Renting and living close to Herndon and Reston, VA (Arlington: apartments, for rent)

[uncleslam]

Hi Folks,
I mistakenly posted this in the DC forum earlier today.

It looks like I might be getting a job in Herndon, VA. I’m really excited since I ‘ve been struggling to find one for many months, and this one actually pays well! I am coming from St. Paul, MN. I am 30 years old, married, white, have no kids and am very active. My wife will stay in MN until she finds a job and we can sell our house. We enjoy diverse foods (avoid chain restaurants as much as possible), good parks\trail systems, decent nightlife and like to take off on weekends to go camping.

I am hoping to get some advice about the area surrounding Herndon, with the following questions in mind:

1) I will be bringing a car, but refuse to commute more than 30 mins each way. Are there any “fun” or “nice” places to live really close to Herndon? I guess I prefer areas with younger folks, and prefer artsy to yuppy (although many places I've been mix both). Looking at a map it looks like I could live as far away as Leesburg, Chantilly, Oakton, Vienna, Great Falls, etc.

2) I would like to rent a decent 1or 2br condo/apt/house, for somewhere around $1500. Is that possible in the suburbs around Herndon?

3)What are the areas close around Herndon considered? Rich, diverse, yuppy-ville, artsy, etc?


Thanks everyone,
Mark

[okletmein]

$1500 can get you a decent place in the South Ridding next to Chantilly
you should be able to get to Herndon under 30min

[uncleslam]

Whats the area of South Ridding like?

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by uncleslam

Whats the area of South Ridding like?

pretty nice

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by uncleslam

1) I will be bringing a car, but refuse to commute more than 30 mins each way. Are there any “fun” or “nice” places to live really close to Herndon? I guess I prefer areas with younger folks, and prefer artsy to yuppy

Younger artsy folks tend to like north Reston. Lake Anne area or near Reston Town Center.

Originally Posted by uncleslam

3)What are the areas close around Herndon considered? Rich, diverse, yuppy-ville, artsy, etc? Thanks everyone,
Mark

Suburban. Mostly built in the last two decades, although there are some older pockets.

Herndon itself is one of the older areas. Some of the streets in Herndon are mildly run down, but in general the area has a lot of charm (IMO). Reston is the "artsy" town (compared to the others, that is... it's also a typical suburb in many ways). Surrounding suburbs are mostly wealthy and the ones to the west are very new. There is some serious money in the towns near Herndon, but Herndon itself is mostly middle class.

The entire area is very ethnically diverse. Because it's close to DC, Northern Virginia attracts people from around the world, and it could be the most diverse region in the country. Very litle racial or religious strife here--everyone gets along.

[jfields]

Originally Posted by uncleslam

We enjoy diverse foods (avoid chain restaurants as much as possible), good parks\trail systems, decent nightlife and like to take off on weekends to go camping.

Alot of good ethnic restaurants are on Elden St. in Herndon. There are also some good places at Tall Oaks and Lake Anne in Reston. In the Reston Town Center area, most of the restaurants are chains. If you know how to cook foods from different places, there are a few supermarkets and smaller markets that specialize in international foods along Elden St., Tall Oaks and Lake Anne. Reston/Herndon pretty much has no nightlife; a few bars and places to shoot pool that close early and no nightclubs that I know of. You'll probably have to go to Arlington or DC to find nightlife. There are alot of trails in Reston; it actually seems to have more trails than sidewalks. I'm pretty sure there are places to camp close to Harpers Ferry WVA, which is a cool place, especially if you like history. It's about an hour from Reston/Herndon.There is also a place to watch horse racing and play slots there, if that fits into your definition of nightlife.

Originally Posted by uncleslam

I will be bringing a car, but refuse to commute more than 30 mins each way. Are there any “fun” or “nice” places to live really close to Herndon? I guess I prefer areas with younger folks, and prefer artsy to yuppy (although many places I've been mix both). Looking at a map it looks like I could live as far away as Leesburg, Chantilly, Oakton, Vienna, Great Falls, etc..

Alot of the places you mentioned, especially Leesburg, will take more than 30 minutes to get to (I'm assuming your commuting during rush hour). The whole DC area has really bad traffic. If you get directions on Mapquest and it tells you how long your commute is, you should at least double the time if you're commuting during rush hour.

Originally Posted by uncleslam

I would like to rent a decent 1or 2br condo/apt/house, for somewhere around $1500. Is that possible in the suburbs around Herndon?

Yes

Originally Posted by uncleslam

What are the areas close around Herndon considered? Rich, diverse, yuppy-ville, artsy, etc?.

The whole Herndon area is diverse. There is a large hispanic community mostly from Central America, but from Peru, Bolivia, Mexico as well. There are some working class areas and some yuppy areas. If you want a more working class and diverse area, look for a place near Elden St. in Herndon, Near North Shore dr. in Reston, Near Hunters Woods shopping Center in Reston or along Glade Dr. Between Reston Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway in Reston. If you are looking for more of a yuppy area, look around Reston Town Center (mainly young professionals) North Reston (mainly families) or in Herndon south of the toll road.

[uncleslam]

That some great advice, thanks! I hope I get this job, sounds like a good place to live.

[Denton56]

My son lives walking distance to Reston town center, a 5 minute walk, and equally close to the bike path. His apartment is in this development and very nice:
Reston Area Apartments for Rent - The Sycamores

Herndon is not far at all and young people love Reston, particularly the town center area.

[JfromReston]

I posted this message yesterday for someone else:

Here is a good map of Reston showing the trails, tennis courts, and swimming pools.
http://districts.reston.org/maps/Map..._map_guide.htm

Check out this listing - it is for a duplex in a single family neighborhood adjacent to a nice stream and walking trail. I often walk by this house and never knew it wasn't a single family home until it recently went up for rent.
View Property Details- 11103 GLADE DR, Reston, VA 20191

The house is located near signpost 12 on this map.
https://www.reston.org/LinkClick.asp...HzT9ACzZbNs%3d