Advice on Power-Commuting? (Alexandria, Reston, McLean: apartment complex, rent, HOA)

[RestonRunner86.]

Well I know this may seem to sound rather outlandish to some (perhaps most), but I've grown very disillusioned with living in Reston and find myself terribly missing living in a place with a true sense of community---a traditional downtown business district, historic homes along tree-lined streets, grandmas pulling grandkids around in little red wagons, lemonade stands, American flags hanging from front porches, independent merchants and restaurants, people yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks, bumping into someone you know at the mall and actually having a conversation with them about their lives, etc., etc. In Reston I've met some wonderful people, but most like to "keep their distance" socially. Perhaps it's because they're too tired from commuting that they don't have any time to want to get more involved socially or perhaps it's because they have already reached as many friends as they would prefer to have, but by and large I've grown extremely despondent living in this sort of atmosphere where you feel like you're on the outside looking in.

I absolutely love the City of Falls Church, but it is too far removed from my price range to be a serious contender for me, a Federal employee who earns very little in comparison to professional peers. I also am not 100% "sold" on its gap-toothed downtown with a lot of strip malls, surface parking lots, fast-food places, and other things that really detract from its overall walkability and charm. Ditto Vienna for these same reasons. I'm crazy about Fredericksburg, but as a snow lover I know moving myself that far south out of the snow belt (and battling I-95 congestion constantly) would wear me down.

What's left? I find myself constantly turning to Winchester. I've driven out there numerous times and plan to drive on out again tomorrow and/or Sunday to do more exploring. I get the sense that Winchester is everything I could ever want in a community. It is just large enough to have a Lowe's, Target, a mall, a Chick-Fil-A, and other conveniences, but it's still small enough to have charm, identity, and soul. There are a lot of people out there with the Southern drawl that I find to be very alluring. The pace out there seems to be slower than in Fairfax County, but even though the populace is more rural they're not "redneck", from what I've experienced thus far.

While I earn a very low salary one benefit I love about my job is my flexible work schedule. Ideally I'd work 6 AM-4:30 PM Monday and Tuesday at my office in McLean. Wednesday would be my floating day off each week to relax, run weekly errands, perhaps volunteer in the Winchester community, etc. Thursday I'd schlep it back to McLean, and Friday, if all goes well, my boss would permit me to telework that one day per week so I could still be productive while also saving myself the roughly 125-mile round-trip daily commute. It seems plausible. I love driving. If I'm only doing this no more than two days in a row at any given time (and only one two-day stretch per week at that) then I can't envision burning myself out.

My concerns, that hopefully fellow power-commuters can help me to assuage:

1.) Wear and tear on the car: Assuming I commute 125 miles round-trip 3 days per week, that will be 375 miles per week spent commuting to work. Throw in the potential of driving around town to run errands, and that might go up to 400 miles per week and 1,600+ miles per month. Have any of you power-commuters noticed that the added maintenance expenditures you've had to spend on your vehicle has made your endeavor not worth the effort? Currently my round-trip commute is about 20 miles, five days per week (100 miles/week).

2.) How, exactly, IS this long haul during darkness? How often do deer/car collisions happen? Are there any notorious speed traps between Winchester and Fairfax County along Route 7? Any areas notorious for icing, beyond that brief highly-elevated stretch between Bluemont and the Clarke County line? Plowed relatively well during wintry weather? Any "dead zones" for cell phone service with AT&T?

3.) Is Winchester truly "worth" the commute, or would I be better off suffering in Reston a few more years until I could finally afford a place like the City of Falls Church or Vienna? Ideally I even like the historic part of Leesburg, but the rest of Leesburg has become so overdeveloped that it has lost much of its appeal to me. I like Berryville, too, but it is far too small for me. Ditto Purcellville, Hamilton, and Round Hill. I know myself, and I know what I like. Winchester feels "right." So does the City of Falls Church. The latter is geared towards the wealthy. I'm thinking maybe I can rent a 1-BR out in Winchester (I saw a place right downtown for $500/month on CraigsList), save up for a couple of years, and then move to Falls Church when the time is right for me financially. Good idea?

Help! I just don't know how much more of Reston I can take! It's like an overgrown suburb that doesn't quite want to be a city, so it's just stuck in "limbo." I need a place that isn't having an identity crisis like this.

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Well I know this may seem to sound rather outlandish to some (perhaps most). . . 125-mile round-trip daily commute.

Outlandish!!!!! TOTALLY OUTLANDISH!!!!!

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Perhaps it's because they're too tired from commuting that they don't have any time to want to get more involved socially

I just started commuting back downtown DC and find I don't have time to do all the things I'm used to doing much less have time for new stuff. Commuting to and from Winchester will leave you no time to enjoy Winchester. You will be to tired on your off day and weekends! To get to Tysons by 6:00 am you will need to get up at 3:30 or 4:00 am!!! That means getting to sleep between 7 and 8 to get a good nights sleep.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

find myself terribly missing living in a place with a true sense of community---a traditional downtown business district, historic homes along tree-lined streets, grandmas pulling grandkids around in little red wagons, lemonade stands, American flags hanging from front porches, independent merchants and restaurants, people yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks, bumping into someone you know at the mall and actually having a conversation with them about their lives, etc., etc.

You can find this in Reston - ok not the historic homes but all the rest.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

I absolutely love the City of Falls Church, but it is too far removed from my price range to be a serious contender for me, a Federal employee who earns very little in comparison to professional peers. I also am not 100% "sold" on its gap-toothed downtown with a lot of strip malls, surface parking lots, fast-food places, and other things that really detract from its overall walkability and charm. Ditto Vienna for these same reasons.

If you find a room-mate or two you should be able to find a nice place in Falls Church. But remember - the grass is not always greener on the other side of the hill. Life and how you live is more about what you make it that what others make of it.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

125-mile round-trip daily commute. It seems plausible. I love driving.

You won't love driving after a few weeks of 125 mile/day commuting.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

1.) Wear and tear on the car: Assuming I commute 125 miles round-trip 3 days per week, that will be 375 miles per week spent commuting to work. Throw in the potential of driving around town to run errands, and that might go up to 400 miles per week and 1,600+ miles per month. Have any of you power-commuters noticed that the added maintenance expenditures you've had to spend on your vehicle has made your endeavor not worth the effort? Currently my round-trip commute is about 20 miles, five days per week (100 miles/week).

How can there not be added maintenance expenditures on a vehichle with that kind of daily mileage.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

3.) Is Winchester truly "worth" the commute, or would I be better off suffering in Reston a few more years until I could finally afford a place like the City of Falls Church or Vienna?

I doubt Winchester is worth the immense effort commuting will take.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Help! I just don't know how much more of Reston I can take! It's like an overgrown suburb that doesn't quite want to be a city, so it's just stuck in "limbo." I need a place that isn't having an identity crisis like this.

Reston or any place is what you make it and if you are intent on not liking Reston you won't find the great things it has to offer. If you are looking for a sense of community you are going to have a hard time finding it if you don't really want to find it. Also, living in an apartment complex is the most difficult place to find that sense of community.

[Guamanians]

I agree that reston isn't a great place to live. Have you thought about finding a job in Winchester? I know it's easier said than done, but that could solve all of your problems. Also, have you seriously considered/looked at any places inside the beltway? The Belle view section of Alexandria is a nice community oriented neighborhood which consists of mostly singles or couples. It is not very congested, and it is convenient to old town & DC. The Fairlington neighborhood is also nice with some sense of community... I'm sure there are other places that might provide what you are seeking.

[RestonRunner86.]

Thanks, J from Reston and Guamanians. Having followed this forum for a considerable length of time I know that you, J, are a tried and true booster of Reston, so I'm sorry to have offended you, but while this place may be IDEAL for families, retirees, or newlyweds looking to start their own families, for kids fresh out of college there's just not much to offer us here. Reston Town Center's merchants/restaurants are largely geared towards people who earn at least $75,000, and most don't earn that much until at least their late-20s. I live in one of the cheapest complexes I could find in Reston, and yet even still I'm cutting it close with my budget on a month-to-month basis. Initially my job was supposed to be in Herndon, hence why I chose Reston because I figured even getting a roomie to afford the District and reverse-commuting to Herndon might be a major hassle, especially in the afternoons, with the traffic congestion I had been warned about. Reston offers a nice trail system, a dense tree canopy (which I appreciate the most), and plenty of recreational opportunities for a wide array of age ranges, but, to me, it just feels more like a giant HOA (which it is) and less like an intimate and genuine cozy community. I seriously meant no offense in my post towards Reston's boosters, but if I'm going to be scraping by month-to-month I'd expect more urbane, cosmopolitan, vibrant, and exciting environment than Macaroni Grill, Starbuck's, surface parking lots, and bad southbound rush-hour traffic jams on Route 7100 and Reston Parkway at 5:30 PM. Reston might be perfect for some, but it just isn't a good "fit" for me. Perhaps that will change once the Silver Line comes and starts to transform the community, but that's still numerous years off.

My plan right now? I'm going to hunker down here in Reston for a couple of years, save like crazy, and then rent a 1-BR apartment in the heart of the City of Falls Church as soon as I'm able to afford it. My favorite place so far in Falls Church is "The Spectrum", but it's outlandishly expensive. I've also seen some "income-restricted" apartments, but I'm in the dilemma that my income is just a TAD too high to get into one of those but still far too low to comfortably afford a "market rate" 1-BR inside the Beltway. I know people will say that the NoVA housing market isn't "too expensive", but most of those people saying this are earning at least $60,000 and/or have a spouse or significant other to share the financial burden. If you're single and earning $40,000 and didn't desire to have roommates, then you're in a pickle here. Most of my recent college graduate peers in other cities who earn slightly more than I do don't have roomies, and I didn't see the reason why I should be forced to have them when NoVA doesn't offer anything more than those areas do.

[EuroExpat]

Why did you change your user name? Isn't that against the forum rules?

[car54]

Scranny, for cryin' out loud, just quit the damned job and go someplace you'll be happy...life's too short!

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Thanks, J from Reston and Guamanians. Having followed this forum for a considerable length of time I know that you, J, are a tried and true booster of Reston, so I'm sorry to have offended you

You have not offended me.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Reston offers a nice trail system, a dense tree canopy (which I appreciate the most), and plenty of recreational opportunities for a wide array of age ranges, but, to me, it just feels more like a giant HOA (which it is) and less like an intimate and genuine cozy community.

My point is the "intimate and genuine cozy community" can be found anywhere including Reston.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Reston might be perfect for some, but it just isn't a good "fit" for me. Perhaps that will change once the Silver Line comes and starts to transform the community, but that's still numerous years off.

Reston - perfect - not hardly - but it is a nice place to live and when I considered the alternatives it was the best for me. I too look forward to the Silver Line but am not sure that all the transformations it brings will be good for the community.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

My plan right now? I'm going to hunker down here in Reston for a couple of years, save like crazy, and then rent a 1-BR apartment in the heart of the City of Falls Church as soon as I'm able to afford it.

Good plan!

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Most of my recent college graduate peers in other cities who earn slightly more than I do don't have roomies, and I didn't see the reason why I should be forced to have them when NoVA doesn't offer anything more than those areas do.

There are some very good reasons for having roomies and they mostly center on a sense of community and an extended "family". I had a roomie for more than a decade after I finished graduate school and it wasn't financial or romantic - it was about community.

[CAVA1990]

Burning that much fossil fuel is socially irresponsible. Why not ask your supervisor if you can telecommute? If so, then you could live somewhere far out.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by EuroExpat

Why did you change your user name? Isn't that against the forum rules?

Changing your user name is NOT against the rules. Just read about it in the FAQ section.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/faq/9...ou-change.html

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Burning that much fossil fuel is socially irresponsible. Why not ask your supervisor if you can telecommute? If so, then you could live somewhere far out.

Then where do you suggest some of the folks who live in rural isolated areas find jobs if they should not commute so far in the name of "social responsibility"?

I may possbily have a 45 mile commute one-way later this year (Ft. Knox area to Louisville). At the end of the day, I need a job and I'm realistic that it may not be possible within 10 miles of Ft. Knox.