Visitor Impressions of NOVA, Feedback Requested

[DennyCrane]

First of all, thanks to the folks who've responded thus far. Your feedback has been very helpful. A couple of points I'd like to address.

First, I realize that a lot of the tech jobs are actually in the NOVA suburbs. This is one reason why I'm wanting to relocate to the DC area. In most cities, the jobs are concentrated in downtown, which is great if you live in or near the city. But it's a real pain if you live out in the burbs. And obviously, living in or close to the city isn't always an option given how housing costs rise the closer in you look. The fact that the DC tech market is distributed across downtown DC, NOVA and even Maryland is a huge plus. It means if you do find yourself unable to live closer to downtown, you can still find work close to home. I would not restrict my job search to just inside the beltway. I'm just saying I would prefer to live and work there rather than commute out to the burbs. Of course, if I landed a really terrific job out by Dulles, I would seriously consider living out that way instead of Arlington or Alexandria. But I did do a quick search on indeed for jobs matching my skill set and even excluding those requiring security clearance. I got 3500 hits. In terms of location, DC came out on top with over 900 jobs followed by Reston, McLean, Herndon, and Arlington with about 300 each. Obviously, there's no shortage of jobs outside the beltway. But what's equally obvious is that there's no shortage of jobs inside it either. DC/Arlington/Alexandria contain over 1300 jobs.

Second, I know that when it comes to meeting other singles, things aren't so black-and-white where you can say all the singles live inside the beltway and none live outside of it. But it does seem like there are more singles closer in. This isn't just my impression. This is also based on looking at demographic data. While my primary reason for moving to DC would be the job prospects, I also want to have a life. I'm not a socially aggressive person and don't have an easy time making friends. It's especially hard when you're in a brand new city. That's why I think it would be better for me to live in an area where there's a greater percentage of single people.

Given my desire to be where there are more singles, be closer to downtown and still be near a good portion of the jobs, I think Arlington/Alexandria makes the most sense.

[DC Oldtimer]

I think that in general you probably find a good singles population anyplace where you have a lot of nice condos. Ballston might be a good place to look (I guess technically that is part of Arlington). It's right at Metro so you could have a job in DC and no commuting headaches. Nice there, I like it.

Tysons Corner is another area that may have a nice combo of both jobs and singles. I really dont know; I've been an old married lady for way too long.

[irvine]

If you find work in the DC, you should also consider living in the city. Some neighborhoods I recommend that are popular with young professionals: Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Downtown/Penn Quarter, apts along Connecticut Ave above Rock Creek Park, Capitol hill, Meridian Hill, Kalorama (near Dupont Circle). Park the car, take the metro, and walk around some of these neighborhoods. In Dupont Circle you might run into the cast of MTV's The Real World...

For slightly less expensive areas, only if you're somewhat of an urban pioneer:
While still a bit gritty around the edges, Colombia Heights and Petworth are up and coming neighborhoods with new apartment, condo, and mid to high end retail around the Metro stations. The gentrification in Petworth is just beginning, but in a few years much of it will be upscale. Bloomingdale, a neighborhood of attractive rowhouses/rowhouse apts (along Rhode Island Ave) is also undergoing some significant gentrification.... but it's far from any nightlife, and it's still a bit of a rough area.

Arlington and Old Town Alexandria are great for young professionals (especially Arlington), but don't write off DC if you haven't considered it, especially if you'll be working in the city.

[TheseGoTo11]

Originally Posted by DennyCrane

I think Arlington/Alexandria makes the most sense.

Having read your post and having lived here for more than a decade now, I completely agree, unless you want to hang out at chain restaurant bars in Reston and talk to other guys about their jobs.

That said, Arlington is more convenient than Alexandria to jobs in Tyson's/Reston. If you're driving to work you might want to look around the western edge of Arlington around the East Falls Church Metro. Easy access to DC and Arlington, some walkable neighborhoods, and it's the farthest out point where 66 is 3 lanes each way. Closer in all the traffic is forced onto 2 lanes, so can be an easier commute to Reston than if you live in Clarendon or Ballston.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

For a young, single guy with a tech job D.C. is a great place to live - you will fit right in.

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11

That said, Arlington is more convenient than Alexandria to jobs in Tyson's/Reston. If you're driving to work you might want to look around the western edge of Arlington around the East Falls Church Metro. Easy access to DC and Arlington, some walkable neighborhoods, and it's the farthest out point where 66 is 3 lanes each way. Closer in all the traffic is forced onto 2 lanes, so can be an easier commute to Reston than if you live in Clarendon or Ballston.

I agree. Unfortunately, most of what I'm seeing that falls within my price range would put me in Alexandria. Arlington might be beyond my means, unless I land a REALLY high paying job.

[fumanchu41]

Denny Crane,
Having lived in both the midwest and NOVA, you are accurate in your assessment. Being single, the best place to live are in the Ballston/Clarendon/Rosslyn area. They are all parts of Arlington that run along the underground Orange line(metrorail). It was a great experience living in the Ballston area. Didn't even need a car because we walked everywhere. Lots of restaurants, single scenes, malls, museums, shopping and pretty much everything by metro or a short walk away. I would only consider this if you were working in DC or areas where you can ride metro to work.

As far as jobs, You can't get any better then the DC area. The area in itself is self sustained from the rest of the country.

Traffic is HORRIBLE during school season. GL with your move.

[robbobobbo]

I live in Alexandria. During my single days, I lived all around NoVa and DC. I would say your social life would be better in Arlington than in Alexandria. And yes, you'd be bored out of your mind outside the Beltway, believe me, I've done that (Fairfax, Burke, Springfield).

The areas you mentioned in Alexandria - the Duke Street (outside of Old Town) and Edsall Road areas - they are ok as far as easy access to other things, but not much of an area if you like things to be right outside your door and have a walkable community. You'd be hopping in your car all the time, which is what I associate with suburban living. Crystal City and Pentagon City have more in the way of places to go to and things to do, but still not a whole lot compared to the Wilson Blvd corridor in north Arlington, and DC.

Have you thought about a roommate? That makes it easier to live really near the core of either Arlington or in DC.

Jobs: you're right about the opportunities, that they don't just exist in the far-flung areas. A lot of the IT jobs in and near DC require a clearance, but certainly not all. Many foundations and organizations are in DC, and even Old Town Alexandria has a good share of IT jobs. Bear in mind that if you get a clearance job, it may move in the next year or so. This affects Crystal City and Rossyln DoD jobs, for instance.

Weather: not brutal winters, but it can seem like Spring is taking forever to arrive (I know, that's all relative, nothing like the northern midwest), and the area can't handle snow. Summers are very humid, usually a week or two goes near or over 100F, and this summer has been mild. Humidity lasts well into September.

If you have any questions about specific areas of Alexandria, I could help. Also, don't forget Google street view as a means to glance around an area.

[xyv1027]

Denny Crane, your assessments are all very accurate. I would say that Reston Town Center, in particular, is definitely starting to develop more of a nightlife than it use to have. With that said, I'd say Clarendon and Ballston far surpass Reston in terms of singles options. I chose Reston when I moved to VA 7 1/2 years ago because of its relative solitude but also good proximity to jobs and happening places like Tysons and Arlington. Bear in mind, Reston outside of the town center core is definitely more suburbia and very car dependent. On the flip side, Reston's overall housing is cheaper and newer overall when compared to areas of Arlington.

You may also want to check out Bethesda, Maryland... very similar to Arlington in some ways, perhaps a bit more uppity in terms of demographics. Plus, there are loads of jobs along the I-270 tech corridor that runs north from DC to about Germantown. Just as you can reverse commute from say Ballston to Reston, you could do the same from Bethesda to say Gaithersburg. I-270 traffic with the rushhour flow is a total nightmare, against the rushhour its a true breeze as I-270 is 6 lanes in each direction from Gaithersburg on south.

[DennyCrane]

Thanks for the extra feedback. I really did feel like my social life would suffer outside the Beltway. Arlington sounds like the best place for me, but Alexandria might be more feasible. It's more affordable, still close to DC and close to Arlington. And it's not like I need everything to be within walking distance. I actually like my car and don't mind driving. As long as I'm not driving too far or spending a lot of time behind the wheel, I'll be happy.

One thing I have ruled out is getting a roommate. I know it saves money, but I would prefer to live alone. And like I said in my earlier post, I don't need a ton of space. It's just gonna be me and my dog.

I wish I had time to look at Maryland more. Bethesda may be a good alternative if Arlington and Alexandria don't work out.

It's all about making tradeoffs. I want to be near DC, near where other singles are, but also close to a good percentage of the jobs in my field and still have some money left over after paying my rent. At least I've been able to rule out some places.