Military Spouse moving to VA Need Advice (Arlington, Alexandria: fit in, apartment)

[mariah2bori]

Hello, I am a military spouse and my husband has just gotten orders that we will be moving to VA. We are not sure where to go. He is an E-5 and he was looking into a place in Arlington. We have concerns about traffic and have heard that many places in VA are not the nicest. We have no children and are definetly looking to stay in a nice affordable neighborhood. Any suggestions?
I am currently in the process of looking for a job around that area and have found some potentials in Fairfax County. I am not sure if that is too far from Arlington? I have a degree in Criminal Justice and am looking into Emergency Management or Juvenile Diversion, I am not too sure where to start I have just been looking through county websites. Please let me know if you can suggest a place for me to look that matches my career path.
I am so glad I found this website I was so overwhelmed it is really nice to know that others such as yourselves are very caring and are able to help got novices.

[irisheyes13]

I may be misreading your post but do you know what base or post he will be assigned to? Parts of Fairfax County are very close to parts of Arlington but it would be helpful if you could post more specifics. Where how much (affordable is different to different people) etc.. Also you may want to place this on the NOVA (Northern VA) thread. I think you will get more responses there..

[ThePiedPiper]

If he's going to be stationed at the Pentagon, there are a couple of condo areas that often have rentals near there. One is called Fairlington. The other is The Arlington. They're located off King Street, near 395. I had a condo at The Arlington for seven years and it was terrific. Quiet, pretty safe, and nicely maintained. I haven't been there in a while though. I know many lived in Fairlington and most seemed pretty happy there. Your commute to the Fairfax area would then be west on Rt. 7 to Rt. 50. West on 50 out into Fairfax. Not too bad, as you'd be mostly going against the worst of the traffic. Not knowing where you're considering working in Fairfax, I don't know what else I can tell you.

By the way, when I sold my condo in '94, I moved to Fairfax -- bought a house a mile from the Vienna metro. Another great choice. But probably above an E-5's salary.

[ThePiedPiper]

With a criminal justice background, you might be able to get a job with either Homeland Security or DOJ. I worked for DOJ for over 17 years and it was a great outfit. Now would be a good time to start tracking job announcements on usajobs

USAJOBS - The Federal Government's Official Jobs Site

[eekgads]

Hi, My spouse was an E-6 when we moved to Northern VA & we had children. Being childless is a positive for your situation. We lived in NoVA for 6 yrs & my impression is that it's NOT child-friendly...w/ traffic, childcare, etc. Arlington & most of NoVA has a high cost of living and parts have a high standard of living.

Your career path should fit in well w/ what's available in the area & there's lots to look at. If you have a security clearance, you are guaranteed a job.

Because of the high density population in NoVA, traffic is a definite concern no matter what county you choose to live or work in. The trick is knowing how to get around. Use Google Maps, GPS, radio station traffic alerts, neighbors & co-workers to help you navigate. You will find that traffic is always a hot topic & is frequently brought up in social circumstances.

Good luck!

[onevthoki]

Mariah -

Definitely give us an idea on the installation, and then we should be able to help you out a bit more.

[Newk]

Have you used your one time opportunity to be a government civilian considering your spouse is in the military? It might be a great time to start working for the federal government.

[tanyaru]

If your husband works in pentagon and you will find work in Fairfax county then you should probably look at the apartment option in Alexandria. The ones you mentioned in your original post are in a good location because you have access to all big highways. You should also look a little bit more south from there. Alexandria is generally less expensive then Arlington.

[theamericanguy]

The Lyon Park Neighborhood if you can afford it is where I used to live, it was a very nice family-oriented community. I would HIGHLY recommend moving there if you can. It is also just minutes away from Fort Myer. The schools in this area are also very nice

[mirandaja]

Yes, it depends on what base he'll be at. If he's going to be at the Pentagon, I agree with whoever said Fairlington/Shirlington area. I live in Fairlington Villiages and the metrobus comes through the neighborhood every 15-20 min. 7 days a week going to the Pentagon. It would be a very convienent commute and close enought to Fairfax for you as well.

If he is a Fort Meyer then the Lyon Park suggestion is a very good one.