Possible relocation to McLean, VA... questions? (Alexandria, Reston: apartment, crime, safe area)

[sapx2]

Hello,

I may have an opportunity to relocate with my company to McLean, VA. I am currently in Boston, MA. After doing soem research, I have found that rents in McLean are a little too high for me, and it was suggested that I look into Reston or Leesburg.

I am hoping that someone can give me a rundown of both Leesburg and Reston, and comment on what type of commute i'd have to McLean. Mapquest says under 20 minutes, but thats without any traffic. Also, would I be able to find a 1 bedroom apartment in a safe area for $850-$1000/month? I am mainly looking for a safe area... the ability to walk to stores, restaurants, bars etc would be a plus, but not necessary.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Sean

[saganista]

Crime and safety are unlikely to be significant issues almost anywhere in NoVa. Commuting definitely will be. There are issues from Reston to Tysons, but they are usually resolvable if you have say 45 minutes and change to do so. From Leesburg can be a different story, though the Greenway does offer some choice at a cost. Bus service is available either way, but may not offer the most in terms of convenience. Bad weather will make a mess of whatever you try to do. There is a reason why living space closer to Tysons is more expensive, and part of it is that you don't have the worst of the commuting issue to deal with...

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by sapx2

Hello,

I may have an opportunity to relocate with my company to McLean, VA. I am currently in Boston, MA. After doing soem research, I have found that rents in McLean are a little too high for me, and it was suggested that I look into Reston or Leesburg.

I am hoping that someone can give me a rundown of both Leesburg and Reston, and comment on what type of commute i'd have to McLean. Mapquest says under 20 minutes, but thats without any traffic. Also, would I be able to find a 1 bedroom apartment in a safe area for $850-$1000/month? I am mainly looking for a safe area... the ability to walk to stores, restaurants, bars etc would be a plus, but not necessary.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Sean

Leesburg would be substantially cheaper than Reston, and would add about a half hour each way to your commute depending on when you have to be in the office. Finding a 1BR for under $1k in Reston is going to be tough. I think you can probably do so in Leesburg though I don't live there and will defer to others. Finding a roommate on Craigslist for a 2BR apartment would open your options greatly.

Safety generally isn't an issue with either Reston or Leesburg (or McLean, for that matter). Largely very nice areas.

Welcome, in advance, to Northern Virginia!

[yochillyo]

You can probably find something in your price range in Alexandria and it wouldn't be a horrible commute up the GW Pkwy. It's also a better place to live as a single person than in Reston or Leesburg.

I wouldn't live in Leesburg if commuting is an issue for you and you're going any further than Tyson's Corner (and you are going further).