Advice Needed for NOVA move - Here is my wish list (Arlington: house, neighborhoods)

[Guamanians]

Robbo: I was surprised to see that Del Ray was so family friendly. You hit it on the head when you said that there aren't children in every house, but there are children in Del Ray.

[JfromReston]

I did a search by map for rentals and found the following that you may want to check out.

View Property Details- 2617 MARCEY RD, Arlington, VA 22207
View Property Details- 6116 FRANKLIN PARK RD, Mclean, VA 22101
View Property Details- 4943 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW, Washington, DC 20016
View Property Details- 1424 LABURNUM ST, Mc Lean, VA 22101
View Property Details- 6508 BELLAMINE CT, Mclean, VA 22101
View Property Details- 5200 WESTPATH WAY, Bethesda, MD 20816
View Property Details- 6222 LAKEVIEW DR, Falls Church, VA 22041

I don't know how I did this as I was trying to post a home that I found - but here is a link to the search map with locations of the houses.
Search Results on Map

[statecollege]

If you can afford $5k per month, you can live anywhere! Your top 3 are available anywhere in NoVA. The most problematic is the 30 min commute. You'll likely have to compromise on that unless you live within a walk of a Metro and even then it would be questionable. Your nice-to-haves are within 30 min of most places. Wegman's is the least numerous, but you can get to Fair Lakes area in 30 min from much of NoVA. Wegman's is great, but so are other upscale grocers throughout the area.

[JD984]

Alexandria would definitely offer a better commute to DC than most parts of NoVa. As to whether it's a good place to raise kids, my view is that the most significant factor is whether it's a place where their parents are happy to be raising them. There are families in Alexandria (Old Town, Del Ray, and elsewhere) who really would detest living on a cul-de-sac in Fairfax or Loudoun 45-60 minutes away from DC, and it's much better for their kids that they are living with happy parents elsewhere.

It is, however, a more urban environment - even outside Old Town - than Arlington, Fairfax or Loudoun. For example, it's not just that most lots in Del Ray aren't the typical acre or more you'd find in Oakton or Great Falls, or 1/2 acre in McLean - instead, they're often only .15 or .20 acre lots. So that means less room to play in a back yard and more time spent in local parks and recreation facilities - which many of those parents prefer in any event.

Similarly, the schools and test scores reflect the demographics of a small city - test scores at TC Williams (the Alexandria high school) are lower than those at 24 out of the 25 high schools in Fairfax, as well as lower than state and national norms. Does that mean students can't get a good education in the Alexandria system? Absolutely not. Does that mean high-achieving students will more likely need to be confident, self-starter types who can navigate a system where lower-achieving students require a lot of resources and attention? Probably.

Comes back to the old refrain - different strokes for different folks.

[athousandlogins]

Originally Posted by SOCCERMOM79

I know the others are referring to areas a little closer to DC, but I think you have to check out the Fairfax (Fair Oaks) - Chantilly area. We moved here from Alaska five years ago and I still rave to this day how fortunate we were to end up in such a wonderful area.

While I adore the whole Fair Oaks/Fair Lakes/Fairfax City/Fairfax Corner area, it is way more than 30 minutes to DC. And that seems to be a priority consideration for the OP.

You can get to the Vienna Metro stop in 10 minutes in the middle of the night, maybe, but not during morning rush. And even once you get to the train, it's still a 45 minute ride. The alternative is driving down 66, which is a nightmare on the best days.

The OP can have a fantastic commute with that budget, and with some of the worst traffic in the nation, I (and many on this forum) strongly recommend going for the shortest commute you can afford. Fair Lakes, etc. will not offer that to the OP, as nice as it is.

[michgc]

If you are stuck on Northern Virginia, I would suggest North Arlington or McLean. If you are willing to look in Maryland, check out downtown Bethesda. It has everything on your wish list (except Target is probably more like 20 minutes away)

[Fern435]

If keeping the commute under 30 minutes is absolutely essential, then you probably will want to be as close in (Arlington or Bethesda) as possible.

If you value a larger home, excellent schools, and still be convenient to shopping, Fairfax Station would work. The VRE station is in Burke (very easy to drive to, free parking). And Target is just across the overpass from the station. The commute would be a bit longer, but the quality of life might be worth it.

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by Fern435

If you value a larger home, excellent schools, and still be convenient to shopping, Fairfax Station would work. The VRE station is in Burke (very easy to drive to, free parking). And Target is just across the overpass from the station. The commute would be a bit longer, but the quality of life might be worth it.

This would be more than an hour commute! Burke to L'Enfant is 45 minutes on the train (General Schedule Information - VRE), with time get to the station, park, wait for the train, and get to the office from L'Enfant, I don't see how anyone could do all that in less than an hour.

Unless the OP indicates a willingness to give up on the 1st priorty listed - under 30 minutes to DC - I don't think suggestions with commute times over an hour are helpful or appropriate.

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by JfromReston

This would be more than an hour commute! Burke to L'Enfant is 45 minutes on the train (General Schedule Information - VRE), with time get to the station, park, wait for the train, and get to the office from L'Enfant, I don't see how anyone could do all that in less than an hour.

Unless the OP indicates a willingness to give up on the 1st priorty listed - under 30 minutes to DC - I don't think suggestions with commute times over an hour are helpful or appropriate.

Oh dear. I am terribly sorry for contributing a post that displeased you.

You seemed to ignore my first comment about Arlington or Bethesda if the 30 minute commute is a must.

Yes, I realize that Fairfax Station is farther out. The other things on the OP's wish list are there in abundance, however, and if a peaceful family environment with good schools is the higher priority, then the VRE commute might not be a bad one for her spouse.

Thank you for reminding me why we decided to NOT purchase a house in Fairfax County!

[CAVA1990]

Check out homes along the GW Parkway in the 22308 zip code just South of Old Town Alexandria. The area has everything on your list except Wegmans but you can go into Old Town to Whole Foods or Trader Joes. They're almost done building a brand new library there next to the county rec center (counts as your YMCA) which has a pool, workout areas, kids programs and an ice rink. Target is just up the hill on Route 1. The schools are good (Fairfax County). It's about 30 minutes over the bridge to DC but could be a few minutes more depending on traffic and where you're going once you're there.