Working in Tysons - need an interesting area to live (Washington: apartments, condos)

[zinders]

Hi all -

I'm considering an offer that would bring me from Philadelphia to Tysons Corner, Va. My husband and I were down in DC this weekend, and while we love the area, we're a little terrified of the housing costs. Right now we live in a location near Philly's Center City, in an 1,800 sq ft rowhouse. Mortgage is about 2K. We can walk to bars, restaurants, etc. We're not suburban people, and do not plan to have kids (I'm 38, he's 46).

The job is truly a great one, with a salary bump to 125K (husband is at 100K, would probably get more if he found a job down there. also, my current job sucks and there are few opportunities in my field here in Philly). But it's smack dab in Tysons. I think we would hate living there. But would the commute from DC drive us nuts? He drives 45 minutes now, but it's not bumper-to-bumper. I only drive 15 minutes; obviously, I know I won't get that. I'm definitely amenable to taking the Metro out on the Orange line, as I can probably store the car at work.

Soo....do we try to find a condo in DC (Capital Hill, Logan, U Street?) and deal with the reverse commute? Are there any Virginia suburbs that are cute and interesting, ie, town-like, that we haven't considered? Where do the DINKs live anyway?

Zinders

[CookieToaster]

I've done this commute many times with my clients (to Tysons from DC and back). The traffic is bad around some of the VA cities on the border (Arlington exits for example).

Virginia is probably one of the worst places I can think to live in near a metro area on this Earth. If you are half way interesting and have a soul, live in DC or even Maryland if you must have the burbs life.

The U St area is not a terrible commute to Tysons as you can just go over one of the bridges and then hit Tysons through several ways. Also consider around Gallery Place since it's closer to the roads out of DC toward that way, or even Georgetown (street traffic can be awful though on M/Wisconsin).

I pity you for wanting to endure Tysons. It is truly an example of what is wrong with this country. Hopefully you like caffeine induced maniacs, traffic, workaholics, human storage style housing, and lots of concrete, because that's all there is out there.

[zinders]

Actually, I hate all that stuff - the traffic, bad housing, concrete, chain restaurants, etc. That's why we have such a dilemma. But I'm an industry that is rapidly changing, and my job in Philly could become obsolete at any time. I need to think about how I'm going to make a living for the next 20 years. If this job comes through, it would put me in a good position to keep my skills fresh for the long haul. So, we have to figure out a way to make the best of it.

[CookieToaster]

If you pick a nice area in DC to live, you'll feel better after you get off work. I would have never made it all these years living in the burbs and having to commute out to god forsaken chain concrete america. I have many clients in Northern VA and visiting them pains me. A nice home and surrounding area keeps me sane thankfully, but I'm soon out of here for greener pastures anyway.

My top recommendations overall are Dupont, U St, and Adams Morgan. If you hate chains, you will hate Georgetown unless you can afford a hugely expensive house there and want to go elsewhere in the city for fun. Cleveland and Woodley Park are good if you want quiet, but they will add to your commute time.

Also consider any North West neighborhood with access to Clara Barton Pkwy as you can get to Tysons that way too and it is a semi-pretty drive in parts. Look on google maps to see what I mean.

[claremarie]

You can't commute via Metro to Tyson's, unless you're willing to add a bus ride to your commute.
You might consider the Ballston corridor in Arlington, right on Metro's Orange Line. You'd have to drive to Tyson's, but it's probably under 30 minutes from there, with multiple routes in case of traffic bottlenecks. Wide range of housing, from 50 year old bungalows and capes in gentrified neighborhoods, new high-rise condos, and older garden-style apartments and townhouses. You are literally minutes from DC, especially on weekends.

Old Town Alexandria is very nice, but the commute to Tyson's would not be particularly pleasant.

In addition to Capitol Hill, which might be your best bet in DC, I would take a look at upper northwest neighborhoods like Chevy Chase and Tenleytown. You can easily scoot into Virginia via the Chain Bridge or Clara Barton, as the previous poster suggested. Dupont Circle is a great city neighborhood, but trying to drive into or out of that area during rush hour is not fun, and the fact that you're making a reverse commute isn't going to help you until you get across a bridge.

Another possibility is the Foggy Bottom neighborhood surrounding George Washington University.

[zinders]

I took the Metrobus from the Metro station to the job for both interviews, and it wasn't that big a deal. I might feel different, though, if i'm doing it every day. Can people get permits to leave their cars at Metro stops overnight? If I could simply leave my car at the Metro/workplace and use it to get between the station and the office, that would be ideal.

[CookieToaster]

Originally Posted by zinders

I took the Metrobus from the Metro station to the job for both interviews, and it wasn't that big a deal. I might feel different, though, if i'm doing it every day. Can people get permits to leave their cars at Metro stops overnight? If I could simply leave my car at the Metro/workplace and use it to get between the station and the office, that would be ideal.

You can leave your car at most stations overnight outside DC, on the weekends. Some, you can safely do it on a weekday provided you get there early before they ticket (6-8'ish). I always found garages that were near the metro that did not check to see how long you left your car, but that might not be an option for you. Some will let you leave it provided you pay the fees on your smart card (i.e. look for garages that take smart card).

There's also the option of signing up for flex car or zip car, in which case you can take one right from the station.

[talktobrent]

I don't quite understand the tysons corner bashing... yes, it has a bunch of strip malls and bland corporate campuses, but that is common for any suburban community in the US. You can find alot worse examples than Tysons. The surrounding residential areas are very nice but also very expensive. The traffic is what really sucks.

[EasternMkt]

I think that the traffic issue is key. Tyson's is extremely UNwalkable, so to get anywhere, you pretty much have to get into the car, which means you pretty much have to deal w/ traffic. Mostly, however, I think this goes back to the original poster who is looking for a more urban environment.

[Bluefly]

The Metro corridor in Arlington might be your best bet. If it weren't for a land deal a couple centuries ago, Arlington would still be part of DC proper. Nevertheless, there's a lot of effort to establish walkable urban neighborhoods around the metro stops with some degree of culture and the commute wouldn't be too bad to that horrible celebration of American gluttony and lack of planning, Tysons.

As Americans' infatuation with the automobile waned, DC was waiting with open arms and is doing quite a nice job of building to the human scale. It's good to support that kind of development if you can. Bethesda, which has become a thriving neighborhood, has a historical display with one era described as "the automobile era". Maybe someday Tysons will be able to say the same. There's talk of getting Metro out to Tysons and making it more walkable and mixed use, but that's years off. I shudder at the thought of having to spend everyday in such a horrible suburban wasteland. Hopefully the job is worth it.