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Couple moving back to DC after ten years, seeking information on changes within last decade, traffic on the 66, communities within the beltway, near metro stop
My wife and I worked in the DC area about 10 years ago and we are moving back to the area. My wife and I will both be working inside the District (Navy Yard area) and are wondering what's changed since 2000.
We used to live in Dale City and make the I-95 commute everyday. We quickly learned how hard it was to find that third person for our carpool without making lengthy stops along the way. I simply don't think we can handle that long commute again. Especially because we have small children now (who may or may not be commuting with us depending on what we establish for daycare). We tried the VRE as a commuter option last time and also found that it typically took longer than just driving (when door-door was factored in).
So, with all that said, when I found out I had to move back to DC, I THOUGHT I knew the area. After browsing this forum, I'm starting to think that much may have changed since the spring of 2000. Hence this posting.
My wife and I think we'd like to buy a house/townhouse this time. Even though we may only be in DC for 4 years, the odds are we'll keep coming back (yes, we're military). We have quite a bit more income nowadays than last time (but also 2 kids that we didn't have before). I was leaning towards looking along the orange line corridor. Probably in Fairfax County as far west as Vienna. I'd prefer to stay near a metro stop.
Couple of questions:
1. We'd like to arrive at work by 7:30 and leave work around 4:30. We'll have HOV-2. How bad is 66 really... particularly inside the beltway once HOV restrictions kick in?
2. Metro is an option. How is the metro commute along the orange line? Can you find parking at the stations as late as say 7AM? How crowded are the metro cars now?
3. Any recommendations for communities in this corridor? I won't say "cost is no option" but we're not financially strapped. Buying and renting are both options now. We'd prefer to buy while the market is low if we're going to keep getting reassigned to this area.
4. Any places to be weary of? Sometimes it's hard to tell from listings and Google Earth what a community really is like.
5. Am I crazy? Is there a better option out there? I don't know anything about Maryland and I'm trying to balance cost of living with commute times with safety and good schools (just like everyone else).
We won't have very much time for actual househunting in the area so I'd like to focus my search before I get there. Hopefully I've given the friendly folks on this forum enough to point me in the right direction. If not, just the updates on what's changed in the area and how bad traffic is in Fairfax and Rt 66 (I guess compared to driving non-HOV to Dale city 10 years ago) will be so helpful. Thanks.
My wife and I think we'd like to buy a house/townhouse this time. Even though we may only be in DC for 4 years, the odds are we'll keep coming back (yes, we're military). We have quite a bit more income nowadays than last time (but also 2 kids that we didn't have before). I was leaning towards looking along the orange line corridor. Probably in Fairfax County as far west as Vienna. I'd prefer to stay near a metro stop.
Couple of questions:
1. We'd like to arrive at work by 7:30 and leave work around 4:30. We'll have HOV-2. How bad is 66 really... particularly inside the beltway once HOV restrictions kick in?
Based on people who I work with (also at the Navy Yard), I-66 is a BEAR. It has gotten very bad over the years. Think that there has been much more development over 10 years and no appreciable improvements to I-66. I cannot think of a time of day, during the last 5 years, that I have NOT hit a back up on this road.
2. Metro is an option. How is the metro commute along the orange line? Can you find parking at the stations as late as say 7AM? How crowded are the metro cars now?
Again, based on fellow coworkers reports--parking fills up fairly quickly at these stations. Most I know take local busses out of their communities and get over to the Metro.
3. Any recommendations for communities in this corridor? I won't say "cost is no option" but we're not financially strapped. Buying and renting are both options now. We'd prefer to buy while the market is low if we're going to keep getting reassigned to this area. Can't comment on this as I don't live there.
4. Any places to be weary of? Sometimes it's hard to tell from listings and Google Earth what a community really is like.
5. Am I crazy? Is there a better option out there? I don't know anything about Maryland and I'm trying to balance cost of living with commute times with safety and good schools (just like everyone else).
You are not crazy. It is always better to try to get closer in. I just don't know if I would go in that direction and even think about driving with those hours. If you were going to be an "early bird", that might work.
If you enjoyed living in Woodbridge/Dale City, consider giving it another look. Commuting options have expanded greatly. When my daughter was not driving and I had to take her to her bus stop (I couldn't drop her off until 6:10 a.m.), I started slugging. I would drop her off, drive over to the Horner Road Lot which is very centrally located in Woodbridge and pick up two slugs. I was at my desk no later than 6:50 a.m. It was wonderful except for the fact that I had to deal with various perfumes and personalities!!! I did slug for a bit a few months ago. I was picking up slugs at 5:55 a.m. and getting to work by 6:30-6:40. Slugging earlier isn't often beneficial as the lanes are kind of backed up with single riders for a bit.
Anyway, the Navy Yard has an established slug system, usually through www.sluglines.com. There is a yahoo mailing list that you join and you can get your riders through the e-mail during the day. It's great and plenty of people are going to Woodbridge from the Navy Yard. If you don't want to slug, then I agree that Woodbridge and starting work at 7:30 a.m. and driving won't be the best mix. I work 6:00 - 2:30 at the Navy Yard and I have quite a beautiful commute. Even the 6:30 - 3:00 commute is pretty sweet. If I weren't going to live in Woodbridge, my next move would be up to the Springfield area. Again, many good commuting options (Metro, slugging, bus service) and close in to boot.
Based on people who I work with (also at the Navy Yard), I-66 is a BEAR. It has gotten very bad over the years. Think that there has been much more development over 10 years and no appreciable improvements to I-66. I cannot think of a time of day, during the last 5 years, that I have NOT hit a back up on this road.
You are not crazy. It is always better to try to get closer in. I just don't know if I would go in that direction and even think about driving with those hours. If you were going to be an "early bird", that might work.
I work 6:00 - 2:30 at the Navy Yard and I have quite a beautiful commute. Even the 6:30 - 3:00 commute is pretty sweet. If I weren't going to live in Woodbridge, my next move would be up to the Springfield area. Again, many good commuting options (Metro, slugging, bus service) and close in to boot.
Thank you very much for your comments! I'm not really surprised to hear you say that about 66, but it seems counter-intuitive... since all I keep hearing is that "nobody can take 66 inside the beltway because it's HOV." So from your response, am I to assume that even with HOV restrictions in place, 66 is completely stopped during the normal commute hours? It seems then that somebody can take (and is taking) 66 all the way to the district. How crowded are the 95/395 HOV lanes during those hours? When I was last there you could count on pretty minor traffic in the HOV-3 lanes unless there was an accident or something. Has that changed? Are the HOV lanes clogged up now too?
Unfortunately I don't see anyway to work "early bird" hours. Due to my position, I won't be able to leave my office earlier than 3:30PM (and that's probably optimistic). Then it only takes one "Take care of this before you leave" job to push you right into the heart of the commute. Also, my wife is getting up at 5 AM already to get the kids ready and off to daycare and she doesn't get to work here in Seattle until 7:30. That's with only a 20 minute commute. I think in the DC area we'd need a time machine to get everyone up, nursed, dressed, and out the door in order to be at our desks by 6AM.
Slugs are an option but since my wife and I will be commuting together, I don't think we'd want to BE the slug(s) and since our car is fitted with car seats in the back, I wouldn't have room for slugs unless I was willing to uninstall them every single day (major hassle).
Anyone else have comments/suggestions? Thanks again.
Thank you very much for your comments! I'm not really surprised to hear you say that about 66, but it seems counter-intuitive... since all I keep hearing is that "nobody can take 66 inside the beltway because it's HOV." So from your response, am I to assume that even with HOV restrictions in place, 66 is completely stopped during the normal commute hours?
No, this advice is WRONG! My husband and I ride on 66 from South Riding (Chantilly) to Ballston every morning. We leave at 6:30-6:40am, and usually arrive at work sometime between 7am and 7:30am. We get on 66 at Route 50 - it's usually pretty congested while everyone merges, but the once we get on it we drive pretty much AT SPEED until about a mile before the exits for 495. Traffic slows quite a bit around there, and then once we're on the HOV lanes we drive at or above the speed limit all the way to Ballston.
If you're planning on getting to work by 7:30, you will be absolutely fine. I can't say what traffic gets like closer to the city, but what we drive on every day is pretty breezy - it takes about 40 minutes to go 25 miles, about half of which is along Route 50 with traffic lights. Not too bad for a weekday).
If you can afford it, and are interested in a townhouse, maybe try looking in Arlington. I believe you could get a nice townhouse for upwards of 500k to about 800k. More than that, and you could get a single family home.
Metro parking does fill up pretty quickly. When I rode the Metro in, I would get to the lot at about 6:30 and would have to park towards the back. There was still plenty of space, but you will have a walk. I parked in the same lot every day, so I can't say what the others are like.
I'll recommend 22152. Get a SFH near the golf course. Lots of DoD folks in Springfield. I think it's more like Vienna than Dale City. 6410 Bardu Ave., 22152, 469K. Built in 1961--on the golf course. New assessment=448,650. You could put a whole mountain of granite in a vinyl siding toolshed in Ashburn, and you still wouldn't have a home as nice as this. As a former pizza drver, I will say 35 minutes, door to door, to the Navy Yard (at 6:30 am). You will have numerous commuting options (carpools, Metro, slug, etc...), and your kids won't grow up talking like they are from Woodbridge.
[quote=nwlv;7600552]I'll recommend 22152. Get a SFH near the golf course. Lots of DoD folks in Springfield. I think it's more like Vienna than Dale City. 6410 Bardu Ave., 22152, 469K. Built in 1961--on the golf course. New assessment=448,650. You could put a whole mountain of granite in a vinyl siding toolshed in Ashburn, and you still wouldn't have a home as nice as this. As a former pizza drver, I will say 35 minutes, door to door, to the Navy Yard (at 6:30 am). You will have numerous commuting options (carpools, Metro, slug, etc...), and your kids won't grow up talking like they are from Woodbridge.[/quote]
That was really nice. Is it possible for people to give an opinion without pulling out the elitist snob crap? Because we all know that Springfield people are just oh so much more refined than those in Woodbridge, correct? Don't worry, you already answered that for me.
Unfortunately I don't see anyway to work "early bird" hours. Due to my position, I won't be able to leave my office earlier than 3:30PM (and that's probably optimistic). Then it only takes one "Take care of this before you leave" job to push you right into the heart of the commute. Also, my wife is getting up at 5 AM already to get the kids ready and off to daycare and she doesn't get to work here in Seattle until 7:30. That's with only a 20 minute commute. I think in the DC area we'd need a time machine to get everyone up, nursed, dressed, and out the door in order to be at our desks by 6AM.
Slugs are an option but since my wife and I will be commuting together, I don't think we'd want to BE the slug(s) and since our car is fitted with car seats in the back, I wouldn't have room for slugs unless I was willing to uninstall them every single day (major hassle).
Anyone else have comments/suggestions? Thanks again.
I understand your concerns. It's been awhile since I've had very small children, but yes, the carseat issues do sort of ruin the slug options. I get up at 4:30 a.m. to leave the house by 5:20, so I understand how hard it is to get out the door with kids. I think your best option is to get as close in as you can.
Do you know where (what building) on the Navy Yard you will be in. While parking is free on the Navy Yard, the garage attached to my building fills up by 7:15 a.m. Then I have to park WAYYYYYY on the other side and walk over (it's pretty far especially in January!!). You will find a lot of people on the Navy Yard trying to arrive early so they can park close to their building. At heavy times, all the lots fill up. If you're lucky and in a high enough position, you may get a reserved spot. Just something to think about when figuring out hours. There are a lot of people working 9 hour days so they get in very early but leave at 3:30 or 4:00.
You said it; not me. It's kind of like comparing Caddyshack with The Planet of the Apes. More Ivy Leaguers come out of West Springfield than all of PWC--combined.
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I did slug for a bit a few months ago. I was picking up slugs at 5:55 a.m. and getting to work by 6:30-6:40. Slugging earlier isn't often beneficial as the lanes are kind of backed up with single riders for a bit. 
I get up at 4:30 a.m. to leave the house by 5:20, so I understand how hard it is to get out the door with kids. I think your best option is to get as close in as you can.
