New job in Falls Church (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, townhomes, school)

[Angelsgeek]

I am a single mother who has accepted a job at Fort Belvoir but the position is in Falls Church. I live in Pennsylvania and do not know the area. I have been reading all of the advice about living in NOVA and printing out safe places to live. My question is -- what if I can get housing on-base (doubtful), what is the commute like between Fort Belvoir and Falls Church? Would I be better off living in Falls Church (saving on gas is imp but will sacrifice that if living on-base is better option)?

[saganista]

It's a bit of a hike from Ft. Belvoir up to Falls Church. Nearly 20 miles, and it will be a painful 20 miles if you'd be travelling during rush hour. All else being equal, you'd likely be better off in the Falls Church area. Single Mom-ism is tough enough without adding to the stress and strain...I'd try to stay as close to the job site as possible...

[Darksword]

From what I've been reading on these boards Falls Church is a nice place to live, and kinda in the center of everything. I'm sure you'd be much happier living within 1-2 miles of your job instead of having to battle rush-hour traffic day in and day out. And I'm guessing that same traffic during bad weather would be especially brutal.

[CaseyMac]

I would see how close I could get to Falls Church. There are tons of different apartments and townhomes to choose from in Falls Church. It's just there is so much traffic getting out of Fort Belvoir in that East Springfield/Alexandria area and if your child gets sick at school, etc., you don't want to have a longer drive to deal with.

[nva79]

Falls Church is a little older area, but very close to DC and is Metro accesible from two stops, along with the Falls Church "George" bus service. Living on base would be a little dull (I think). I wouldnt want to drive from ft. belvoir to falls church every day. plus to take metro, you would have to go all the way inbound from springfield to rosslyn and then to fc. Way too much hassle. Just live in Falls Church if possible. Much more easier. North Arlington county is a little nicer and not far from fc and even closer to dc. come down to fc and take a look to see if it is something you would like.

[Angelsgeek]

I want to thank you all. The more I read the more I am liking the idea of living in Falls Church or close to it. I think I needed other people to confirm what I was thinking was the right way to go.