West Coast transplant to East Coast-VA/MD (Arlington, Centreville: condos, low crime)

[Vangie]

I've taken opportunity to read many of the posts from those in the process of moving west to east. The trepidation and uncertainty pervade. The responses have been very informative. If "friendly" is not a profile of Virginian's, you certainly wouldn't know it from all very helpful suggestions!

I'm a 40-something single woman-no young children-contemplating a promo to DC which will require a major move. A native Californian having visited parts of MD and VA but never long enough to get a good feel of either state, will have to do my research via the i'net. I know some have dispelled that as the sole means of checking out the locale, but it'll have to do.

I've looked at the state/city stats and some are more appealing than others: Gaithersburg and Germantown in MD; Centreville, Chantilly, Lincolnia* and Blacksburg* in VA. I am an avid runner and cyclist and enjoy a quiet, low crime community in Culver City (LA adjacent) and would like to find a similar situation in your part of the world. Some suggested Southern VA and several counties, but I'm not sure if any of the places I listed meet the criteria.

Please, can someone, several, give an opinion on how the cities/communities I sited compare to each other. Don't worry about comparing it to Cali, I know home. thanks for your input!!!

[smithfield2]

If you will be working in DC, you will probably need to look at areas of housing,etc "inside" the beltway. Traffic is horrendous, Subway is available, but the parking is not good. Live as close to your job as financially possible or you will become very discouraged with the daily commute.

[jballa]

It sounds like you've done quite a bit of research already, as it also seems that you are still in the open about exactly where you'd like to be. If I may recommend www.virginia.org , you can look at the different types R&R for each area in VA. You can look in the different regions for things such as dining, outdoor recreation, etc. and see how each region differs from others. I know that you can always drive 4 hours and be almost anywhere in the state from any point, but you will have your most enjoyment in the area you live so please take a look and see what interests you the most. My personal favorite part of the state is from Blackburg to Harrisonburg up along the Appalachians but you may enjoy different things.

I would HIGHLY advise from staying away from Northern VA. I've lived in VA my whole life (so I feel like I know what I'm saying here), and even though some on this forum may guide you there I feels its just because they MUST live there to support the standard of living established once they moved there and have learned to deal with it. There's plenty to do there yes, but save it for me once of twice a year. The disadvantages are a little heavier you know? No worries though, you really can't go wrong here.

[theburro]

Originally Posted by Vangie

I've looked at the state/city stats and some are more appealing than others: Gaithersburg and Germantown in MD; Centreville, Chantilly, Lincolnia* and Blacksburg* in VA. I am an avid runner and cyclist and enjoy a quiet, low crime community in Culver City (LA adjacent) and would like to find a similar situation in your part of the world. Some suggested Southern VA and several counties, but I'm not sure if any of the places I listed meet the criteria.
!!!

Centreville/Chantilly - you can put them in the same search profile since they paractically blend into each other after 30 years of sprawl. Fairfax County

Lincolnia - also Fairfax, near Springfield. All these communities have thousands of homes to choose from and it's a buyer's market now. Fairfax Co. has an excellent Parks and Rec. system, and lots of recreational Federal land also.

Blacksburg - a wonderful, growing college town but nowhere near DC.

Gaithersburg, don't know much about it; Germantown, further out, nore "sub-divisiony" of the 2.

[claremarie]

If you're going to be working in D.C., I'd look at Arlington. The housing ranges from quiet single-family home neighborhoods to high-rise condos, and most neighborhoods are within an easy walk, bus ride, or drive to a Metro station. There are lots of great restaurants, libraries, and parks. You can run or cycle along bike paths right into DC and down the GW Parkway to Mount Vernon. You can also run or cycle along the towpath next to the C&O Canal from Georgetown into suburban Md. Housing in Arlington is not cheap, howeve, unless you are willing to try the neighborhoods south of Route 50, which tend to attract lots of new immigrants and are not always safe for single women.

The City of Falls Church has lots of "small-town" charm, with older, smaller homes, sidewalks, and two Metro stations. Also a bike path that can take you west past Leesburg or right into D.C. There are families with young children here, but also many empty nesters and singles. Again, it is not cheap.

In Maryland, check into Bethesda, which has a wonderful, vibrant "downtown" area along with quiet residential neighborhoods. The commute is easier from Arlington, but there are a number of Metro stations in Bethesda as well. Bethesda is not cheap, either.

[Vangie]

Thank you all for your feedback. I still have time before I committ but I will focus my search on those cities/towns suggested for Southern VA and MD. Fairfax County has been mentioned many times in the posts, so I'll pull a state map for that area in particular. "jballa" thanks for recommending the the url for virginia recreation. Its is a very handy tool.