GMU and Tysons Corner (Reston, Oakton: condo, townhouse, neighborhood)

[queen-Cleopatra]

Hello,

We are new to this area and I hope you can help me find the best location to buy a home.

I am working in Tysons corner, one of my children will be going to Mason this fall, while the other is in HS.

I am trying to find the best location for all three of us, somewhere I can drive to work and not spend hours in traffic, the one who is going to Mason can use public transportation and not have to take more than one or two means to get there, and the high schooler can go to a good school. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[normie]

Vienna is a nice neighborhood. Chain Bridge Rd. (aka Rt. 123) will get you right into the heart of Tysons.

[claremarie]

What is your housing budget? Are you looking for a SFH or a townhouse?

[teh user]

Beware of the traffic congestion around the Tysons Corner mall, if you have not already encountered it.

[canolajetta]

If you find Vienna is not your style or budget, you could try Reston/Herndon, if you're willing to pay to use the toll road to go to work. Commuting to GMU isn't bad from there. A lot of GMU students live in the Fair Oaks area and West, which is handy for students who are taking classes at their Prince William campus (not necessary, but heard they have nice shiny science labs there). I don't know that the commute from Fair Oaks to Tysons would be spectacular, but it depends a lot on when you would be driving and exactly where in Tysons and where in the Fairfax area you were headed. The best way to find out is to drive it during rush hour for a day or two before you put a contract on a house.

[brucewayne]

i would say that Fairfax would be a good spot.

Its right in the center of it all - close to Tysons if you know your way around and very close to GMU.

Vienna is good too, if you can afford it.

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by queen-Cleopatra

Hello,

We are new to this area and I hope you can help me find the best location to buy a home.

I am working in Tysons corner, one of my children will be going to Mason this fall, while the other is in HS.

I am trying to find the best location for all three of us, somewhere I can drive to work and not spend hours in traffic, the one who is going to Mason can use public transportation and not have to take more than one or two means to get there, and the high schooler can go to a good school. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Best way to answer this is to know what your budget is first! It'd be great to recommend Vienna, but I know *I* can't afford what I'd want in Vienna, and that might apply to you too. Also, are you looking for a single family, townhouse, or condo?

Welcome to Northern Virginia!

[jpc088]

Like everyone else has already said, it depends on your budget. Vienna or Mclean would be ideal, but both of them are a little expensive.

Either way, driving in Tysons Corner can be like sitting in a parking lot. I'd recommend getting in early and leaving early, if you can have flexible hours.

[queen-Cleopatra]

You guys are awsome. I will start looking in the Fair Oaks area. I will keep you posted. Thanks again for all your help

[saganista]

Originally Posted by queen-Cleopatra

I am trying to find the best location for all three of us, somewhere I can drive to work and not spend hours in traffic, the one who is going to Mason can use public transportation and not have to take more than one or two means to get there, and the high schooler can go to a good school. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Vienna would be the logical answer. It is expensive on the north side of town, but not so much so on the south side. The Vienna Metro station is on the south side, and there are regular, all-day shuttles between there and the George Mason campus. In the rush hour, you can get from southside Vienna into Tysons Corner in about half an hour, but not on 123. Most days, traffic simply crawls on 123-N in the morning rush. The back roads offer a much more relaxing and effective alternative. If you found a place that was inside the Vienna Town limits, your HS-er would be slotted into James Madison, which is a very strong school. If a little to the west of town, Oakton HS is also very good. Warhawks, Cougars...the difference isn't all that great. Oakton HS is within easy walking distance of the Vienna Metro station (which itself is not in Vienna), and there are tons of very nice homes within a mile or two of the station itself that can be had for less than Vienna-like prices...