Moving to Mclean (Arlington, Alexandria, Chantilly: apartments, rentals, condos)

[chocs28]

I am considering a job at Capital One in McLean and was looking at various factors associated with it. right now I live in Detroit. I find that homes are really expensive and the average household income is about 135000$. This is my first job and am wondering if this place would make a good choice from an economics standpoint. I am being offered 60000 in compensation. I am hoping someone living or working in the area to give me an idea of apartment rates (1 bedroom or 2 bed room) for mclean and other surrounding suburbs. Thanks!

[dullnboring]

McLean is renowned as a ritzy part of the DC area. McLean and it's across-the-river Maryland counterpart of Potomac have traditionally been the main suburban bastions of wealth, home to many politicians, diplomats, doctors, lawyers and business executives. As such, the cost of living within the McLean limits is a bit higher than elsewhere in the region but the difference is far more pronounced in the housing prices as opposed to the price of rentals. The cheapest one bedroom apartment you'd be able to find in McLean would run around $1300/month. Generally, one bedrooms run within the $1300-1700 range in McLean with two bedrooms in the $1700-2000 range. Less expensive actually than one would think, however, the selection is rather sparse in McLean as the area is chiefly made up of massive single family homes or luxury townhouses and condos. McLean is sort of sprawly and woodsy in character. There isn't really a "bad" or even slightly run-down portion of McLean that I know of. Tysons Corner and Dunn Loring are a few miles south and a bit cheaper and more high-density. You might even be able to find a few good deals on apartments in Oakton and Vienna. In the city of Fairfax, some 10 miles south of McLean, there is the odd one bedroom apartment for $1000, maybe even a handful a bit under $1000. Generally speaking though, for a one bedroom in Northern Virginia, you can expect to pay at least $1000/month. Two bedrooms are of course more economical if you can find a roommate to split the cost. I would think however that you should be able to survive just fine on a $60,000/year income, especially if it's just you (i.e. no family to take care of), even in McLean.

Commute plays a BIG factor in life in the DC area so I wouldn't recommend living anywhere further than a 10 mile commute from your workplace. I'd confine the apartment search to McLean, Great Falls, North Arlington, Tysons Corner, and Dunn Loring, maybe venturing out to Merrifield, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton and Fairfax. In theory, the Maryland burbs of Potomac, Chevy Chase and Bethesda (which is a much cooler, higher-density urban version of McLean) are within 10 miles as well, but they would require travel on the traffic-clogged Beltway every day. Sometimes, the amount of money you think you'd be saving per month by renting a cheaper place further out, is more than made up on the cost of gas wasted commuting (or simply sitting in traffic) every day from the cheaper place.

[chocs28]

Thanks for the info, do u happen to live any of the mentioned areas?

[summertime24]

Move to Arlington. Specifically Ballston, VA square, Clarendon, or Courthouse. If you are in your 20s or 30s and single, this is the place to be in VA. Apartments are a little pricey, but the experience is worth it. And with 60K you'll be able to find a place. The commute is not bad to Tyson's b/c you are counter commuting. (probabably about 20 minutes) You can find an apartment right off of the metro for easy access into the city to enjoy nightlife. Arlington even has a great nightlife of its own. Trust me, you don't want to waist your time in Mclean or Tyson's corner. Traffic is a nightmare there.

[Mike from back east]

dullnboring gave a truly accurate description of the area.

summertime24 said what I was thinking too, and if I were young and single, I'd head to Ballston, VA square, Clarendon, or Courthouse. BTW, all of these are on the subway line (orange) and you will see the wisdom of this once you move there. I considered the metro subway to be the only way to get around DC during the 31 years we lived in northern Virginia (a true traffic disaster if ever one was).

Congratulations on your job offer and best of luck to you.

s/Mike

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by chocs28

Thanks for the info, do u happen to live any of the mentioned areas?

Nope. I live much further out at the moment, in Ashburn to be exact, although I grew up just outside the city of Fairfax.

I can't believe I forgot about Arlington. Like summertime24 and Mike from Back East said, Arlington is the place to be for young twenty-somethings. It's a bit more expensive but I think it's worth it with it's young liberal population, high(ish) density urban lifestyle, plethora of restaurants, good Metro access, and nice location within the DC area (easy access to 66, 50 and 95). I'm planning on leaving the DC area as soon as possible and I don't plan to ever return, but if I HAD to return, or if I had to stay here for much longer, I would look for a place in Arlington.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

..snip....I'm planning on leaving the DC area as soon as possible and I don't plan to ever return...snip...

Sounds like me. Spent 31 years in NOVA, 27 of those years in Chantilly, VA.

We left NOVA in June 2005 for Colorado Springs, where's it like being reborn. Can't believe a place can be this nice, housing so affordable, the people so nice, the climate so mild.....Anyone wishing to know more, please see my post in Colorado Forum, thread is called "Why Choose Colorado Springs."

s/Mike

[pkoons]

Clarendon, Clarendon, Clarendon!!!

Bethesda is a snooze comparatively. Old Town Alexandria is also a very nice option, and Vienna (Tysons Corner area) is a good choice as well. Most of NoVA is very nice but outside of Arlington and Alexandria there's a pervading sense of sprawl - suburbs are EXACTLY the same. Whereas if you drive the MD Beltway every town on the signs you pass is different - Annapolis to Laurel to Takoma Park to Wheaton to Bethesda etc...

Anyway the Clarendon area of Arlington is awesome, you could save money by living in South Arlington (near Shirlington) but you'll be farther from the Metro (subway) and farther from the happening part of town.

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Sounds like me. Spent 31 years in NOVA, 27 of those years in Chantilly, VA.

We left NOVA in June 2005 for Colorado Springs, where's it like being reborn. Can't believe a place can be this nice, housing so affordable, the people so nice, the climate so mild.....Anyone wishing to know more, please see my post in Colorado Forum, thread is called "Why Choose Colorado Springs."

s/Mike

I can't wait to get out. I grew up in Fairfax County and went to Chantilly HS as a matter of fact, and the area just drives me insane. My father and brother moved out to Ashburn (which I actually think is "worse" in quite a few respects) some 6-7 years ago and then my older brother followed some 2.5 years ago. My mom just gave up on the area altogether and after YEARS of complaining about the area and longing to leave, she finally did so last October, moving back to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area where she's originally from.

I however am looking for a more urban environment to live in.

Originally Posted by pkoons

Bethesda is a snooze comparatively. Old Town Alexandria is also a very nice option, and Vienna (Tysons Corner area) is a good choice as well. Most of NoVA is very nice but outside of Arlington and Alexandria there's a pervading sense of sprawl - suburbs are EXACTLY the same. Whereas if you drive the MD Beltway every town on the signs you pass is different - Annapolis to Laurel to Takoma Park to Wheaton to Bethesda etc...

Very true. The Maryland suburbs tend to have way more character than their Virginia counterparts. I think the main advantage Arlington (and to a lesser extent Alexandria) have over the Maryland 'burbs is proximity to DC; well, the cool parts of DC at least. Other than Arlington or Alexandria though, I'd rather live in Maryland than Virginia.