Commuting Patterns in Northern Virginia (Reston, Franconia: real estate, townhomes, neighborhood)

[russian_doll]

I'm looking to move from northern california to the DC area... is the traffic all cars going into the city or is there traffic getting to a metro station? I'm hoping to find a SFH near a safe metro station to avoid traffic. What's the farthest out "nice" area I can go and still catch the metro?

[kww]

Originally Posted by russian_doll

I'm looking to move from northern california to the DC area... is the traffic all cars going into the city or is there traffic getting to a metro station? I'm hoping to find a SFH near a safe metro station to avoid traffic. What's the farthest out "nice" area I can go and still catch the metro?

there's traffic going EVERYWHERE

farthest out "nice" area somewhat near a metro stop will dictate on your rent/purchasing power

[FindingZen]

I agree with everything that kww said.

There aren't truly any "not nice" areas adjacent to the Metro stations in Northern Virginia. Some might feel that the Huntington terminus isn't so great although recent new housing developments may help to change that perception.

The Maryland side may be a little different in some cases. I'd encourage you to check out the "Washington DC suburbs of Maryland sub-forum for their take.

[CaliTerp07]

The metro map can be found at wmata.com. Depending where you are working, there are also MARC and VRE trains (that use the amtrak lines) that go out further than the metro rail does. They have more limited stops though, and run on a very commuter-focused typical work day schedule.

There is traffic going everywhere. Unless you are walking distance to a station, you will experience traffic getting to work.

[snowdenscold]

SFH right near a metro stop in a good neighborhood? Better be prepared to spend $$$ !

[choff5]

Since you're coming from Northern California you may not have the sticker shock many people have, but you price point will determine how close you are to a metro station. But, there are many metro buses hooked into the stations plus depending on where you work, an express bus may work better than metrorail. You need to give more info, where you will be working and your price range to get more detail responses.

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by kww

there's traffic going EVERYWHERE

Yes - for instance, 80,000 people work at this place Tysons Corner, Virginia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[airjay75]

Well, I will just add a little more perspective from someone who used to live in the SF Bay Area and did my fair share of commuting there. Depending on where in the SF Bay Area you live, you may be no stranger to traffic or to issues around say getting to and parking at a BART station or to the fact that real estate is generally more expensive near BART stations. You will find some similarities here. In fact, the way Metro operates in the DC area reminds me a lot of the BART system in the Bay Area.

I disagree to an extent with the people who say there aren't any commuting patterns here. There are commuting patterns in every major metro area, but they are becoming increasingly complex with the rise of suburban work centers - the days of traffic existing only in and out of "downtown" are gone in most metro areas. But, that doesn't mean every commuting route is going to have the same amount of congestion or gridlock. My wife commutes from our home in Springfield to an office just outside the beltway on route 50 and, on occasion, to an office in Reston. She runs into a lot less gridlock than someone who commutes similar distances at the same time of day on 95/395 into DC. If you have specific commutes you are thinking about, you will probably get more helpful responses on this board.

It is possible to buy a SFH close to a Metro station and not deal with significant amounts of traffic every day, but your budget and housing expectations will dictate whether that is possible in your situation. Townhomes are also very popular in this area and will give you even more options depending on your budget.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

Yes - for instance, 80,000 people work at this place Tysons Corner, Virginia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

115,000 actually (and growing with the move of LMI and Intelsat next year)

[gomason]

I would say that the Franconia-Springfield metro station is the easiest exurban station to get to. Vienna and Huntington are surrounded by traffic.