How are the townhouses just east of Franconia Springfield Metro? (Fort Belvoir: rentals, neighborhood)

[knokout1]

I'm referring to the ones on the west side of Belulah, circled here.

I just found out I'm moving to Springfield VA in about 2 months, and being a software developer I'd like to keep my options open by living as close to the metro as possible. I know parking isn't difficult at the station, but if I can get by without needing a second car that'd be great (wife will be driving to her job across from Springfield Town Center). I'm looking to rent, for at least a few years

Things I'm mostly concerned about are safety, how nice (not falling apart or in need of constant maintenance), and things to do nearby. I'd also like to avoid a neighborhood that isn't too hard to drive around with constant congestion.

So could any locals give some input on this small area? Is it better to go East into Kingstowne and make the drive? I'm also open to any locations you think would be a good fit for us. Any information is much appreciated.

[ersatz]

The area is pretty safe overall, though the nearby Manchester Lakes shopping center attracts petty crime. It's easy to walk to a number of shops, businesses and restaurants nearby. Getting around without a car is fairly easy M- F, as Beulah Road has the 231 and 232 circulator loop buses. On the weekend, you would need to walk further to the shopping center to catch the 321/322 loop buses that run seven days a week. See https://www.wmata.com/schedules/maps...m-Map-2018.pdf for overall transit options. See https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/schedules for specific schedules.

I lived in the area for eight years without a car and got around fine. The one caveat is that you need to be rather zen and in no hurry at any particular time. I found it also very budget friendly, as I could only buy what I could carry. Brush up on your Spanish if you want to talk with most of your fellow passengers.

Further down Manchester Blvd (it turns into Kingstowne Blvd) is another shopping center with more restaurants and a movie theater. If you ride the buses to the metro station (you can walk to Springfield metro if you don't mind a walk of a mile or so) that puts all of the greater DC-Baltimore metro area within reach. I've used my metro Smarttrip card to ride from Franconia-Springfield to the Baltimore Inner Harbor. It takes half a day but it can be done. You will never run out of stuff to do around here.

Traffic congestion isn't too bad outside of rush hour on most of the roads. Van Dorn and Franconia Road usually choke up around 8 am and 5 pm, as does Telegraph Road around the Coast Guard station and Fort Belvoir. Kingstowne, Springfield and Franconia are filled with townhome communities that offer rentals, and you can also find single family homes for rent as well. The area is pretty transient thanks to the high number of military that live in the area, so there are always rentals available. Use the Virginia transit map link provided above to figure out which ones are within easy reach of a bus line.