QUIET areas outside DC???

[PenguinSix]

It all depends on how long of a commute. You may consider out in Calvert County or Southern Anne Arundel. Both are very rural (in fact maybe too rural for you). From towns like Dunkirk, Owings, Huntingtown, North Beach/Chesapeake Beach you have about a 45-75 minute commute to downtown DC, depending on the time. The area is quite isolated though.

St. Marys County, quite a bit further of a commute, has some even more rural areas you may want to investigate.

[smithy77]

Check out Clifton, Va. in Fairfax County----you feel like you're in the boonies, (people keep horses, chickens, goats, etc. on 5 acre lots). The zoning was intentional---and you're smack in the middle of suburban Northern Virginia.

[saganista]

Clifton is nice and tucked out of the way, and it has it's own local government which is a plus, but it's about 15 miles further out than Vienna. Might work well, depending on how much commuting is needed and to where...

[South Jersey Styx]

The eastern part of Loudoun is now crowded but take a look at the towns and areas west of Leesburg. Alot of them are small, historic towns and today, some are called "village" (i.e., Historic Waterford Village). Also, because of over-development, alot of towns are passing legislation ruling against dividing large plots of land.

Loudoun County is one of the most expensive counties to live in in the U.S. And also has some of the best public schools.

The metro has plans to expand along Route 7 west but I do not know when that will be finished. In the interim, if your husband needs to go to appointments closer to DC, best to schedule them during off-peak times to avoid the traffic.

Another suggestion is West Virginia. The state line is only about 20 miles west of Leesburg, VA. Alot of folks who work in the central or western part of the county (i.e., Reston, Chantilly, etc.) have moved into WV because it's supposedly cheaper to live there. And alot of folks in Loudoun County travel into WV for the casinos and horse races, Harper's Ferry, the mountains, etc. Good luck!

[saganista]

There's very little difference between western Fairfax and eastern Loudon counties, except that in Loudon, you're further away from DC. Incomes, cost of living, and schools are all about the same. You don't really gain much in terms of "rurality" anymore until you get west of Leesburgh, and that's a ways out if you have the entire DC area in mind.

Metro may one day expand out Route-7 and run further out Route-66 as well. For now, though, construction of the Silver Line is just getting started. It will go out 267 to the airport, and then out the Greenway to 607/Ryan Road. Still well inside Ashburn, much less points west. That is scheduled to be done in 2015, but probably won't be. Phase-1 to Wiehle Avenue in Reston is supposed to open in 2013.

[jlnap]

Saganista-

Thanks for the info! You'll be heartbroken to hear that you just aided in the re-location of a conservative to the DC area! The horror

[leighland]

Originally Posted by jlnap

Saganista-

Thanks for the info! You'll be heartbroken to hear that you just aided in the re-location of a conservative to the DC area! The horror

As a fellow conservative, Thanks!

[saganista]

Originally Posted by jlnap

Saganista-
Thanks for the info! You'll be heartbroken to hear that you just aided in the re-location of a conservative to the DC area! The horror

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!
How cheerfully he seems to grin!
How neatly spread his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws!
-- Lewis Carroll

Actually, there are many fine conservatives already in the area. I spend a good deal of time with some of them. Perfectly good people...merely misguided. There is of course that OTHER kind, but I'm sure you would never be one of those. Glad the info was useful as well...