Townhouse in Alexandria (to rent, violent crime, townhouses)

[bangorme]

I'm going to be taking a job on N. Beauregard St. and would like to rent a townhouse in Alexandria in the $1600-1800 dollar range. I saw a 2006 post, and I'll paraphrase:

22304 biggest crime comcern here is smash-and-grab car break-ins

22305/22301- These zip codes are the ones i'd be the most worried about.

22302/22312/22311/22314- Not much in these ones to be worried about but i'd avoid parker-gray.

22303- Mixed reviews but not known for violent crime

22306/22309- If you go for something in these zip codes make sure it is very far away from Rt 1 S of the beltway and N of Ft Belvoir.

22307/22308/22310/22315- Few crime worries in these.

I'm wondering if these recommendations still hold? Any that stand out as far as Town Houses or commuting times?

Thanks.

[juniperbleu]

22311 will be very close to work. I lived in Archstone Newport Village, and it was about a 2 minute drive to Mark Center (not sure if that's where you're working) and 10 minutes to Landmark. Maybe 15 if there's traffic. I really liked the area, and only moved because I work in DC and need a metro within walking distance. 22314 is Old Town, which is very very safe (with the small exception of Parker Gray, but that's not really that bad compared to other places in the area, especially DC). Foxchase is also very nice, but I can't remember the zip code (I want to say 22304?).

In general, I'd try to aim to live north of work if you can, the main reason being traffic. Where I was, it was pretty much a non-issue (unless you wanted to use S. Van Dorn, that was usually a mess once past the Landmark Mall). Further south, however, it can be a big deal. Especially once you're out of the Beltway.

[pcity]

22301 is mostly Del Ray, which is safe. It's only the extreme northern end of 22301 that has crime worries. There are townhouses here but they're probably above your price range.

[redwingvs]

Hey Juniperbleu
I am looking into Archstone Newport Village and will need to get to work (Navy Yard) hopefully w/o my car, is this possible?

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by redwingvs

Hey Juniperbleu
I am looking into Archstone Newport Village and will need to get to work (Navy Yard) hopefully w/o my car, is this possible?

Sure, it's possible. Take the 7B to the Pentagon (picks up across the street from the big Archstone sign or on Fillmore & Beauregard), take the yellow line 1 stop to L'Enfant and then transfer to the green to the Navy Yard (2nd stop). It generally took me about 40 minutes to get to the Archives stop, so depending on how long it takes you to transfer, Navy Yard shouldn't be too different. Green line trains tend to run pretty often (more so than yellow), so during rush hour you may have to wait about 3 minutes.

There are other buses at Archstone, but the 7B is the fastest (almost an express). The other buses are (in order from shortest ride to longest) 25C/25A, and 7A/7E/7F to the Pentagon, and then the AT6 to King Street. If you miss the 7B or are outside its hours, go for a 25. The only difference is that 7A/7E/7F stop at Braddock & Beauregard or Fillmore & Beauregard, not the main entrance.

In general, if you work normal, regular hours the commute's not that bad. However, if you don't (like my roommate) it can be a hassle.