Relocating from San Diego and looking for a great place to live...HELP! (to rent)

[alipaz]

My husband and I are going to be relocating to the DC area in the next month. We will soon have a newborn and currently have a 16 month old. He is going to be working in the DC area (on Pennsylvania) and we cannot figure out where to live! We heard Alexandria and Arlington are nice but we also found a nice place in Herndon. Is Maryland better (Rockvile, Silver Spring?) We are looking for a 2 bdrm to rent around $1800. My husband would like his commute to stay around 30-40 minutes. We also like areas that are more walkable with great restaurants, shops and parks. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[HurricaneDC]

If you move to Herndon you will have a far longer commute than 30 minutes. You also wouldn't have Metrorail access. Of all the places you mentioned, Silver Spring might be the cheapest and have the best commute but it's not the most walkable unless you live in downtown Silver Spring.

I'm not sure what the commute from Rockville would be, probably an hour. You could live in the Rockville Town Center area and be very close to the Red Line of the Metro as well as have a rather walkable community. It feels a bit 'forced' but hey, it's decent enough.

[goozer]

30-40 minutes qualifies as a short commute here (typical rush hour drive from Herndon in 8-9am morning rush hour to downtown would easily take an hour or more). If you want a short commute and a walkable neighborhood, your best bets are Alexandria (Old Town or Del Ray area), Arlington (Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, or Ballston areas -- each neighborhood designated by proximity to the corresponding metro orange line stop), and Bethesda, MD. There are also some pretty great neighborhoods in the district itself. But understand that the rule of thumb in DC is: the better the commute (particularly proximity to metro which is VERY popular here) and the more walkable the neighborhood, the more you pay. Good luck with your move.