Moving to Northern VA (Chantilly, Leesburg: appointed, apartment, rental)

[okemo]

Hi I am new to the city data group wondering if there is some good advice on where to live in Northern VA.
We are coming from the "burbs' of NH, with 2 kids.
I realize that I do not want to live on top of DC maybe 30 miles out.
Any advice would be great.

[SmerkyGrl]

Information needed:
Where you're working
How much you're willing to spend on housing,
How long you're willing to commute
What kind of neighborhood you're looking for

[5stones]

you also realise that 30 miles outside of DC means it can take anywhere from 1-2hours to actually get into DC.

more questions to add to smerky's...
ages of kids?
public schools important? or good homeschool support?
community amneities important?

[SmerkyGrl]

Hi thanks for the response.
I do not work (stay at home)
Hubby can live anywhere.
We want to rent for now, $1500-1800. per month, I would prefer a house.
Any suggestions?

Where does your hubby work? The commute is a pretty darn big deal to most people in NOVA so it is important to choose how far away you live to work very carefully. For 1500-1800 a month, you can get a very nice 1 bedroom, a pretty decent 2 bedroom, or a ratty tatty 3 bedroom apartment. You will not be able to get a house. Need more info, still, to give you a good suggestion! :P

[onevthoki]

5stones is right on the mileage/time factor. Now, if hubby is positive he does not mind commuting, you can look into Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. A lot of the folks there are not getting what they want when they try to sell their home, so they are renting. For $1800 you should be able to get a 3-bedroom rental in a nice neighborhood with amenities.

[Thruway]

Originally Posted by okemo

Hi I am new to the city data group wondering if there is some good advice on where to live in Northern VA.
We are coming from the "burbs' of NH, with 2 kids.
I realize that I do not want to live on top of DC maybe 30 miles out.
Any advice would be great.

I came from the North east to northern VA, prepare to be disappointed.

The weather stinks, it's hot, humid, with no beaches nearby, 3-4 hours for a nice one without traffic, which brings up point two, no infrastructre, overdevelopment, and bad commutes.

You think Boston traffic is bad, wait till you get to Northern VA with their poor mass transist design.

The people, yuppies, white collar, and overall lacking the community and culture, partially due to the fact you don't have incorporated towns, just massive developements of townhomes and mcdonalds, with zero commitment to preservation or nature.

An overall ugly mess of traffic, weather, lack of culture, character, and flavor.

[Thruway]

The traffic outside of the city of Boston, in the suburbs, and overall transportation system is earth's apart.

Northern VA lacks individual town zoning, planning, it's a checkerboard of townhomes and strip malls unappealing to the eye with seemingly no flavor.

[5stones]

OK I am just going to thorow out some smaller nice family friendly towns for you to Google. These are close enough to DC to go for a day visit and possibly monthly for work. (I live in Leesburg and my hubby works in Tysons, goes to DC about 1 month ofr work as well as Quantico once in a blue moon)
Leesburg
Winchester
Lovettesville
Purceville
Hamilton
Middleburg ($$$)
Warrenton
Nokesville
Culpeper (futher out)
Frederickburg

Places closer to DC
Ashburn
South riding
Chantilly
Centerville
Gainsville
Bristow

[Thruway]

Originally Posted by 5stones

OK I am just going to thorow out some smaller nice family friendly towns for you to Google. These are close enough to DC to go for a day visit and possibly monthly for work. (I live in Leesburg and my hubby works in Tysons, goes to DC about 1 month ofr work as well as Quantico once in a blue moon)
Leesburg
Winchester
Lovettesville
Purceville
Hamilton
Middleburg ($$$)
Warrenton
Nokesville
Culpeper (futher out)
Frederickburg

Places closer to DC
Ashburn
South riding
Chantilly
Centerville
Gainsville
Bristow

No no no...PLEASE do not ENCOURAGE commuters in sprawl in still rural places.

Purceville, Middleburg, Lovettsville, Fredericksburg, Warrenton, Culpepper, and Winchester are the few remaining RURAL spots in northern VA.

You won't find endless sprawl of townhomes, shopping centers, and neon lights dotting the eye over farm country.

Yes there might be a few developments but Middleburg, Route 50 west in Loudon, and Winchester, 70 miles away...no way.
That's rural and please DO NOT encourage outside sprawl pressure.

It's bad enough Eastern Loudon and PW are all gone, I used to be right next to the country, don't take deeply entrenched places like that and make them out to be the next Loudon.

Fairfax County, East Loudon, and PW is suburbia nightmare...shop there.
West Loudon, Faquier, Clarke, Frederick County are farming country, unless you want 10 acres and 30 mins to shopping, please don't come, it's so depressing so all the developement and destruction as it is, we don't need people perpetuating it.

[5stones]

Excuse me!!!

Yes there might be a few developments but Middleburg, Route 50 west in Loudon, and Winchester, 70 miles away...no way.
That's rural and please DO NOT encourage outside sprawl pressure.

BUT the OP said NOTHING about commuting into DC! She wanted to about 30miles away. Husband can work anywhere.

ALSO the OP said nothing about wanting a DEVELOPMENT!! for all you know they want 5 acres and chickens!

Beside people have to live somewhere and like it or not many military and government families have NO choice when it comes to moving here! and we don't get HUGE pay insentives either, so we have to move Out! also lots of people like living a in more RURAL places and want to keep it that way!

maybe you want to give me an extra $1000/month so I can afford to live inside the beltway.