WSJ Article: People Moving From MI Suburbs to Urban DC & Realities of Using A Car Much Less (Arlington: condo, house)

[normie]

Interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal about a couple who just moved from a suburban area in Michigan to DC. The article mentions different positive experiences they had with this move but is mostly about learning to live without a car. Learning to Live Without a Car - WSJ.com

A couple of quotes that caught my attention:

"I got a 35-pound package delivered to my office. Old life: Stick the package in the trunk and drive it home. New life: Haul the package to the corner of K Street and Connecticut Ave. and hail a cab. Future life: Live without 35-pound packages."

and

"The biggest change is to my morning and evening commute. Old routine: Pour coffee into a travel mug, grab a briefcase, jump in the Subaru and drive alone for 25 to 30 minutes.

New routine: Walk about four blocks to a Metro station, grab a free newspaper, take the escalator down to the platform, and jockey for standing-room space on a train. The Metro prohibits drinking and eating on board, so no coffee. Commuting is now a pseudo-social event—my fellow commuters and I are a community of people trying to ignore each other and the fact that we are too close."

Another interesting thing is this couple apparently moved here after their kids left home. Moving to DC was part of downsizing, and the author described himself as being part of a trend.

What do you think of this idea? Are we seeing a trend of what the author calls "Third Life Boomers" moving here? I know we have a lot of young singles arriving in droves, but is this the next big trend?

[South Jersey Styx]

I had a couple of co-workers with a similar scenario. Except that they were 40-somethings, single, and coming from NYC to DC so they were already accustomed to not having a car. Same thing - just used metro or cabs and if there were any social events further away they just asked for a ride.

[Caladium]

You know, for all the griping we do about driving I actually drive less since moving to Nova. Of course, I'm lucky--I don't have to commute far for my job. And I telecommute most of the time anyway.

Even though I'm out in Herndon, I don't do that much driving. The grocery store is about a half mile--I do drive there but it's not like when I lived in Portland, Oregon and had to drive several miles to get groceries. In fact, most of the places I've lived involved driving to get groceries, even though I've lived in some pretty cool towns that brag about how walkable they are. Herndon's not considered "cool" but it's actually pretty convenient. Within a half mile of my house I have my church, a metro park-n-ride center, and most of the stores I regularly use. So I'm putting a lot less mileage on the car than I used to.

[Caladium]

Here's something I wonder:

If you have a long commute, do you work your shopping into the commute? Do you stop at grocery stores along the way?

I find it interesting that the newest Wegman's is right on Rt. 7. Are they hoping to draw a lot of commuters? Hmmm, that might be really ingenious, now that I think about it. Stopping at the store is a smart way to get a break from traffic. By the time you've done your shopping, rush hour has died down.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by normie

Are we seeing a trend of what the author calls "Third Life Boomers" moving here? I know we have a lot of young singles arriving in droves, but is this the next big trend?

Third Life Boomers? That's a new one on me. I like the idea of moving to a totally different kind of neighborhood after the kids leave home, though. I could see the appeal of downsizing and moving back to Arlington. (As long as I could still have a big vegetable garden, I like my home grown salads.)

What's the free newspaper he was talking about? I wonder if he's getting on the train reading the Onion!

[DCguy03]

Originally Posted by normie

What do you think of this idea? Are we seeing a trend of what the author calls "Third Life Boomers" moving here? I know we have a lot of young singles arriving in droves, but is this the next big trend?

Funny that you should mention this--I bought a new (to me) chair that I found on craigslist, went to pick it up last night, and the couple selling it were recent empty-nesters that were "downsizing" from a house in Vienna to a condo in Clarendon.

The husband said that their kids were already out on their own, so they didn't have a use for 4-bedroom house, and wanted a quick commute + more 'going out' places close-by. Pretty neat, I think!

I think that this is a small, but growing trend. It's also smart planning for the long-term, because when they get much older (80's+) and can no longer drive, their freedom isn't lost. They'll be able to walk downstairs or across the street and have instant access to a coffee shop/bookstore/restaurant.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Herndon's not considered "cool" but it's actually pretty convenient. Within a half mile of my house I have my church, a metro park-n-ride center, and most of the stores I regularly use. So I'm putting a lot less mileage on the car than I used to.

I like Herndon for exactly that -- things located in close vicinity within one another. Nice shops, restaurants, supermarkets, gyms. Very nice community center and easy access to the highways. They kept some of their old buildings so there's some historic flavor still there.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Here's something I wonder:

If you have a long commute, do you work your shopping into the commute? Do you stop at grocery stores along the way?

I find it interesting that the newest Wegman's is right on Rt. 7. Are they hoping to draw a lot of commuters? Hmmm, that might be really ingenious, now that I think about it. Stopping at the store is a smart way to get a break from traffic. By the time you've done your shopping, rush hour has died down.

I realize that 40 minutes is not considered a long commute for some but for me it's the longest commute ever. I remember when I would complain about driving more than 20 minutes to get anywhere. Perspective is everything. So I definitely drive more since moving here.

You know the Giant by my house is so inudated with traffic that after fighting the freeway for 30-45 minutes I'm usually too mentally drained to fight anymore traffic just to drive a mile for some baloney. So no I usually get food after rush hour. I understand it's a break but for me I just want to get home and get the rush hour drive over with.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by terrence81

You know the Giant by my house is so inudated with traffic that after fighting the freeway for 30-45 minutes I'm usually too mentally drained to fight anymore traffic just to drive a mile for some baloney.

I know what you mean, I used to feel that way where I used to live. Just a thought: maybe you could find a grocery store located close to your office building and then you can hit it before you get into traffic.

[robbobobbo]

My commute is short (15 min) and no highways, and since I drive right by a grocery store, I do my shopping on the way home. I also plan my other shopping trips to coincide with things like picking up my kids from their activities. I rarely just hop into the car the moment I realize I need something, although my wife complains I drive too much to Lowe's and would I please just get everything I need at once!