Vienna or Springfield (Arlington, Alexandria, Burke: for sale, renting, HOA)

[sabistarr]

We are trying to buy a small townhouse in the $300's, and looking at Vienna and Springfield.

We are essentially looking for a community which we can invest in, and become a part of - especially important to me as I am foreign (UK) with few friends in the area. I LOVE Old Town Alexandria, and the lifestyle it promises, but we just cannot afford it at the moment. Further, we need good access to daycare as I am having a baby soon! Any ideas of if Vienna or Springfield meet these needs better?

Since we both work in the district, we need to be near a metro. If we cannot walk to a metro, there should be a bus/other transport. We have heard that there are some developments provide shuttle buses - does anyone know which developments or how I can find out more about this?

Thanks in advance....

[Denton56]

It will be very difficult to find a townhouse in Vienna for under $400,000. According to this website, there are only a handful of townhouses for sale in that range in Vienna:
Vienna Townhomes For Sale — Trulia.com

I am sorry that I can't help with Springfield. I am not familiar with that part of FC.

[JD984]

Denton56 is correct with respect to the limited number of townhouses with a Vienna mailing address listed below $400K.

I think there are more townhouses, though, in this price range in the 22031 Fairfax zip code (just south of the Vienna 22180 zip code), and some of those properties do claim to be within walking district of the Vienna metro station. A lot of these townhouses are just south of Route 29 (Lee Highway).

[HopeToComeHome]

My family and I used to live in Springfield and enjoyed it very much. (We moved to the midWest to be closer to family) We lived in Greenwood, which is a townhome neighborhood right on the border of Springfield and Alexandira. On a map, find the intersection of Seatrend and Franconia Road. Seatrend is the street that leads into the neighborhood. We had a townhome of about 1300 sq ft and they are currently selling for mid $300s (although there are some larger and some smaller in the neighborhood). They were built in 1996...but there are some newer and bigger ones in the back of the neighborhood that are much more $ (obviously)

The best part is that there is a path at the end of the neighborhood that leads directly to the Franconia/springfield metro. don't want to walk? Well, the neighborhood has a shuttle that works during the am and pm rush hours that will pick you up and drop you off. The HOA fee was so minimal, especially considering the free shuttle.

There were lots of families in the neighborhood and lots of in-home child care options (our babysitter was in the neighborhood). The neighborhood is close to Kingstowne which offers some great grocery stores.

[Skapov]

Vienna is very pricey, but in West Springfield you should have no problem finding a TH for <$400k, and many are very very nice! And btw, Vienna has nothing to offer for families with small children as far as I know, and I get the impression that it's mostly older DINKs who live there. Good Luck!

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Skapov

Vienna is very pricey, but in West Springfield you should have no problem finding a TH for <$400k, and many are very very nice! And btw, Vienna has nothing to offer for families with small children as far as I know, and I get the impression that it's mostly older DINKs who live there. Good Luck!

Goodness - you could have given a shout-out for Springfield without getting your facts on Vienna so wrong!

Vienna may be pricey (though most of it is more affordable than, say, McLean, Great Falls or parts of Fairfax Station), but one of the primary reasons is that it has a lot to offer families with children of different ages - parks, libraries, community pools, special events at Wolf Trap tailored to children, pre-schools, sports leagues, proximity to good physicians, and strong schools. In addition, the W&OD trail - which is great for biking and jogging - runs through the heart of Vienna.

There may be older residents who stay in Vienna after their children have grown, but that's because they like their neighborhood. DINKs - whether younger or older - in NoVa tend to live closer to DC in places with a more urban character like Alexandria or Arlington.

[On an unrelated note, if you are doing a test drive from Burke to DC next week, don't despair too much if it's a long commute. Traffic from VA into DC has been unusually heavy since New Year's, perhaps due to pre-inauguration planning, and I'm hoping it will get better soon.]

[claremarie]

JEB77 is correct -- there is no shortage of families with young children in Vienna. And if you don't absolutely have to buy now, I'd seriously consider renting for a few years until the market stabilizes.

[saganista]

Yes, I would say that being a great place to raise kids of any age is one of the things that Vienna is noted for. Great schools and pre-schools, lots of sitters, lots of sports and activities, lots of woods and trees, lots of creeks to explore, lots of parks and pools...and the W&OD Trail is a great resource once they get old enough to be out on their own some too...

[pbrouse]

Vienna is going to be higher in terms of price for the most part. All of fairfax county has good schools. I have been in or near springfield my whole life. One nice neighborhood in springfield is The Timbers just off of rolling rd and hill side rd. nice sized townhouses are going for around the mid to low 300s.

[claremarie]

Vienna is generally more expensive for a reason -- many people would rather live there than in Springfield. I've never lived in either, but have spent a fair amount of time schlepping swimmers all over Fairfax, and visiting my sister in Burke. I'd choose Vienna over Springfield, if for no other reason than to avoid the whole Springfield mixing bowl -- it's MUCH better than it used to be, but I think the roads around Vienna are generally easier to manage.