Reston to Tysons Commute (Arlington, Vienna: renter, townhouse, tenant)

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by Middlin

Yeah, I gotta say, I hear you on the washer/dryer but am shaking my head on the "it looks old". I lived in a "it looks old" condo in Fairfax (Hawthorne Village) because it was close to the Vienna metro, it was close to my job in Tysons, the rent was really reasonable, it was larger than most new apartment buildings, I could walk to Artie's and IHOP (important to me many years ago), really good sound proofing between units........I got over the old because in the end, all those positives outweighed the one negative that didn't affect my life in a significant way.

I would search the forum for Vienna and maybe you will change your mind when you read a lot of other threads about the town and how this might fit a lifestyle for Mom and daughter.

I really like the town of vienna, I know it is family friendly and very walkable and that is the only reason why I was interested in this condo despite of the "looks" and especially the lack of washer and dryer in the unit which can be super annoying if your neighbors are not considerate, but of course you never find out those things till you move in. The location can't be beat though, you can walk to everything, cvs, Walgreens, outback, noodles &comp, chipotle, giant, eCt.. And Vienna ES is also walking distance, so yeah I am not totally dismissing it, just giving it some deep though... oh and the kitchen is really outdated :-/

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by PK12

What's your rental budget for the 2BR?

Less than $2k

[michgc]

Here's the thing. Vienna is old. Most of that side of town is old brick or siding only ranch homes. Many of them look "eh." But you can't touch them for under $500K. Why? Because it's a great location. But when you buy or rent you aren't just buying or renting the unit or the house, you are buying or renting the neighborhood. Park Terrace is old, no doubt. But it is in a highly desirable location. It is just about the smack center of town. It feeds into excellent schools. It is walkable to dozens of kid-friendly amenities as well as shopping. And it's close to your work. For me, location trumps age. But if the old is going to get you, then look elsewhere. You will not find new and under $2K in Vienna.

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by michgc

Here's the thing. Vienna is old. Most of that side of town is old brick or siding only ranch homes. Many of them look "eh." But you can't touch them for under $500K. Why? Because it's a great location. But when you buy or rent you aren't just buying or renting the unit or the house, you are buying or renting the neighborhood. Park Terrace is old, no doubt. But it is in a highly desirable location. It is just about the smack center of town. It feeds into excellent schools. It is walkable to dozens of kid-friendly amenities as well as shopping. And it's close to your work. For me, location trumps age. But if the old is going to get you, then look elsewhere. You will not find new and under $2K in Vienna.

And that is why I did not cross it off of my list just yet. I love the location, yes I wish it were newer, I wish it had more amenities, but at the end of the day that will not kill me. I am not saying this is off of the list, I actually already filled out the application and i am going back this week to take a second look.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by michgc

Here's the thing. Vienna is old. Most of that side of town is old brick or siding only ranch homes. Many of them look "eh." But you can't touch them for under $500K. Why? Because it's a great location. But when you buy or rent you aren't just buying or renting the unit or the house, you are buying or renting the neighborhood. Park Terrace is old, no doubt. But it is in a highly desirable location. It is just about the smack center of town. It feeds into excellent schools. It is walkable to dozens of kid-friendly amenities as well as shopping. And it's close to your work. For me, location trumps age. But if the old is going to get you, then look elsewhere. You will not find new and under $2K in Vienna.

I agree with this. Ultimately, when you live in a place like this, you live more in the community anyways. Its all about location, and I dont think anyone can deny the vibe that part of town has. Walkable to Jammin Java, Church St, lots of restaurants. Its a great location. I wish there could be some redevelopment in Vienna that could update some of the aging buildings, without being out of scale with them. Its just a shame that so much of the architecture in Vienna was built in the dark ages (60s through 80s) of architecture. Then again, if it were brand new, and in that location, the price would skyrocket.

[PK12]

OP,

You will be very hard pressed to find a newly built or new-ish 2BR under 2K anywhere in NoVA, esp not in RTC or other communities in Reston/Herndon either.

Centreville, Manassas - MAYBE.

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by PK12

OP,

You will be very hard pressed to find a newly built or new-ish 2BR under 2K anywhere in NoVA, esp not in RTC or other communities in Reston/Herndon either.

Centreville, Manassas - MAYBE.

I am really not looking for newly built. I said Park Terrace condos looked really old. I wouldn't mind an old looking condo that was aesthetically a bit appealing. To my point, right next to Park Terrace, there is another condo called Vienna Villager that I thought looked better and had a vintage feel which I like, however the condo that I visited there was extremely small, it was about 877sq.feet for a 2 bedroom, no walk-in closets at all. The master bedroom was tiny...

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by PK12

OP,

You will be very hard pressed to find a newly built or new-ish 2BR under 2K anywhere in NoVA, esp not in RTC or other communities in Reston/Herndon either.

Centreville, Manassas - MAYBE.

Sadly thats kinda true. You can get renovated 2br for around 2k though. Again I think Dunn Loring has some options in that range, check Archstones perhaps? But yea, commute wise Vienna/Tysons the way to go.

[DCmum]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Sadly thats kinda true. You can get renovated 2br for around 2k though. Again I think Dunn Loring has some options in that range, check Archstones perhaps? But yea, commute wise Vienna/Tysons the way to go.

Yeh I am trying to keep it at Tysons/Vienna. I am going back to take a second look at the condo and verify a few things, if it all checks out, I might rent it after all

[DCmum]

Do you guys know how bad traffic can be from that area in town of Vienna to Greensboro Dr in Tysons during rush hour? Is only about 2.5 miles from my office but some people warned that it could get very bad. Any time estimates for the commute? My hours are usually 8 to 4h30Pm