Commute from Ballston to Ashburn (moving to DC soon)?? (Reston: apartment, rental)

[ou1985]

I am looking to live in Ballston for a new job and was wondering what the commute was like. I want to live in an area by a Metro Station and am a young professional.

A few questions...

1. If I left during rush hour, how long would it take to get to/home from work (from Ballston to Ashburn in morning/home in the evening).

2. If I lived in Falls Church or other places down the Orange Line would that really help me??

3. What is Vienna like?

4. Which is more a better place to live Falls Church or East Falls Church...keeping in mind I know they are not like Clarendon/Ballston.

Thanks I appreciate the help!!!

[rowboatfun]

Originally Posted by ou1985

I am looking to live in Ballston for a new job and was wondering what the commute was like. I want to live in an area by a Metro Station and am a young professional.

A few questions...

1. If I left during rush hour, how long would it take to get to/home from work (from Ballston to Ashburn in morning/home in the evening).

2. If I lived in Falls Church or other places down the Orange Line would that really help me??

3. What is Vienna like?

4. Which is more a better place to live Falls Church or East Falls Church...keeping in mind I know they are not like Clarendon/Ballston.

Thanks I appreciate the help!!!

Your commute to Ashburn will require you to hop on I66W and then take the Dulles Toll Road and then exit onto Leesburg Pike at the last stop, or continue on with the Dulles Greenway connection, which will cost you probably $4 on top of the DTR tolls.

Or, you can elect not to pay for the Toll Road and just drive up Leesburg Pike. It's a long drive that will get old, but you're probably going against traffic. I would say it'll probably take you about 40 minutes to if the stars are aligned, and more than that for the return commute.

You have no option really, but to drive. Metro is not going to help you.

[VRE332]

if you don't have any family, like a wife and kids, stick to anywhere near a metro station. The commute is horrendous. If you decide on Ashburn then consider the Loudoun County Bus for your commuting options.

[ou1985]

For clarity...I am going to be driving for sure, but I am choosing to live somewhere close to a Metro Station.

So for example if I lived in Falls Church would that make a huge difference in my commute or is it about the same from Ballston??

As far as towns farther out Reston, Ashburn, Brambleton, Sterling etc...are there any that are cool (I heard Reston is)???

I am single, no family, young professional.

[normie]

Originally Posted by ou1985

As far as towns farther out Reston, Ashburn, Brambleton, Sterling etc...are there any that are cool (I heard Reston is)???

Cool is a subjective word. Personally, I think Reston is a fun little place, I love all the trees, and I particularly love the walking trails. But... if your definition of cool is "urban" you might not like it. Reston is the most urban of the suburbs, but it's still most definitely a suburb.

These photos will tell you a lot about Reston:

Reston-Town Center and Lake Anne
Reston-South Lakes

[ou1985]

I figure Reston is my only choice out there or suck it up and deal with an ugly commute!

[FindingZen]

Reston is definitely your best self-compromise for the reasons already mentioned. Falls Church might be a decent alternative for the Metro access for weekend trips into DC as well as the handful of young professional-friendly options towards the center of town itself.

[Novamom06]

I think Brambleton is an up and coming neighborhood for young professionals with a new town center, etc, that you might want to consider to cut your commute. Lansdowne may also have that feel but is a bit harder to get to and probably more families.

[ou1985]

I suppose I need to research how much my tolls would be from Ballston/Falls Church and also the costs for gas/rent (closer to Metro/DC more expensive).

So from Reston would I pay tolls to Ashburn???

Thanks for all the feedback, look forward to more!

[seiketsu]

I personally would not pay the premium to live on Metro if I weren't going to use it to commute. I certainly wouldn't pay the premium and then take on an hour driving commute on top of it. When you add the extra rent (assume $100 - $300 more) on a rail accessible apartment compared to a similar rental just a couple of miles away from a station, plus added gas and tolls (expect $100 a month just in tolls), plus the added aggravation in traffic -- just not worth it.

Reston is a nice community with many young, single professionals. You'd have maybe a 15-20 minute commute to Ashburn on Route 7, avoiding tolls. Then you could take the $500 a month you'll save and pay for taxis to take you into DC ($30 for taxi from West Falls Church to Reston) if one of the many buses doesn't fit your schedule.

If you're concerned about your social life, join a meetup group or get to know coworkers. Some people would have you think that you're doomed to a life of misery if you don't live right in the middle of the post-college party scene. I found that once I developed my social circle (and, frankly, matured into other priorities), nights out barhopping became few and far between. It is very easy to live in the suburbs and have a healthy calendar of dinners, poker nights, sports outings, concerts, movies, just hanging out in each other's homes where the drinks are cheaper and better made and the couch is good for all night, etc.