Recommended places 1.5 hrs from Herndon, VA? (Arlington, Woodbridge: houses, neighborhood, buy) - Northern Virginia - Virginia - City-Data Forum

whb · 03-22-2007, 05:05 PM

I've been reading various posts about towns/cities near NoVa. Good information. However, many of the recommendations and assessments hinge on a daily commute to "somewhere near DC." This is why I'm posting a new thread. I work for a company in Herndon, VA but work from home. Not having to make the commute really changes the dynamic of choosing where to live. I only need to go into the office a couple of times a month. I've been doing this for three years from southern VA and have no desire to enter the rat race on NoVa. That said, I'd like to be closer (and they've made it worth my while to be a little closer). Bottom line - I'm making a move this summer and am starting to look for places within a 1.5 hour radius of Herndon. I think that opens up parts of VA, WV, MD and perhaps even PA. I've got a wife, 1 infant. I don't want to live in the middle of nowhere but I don't want a large, crowded, stressful city atmosphere either. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

vasinger · 03-22-2007, 06:21 PM

Winchester, VA is nice.

whb · 03-22-2007, 07:16 PM

Thanks. We're going to visit Winchester next weekend to see what we think. Several posts on this site comment on the city's traffic problem - is it bad. In other words, can I head to the coffee shop or out to dinner without getting stuck in traffic?

vasinger · 03-22-2007, 07:46 PM

Traffic in Winchester is not half as bad as northern virginia.

It has its rush our. Probably anywhere from 4-6 PM might be heavier. But there are some very nice coffee shops dowtown as well as restaurants. You could probably park in the city municipal parking area and walk to the downtown mall. The Daily Grind is a very nice coffee shop on the downtown mall area.

Life in Winchester is a little more laid back than the hustle and bustle of Fairfax county or Arlington.

dullnboring · 03-22-2007, 08:00 PM

Check out Charles Town, West Virginia. Large enough to have your basic amenities within the town, but far removed from the hustle and bustle of the DC area.

EricD · 03-22-2007, 08:36 PM

Check out Ladysmith Village, in Caroline. It'll be the perfect place to work from home. If you buy in the 'Founder's Park' section, you'll be within a few blocks of the local library (already built), YMCA (coming next year), the community center (with pool, movie room, fitness center), and old-town style shops. From your house, you'll be able to walk to whatever you need. For the little one, they are in the process of building a brand-new, $20 million elementary school INSIDE the community (to open January '08).

For your work, we have high-speed digital cable (comcast), and the community is only about 1 mile from the highway (I-95). For homes, there are several builders to choose from, and if you sign a contract now, you could have one built by mid-summer.

If you have any more questions about the community, just private message me. I don't work for them or anything... I just live here, and think it's a great place to live, and I think it would be an even better place to work from home.

kmflan · 03-23-2007, 01:28 AM

Isn't Ladysmith Village a Neo-traditional neighborhood? I might have it confused with another. But if not, I think it starts around 400k. Is Ladysmith really only an hour and a half from DC? We used to go to Lake Anna to vacation, but it was way rural back then, like 20 years ago, lol

EricD · 03-23-2007, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmflan

Isn't Ladysmith Village a Neo-traditional neighborhood? I might have it confused with another. But if not, I think it starts around 400k. Is Ladysmith really only an hour and a half from DC? We used to go to Lake Anna to vacation, but it was way rural back then, like 20 years ago, lol

Yep, I'd say it's exactly an hour and a half, since it's about 45 mins to Woodbridge. And yes, it is a Neo-Traditional community, but houses have gone down in price, but even at the peak you could get one in the mid-300's. There is a home accross the street that has been built for a little while but never sold, they are asking $309k, which I think is a pretty good price for the community. I got my single family home for well under $300k, but that builder isn't building any more of this model.

It still has some development to go, but the library is up, and they have finally chosen a site for the YMCA and community center, so I think they'll be ready for next spring/summer.

5stones · 03-23-2007, 06:54 AM

small towns:
Purceville, Lovettsville, Berryville,(loudoun county schools) Middleburg, Warrenton.(Faquier county)

Bigger towns:
Winchester, Front Royal, Culpepper, Fredricksburg

Leesburg busier and closer but still has a small town feel.

If you are comming up to see Winchester go through and see Purceville. It's got a great littlew historic downtown area. has reaained the small town feel but still has great Schools. only 10min form Leesburg. and about 1 hour to Herdon in Traffic.

whb · 03-23-2007, 08:47 AM

Thanks for the responses. I'll plan for a loop that covers most of these places mentioned in VA plus nearby Charles Town and Harpers Ferry in WV. (West and NW of Herndon). On a separate excursion, I'll hit areas southward.