Commuting to Chevy Chase, MD from Tysons/McLean vs. Arlington (Merrifield: apartments, rent)

[finwon]

Hi all,

My wife and I are relocating to Northern Virginia for my new job in Chevy Chase located on Wisconsin Ave near Friendship Heights Station. Due to several reasons, we've decided to live in NOVA instead in MD, and found both Tysons/McLean and Arlington are nice towns with clean apartments.

Interesting facts that I've found in the past few weeks strictly from the web;

I've used Google Map over the past weeks to see how much the commute would take from either city for my specific work hours (I will leave home in the morning at as early as 7:30 and no later than 8 am, and will leave from the work at around 6-6:30 pm), and in general, it seems to take about 5-10 min longer to go to Chevy Chase from Arlington than from Tysons/McLean although it usually has less traffic and a shorter route, probably because the route consists entirely of all non-highway local roads.

There is no single modern apartment community in Tysons/McLean that has 4.0 or better Google reviews, whereas Arlington has several. Hmm.. thought it was funny. The rent for 2bd apartments are around $3,500 for both cities

Anyway, if you have any experience of commuting from either Tysons/McLean or Arlington to Maryland, which city do you think is better in terms of the commute time to Chevy Chase?

Would appreciate any comments!

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by finwon

Hi all,

My wife and I are relocating to Northern Virginia for my new job in Chevy Chase located on Wisconsin Ave near Friendship Heights Station. Due to several reasons, we've decided to live in NOVA instead in MD, and found both Tysons/McLean and Arlington are nice towns with clean apartments.

Interesting facts that I've found in the past few weeks strictly from the web;

I've used Google Map over the past weeks to see how much the commute would take from either city for my specific work hours (I will leave home in the morning at as early as 7:30 and no later than 8 am, and will leave from the work at around 6-6:30 pm), and in general, it seems to take about 5-10 min longer to go to Chevy Chase from Arlington than from Tysons/McLean although it usually has less traffic and a shorter route, probably because the route consists entirely of all non-highway local roads.

There is no single modern apartment community in Tysons/McLean that has 4.0 or better Google reviews, whereas Arlington has several. Hmm.. thought it was funny. The rent for 2bd apartments are around $3,500 for both cities

Anyway, if you have any experience of commuting from either Tysons/McLean or Arlington to Maryland, which city do you think is better in terms of the commute time to Chevy Chase?

Would appreciate any comments!

Not sure exactly w0here you are looking i Arlington, it will certainly make a difference. Crystal City versus Rosslyn versus Ballston will matter.


Also, tracking Google map times in the summer is very misleading. Your commute will be much longer.

[dkf747]

Both are similar if using the Chain Bridge, which is the way I would go. If using the Beltway to River road or other route, Both will be similar, but it’s a bit loner from Arlington. I would choose Tyson’s/McLean in that case. Just my thoughts. Others may disagree.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Both are similar if using the Chain Bridge, which is the way I would go.

Not true. When using Chain Bridge from Tysons/ McLean, you will need to sit in a lot of traffic on 123 in the morning. Not similar at all.

[NOVAmtneer82]

Spencer is correct- your specific location in Arlington will impact the commute time.

And definitely make sure to not base summer averages on commutes. Once all the schools are in session after Labor Day and people are no longer taking vacations/ flex work/ long weekends, etc , things on the traffic front go from bad to worse.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Not true. When using Chain Bridge from Tysons/ McLean, you will need to sit in a lot of traffic on 123 in the morning. Not similar at all.

There's lots of traffic in Arlington too, but I'll concede it's better from there than from Tysons.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by dkf747

There's lots of traffic in Arlington too, but I'll concede it's better from there than from Tysons.

Yeah, by "a lot of traffic", I mean that you will be sitting on 123 for 15 minutes waiting to turn L onto Chain Bridge, especially at the times the OP is leaving. Coming home is much better.


As someone who is very familiar with a commute from Virginia to DC/ MA, it is much better to take Clara Barton or River Road than the Chain Bridge if you live in Tysons.



Now depending on your location in Arlington (i.e very close to these bridges), Chain Bridge or Key Bridge might be a better option.


Roads that are always backed up in the morning:


1) 123N towards Chain Bridge
2) GW Parkway N towards the Beltway
3) Clara Barton E (between Cabin John Pkwy and Chain Bridge)
4) River Road E from the Beltway to Wilson

[gefblueapple]

Tysons and Arlington (Ballston-Rosslyn corridor) are basically a wash when it comes to traffic. It sucks you'll have to cross a bridge (always a bottleneck) but you'll be doing a "reverse" commute and the total distance isn't too bad. Overall, those are the best options if you're living in NOVA from a commute and standard of living perspective.

I'd say the bigger difference is the vibe of each area. Orange-Line Arlington is very walkable with charm (although Ballston thru Rosslyn you'll get very different neighborhoods). Tysons and Blue/Yellow-Line Arlington (Pentagon City and Crystal City) are much bigger office buildings with residential and walking as an afterthought as they were both built for large office buildings and lots of vehicle traffic. I'd caution against going off just online reviews since they're so biased to people who hold a grudge and aren't really representative.

Take a look at a view in each area and then decide from there. If you want a bit less expensive try areas around Merrifield/Mosaic or Pentagon/Crystal City. The commute might be 10-15 minutes more but your dollar might go a bit further.

[finwon]

[/quote]Also, tracking Google map times in the summer is very misleading. Your commute will be much longer.[/quote]

That's a very good point that never came across to me. Thanks!

[finwon]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Also, tracking Google map times in the summer is very misleading. Your commute will be much longer.

That's a very good point that never came across to me. Thanks!