Daily comute into DC versus A weekend drive to East TN? (Alexandria: best neighborhoods, neighborhoods)

[tigger37708]

where would you live if you wanted to balance the daily comute with a weekend drive to east TN?

We are moving up from Tennessee for work.
But plan on driving back to east TN almost every weekend or every other weekend on a continual basis.

I understand the advise to live close in to work for the comute.
But the flip side is getting caught in hours of traffic when trying to head south west out of town.

If you were trying to balance those two criteria,
where would you live?

To be more precice, which metro or VRE station would you live near if you also wanted a quick driving exit from the DC area?

[VEIK]

where is my confused smiley....

[tigger37708]

whats confusing?
i want it all
aquick easy walk or drive to the metro or VRE into DC
and a smooth fast way to leave town on the weekends
plus low rent
and pets allowed
and a nice upscale neighborhood
and movies and shopping within walking distance
and free parking
and a fenced yard

[VEIK]

The only Upscale area thats serviced by VRE is Old Town Alexandria, IMHO.

[tamitrail]

You can't have both (we would all like what you are listing)...If you want an easy commute to work, it's not going to be a smooth, easy ride out of town to TN, especially in the summer. Which things on your list are you willing to give up?

[tigger37708]

I was not actually serious about wanting it all.
I understand there will be tradeoffs.
thats what im looking for
a good middle ground
i would trade or give up some ease of the daily comute
to be better positioned for the weekend drive south.
i will also give up liging in the best neighborhoods and will be content with average, (not dangerous).

how about this?
is there a smooth way to exit the dc area in a southwesterly direction?
I dont know weekend traffic patterns.
so what looks good on a map may in fact be stop n go gridlock.

When you head southwest on friday evening
which way do you go?
which way do you avoid?

p.s. thanks to VIEK. e

[VEIK]

There is no smooth way to exit DC after 3pm on Friday evening.

I-95, biggest road out of the city, but its painfully slow going south.

[FindingZen]

You might be able to minimize the pain somewhat but IMO finding a comfortable middle ground will be difficult at best.

Looking at a map website, I'm assumng that you would be taking I-81 into TN. If so, consider Winchester or maybe even Front Royal. These are definitely exurbs that will burn a lot of time and gas on your commute to DC... but they are on or reasonably close to I-81. Invest in a subscription to audio books or satellite radio to help pass the 2-hour commute into the city. You'll be fairly unique but not alone; you'll have company down through most of Fairfax County.

[fjennell]

I work in DC and several people commute from west va (harpers ferry area) on the MARC train - its quite a hike for commuting but the housing prices are really cheap there compared to anything anywhere near DC and i would think that driving from there to TN would be a lot less traffic. Anywhere within a 60-100 mile radius of DC is awful on Friday nights. Something to consider.

[toupsee]

You could catch the VRE in Manassas or Broad Run, then on Fri. afternoon leave work early (or not), take the By-Pass to 66. It is 6 hours to where I-81 changes to I-40, 7 to downtown Knoxville. (73mph). Its a straight shot and a pleasant ride. Coming back Sun. afternoon, traffic is heavy through the Roanoke area, and then again coming back into the Metro area.