Working in DC from Fairfax or Woodbridge? (Burke, Chantilly: 2015, crime)

[NOEL123]

Hi There-

We will be working in DC and still figuring out where is the best location to live considering all factors such traffic, house size and especially quality of school. What would be the pro and cons between these two location. Would be better to drive to DC instead taking train? Could you please kindly share your opinion.

Thanks.

[ChristineVA]

In general, Fairfax is going to be a better commute than Woodbridge, but you don't say where in Fairfax. Do you mean Fairfax, Fairfax City, or just Fairfax County in general. I have coworkers and friends that live more on the Centerville, Chantilly, and Clifton areas of Fairfax and their ride is no better than mine from Woodbridge and, in fact, can be worse.

VRE is a good option from the Burke area of Fairfax. Metro is there in Springfield.

Woodbridge is going to give you MUCH more house for your dollar but you will have a longer commute and lower-ranked schools.

[HomesForAllVA]

Part of this answer depends on where in DC you will be working. Is it near a Metro stop? If so, which one (which line)? Do you want to live walking distance from Metro or will you drive/park? (There are also slug lots in Springfield and other places which can also be a good option.) You can learn more about those here: Slug-Lines.com - Slugging and Slug Lines Information For Washington DC

If you are concerned about good schools you may want to rethink living in DC (unless you want to go to private schools). Here is a great resource for school ratings GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community. Fairfax County schools are pretty highly rated overall.

Once you narrow down the school thing, then you should look at budget. What can you afford? Often once you bring those 2 factors into play, you'll have a much better answer for the where.

[NOEL123]

Thanks ChristineVA and HomesForALLVA-

I don't really know much about NOVA but below are some of the zip code from my home search that we liked due to good quality of public school;
Fairfax, VA 22033
Burke, VA 22015

Our budget is up to 300K for 3bd 2bthrm. Most important is school for our kids since they are currently in a great public school.

The office will be 2 or 3 blocks away from Metro Center Station or near White House. I'd really like to live close to Metro so don't have to drive to train station. I don't mind driving to work but taking metro seems more cost efficient.

Which one is better in safety bet' Fairfax and Woodbridge?

[gomason]

Originally Posted by NOEL123

Thanks ChristineVA and HomesForALLVA-

I don't really know much about NOVA but below are some of the zip code from my home search that we liked due to good quality of public school;
Fairfax, VA 22033
Burke, VA 22015

Our budget is up to 300K for 3bd 2bthrm. Most important is school for our kids since they are currently in a great public school.

The office will be 2 or 3 blocks away from Metro Center Station or near White House. I'd really like to live close to Metro so don't have to drive to train station. I don't mind driving to work but taking metro seems more cost efficient.

Which one is better in safety bet' Fairfax and Woodbridge?

You need to reset your expectations. You're not going to be able to walk to a Metro station with that budget.


Your best bet would be to probably find something in the Woodbridge area and take a bus downtown. There are tons of buses between Metro Center and Woodbridge and include free parking at the park & ride lot: OmniRide and Metro Direct Schedules/06.


Don't worry about the safety of the bus. It's very safe and there are a lot of professionals on them.

[HomesForAllVA]

In that price range there are options available to you primarily in Burke (think townhouse). Depending where in Burke you could take the VRE in. As for transportation, all areas are pretty safe from a commuter stand point. You may however want to check out crime statistics in Woodbrige vs Fairfax. Parts of Woodbridge can be challenging. Also consider parts of Springfield (22152).

[NOEL123]

Thanks Gomason but taking Omniride is gonna be a long ride at least an hour on road.

Thanks again HomesForALLVA, Burke and Springfield are being considered as well.

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by NOEL123

Thanks Gomason but taking Omniride is gonna be a long ride at least an hour on road.

Thanks again HomesForALLVA, Burke and Springfield are being considered as well.

Burke is way too expensive for you. Most of fairfax county is, maybe Woodbridge is the better option. Even then you still have to increase your budget. You know the DC area has one of the highest COL right?

[ChristineVA]

$300,000K is tough. Honestly, some of the nicer homes/townhomes in Woodbridge are going to be a stretch.

Both areas are safe but statistically, Fairfax would have less crime by it would vary by zip code.

[NOEL123]

Thanks everyone for all the input but looking at my budget limitation where would be the location that you could suggest to us beside Fairfax and Woodbridge that has a good public school.