What do you think about this area in Alexandria, VA? (Fairfax: cheap apartments, for rent)

[emmy22]

Hi, I am trying to find an apartment. I am from out of state. What do you think about the area between the Capital Beltway and I395 around Estall Rd? Are the apartments poor quality and is the crime bad in that area? I noticed they seemed cheaper than many other apartments in Alexandria. Also, what about the area north of Huntley Meadows Park. I am trying to find an apartment near where my husband will be working, which is near Manchester Blvd. If both the areas I suggested aren't a good area, do you know of another area nearby. He doesn't want to spend more than 20 minutes driving to work. Thanks for any help.

[ChristineVA]

I worked in an office (up until this past March) that was right off Edsall Road and 395. Overall, it is not a great area and houses and rents are fairly cheap. They have built some new condos right at 395 that look nice and are pulling higher rent, but if you travel down the hill, just a bit---oh boy, not great. I don't know if it is crime ridden; however, there are a ton of older, cheap apartments and these are filled with the large influx of El Salvadoran population we have here. That area is a big enclave for them. A little further down Edsall, my cousin has a townhouse there in a big community and that seems to be okay. She really does love the commute from there and it is an ideal location for commuting.

As for the Huntley Meadows Park area, I'm not sure about that.

[CaseyMac]

In Nova, if you are finding cheaper prices, it's because it has a high immigrant population and may not be the most desirable place to be. There's nothing wrong with diversity, but unfortunately we have people here who come from countries where piling up 20 people in a two bedroom apartment is normal and acceptable. So in other words, I would not live in the apartments off of Edsall Road.

If you are looking for a cheaper, but safe living situation, I might try and offer a little lower of an offer to someone advertising on Craigslist. It may not work, but if you try it with 40 postings, you may find one taker. Best of luck to you.

[JEB77]

Originally Posted by CaseyMac

In Nova, if you are finding cheaper prices, it's because it has a high immigrant population and may not be the most desirable place to be. There's nothing wrong with diversity, but unfortunately we have people here who come from countries where piling up 20 people in a two bedroom apartment is normal and acceptable. So in other words, I would not live in the apartments off of Edsall Road.

If you are looking for a cheaper, but safe living situation, I might try and offer a little lower of an offer to someone advertising on Craigslist. It may not work, but if you try it with 40 postings, you may find one taker. Best of luck to you.

Maybe this is off-point (doesn't deal with Edsall Road), but are you suggesting that it's typical for, say, El Salvadorans to live 20 to an apartment in San Salvador? I was under the impression that this is what happens (sometimes) in the US, because the immigrants are trying to save on rent, scrape by, and earn enough to send something back to their relatives back home. I assumed they probably had more space, but were flat-out cash-poor, in their home countries.

Who knows - before the current crisis is over in the US, we may find a large number of families forced to move in with relatives as well.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by emmy22

Hi, I am trying to find an apartment. I am from out of state. What do you think about the area between the Capital Beltway and I395 around Estall Rd? Are the apartments poor quality and is the crime bad in that area? I noticed they seemed cheaper than many other apartments in Alexandria. Also, what about the area north of Huntley Meadows Park. I am trying to find an apartment near where my husband will be working, which is near Manchester Blvd. If both the areas I suggested aren't a good area, do you know of another area nearby. He doesn't want to spend more than 20 minutes driving to work. Thanks for any help.

I live not too far from this area (off Duke St East from 395.) Honestly, the Landmark area (a small section of the West End) is currently seeing a rise in crime. See my thread for my observations.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-west-end.html

Yes, ChristineinVA has a point about the illegal immigrant population but, shockingly, this is not the section of Alexandria that has the most illegals, Arlandria wins that award with Rt. 1 in the Fairfax County Alexandria a close second.

Personally, i think this is more about what you are willing to put up with than it is a bad area or not. I live here and haven't had any problems. But i dont blame you for taking comparably priced options in better areas (if you can find any.)

[Tone509]

The apartments immediately north of Huntley Meadows Park (e.g. Lafayette, Beacon Hill) aren't the greatest environment to live in. While the nearby midscale retail is convenient, some complexes along Rt. 1 have petty crime issues. A similarly-priced alternative would be further north at Belle Haven Towers which, while some distance from shopping, is walking distance to the Huntington Metro Station.

BTW, Manchester Blvd. is in the middle of Alexandria's Kingstowne neighborhood, a safe if antiseptic area of condos, apartments and townhomes and plenty of shopping. If safety - and convenience - is what you're looking for, Kingstowne is it.

[emmy22]

Thanks for the replies so far. We are willing to pay more for rent if we need to. We were just not sure how much we will need to spend to get a nice apartment. What I mean by nice is good quality, but it doesn't have to be really fancy. From doing some research, I am getting the picture that I will probably need to spend between $1600-$2000 to get what I am looking for. Do you think this is about right? Also, I don't want to be in a neighborhood with a lot of crime. I am from Tennessee where the cost of living is much cheaper so that's why I am not sure what price range I need to be looking for to find what I want.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by emmy22

Thanks for the replies so far. We are willing to pay more for rent if we need to. We were just not sure how much we will need to spend to get a nice apartment. What I mean by nice is good quality, but it doesn't have to be really fancy. From doing some research, I am getting the picture that I will probably need to spend between $1600-$2000 to get what I am looking for. Do you think this is about right? Also, I don't want to be in a neighborhood with a lot of crime. I am from Tennessee where the cost of living is much cheaper so that's why I am not sure what price range I need to be looking for to find what I want.

How many bedrooms are you looking for? Your price range will definitely get you a 1B and probably a 2BR in the areas you are considering. Just up the road from Belle Haven Towers are Huntington Gateway and Riverside, both of which offer more amenties including a shuttle bus to the Metro.

You should be able to get a 2BR in Kingstowne as well. I don't know enough about apts over there to give a specific recommendation.

[Azmordean]

I am staying with family in the area you speak of - Bren Mar Park subdivision off Edsall Rd. The area has improved greatly in recent years, and is basiclally mixed now. Some really nice condos and new townhouses, some older but relatively nice single family homes (like the neighborhood I am in), and some bad bad subsidized apartment complexes. There are also some very nice newer apartments.

The location is exceedingly convenient with a lot of your everyday needs nearby, quite close to 3 malls, and very close to DC, the beltway, and 395.

If I wasn't interested in a more urban setting, I'd strongly consider this area when I get my own place thanks to the convenience and pretty good prices. The houses in this neighborhood were up over 500K (a lot for 3br 1ba houses from the 1950s) but have come down some due to the housing crisis. Whether its the area for you is a matter of your personal situation. If you want urban, its not. If you want a "sparkling white-bread suburb," its not. If you are happy with a close-in suburb that has some mix but is in my mind improving with time, its a good choice.

[emmy22]

Thanks again for the replies. I am looking for a 2 bedroom. I do not have to be in the areas I was asking about. I prefer to be anywhere in a 10 miles radius from Manchester Blvd. I was asking about those specific areas because they are cheaper, but it will be worth paying more if those places I asked about are not good quality. I am just confused about the price ranges there. I am used to being able to get a really nice place for $500 in Tennessee, but I see that is not the case in Alexandria.