Where to live (Arlington, Reston, McLean: for sale, townhouses, employment) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

srussell252 · 10-21-2007, 06:55 PM

My husband and I are considering moving to the area because he has a job opportunity in Herndon VA. I have been looking for potential employment in the area and could end up in DC. What communities should we explore? We are coming to visit the area in mid November and have no idea where to start, any advise would be great. If we move we would probably look for a 3 bd 2 bath home (max $500K) with some sort of outdoor space.

Thanks!

saganista · 10-21-2007, 08:10 PM

Well, with two potential commutes, one being into town, you'd want to be close to Metro without getting out of range of Herndon. You could get a bus to Metro from Reston. Driving to Metro might mean Vienna/Oakton. But an SFH for 500K or less will be tough to pull off in either area, particularly the latter. If a TH would work, there should be plenty of options in that price range either way...

cliftonLLR · 10-22-2007, 08:37 AM

You should try little rocky run in Clifton. The community is great and the houses are very affordable. Its one of the most sought after communities in Fairfax County. The commute to Herndon would be about 30 mins.

Novamom06 · 10-22-2007, 10:28 AM

I would take a look at Potomac Falls/Cascades. Its a great neighborhood for young people, very close to shopping, dining, and really just a 10 min drive from Reston/Herndon down Fairfax county parkway (no need to get on the Toll Rd). I know of a very cute house that a friend of mine is selling that is on the market for something like $475K - its a single family with a small yard in a quiet culdesac. It does not have a basement though. But does have 3 or 4 bedrooms. You can probably find it on realtor dot com under zip 20165.

You may also want to check out townhouses in the area - Reston and Herndon.

srussell252 · 10-22-2007, 01:19 PM

What would the commute into DC be like from any of the above mentioned places? I appreciate the feedback. If we do relocate, it wouldn't be until April or May (hopefully the home for sale mentioned above will be sold before we are ready to make a purchase). We would look into purchasing a TH if it had an outdoor area of some sort. We would like an area that has restaurants and some nightlife, shopping close by, parks would be a definite plus.

Thanks for any input.

Novamom06 · 10-22-2007, 02:20 PM

The commute to DC from Potomac Falls (cascades) is not as bad as some think. Many people take a commuter bus to the West Falls Church metro - door to door that is probably about 1 hr 15 min.

Driving usually takes about the same amount of time, maybe a little less, providing you know the short cuts and flex your hours a bit.

The drive to DC from Reston or Herndon is about 15 min closer than Cascades.

Great parks in the Cascades area - the best is right on the Potomac River, Algonquin.
Welcome to Algonkian Regional Park

saganista · 10-22-2007, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srussell252

What would the commute into DC be like from any of the above mentioned places?

As a general rule, if you need to commute into DC, you don't want to live in Loudon County. Nice as it is, it's just too far. There are other rules that come before that one however, such as finding a place that fits your needs and finding a place that fits your budget. If you're willing to look in the "nice townhouse" category, a 500K limit will give you a solid range of places in Fairfax County that offer convenient Metro access to DC while still being within striking range of Herndon. With a little luck, you could keep each commute within the 40-60 minute range.

Quote:

Originally Posted by srussell252

We would look into purchasing a TH if it had an outdoor area of some sort. We would like an area that has restaurants and some nightlife, shopping close by, parks would be a definite plus.

Many to most of the TH communities have some nice outdoor areas. Some are even really nice. The entire Fairfax-Oakton-Vienna-Dunn Loring-Falls Church-McLean stretch is dotted with exceptional restaurants, some of which are quite expensive and some of which are quite affordable. The entire area is a quick drive away from Tysons Corner and its world-class shopping. Nightlife depends on taste, but there would tend to be more choices in Fairfax than in Loudon, and if you want to turn up the volume a little, Ballston and DC are both within easy reach. Loudon isn't too shabby either, but most of this area has plenty of park access, including the W&OD Bike Trail if anybody bikes, jogs, or hits the roller-blades. You could bike to downtown Herndon if you wanted. Also to downtown DC.

srussell252 · 10-22-2007, 04:22 PM

Thank you so much for the information! We would both probably prefer to keep the commute under 45 min each way, so the communities you suggested may work - also, if I could take the metro it (hopefully) wouldn't be as stressful as sitting in stand still rush hour traffic.

I'll make sure to explore the areas you mentioned in Fairfax county when we come to visit.

As far as "nightlife" we are not into clubbing, but enjoy having a few beers now and again, preferably someplace with a good jukebox. My husband also enjoys a great sports bar as he is a pretty big sports enthusiast - it will be one of the things we will miss about Detroit if we move.

Thanks again for the info!!

5stones · 10-23-2007, 09:58 AM

under 45min each way into Herndon and into DC is going to be hard. You will have to take the metro in and live closer to Herndon to make that doable. Stick to the areas mentioned that are on the Metro Orange line. Vienna/Dunn Loring/West Falls church.

It also depends on where in DC you are going to and whether or not you'll need to transfer etc... Ballston/Clarendon in Arlington to Federal triangle runs about 30min. (from metro stop to metro stop)

For under 500k you are going to find mostly TH and a few smaller SFH from about 460-500k.

saganista · 10-23-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srussell252

Thank you so much for the information! We would both probably prefer to keep the commute under 45 min each way, so the communities you suggested may work - also, if I could take the metro it (hopefully) wouldn't be as stressful as sitting in stand still rush hour traffic.

No question about it...a Metro ride is a huge upgrade over being behind the wheel in rush hour. You'd always get a seat from Vienna or Dunn Loring as well...even at the peak. Could be a different story coming home, though.

Just as a standard, we live in the Vienna/Oakton area. My wife works in Herndon (Worldgate-ish) and she makes the trip in 30-35 minutes, depending on traffic. I normally work downtown, a few blocks up from the White House. I use either the Vienna or Dunn Loring Metro stations, and can be sitting at my desk 50-55 minutes after I walk out the front door as long as I get a reasonable parking space at the station. So that's at least sort of the time frames the two of you will need to split up between you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by srussell252

As far as "nightlife" we are not into clubbing, but enjoy having a few beers now and again, preferably someplace with a good jukebox. My husband also enjoys a great sports bar as he is a pretty big sports enthusiast - it will be one of the things we will miss about Detroit if we move.

Good jukebox is a matter of taste too. :-) But there are a lot of different bars of all different types in the area...something for everybody. Just have to go explore a little...they're all out there, from refined to roadhouse...