Alexandria to Reston (Leesburg, Fairfax: home, to buy, live)

[Legs1357]

I have to drive from Alexandria to Reston for a 3:00 interview tomorrow and was wondering if I should just go with the googlemap directions (495 to to Leesburg Pike to avoid the toll road) or if there's a better way to go? I'll have to be coming home tomorrow during rush hour as well. Thanks!

[Fern435]

Not sure what area of Alexandria you're in, but from my own experience you should be fine for heading up to Reston. Returning to Alexandria, you might want a back up plan. Maybe the Fairfax County Parkway?

Sending you best wishes for the interview!

[normie]

Good luck with the interview. If you don't have other plans, you might consider hanging out in Reston until 7-8. Traffic will be much better by then, and Reston's a fun little place to explore. They have some good restaurants there, or you might enjoy taking a stroll around the RTC or around Lake Anne.

[Legs1357]

Originally Posted by normie

Good luck with the interview. If you don't have other plans, you might consider hanging out in Reston until 7-8. Traffic will be much better by then, and Reston's a fun little place to explore. They have some good restaurants there, or you might enjoy taking a stroll around the RTC or around Lake Anne.

That's actually a good idea...I might take some reading with me so I can hang out in a starbucks and get some necessary reading done. It'd be more productive than sitting in traffic.

[VRE332]

If you're heading westbound from Alexandria via I-66, be sure to get off 66 inside the beltway before 3pm. I understand it's HOV only from 3-7pm Westbound.

[normie]

Originally Posted by Legs1357

That's actually a good idea...I might take some reading with me so I can hang out in a starbucks and get some necessary reading done. It'd be more productive than sitting in traffic.

I like the Starbucks inside the Barnes & Noble. It's in a strip mall along Reston Parkway near RTC. That's a nice B&N to browse through, too. And if you want to eat, there's a great bagel shop in the same plaza as well as La Madeleine La Madeleine

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by normie

I like the Starbucks inside the Barnes & Noble. It's in a strip mall along Reston Parkway near RTC. That's a nice B&N to browse through, too. And if you want to eat, there's a great bagel shop in the same plaza as well as La Madeleine La Madeleine

That's the Spectrum Center. Ironically that plaza was just built in the mid-1990s and is already projected to be torn down to make way for more skyscrapers. THAT was brilliant long-range planning! LOL! I have yet to go to that Barnes & Noble, but I frequent the adjacent Best Buy.

[jbird82]

I do the Alexandria to Reston commute daily. I prefer to take GW to 66 to 267 as I find traffic in the morning not to be nearly as bad as dealing with the beltway. In the afternoon, a good route is 267 to 123 to GW for a less stressful commute as 66 is a nightmare from about 4:00-7:00ish. This is if you're commuting to/from Old Town.

[Legs1357]

Originally Posted by jbird82

I do the Alexandria to Reston commute daily. I prefer to take GW to 66 to 267 as I find traffic in the morning not to be nearly as bad as dealing with the beltway. In the afternoon, a good route is 267 to 123 to GW for a less stressful commute as 66 is a nightmare from about 4:00-7:00ish. This is if you're commuting to/from Old Town.

I live close enough to Old Town for this to apply. Thanks!
And thanks to everyone else for the help...hopefully I get the job

[normie]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

That's the Spectrum Center. Ironically that plaza was just built in the mid-1990s and is already projected to be torn down to make way for more skyscrapers. THAT was brilliant long-range planning! LOL! I have yet to go to that Barnes & Noble, but I frequent the adjacent Best Buy.

It served its purpose for the time that it was built. Would it have been wiser to build a skyscraper 15 years ago and have it be vacant all that time until the area had grown enough to fill it?

Think of it this way, Scran. Someday you will be 50 years old and you'll be heavier and wearing x-large pants. But it makes no sense for you to buy those pants now. Right now you want to buy the clothes that fit a young guy who's 22. In the same way, Spectrum Center was the perfect fit for its time. Now they will build something to fit the growing needs.