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I may have a chance to relocate to McLean, VA with my company. I am currently in Boston, MA. I was hoping someone here could give me a rundown of the general McLean area... the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Also, form the research I've done, it looks like rents in McLean are fairly expensive, $1500-$2000 for a one bedroom (this was on craigslist). Is there any safe area of the city, or any neighboring cities, where rent for a one bedroom apt would be closer to the $850-$1000 range? I am mainly concerned with being in a safe area... things like stores restaurants, bars, etc being in walking distance would be a plus, but not necessary.
Thanks in advance for all of your help! These message boards are such a great resource!
There's nothing "ugly" about McLean, it's one of the most expensive zip codes in the nation.
Unless you're willing to spend more, you'll have to either move in with roommates or live farther out in northern virgina...like leesburg or reston.
However, if you're willing to spend that $850-$1000 living in an apartment or house with roommates, check out the Glover Park area of DC, or maybe the Clarendon area of Arlington (since I assume you'll have your car...those hoods would be pretty easy in terms of getting to McLean and back).
Yeah, rents are high here. I was paying $1000 for a tiny 1-br basement apartment on Capitol Hill, but that was 3 years ago and it was considered a very good deal at the time.
Thanks for the info on McLean. I really didnt think living there would be an option for me, but i just wanted to check.
Do you have any other info on Reston you'd care to share? it looks like a pretty short commute to McLean (under 30 minutes), and I have a job where I wouldnt need to go to the office everyday (I will be at client sites in and around the area).
It's pretty famous for being a "planned urban community," meaning condos, retail and office parks, all relatively new, were built in concert with each other, with the idea of creating a dense, urban-feeling city out in the reaches of NoVa.
It's safe, plenty of entertainment options, and has a decent variety of good restaurants (lots of chains too, no getting around that).
A word to the wise on your commute though. In Nova, and the DC area generally, the drive ain't as short as it should be when you look at the map. The roads are just very very congested.
Reston to McLean should be fine....plenty of people here do a lot worse, but a good idea is to actually test it out. Before you sign a lease, actually get up in the morning and try driving from your prospective home to your office.
Another pointer: Virginia has a law whereby if you drive a hybrid vehicle, you're allowed to use the HOV lanes even if you're by yourself. This law may change, since it seems like everyone's getting a hybrid, so the HOV lanes are filling up with all these fuel-efficient cars. But it's on the books through the summer and can make a big difference when you're trying to get around here.
Reston Towncenter area would be good. walk to some resturants etc... more young people there than other parts of Reston.
Easy acess to the greenway there too.
I seriuosly doubt you can get from Reston to McLean in rush hour in under 30 minutes though. more like 45, but that's still good and it depens on where in Mclean you'll be working. The Tysons area is very conjested, if you have to go inside 495. If you are over by Lewinsville then you can take the Greenway and get off at 495.
If this helps, I would be working at one of the below addresses. Also, part of my job would be to travel to customer sites in and around the Northern VA and DC area... how is the public transportation in this area? I am coning from Boston, where the public transportation is pretty far-reaching, but often inconvenient. Thanks again for your help!
You're working in an area called 'Tysons Corner' which was a farmland about 30 years ago and now is considered and urban planning disaster. Ok, I'm joking (a bit) but it really wasn't that well though out and traffic is an absolute bear around there at rush hour.
Technically I guess it is part of McLean but most people seem to associate McLean with that bit that is inside the Beltway with super monster homes, hq of the CIA, nice small shopping area.
Anyway, so you're working in Tysons. No subway out there yet. It's being debated (hotly) and no one can truly predict exactly what/where/if it will be built.
I'd urge you if possible to take a recon trip down to Tysons (rent a car) and check out the distances to Reston, Clarendon, McLean, etc and to get a general vibe about working there (and when not to be in a car on the roads around there).
Public transportation can be great, if you live near a Metro station and are commuting to or from DC. It's not so great if you're trying to travel between suburbs, or to/from Tyson's Corner. You will definitely need a reliable car if you will be visiting client sites, unless they are all on the Metro and you can find affordable housing on a Metro line.
I would concur that Reston might be a good choice, at least on a temporary basis until you have a better idea of your client locations. Arlington would be another one, especially if you want to be close to DC for entertainment on weekends, but the rental costs will be higher there.
The two locations are within a couple of blocks of each other, so neither would offer much advantage commuting-wise. Public transit would be more of an option if you lived inside of Tysons instead of outside. The Fairfax Connector runs from the West Falls Church Metro station directly to both offices in 10-12 minutes. It would also be a much easier drive if you lived inside, but there's those higher rents to consider.
Tysons, btw, is 40 years old, and almost none of it was still farmland. Plenty of planning went into the project, taking advantage of the convergence of Routes 7, 123, and 495, and later 267. But I don't think anyone thought it would turn into an edge city so quickly. Also, the retailers decision NOT to be on the Metro back when that was being laid out certainly came back to haunt both them and those on the highways...
Tysons, btw, is 40 years old, and almost none of it was still farmland. Plenty of planning went into the project, taking advantage of the convergence of Routes 7, 123, and 495, and later 267. But I don't think anyone thought it would turn into an edge city so quickly. Also, the retailers decision NOT to be on the Metro back when that was being laid out certainly came back to haunt both them and those on the highways...
Isn't there a book called 'Edge City' about Tysons (or is it just about Edge City in general). I was going to mention that term but forgot
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