Where should a young professional live in relation to work located in Leesburg? (Arlington: apartments, rent)

[Dra707]

Hello,

I am 23 and looking into a job opportunity in Leesburg. From the research I have done, there does not seem to be an ideal neighboring location for young people out of college except for Reston or Fairfax - Arlington is too far away considering traffic. I am not at all familiar with VA so can someone please provide some advice on surrounding cities to live, commute times, train locations rent prices, etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Bigfoot424]

Might help if you advised what your budget will be.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Dra707

Hello,

I am 23 and looking into a job opportunity in Leesburg. From the research I have done, there does not seem to be an ideal neighboring location for young people out of college except for Reston or Fairfax - Arlington is too far away considering traffic. I am not at all familiar with VA so can someone please provide some advice on surrounding cities to live, commute times, train locations rent prices, etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Notwithstanding your budget as requested above, living in or near downtown Leesburg may be worthwhile, at least for your first year in the area. While you may run into families and other people of all ages, I think there are enough diversions downtown to keep you occupied. On the weekends, you can head down to Reston Town Center, downtown Fairfax, Arlington and DC to check more social options and potential neighborhoods.

There is no train service to Leesburg and I would presume that bus connections from the soon-to-open Wiehle Avenue (Reston) terminus of Metro's Silver Line will not be that convenient. While a map search predicts a 30- and 45-minute commute to Leesburg from Reston and Fairfax City, respectively, it is possible that you will see traffic until at least past Dulles Airport.

[PK12]

Reston is your best option.

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by PK12

Reston is your best option.

I agree!

[LuvVA]

Reston Town Center is your best option.

Nice place, commute should be easy as you would be going against the traffic.

Another place might be Tysons Corner but commute will be longer, again against the traffic.

It all depends on your budget.

[SteelCityRising]

First of all, congratulations on the impending job opportunity!

You're going to be in a tough pickle, though, to be quite honest, if you want to be near both work and younger people. I initially worked in Herndon when I was 22 and fresh out of college, so I rented nearby in Reston within easy walking distance of Reston Town Center, a mixed-use area with shopping, dining, a skating rink, a movie theater, etc. It was tolerable, but overall I felt like I was surrounded by "Leave it to Beaver" families and 30-something singles (most of whom talked about work incessantly). Fun-loving and active 20-somethings were by and large still mostly concentrated inside the Beltway, and I found myself heading closer to The District frequently for socialization opportunities with like-minded people.

Leesburg is a gorgeous historic hamlet (a.k.a. "Mayberry") surrounded by a sea of traffic congestion and tacky urban sprawl housing Fairfax County refugees who try to extend their commutes by an extra 20 minutes each way to save $100,000 on a house. Amid that sea of sprawl is a newer mixed-use development called "The Village at Leesburg". It's pretty much a miniature version of Reston Town Center and is home to an awesome Wegman's Grocery Store (I would drive past the Sterling Wegman's to shop at this location); a movie theater; a bowling alley; L.A. Fitness; and numerous restaurants. The retail aspect is a bit underwhelming at this point in time, but that's because every big-box retailer and outlet store imaginable is located within a 10-minute drive of this complex and would have no reason to duplicate locations here.

There are apartments at this complex, too, managed by The Metropolitan: The Metropolitan At Village At Leesburg - Home At around $1,600/month the 1-BR/1-BA units are ridiculously expensive for being located so far away from The District; however, the 2-BR/2-BA units should be attainable for you on an entry-level DC area salary if you could find a roommate and split the costs to about $900/month each. I was paying ~$1,300/month for a 1-BR/1-BA in Reston on a ~$50,000 salary. It was very tough, but it was doable. In hindsight I should have rented a ~$1,600/month 2-BR/2-BA place and split the costs with a roommate. For some reason in Northern Virginia 2-BR units cost barely more per month than 1-BR units. I'd highly recommend a roommate not only to split costs but to also double your chances of expanding your social network by sharing friends.

I'm just going by the general rule of thumb that my fellow single, outgoing, "fun" 20-something contemporaries also prefer to be in live/work/play/shop types of places the way I do. If you're more of a "drive the SUV to Applebee's and Wal-Mart" type, then you'll obviously have numerous options in Northern Virginia. In Reston I volunteered a bit with the Reston Regional Library and with my church in Herndon, but I ended up befriending people who were uniformly twice (or greater than twice) my age. I didn't feel "normal" being 22 and "hanging out" with people in their 40s and 50s, but there just weren't a plethora of 20-somethings outside the Beltway, despite the fact that employers keep locating in the Dulles Corridor.

I eventually wound up moving to Pittsburgh to pay a fraction of the rent to live in the heart of the city and be near lots of younger people and nightlife. I'm much happier up here, but you may find that Northern Virginia is worth the added expense. Good luck!

[Bigfoot424]

How many times are you going to keep coming back here to slam NOVA? You hated it, we get it.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

How many times are you going to keep coming back here to slam NOVA? You hated it, we get it.

I didn't slam NoVA. I shared my own experience in order to try to help convince the OP to get a roommate. I indicated Leesburg would be quite a long haul from the young professional crowd inside the Beltway, but I did offer a suggestion for a mixed-use area on the outskirts of Leesburg that would likely house other young professionals to socialize with amid a sea of families. Reading comprehension issues, much?

[Middlin]

Having read your posts for years, it's hard to miss the oh so subtle slams and the condescension in this post.