Going out in DC when living in Arlington/Alexandria (Falls Church: apartment, hotel)

[kers0714]

Hi! I recently got a job in Alexandria for the coming fall. I am looking to move around the first of August and would love any advice people are willing to offer about living in the area. My work is located in what looks like Southeast Rosemont (I don't know the area well so I just pulled that off google maps.) I want to stay within a 15 min drive of there, but closer is always a plus. Another big factor is that I want to be able to get in and out of DC on the metro fairly easily. I have a number of friends in the area and I'm hoping that I will be able to get in and out of DC on weekend nights without having to worry about driving myself in and out. The nice apartment buildings within walking distance to the metro all seem to be veryyy expensive. How does parking work at the metro stops in Alexandria/Arlington? If you go in around dinner on Friday/Saturday night, is it hard to find parking? Is it expensive? Is it easy to get a cab home from a metro stop on weekend nights after midnight? I basically am wondering how people manage getting in and out of the city on weekend nights when living in Northern VA without driving in. Any help is so appreciated. Thanks!

[CAVA1990]

Bus in Alexandria that runs to the Metro:

DASH: Welcome Aboard!

Metro website:

Metro - Home page

[Stephen 81]

There's no dedicated parking at most of the Metro stations in Arlington or Alexandria. East Falls Church and Van Dorn St. (possibly) are the only exceptions. That said, you can try to park your car near one of the Metro stations and then pick it up on your way home - metered spots are free after 6 or 6:30 in Arlington. Some stations (i.e. Clarendon) tend to be busier than others (like between Court House and Rosslyn).

[claremarie]

Depending upon the exact locations at either end, it can often be much faster to drive into DC on the weekends, other than on Friday nights, when you will also be coping with reverse commuters. But unless there is a Major Event downtown, like the Fourth of July, you should usually be able to find a parking spot at the Metro stations on weekends, and most weekday evenings (though not all stations have parking lots).
Your bigger housing constraint will be your desire to live within a 15 minute drive of your workplace. In northern Virginia, it can take 15 minutes, or more, to travel just two miles during rush hour, so that doesn't really give you many options. As you've observed, the nice apartment within walking distance of Metro are very expensive, because the supply is limited and the demand is high.
You should consider focusing on housing that will give you the best possible weekday commute, keeping in mind that the closer you get to DC or a Metro station, the more expensive the rent, all other things being equal.

[terrence81]

Honestly I'd look at places that were closer to work versus worrying about getting into the city on the weekends. If you're in Alexandria city proper you're like a 15-20 minute drive from the city on any given weekend night. A lot of people do like to take the metro into the city for a night out but honestly I say just drive to whatever is the closest metro station. Being close to work is way more important or do something in between.

Honestly living close to the metro is only worth the money for folks who work in the city or at least Arlington. If you're only utilizing it on Friday nights it just isnt' worth it. Welcome to Virginia and enjoy your time in the city but yeah the only reason to take the metro into the city is if you know you're going to consume large quanities of alcohol otherwise I say just drive into the city. Parking isn't that bad once you get the hang of it you discover little spots that almost always have ample parking.

[CaliTerp07]

There is a plethora of free parking in Crystal City on the weekends/evenings. When I lived in Alexandria and wanted to go out on the weekends, I'd either pay $15 for a cab to pentagon city and head in, or I'd park at the underground in crystal city (free after 4:00) and take the train from there.

[TRTFSHR]

On weekends, my friend occassionally parks at the Pentagon City mall then metros to DC. Don't know the cost but it might be worth looking at.

[kers0714]

Thanks so much for the replies! If you take a late metro back out to Braddock, King, Pentagon, Crystal, etc., does anyone know how hard it would be to get a cab from one of those stops? I'm thinking about the nights when I don't want to drive at all. I just want to make sure that if I don't live near the metro, my only options aren't either not drinking or having to stay with a friend in the city. I can occasionally do that but don't want to burden them. Thank you again! It's so nice to get advice from people that know the area.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

There is a plethora of free parking in Crystal City on the weekends/evenings. When I lived in Alexandria and wanted to go out on the weekends, I'd either pay $15 for a cab to pentagon city and head in, or I'd park at the underground in crystal city (free after 4:00) and take the train from there.

Ditto, except I didn't know about the underground parking in Crystal City. I just parked on the street at Pentagon City (meters free after 6pm and on weekends).

I'm not sure about all the stops, but it was always easy for me to get a cab at Pentagon City right by the Ritz. As for King Street, I've only been there late once or twice, but I remember a few cabs idling by the Metro. I'm not sure about Braddock, it's a little quieter there. For Crystal City I don't think it'd be that hard, though you may want to walk to a hotel cab stop.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by kers0714

Thanks so much for the replies! If you take a late metro back out to Braddock, King, Pentagon, Crystal, etc., does anyone know how hard it would be to get a cab from one of those stops? I'm thinking about the nights when I don't want to drive at all. I just want to make sure that if I don't live near the metro, my only options aren't either not drinking or having to stay with a friend in the city. I can occasionally do that but don't want to burden them. Thank you again! It's so nice to get advice from people that know the area.

Pentagon City and King Street should almost always have cabs there. Crystal City is a little quieter, but as a back up plan you could always go to the airport (one stop down) and be guaranteed a gazillion cabs.

Not sure about Braddock. I'd guess that one's pretty quiet.