relocating for work with family to northern va - where to live? (Burke: budget)

[rebelyank]

I am close to having an offer with a company in McLean, VA and need some advice on the best place to live. We have school aged kids and both work, but do not have trust funds if you know what I mean.

How long of a commute is it from Burke, VA to McLean/Tyson's Corner? We are looking for a reasonable commute, friends for our kids and places to train for marathons. Any other suggestions besides Burke? Is Maryland a viable option?

[dullnboring]

In non-rush hour traffic, a commute from Burke to Tysons/McLean will run about 20 minutes. During rush hour, figure around 35-45 minutes. It will require a trip on the Beltway, unless you use a series of backroads, where traffic conditions can vary greatly from one day to the next. Maryland is a viable option for commuting to Tysons/McLean. In fact, a good number of places in Maryland are actually much closer than Burke, however, these areas are chiefly some of the most expensive parts of the DC area in places like Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac. I'm not sure how much you're working with in terms of housing budgets, but if you've looked up housing prices in Burke and are comfortable with them, prices in Rockville are pretty similar and it is roughly just as far away from Tysons/McLean as Burke, although likely a tiny bit longer. The disadvantage of living in Maryland and commuting is that it would REQUIRE a commute on the Beltway at least for a stretch, as you'd need to drive on it simply to cross the river.

I don't think really you're any more likely in one community than another to find friends for your children as that is a heavily localized issue, oftentimes down to the specific street you move to. And as far as marathon training goes, there's a park in Burke called Burke Lake Park, and I'm sure parks elsewhere that I'd imagine have running paths.

[TBJOLLYT]

We Lived In Fairfax County, Lorton Area, Near Burke For Over 30 Years Before We Moved In Southern Virginia Just Recently. If You Have Small Children, They Have Next To The Best School Districts In The United States. They Are Ranked In The Top 5 For School And Top 2 For Transportation. The Housing Is A Little Expensive But If Education Is What I Was Looking For Fairfax Co, Burke Anywhere In That Area Would Be My Choice.

Burke Has Some Great Schools You Can Do Some Marathon Running And The Roads Are Kept Up.

I Hope This Will Help Some.

[claremarie]

I live in McLean, which is a very nice and convenient place to live (especially if you're working in McLean!), though expensive. There are still a few neighborhoods where the average house is under $750K, such as Kent Gardens and the neighborhoods closest to McLean High School. Check the 22101 zip code on realtor.com for some idea of what you can buy there.
If McLean isn't an option, you might consider Vienna, which is just past Tyson's Corner along route 123, and no more than a 15 minute commute to most of the commercial parts of McLean where your future employer most likely is located. The Orange Line train into DC begins at Vienna, so it is convenient if your spouse will be working in DC. Madison High school is very highly rated and not quite as large as some of the secondary schools in Burke.
Vienna is right on the W&OD bike path, which extends from the Falls Church area out past Leesburg and is a popular training spot for runners.
The City of Falls Church is also worth considering. It is about two square miles and has its own highly-rated school system. The houses tend to be small, older, and expensive, but it is much closer to McLean than Burke and has a small-town (albeit very liberal and "crunchy") feel. There is a "Falls Church" part of Fairfax County, but it is NOT part of the COFC, so don't get confused. Many realtors aren't very careful about making the distinction clear in their ads. You can run on the bike path all the way into DC, and then down to Mount Vernon on a separate trail. It's a beautiful place to train, though it can get crowded on weekends in nice weather.
Generally, the school quality (as measured by test scores, etc.) tracks the socioeconomic characteristics of the surrounding neighborhoods. Most schools in Fairfax are great, especially compared with elsewhere in the country, but some are iffier than others, usually because they are located in areas with immigrant and other lower-income housing.
I would try Falls Church and Vienna before Burke, but Burke will definitely have more affordable housing.