Working in Tysons. Live in McLean or Arlington/Ballston? (Alexandria: home, tornadoes)

[sohogrand]

I'm relocating from the West Coast to the McLean/Tyson Corners area for work and trying to figure out the best place to live. Originally I was looking solely in the McLean area but now have been thinking more and more about living in Arlington/Ballston Corridor area to be closer to DC so I can get there easily on the weekends.

I have friends who live in DC and don't want to be cut off from that area by living farther away in the suburbs. I'm in my 20s and also would like to live in an area where there are younger professional singles as I've heard the median age in McLean is in the 40s and it is mostly families.

My main worry is the commute. If I lived in McLean, my daily commute to work wouldn't be a problem. 10 minutes at worst, I imagine but if I were to live farther away, I know that would greatly increase my commute time. I'd like my commute to be no more than 20, 25 minutes each way. I was living in LA which has the worst traffic in America so I've discovered what my limits are and 20, 25 minutes is it.

So I'd like to hear what people think preferably from personal experience. Does anyone do a commute from Arlington or Ballston to Tysons? If so, what do you think? Also, if you live in McLean, how often do you go out to DC and what is the commute out there like if going on the weekends or late nights on weeknights?

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

[guyincognito]

Originally Posted by sohogrand

So I'd like to hear what people think preferably from personal experience. Does anyone do a commute from Arlington or Ballston to Tysons? If so, what do you think? Also, if you live in McLean, how often do you go out to DC and what is the commute out there like if going on the weekends or late nights on weeknights?

I do the Ballston -> Tysons commute. With no traffic (i.e. holidays, leaving before 7, etc.) I can get to work in 12 minutes. On average, leaving around 7:30 or 8:00 it takes 20-25 minutes. You'll need to learn the backroads to avoid the parking lot on 66 in the evenings, but all in all it's a very easy commute. Living in Arlington will also save you lots of time outside of work since nearly everything is a very short drive or walk away.

You'll need to also consider what lifestyle you want to live - Arlington is a much more urban, busy place. It has its own nightlife and I find a lot of people prefer to go to the bars and restaurants in Arlington rather than metro to DC. McLean outside of business hours is very sedate.

For ease of access to nearly all of the NoVA area, Arlington can't be beat.

[saganista]

Given the requirements, I'd concur with <guyincognito> across the board, and would suspect many others would/will also...

[quiet walker]

Originally Posted by sohogrand

... I have friends who live in DC and don't want to be cut off from that area by living farther away in the suburbs. I'm in my 20s and also would like to live in an area where there are younger professional singles as I've heard the median age in McLean is in the 40s and it is mostly families...

I don't live in McLean, but I believe your impression of that area is correct. Also, you pretty much have to go by car to get anywhere, and the traffic is very congested. You would have to drive to DC and then find a place to park, not always that easy. Ballston/Clarendon, is indeed popular with a 20's population and has its own nightlife and activities. Plus it has METRO subway stops close together, where one can easily catch a train and pop into and out of DC. No parking hassles, and you can arrive at one station and return from another.

... So I'd like to hear what people think preferably from personal experience. Does anyone do a commute from Arlington or Ballston to Tysons?

I frequently travel from my home in Ballston to Tysons or nearby Vienna in the morning and take a route that is surprisingly uncongested (probably jinx it by writing about it here ) and that is Glebe Rd to Old Dominion Dr through McLean to Rt123 and Tysons. Old Dominion is two lane, rolls along well and is not too stressful. I don't know about the notorious I-66 which even when not congested can be kinda nerve wracking. There is also the Metrobus Rt 23 which runs from the Ballston METRO station to Tysons. It also takes the Old Dominion route, is frequent and quick. I have taken it from Ballston to Tysons and it's about 20 minutes.

Metrobus 23 A,C Mclean-Crystal City (http://www.commuterpage.com/art/metrobus/23.htm - broken link)

Hope this is helpful and this is a very helpful forum here too. You'll be getting some good advice from others

[sohogrand]

Thanks for your responses. I think my biggest problem is that I can't test out the traffic for myself and I find the reports of Tysons traffic to be WILDLY uneven. I've heard the commute from Ballston Corridor is 20-30 minutes tops from a few ppl but then I'll read other reports where "you could live down the street from Tysons and it takes 30 minutes to get home" so I don't really know what to think. I've seen some great places in McLean but will now start looking at more places in Arlington/Ballston more seriously.

[sohogrand]

Originally Posted by quiet walker

I frequently travel from my home in Ballston to Tysons or nearby Vienna in the morning and take a route that is surprisingly uncongested (probably jinx it by writing about it here ) and that is Glebe Rd to Old Dominion Dr through McLean to Rt123 and Tysons. Old Dominion is two lane, rolls along well and is not too stressful. I don't know about the notorious I-66 which even when not congested can be kinda nerve wracking. There is also the Metrobus Rt 23 which runs from the Ballston METRO station to Tysons. It also takes the Old Dominion route, is frequent and quick. I have taken it from Ballston to Tysons and it's about 20 minutes.

Metrobus 23 A,C Mclean-Crystal City (http://www.commuterpage.com/art/metrobus/23.htm - broken link)

Hope this is helpful and this is a very helpful forum here too. You'll be getting some good advice from others

Thanks for the specifics, quiet walker, I'm going to copy and paste this and try it out when I get there next week!

[claremarie]

A lot will depend upon exactly where in Tyson's you will be working. It's a large area, and some office complexes are better located for quick entry and exit, using back roads, than others. The closer you are to Arlington (and the further from the retail area), the easier it will be to get to and from Ballston.

[sohogrand]

Originally Posted by claremarie

A lot will depend upon exactly where in Tyson's you will be working. It's a large area, and some office complexes are better located for quick entry and exit, using back roads, than others. The closer you are to Arlington (and the further from the retail area), the easier it will be to get to and from Ballston.

I'll be across the street from the Galleria on Greensboro off International Dr.

[SteelCityRising]

From what I can tell in my brief time here Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and Chain Bridge Road are the two most congested arteries in Tyson's Corner. I took Route 7 West home the other day after my Alexandria Photo Tour and got snagged in a traffic jam due to an accident in the EASTBOUND lanes! It took me 30 minutes to get from one end of the district to the other, whereas it normally takes like 5 minutes on off-peak hours. Avoid these two roads, and you should cut out most of your commuting stress. I, too, would recommend Ballston to you. Arlington is such a nice walkable community.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by sohogrand

I was living in LA which has the worst traffic in America so I've discovered what my limits are and 20, 25 minutes is it.

If you think LA is bad, this area can be worse. Ignore the stats...this is your reality.

LA is also lucky that they don't need to deal with the 4 seasons as we do. Snow, ice, torrential downpours, fog, tornadoes, etc. You name it, we got it.