What Areas Do You Recommend For 30something Singles? (Arlington, Alexandria: apartment complex, rentals)

[DennyCrane]

I apologize if this has been asked before. I've combed through the threads but didn't really find anything that addressed all the things I'm looking for. Basically, here's my situation:

I'm in IT.
I'm in my 30s.
I'm single.
I have no kids.
I have a dog.
I need something with at least 2 bedrooms.

Ideally, I'd like to work in the suburbs and from what I hear, NOVA has lots of IT jobs in the suburbs and not just in downtown DC. Even though I'm single, I prefer living in the suburbs since you get more space and a less congestion. At the same time, I don't want to live where it's nothing but families. So can anyone suggest what areas in NOVA I should look at? I'd want to be reasonably close to where IT jobs are, still have access to downtown DC, and be surrounded by a good number of other 30something singles. Lastly (and I know this is asking a lot), it has to someplace affordable. IT pays well, but I know the market has slowed down and I also don't want to spend a ridiculous amount for something small and rundown. Just to give you an idea of what I consider reasonable, where I currently live a 2-bed/2 bath runs for around $1200 a month. Still pricey, but within my means. Down the road, I'd hope to buy. And someplace the traffic isn't horrible. Again, I know that's relative. I know bad traffic is everywhere. Just someplace where you can get to work in under an hour.

[VEIK]

Reston?

[terrence81]

Hmmm...single in suburbs eh? Well the most happening party type places are closer in. The thing about most suburban places at least here is that there are bars and social groups but they're scattered here and there versus being in a concentrated area. I guess I've always had a utilitarian approach to living in the suburbs. Suburbs are for purely resedential purposes. Go to the city to party and meet folks. If you live in an apartment versus renting a house you'll probably run into more single folks.

A lot of IT jobs are around Dulles airport. I've even heard to it referred to as the Dulles corridor. So you're looking at places like Reston, Herndon, Sterling, or Ashburn. I'm not an expert on those places but they're pretty nice the handful times I've been out there despite living just 15 or 20 minutes from Reston. Although I hear good things about Reston and other folks on this forum rave about Reston Town Center. So you might look at that. I loved Reston the few times I was there. Nice manicured lawns. Spacious modern apartments and it's very walkable, but the commute would've just be too much. If I worked in the area I might have a different attitude. Also most corporations have IT departments so you have to consider the heavily congested Tysons Corner area too. Traffic is inescapible here. For me living near a heavily traveled route to Tysons just going to grocery store can be a trial after work. So once I'm home I stay there until 8 a little annoying but that's the price to live in paradise right? :-D

Vienna is nice particularly if you work in Tysons, and where I live in Oakton is real nice too. There are families in my apartment complex but not a lot. A lot of the condos in Oakton take pets. When I drive home I always seeing people walking their big dogs. I'm sure they do in Reston or Ashburn as well.

You'll have to come up on the price though. The $1200 price isn't impossible but it's definitely considered cheap for a 2 bedroom. It's a good price for a one bedroom not really two unless, like I said. it's cheap. You'll make more here so that'll kinda even out paying more per month. Just remember the further you're willing to drive the cheaper and sometimes nicer the apartment. Either way good luck.

[DennyCrane]

terrence81,

I'm past the party stage and I don't need to be in the hip part of town. I just don't want to feel like the only single person around. As for traffic, I realize it'll be bad. But it's bad where I live now so I'm used to it. It takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get about 20 miles. My last job took me that much time to get 15 miles. Again, not great but I can deal with it. Lastly, the $1200 figure I through out was just to give you an idea of what I deal with here. In other words, it's not like I'm coming from an area where it's cheap. I realize the rents in NOVA will be higher. But I also know my salary in IT will be higher. By how much, I can't be certain. The point is I'm not coming there expecting to get something for $500. What I'd like to find is either a townhome or apartment for rent. Being close to where the jobs are is more important than being close to downtown. So if you told me all the singles were in the city, that still wouldn't be enough incentive to live there. What I'm looking for is a reasonable compromise. My biggest reason for wanting to move to DC is jobs. So being close to the jobs matters more than the other criteria I gave. After all, what good is it to live in a cool area where there are lots of singles if you're unemployed or having to commute 2 hours?

[horseplayer]

Not many places like that, and that's a problem in itself.

[ScranBarre]

Even though I'm probably going to get screamed at again by everyone I'll cautiously recommend somewhere near to Reston Town Center (RTC) to you (ducks head from flying fists!) I just leased a 960-square-foot 1-BR, 1 BA apartment on a golf course just a short walk from the RTC and am paying $1,135/month without any utilities being included. A friend of mine just signed a lease for a 1-BR, 1 BA in ParcReston, just around the corner from me, with a smaller square footage but with some utilities included for $1,098/month. I saw numerous people in their 30s in and around both complexes when we were down there a few weeks ago to sign my lease.

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but unless you post an advertisement under the "Housing Wanted" section of the NoVA CraigsList detailing your situation and hoping a prospective desperate landlord will throw themselves at you you're going to probably have to increase your monthly rent budget by a couple of hundred dollars per month to get a 2 BR/2 BA unit, as I think $1,200 for in and around Reston for that size is being very, very generous. To put things into perspective with my starting salary just under $42,000 I'm nearly fleecing myself dry with an $1,135/month rental price, so if you're going to be earning about the same as a starting salary you won't likely be able to afford much more than that (probably $1,250/month MAXIMUM). Your other option would be to find a roommate, but I understand that's not ideal for everyone. To me I was willing to pay the premium though of eating Ramen noodles every night in order to be able to live so close to other single young professionals in and around RTC and to live within walking distance of numerous amenities in a spacious place of my own.

No offense to anyone in the outlying areas, but when we were visiting Ashburn, Sterling, Chantilly, Centreville, etc. we got a STRONG "family-oriented" vibe with very little to offer for active young singles, hence why I ruled them out DESPITE seeing some decent deals on rental prices. I'm under the impression that RTC was developed with the mindset of creating it as a "regional downtown" to lure in all young professionals from all of these surrounding suburbs around Reston, and as a "city guy" who just so happens to be working in the suburbs, much to my chagrin, that was the closest compromise I was going to be able to find. Some were telling me to move to Arlington/Alexandria to ultimately be happy and reverse-commute out to my office in Herndon, but I'm not the type of person who is happy spending most waking hours behind the wheel stuck in traffic. Ideally the areas around RTC will continue to grow upwards and densify themselves to create a new "city" of sorts right here in NoVA.

I'd suggest looking in and around RTC and other parts of North Reston. I can safely say that at the branch office of the agency I'll be working for there are numerous young fresh college graduates being hired, and many I've begun to network with have chosen Reston as their new home. I posted some U.S. Census estimates from 2007 that showed that roughly 42% of Reston was "married-couple family households" and 46% were singles. I believe the 12% balance were "non-traditional households."

[springfieldva]

Since you don't know where your job will be/how much you'll be making it's hard to give suggestions. This is a very spread out area and you'll probably want to live fairly close to your job. But I'll take a blind stab at it:

Fairlakes has lots and lots of condos and apts. It's an area with both singles and families, also upscale shopping. There are jobs in the Fairlakes area and I would imagine a commute to Tyson's or Dulles would be doable.

Reston would be another area to look.

Once you have your job lined up we'll be able to give you better suggestions. Good luck!

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

(Unless someone from Ashburn wants to argue that they trump what RTC has to offer)

I live in Brambleton, which is technically in the Ashburn area. There are people in your demographic here, mainly in the Summerfield condos (I do know of several 'group houses' in the single-family homes too). I have friends here who are in their 20s and 30s, single, or married without kids.

Here's a listing of current rentals. Summerfield is across the street from Brambleton Town Center, which was designed by the same folks who designed Reston Town Center. It's not completely built out yet, but there's a movie theater, Harris Teeter, and good restaurants and shops. It's great to be able to walk to the bank, the store, your doctor's office... I've lived here since 2003 and it just keeps getting better as the neighborhood and town center develops. (BTW, since you have a dog - Summerfield has its own small dog park - plus there are trails throughout Brambleton with doggie-pot stations. And at the end of the summer pool season, they throw a doggie pool party in the main pool.)

Many Brambleton residents work in IT - AOL and Verizon Business are just a few miles away. One of my friends bikes to work. My husband works for Symantec, and has a 10-15 minute commute to Herndon. Brambleton is about three miles west of the Dulles Greenway, very close to what will be the terminal station of the Silver Line Metro.

[DC Oldtimer]

I think you'd like Ballston. You'd have metro at the door.

There's nightlife, lots of apt choices, and it's a nice area.

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but unless you post an advertisement under the "Housing Wanted" section of the NoVA CraigsList detailing your situation and hoping a prospective desperate landlord will throw themselves at you you're going to probably have to increase your monthly rent budget by a couple of hundred dollars per month to get a 2 BR/2 BA unit, as I think $1,200 for in and around Reston for that size is being very, very generous.

OK, let me make this clear since apparently I didn't do a very good job of it. $1200 a month is NOT my budget. I pay that here and assuming I get a higher salary in DC, I'm willing to pay more than $1200 a month rent.

As for where I'll be working, I have no idea. It sounds like most of the jobs in my field are in the Dulles Tech Corridor. So I guess I'd have to rule out any areas that aren't within driving distance of that.