New here - might move to DC (rental, car insurance)

[Teamfour]

I will be coming to DC next week for (hopefully) a final interview with the Feds. I have worked for them for 14 years in Lousyana but need to move to advance. The New Orleans area is the pits and will never be the same after Katrina.

I am very familiar with DC since I did a detail there and lived in Falls Church for a while. Plus, I have family there and visit often.

The job I applied for is downtown. We (wife and I) want to rent for a year before buying. We are thinking of the Herndon/Reston area but I love using the Metro to commute. Is it practical to drive to the Fairfax station from Reston?

Another option would be to rent in the Arlington/Alexandria area. Our budget will allow rent in the $2k range. Is this doable?

I have heard horror stories about living in MD (taxes) but would entertain options there as well.

Lee

[Zippy7fo]

Great area's and very possible to find something at 2 grand. Definitely do the metro. With gas prices, insurance, and traffic it will just make life that much easier.

My recommendation because you sound like Dinks (Double income, no kids) would be Alexadria/Arlington...Metro cuts through and you can walk around and enjoy the restaurants, coffee shops and nightlife.

[Teamfour]

Thanks Zippy. I'm just an "inks", wife stays at home for now. I am a Metro fanatic and have taken advantage of the gov't subsidy for mass transit. When I lived in Falls Church, I didn't drive my truck for weeks at a time.

So, is it practical to drive from the Reston area to catch the Metro?

[saganista]

It's possible, not always practical. It's back roads all the way, and at rush hour, there are a lot of cars trying to make the same trip. Keep in mind that the rail-time to downtown is 30 minutes all by itself. Vienna to Reston with no traffic is maybe 20-25 depending on where in Reston. Might be worth looking around the Vienna/Oakton/Farifax/Dunn Loring areas as well. It would get you closer to the train, and every minute counts!

[Teamfour]

Thanks! I am used to a one hour commute now, so this sounds good. I am able to go to work at 6AM, so I would be getting to the Metro around 5:20. That should allow me to beat the traffic.

[7035683216]

Please keep in mind that D.C. has one of the longest avg commute time, so if you need to use your car a lot then Vienna/Oakton/Farifax/Dunn Loring may not be for you. But atleast that freeway (Hwy 66) is free. From Reston/Herndon you have to pay to use the toll road. I don't remember the prices, I moved pretty quickly after hating the commute and the very suburban neighborhoods.

Does your wife want a full house? Because you can get a condo in D.C. for 2 grand. But car insurance cost more.

Good luck on the job interview!

[gnab gib]

Originally Posted by Teamfour

I will be coming to DC next week for (hopefully) a final interview with the Feds. I have worked for them for 14 years in Lousyana but need to move to advance. The New Orleans area is the pits and will never be the same after Katrina.

I am very familiar with DC since I did a detail there and lived in Falls Church for a while. Plus, I have family there and visit often.

The job I applied for is downtown. We (wife and I) want to rent for a year before buying. We are thinking of the Herndon/Reston area but I love using the Metro to commute. Is it practical to drive to the Fairfax station from Reston?

Another option would be to rent in the Arlington/Alexandria area. Our budget will allow rent in the $2k range. Is this doable?

I have heard horror stories about living in MD (taxes) but would entertain options there as well.

Lee

I'll add what I can here.

Yes, taxes are worse on the MD side, though they're bad everywhere out here. If you live in VA, you even get to pay a property tax on your car, of all things.

As for the drive from the Reston area, I've never done it, but I've heard that it's pretty rough. I'd recommend finding a house out around the Vienna/Fairfax Metro. Since that's the end of the Orange Line, you can almost always get a seat on the train in the morning, which is super-sweet, since it gets really crowded -- barely even any standing room -- by the time you get to Balltson or Rosslyn. Fairfax is a nice enough community, and I'm sure you can get housing there for $2K or less.

I'm currently in Alexandria, and I can recommend this area, too. I'm not a fan of the people in this area in general, but I do have to say that Old Town has a lot of charm despite the people. Also, the King Street Metro (Blue/Yellow) is easily accessible, and the Huntington Metro is the end of the Yellow line ... so again, you get the benefit of usually getting a seat. We're renting a SFH about a mile south of the Beltway, just off Route 1, for around $1,400 a month. If you wanted something in Old Town, you'd probably be looking at right around $2K.

Just make sure you're close to Metro. Driving is the pits everywhere out here.

[Kalysta]

Since you and your wife would be likely looking at a one bedroom, it would be more than possible for you to find a great rental in the 2K range in Arlington or Alexandria. If you really want a great commute (I also work in downtown DC for the gov't), I'd suggest renting in Rosslyn actually, assuming that the department/agency you work for is on the blue or orange lines. You'll be right on the blue [b]and[/i] orange lines, and only five minutes out from downtown via metro. If you'd prefer to look elsewhere, I'd suggest Pentagon City, Ballston, Clarendon, or Crystal City.

If your workplace would be on the red line, instead, then I would then suggest looking up in Friendship Heights or Bethesda, although the taxes are higher in MD than VA. Silver Spring MD can be nice in some areas, too (although again, higher taxes than VA...though cheaper rent than Bethesda MD, by far). Tenleytown, Cleveland Park, and Van Ness on the in DC would be good options as well, if you're looking for a red line location.

[Teamfour]

Kalysta, thanks for the input. I would be working next to Fed Triangle stop, blue line. We are really spoiled by big homes here in Lousyana, so a one bedroom won't cut it. Our brand new four bedroom home on a 1/4 acre cost $304k. We have tons of stuff so we will be looking for a 3 bedroom TH or house to rent for a while. Thus the desire/need to live further out. We are looking at Lorton or Burke right now.