General Pointers If You are Moving To Northern Virginia (Amended with link to Photo Tours index) (Reston: real estate, apartment)

[Cupclip]

Any recommendations for good pediatrian/adolescent physician in or around Gainesville, VA?

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by scimitar12

-Housing to own starts around 275k-300k with relatively crappy condos. No, we do not have 3 bedroom single family homes under 400k that are in liveable conditions.

That isn't true now. Prices have fallen ddramatically since this statement was written.

That may be true far away from DC, or in a few less desirable closer-in neighborhoods, but according to Arlington County's most recent assessments, prices have dropped less than 2% on SFH. The median price for 3BR and bigger SFH remains well above 400K, and that's including a lot of houses that need a lot of expensive work.

[scimitar12]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

That may be true far away from DC, or in a few less desirable closer-in neighborhoods, but according to Arlington County's most recent assessments, prices have dropped less than 2% on SFH. The median price for 3BR and bigger SFH remains well above 400K, and that's including a lot of houses that need a lot of expensive work.

The OP's original statement implied the entire metropoitan area. In the last two years there are many neighborhood and towns where housing is much more affordable, even in Reston and Fairfax. You mentioned Arlington County. And while its decline in housing prices has not been as drastic compared with the bulk of the metropoitan area, its population represents a small section of the larger metro.

[normie]

I'm sure things are different, depending on which neighborhood you are considering. FWIW, my neighborhood in Loudoun County is still selling fairly high.

In 2002, most of the homes were selling for $400-450.
In 2004, the average had risen to about $650-750.
In 2005, we had 2 homes that went over the $850 price tag.
In 2007 the average was back to $650-750
In 2008, we had a home down the street sell for $780 (it was a very nicely kept home, I don't think that indicates prices are rising)

I'm sure this can be interreted any number of different ways, that's why I'm simply posting figures and letting you draw your own conclusions.

[Talk2T4Homes]

Have you found a place yet? Because with the way the market is now, you can find decent Townhomes for the price you suggested. In Prince William County, you can get 1 or 2 yr old townhomes for that price. Some areas in Prince William County are close to Fairfax. Contact me with any questions.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

I have long held that there are no true ghettoes in Northern Virginia in the sense of an inner city neighborhood where you have to worry about wearing the wrong colors or being caught in a drive-by (and there aren't), but rather a handful of communities where petty crime is a bigger nuisance than others (vandalism, car break-ins, graffiti, loud music late at night, menacing looking thugs and wannabes loitering around, etc.) and should be avoided if possible but where you're still generally safe. These "rough" areas generally tend to still be low crime (on a national scale) and full of hardworking people. It's not really a drug-dealing welfare land. What some locals refer to as "ghetto" would qualify as middle class or working class in much of the rest of the country.

I don't know, right along Rt 1 just south of the Beltway has always been pretty crappy, and I don't think it's been improving in recent years. I got held up at gunpoint at the Huntington Metro Stop (several years ago). The gun left a mark on my neck for days. The prostitutes/johns and drunks/drug addicts ruled some of those streets after dark in the '90's when I lived in a couple different apartments there (I went out for a walk outside my apartment building at dusk . . . ONCE). I've known more than one drunk/addict who squatted along Rt 1 -- that seems to be a known spot for that. And there were always the 7-11's that you weren't supposed to go into (back when drug dealers actually used payphones, I guess). Earlier than all this, I remember I got hassled a little bit at Carl Sandburg middle school for showing up with a bright red shirt on one day (by a guy in an identical shirt of another color. that was a bit unusual though). That school was a pit, but most middle schools are, I guess.

And it's funny because just a half mile or so off of Rt 1, or just north into Old Town, you run into some pretty nice neighborhoods.

So I'd say there are "ghetto"-like pockets of slum here and there, though it's hard to call them actual ghettos because they're really pretty diverse (like the rest of NoVa).

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by vanyali

I don't know, right along Rt 1 just south of the Beltway has always been pretty crappy, and I don't think it's been improving in recent years. I got held up at gunpoint at the Huntington Metro Stop (several years ago). The gun left a mark on my neck for days. The prostitutes/johns and drunks/drug addicts ruled some of those streets after dark in the '90's when I lived in a couple different apartments there (I went out for a walk outside my apartment building at dusk . . . ONCE). I've known more than one drunk/addict who squatted along Rt 1 -- that seems to be a known spot for that. And there were always the 7-11's that you weren't supposed to go into (back when drug dealers actually used payphones, I guess). Earlier than all this, I remember I got hassled a little bit at Carl Sandburg middle school for showing up with a bright red shirt on one day (by a guy in an identical shirt of another color. that was a bit unusual though). That school was a pit, but most middle schools are, I guess.

And it's funny because just a half mile or so off of Rt 1, or just north into Old Town, you run into some pretty nice neighborhoods.

So I'd say there are "ghetto"-like pockets of slum here and there, though it's hard to call them actual ghettos because they're really pretty diverse (like the rest of NoVa).

It seems like most of your issues along the Route 1 corridor happened at least ten years ago. I moved to this area over two years ago and you'd be surprised at many of the changes. A lot of retail and restaurants has come in over the last few years as well as some townhome developments. On the east side of Route 1 towards the riverfront, a lot of the communities lean middle-to-upper class. Many on the west side are fine too; you just have to do your homework. It's not Ashburn but with the impending influx of government employees to Fort Belvoir, the quality of life will only improve, albeit at the expense of decent people on the lower end of the economic spectrum.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by Tone509

It seems like most of your issues along the Route 1 corridor happened at least ten years ago. I moved to this area over two years ago and you'd be surprised at many of the changes. A lot of retail and restaurants has come in over the last few years as well as some townhome developments. On the east side of Route 1 towards the riverfront, a lot of the communities lean middle-to-upper class. Many on the west side are fine too; you just have to do your homework. It's not Ashburn but with the impending influx of government employees to Fort Belvoir, the quality of life will only improve, albeit at the expense of decent people on the lower end of the economic spectrum.

I don't know, good ol' Jeff Davis Hwy (Rt 1) is pretty good at defeating attempts to gentrify it. Even now, there are the upscale grocery stores and the downscale grocery stores, and it's the downscale groceries whose parking lots are always full (and the upscale ones' that are empty). Time will tell whether this latest round of gentrification will stick. I'm betting Rt 1 will chew it up and spit it out. But we'll see.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by vanyali

I don't know, good ol' Jeff Davis Hwy (Rt 1) is pretty good at defeating attempts to gentrify it. Even now, there are the upscale grocery stores and the downscale grocery stores, and it's the downscale groceries whose parking lots are always full (and the upscale ones' that are empty). Time will tell whether this latest round of gentrification will stick. I'm betting Rt 1 will chew it up and spit it out. But we'll see.

I was actually referring to the Richmond Highway section of Route 1 south the Beltway... but I respect your point of view about the northern end, especially since I know relatively little about it.

[angel777]

This is a great post! Question? My husband is working on Fort Belvoir starting in May. We are looking for a house in Fairfax county between 350k and 500k, with an easy commute ( 15 miles) and those excellent schools someone mentioned. We were actually hoping for a new home but the only new homes I have seen are in Woodbridge. So far it is down to Lorton???, West SpringField, Burton, Manassas, or Alexandria that have all been recommended. We want big yard, lots of trees, private, but convenient for the children's activities and recreation, shopping etc etc. Please help!!