have me commuting to herndon. Any advice or thoughts?

[Flamingo13]

Why not check out Arlington (or Tyson's Corner area)? It's a good area for people your age, easy commute into Georgetown but not nearly as rough a commute to Herndon. Herndon IS a commute, some mailing addresses listed as Herndon are really Sterling IMO so that is even further out. Personally, I'd rather NOT have a stressful work commute and be willing to take some time for a social one.

[Newk]

Northern Virginia was great for education for me. FFX Cnty schools FTW. But I found a job that made more money outside of NOVA, so I left. good luck to people still there, and I won't miss the snow.

[Flamingo13]

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