Hip community without metro premium

[terrence81]

My two cents? Well regarding the gay thing, as someone who lives in the suburbs it is harder to find dudes in the neighborhood. The internet though makes life pretty good in VA. There are plenty of dudes in every suburb online looking for a hookup.

It's not Reston's fault there is no gay bar. There's no gay bar in ANY of the VA suburbs and I have a hard time considering Crystal City suburban so Freddies doesn't count. At the end of the day if you want to meet guys either get online or spend more time driving to the city. Living in Oakton I've never hooked up in the neighborhood but have met plenty of guys in the area. Unfortunately those are the only options. Personally Freddies is not the best bar for meeting people. Most of the people there are with their friends and I have yet to get any digits while there.

Yeah as a rule only small town gay bars have both sexes partying together. As a single guy on the prowl not really interested in partying with women so prefer the sex segregation. Although I have had a good time with lesbians they tend to be friendlier than anyone else.

[terrence81]

On the original topic. Honestly around here if you want "hip" and don't want roommates then you will pay. Shirlington is an option. The crowd around there is a little older than Clarendon. But folks in south Arlington tend to be more down to earth. Whereas Clarendon has too much of the preppy what overpriced school did you go to crowd.

Old Town is fun too. You can get a one bedroom in the $1500 range but the commute will be bear compared to Falls Church. Capitol Hill in the city is also an option. Its a little cheaper than places like dupont and Georgetown.

[rchen404]

Originally Posted by munsonroyg

I have been reading quite a few threads on this forum to get as much information as possible about a future move (about 5-6 months from now). There is a wealth of information on here and a lot of great contributors. I'm hoping I can get some input.

My background: I'm 28 and grew up 30 miles west of DC. Currently, I own a townhome in Falls Church and I'm very familiar with most parts of NOVA. I work in Herndon and have my reverse commute down to a science. My current neighbhorhood is quite an unsocial place with mostly 40+ year-old couples and a shocking number of older single folks that never leave the house. The mile radius around my house is not exactly a hip area to walk to the gym, shops, grocery store, book store, park, etc. No one does as it's pretty scummy.

I would like to find a nice place to myself (no roommates) in a young community (mostly 20s - 30s) where there is a decent amount of walkablity. I don't need nightlife and a metro within walking distance, nor do I want to pay a premium for it, e.g. Clarendon. Clarendon would be nice, but $1800+ for rent seems like a waste to me, even though I can afford it. I just don't use the metro. I get the feeling that north of the orange line, in Arlington, and just out metro walking distance might have what I'm looking for. I'm familiar with everything along Wilson/Clarendon blvd, but not the communities North and south of there. I had friends that used to live north of Ballston and they were both old, worn-down buildings. It would be nice to have a fairly new building. A pool would be great, too. Any suggestions or insight would be greatly appreciated!

Where exactly do you live in FC? Is it walkable/bus to metro? Sounds like paradise!

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by rchen404

Where exactly do you live in FC? Is it walkable/bus to metro? Sounds like paradise!

While this general topic is still very relevant, the original post that you're responding to is over a year old.

That said, I'll let others more knowledgeable respond about the walkability or bus options to the Metro.

[Carlingtonian]

Check out the various apartment buildings on Lee Highway--e.g., there's one on the north side of Lee at about Stafford Street. It's about a mile from the Ballston Metro. There are others near there on Lee as well. Also check out Columbia Pike, but expect the rents to go up as the streetcar gets built.

River Place in Rosslyn is kind of divey, but that might save you some cash. Lots of young folks there.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by munsonroyg

JEB, I like the Shirlington Village idea. I thought of Shirlington as I've liked a couple of neighborhoods there I've visted in the past. I guess I need to really visit the area more to get a better feel. The commute is not as nice as Northern Arlington or East Falls Church (where I live), but not bad.

When I moved to Arlington my social life dramatically improved. I live just north of Shirlington. I like it. The commute to Herndon will become a pain though. I'm not sure where in Herndon you work though. If you're in Falls Church you have been escaping the worse reverse commute traffic on 66 I'm going to guess. My commute to Fairfax is a breeze in the morning but in the evening? Ugh. Depending on where in Herndon you works you might be looking at an hour commute.

So I would suggest north Arlington. If you aren't right next to a metro station it isn't AS expensive but still more expensive than the area around Shirlington though.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by terrence81

When I moved to Arlington my social life dramatically improved. I live just north of Shirlington. I like it. The commute to Herndon will become a pain though. I'm not sure where in Herndon you work though. If you're in Falls Church you have been escaping the worse reverse commute traffic on 66 I'm going to guess. My commute to Fairfax is a breeze in the morning but in the evening? Ugh. Depending on where in Herndon you might be looking at an hour commute.

So I would suggest north Arlington. If you aren't right next to a metro station it isn't AS expensive but still more expensive than the area around Shirlington though.

Ha! I didn't read the date. I see I even responded earlier. How about that?

There have been times where my views and opinions about something has changed in a year's time but I stand by everything I said a year ago.