Lake Ridge or Burke, VA? (Alexandria, Springfield: to rent, neighborhoods, to buy)

[haydensmomma7407]

My fiance just found out yesterday that he is remaining stationed at Andrews AF Base for the next 4 years! It's good and bad...we're close to family (WV and PA) but we were excited to move south and that isn't happening...regardless, until we are married, we cannot live in base housing so we are looking for off-base housing.
I know the "commute" is said to "suck" but we are okay with that...he has odd work hours (4pm-whenever in the early AM)...and anything is better than the 106 mi/each way commute he does everyday now.
Because we are getting married within the year, we are looking for something to rent for one year until we can get into base housing.
Our two main areas right now are Burke, VA and Lake Ridge, VA...pros/cons of each??
Our main concerns: SAFE, friendly, more "suburban American family"-ish...somewhere I can WALK with my two year old safely and comfortably!

[CaseyMac]

Have you tried some parts of Alexandria (zips 22307, 08 and 09) specifically as they'd be closer to the Wilson Bridge and thus, Andrews AFB?

Burke and Lake Ridge have very similar qualities. Burke is a little more upscale in parts. I would just plug the addresses into Google Maps and see which is closer to Andrews.

Good luck.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by haydensmomma7407

(4pm-whenever in the early AM!

You mentioned the 4pm-whenever work hours. I think the WW Bridge may be very jammed up (like caseymac said) starting from 2pm crossing into Maryland (especially when people are headed towards the beach). In the inerm, it would not be a wise choice to pick Burke. If you can try to stay in the Virginia side (Alexandria, Springfield etc) it would be a much easier commute.

[Fairfax Mom]

Burke is very safe and has better schools. Just my opinion.

[statecollege]

No contest--Burke. Nicer neighborhoods, better schools (probably not relevant to you), and no I-95 driving required south of the Beltway. Parts of Springfield and Alexandria good substitutes for Burke. I agree with VRE322 regarding afternoon traffic into MD across the WW Bridge. I used to cross in the opposite direction until 3 yrs ago, and it was always backed up in the VA-MD direction. On Friday afternoons the backup could reach Van Dorn St! Perhaps the new bridge spans have alleviated that some, but I would check traffic reports online over time to make an assessment. If for only a year, why aren't you considering renting in MD, where his commute would be so much easier?

[Blondie4now]

You could get married now, and get base housing. If you are already living in Burke, the commute for 1 year would be doable.. in my opinion...but Burke/Springfield, not all that far apart! 10 -15 minutes, maybe? Lake Ridge can be really annoying... Old Bridge Road during rush hour, especially when school starts...a real time waster.

[johnsterr1144]

Burke lake, if you are willing to pay more to buy a house
for a nice community

lake jackson isnt that upscale yet

[robbobobbo]

What about Kingstowne / Manchester Lakes area and the communities off of Beulah Road (Landsdowne, I think)? Certainly closer to Andrews than Burke, plus it's safe, near shopping and Metro (if you want to go into DC). It's close to Ft Belvoir and draws military families and a diverse population.