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Hello all, I desperately need your expert advice!
So, I just got a job and it'll be based in Fairfax, VA. My question: do you think it'll be wise to live in DC and commute to work? Isn't the traffic reversed that way? Is this a wise move?
I'm fresh out of college, so I'd like to live in DC (Dupont, Georgetown, is Capitol Hill OK?, etc), where it's a younger crowd, things to do, what not. I'm under the impression that Fairfax is fairly monotone and family-oriented.
Also, as far as DC/VA/MD, what are the best places for people my age (22)?
Any other suggestions are welcome.
A commute to Fairfax is indeed a reverse commute, however, you will still face a sizeable amount of traffic in attempting to get out of DC and for the first part of I-66, some days as far up as the Beltway interchange, but in general the commute is far more bearable than going the opposite direction. I would say, depending on where in DC you're commuting form, it should run around 45 minutes. There's also the Metro option. Metro stops around five miles short of Fairfax proper (don't let the Vienna/Fairfax/GMU station name fool you as it does many people) but buses from the station can take you to various points around Fairfax if that's what you'd prefer.
Fairfax is indeed fairly monotonous and family-oriented so considering your age and wants, I definitely think living in DC is a good idea, provided you have the income to support yourself as apartments in DC are quite expensive. In general, the younger crowd tends to congregate in various neighborhoods in Northwest DC and parts of Arlington, and to a lesser extent, Alexandria and a few close-in suburbs in Montgomery County, Maryland. Some of the traditionally more popular neighborhoods are Dupont Circle, Adams-Morgan, Cleveland Park, Georgetown, Capitol Hill (all in DC), Clarendon, Court House, Ballston (all in Arlington), and Bethesda, Takoma Park and Silver Spring in Maryland. Most of these areas are very safe, quite pricey and draw a young, yuppieish sort of crowd. There are other communities that are a bit grittier, generally a bit cheaper, and in various stages of regentrification (i.e. a professional lawyer buys an 800K rowhouse next door to a longtime resident, a middle-aged cafeteria worker and mailman with three grown kids, etc.), and as such have higher crime and more of a mix in terms of people, housing, and development; areas like Logan Circle, Shaw, Mount Pleasant, Eastern Market, Columbia Heights, and Eastern Market (all in DC). Some may include Capitol Hill and Silver Spring in this list but those two communities have always been very mix and match.
I recommend doing a search on this very board about Capitol Hill since it piques your interest, as it's been discussed a bit on here in the past. I also recommend checking out Craig's List and seeing just how much apartments and rooms are going for in these communities.
I agree with the above. I would look seriously at Arlington along the orange line (Clarendon, Ballston, Courthouse). It tends to attract young people and your commute will be easier if you don't have to cross the river every morning.
Also a good idea to "practice" the commute at least once before you sign a lease -- in case 45 minutes in traffic is more than you can bear.
Hmmm. Fairfax City is quite a hike from downtown, and the Metro-plus-bus combo will quickly become enough of a hassle to greatly encourage driving it, and there will be significant problems there just in getting out of DC to begin with. I would think the Ballston Corridor would be the prime target area to check out, but I wouldn't dismiss Fairfax City entirely either. Keep in mind that the main campus of George Mason University is there, and with 4,000 students living on-campus and similar numbers in nearby off-campus housing, it might not be Ann Arbor or Gainesville, but it ain't exactly Podunk either. Still, the big glitz for 20-somethings with some cash to spend will be Ballston. It has it all, so why not take advantage of it while you can. Lotta years left yet to live the quiet, suburban lifestyle...no need to start too soon...
I'd go with the Arlington Orange Line corridor -- Ballston, Clarendon, or Courthouse. It will be a shorter commute to your job than coming from DC, you will get more apt for your money, the income taxes are lower (welcome to the working world) and most likely a safer neighborhood. And you will still be just minutes to DC for evenings and weekends, either by car or Metro.
Well, there's plenty happening in Ballston most nights as well, but the Metro does run until 3:00 am on Friday and Saturday nights, so you can stay late in the city and still get back to Ballston before sun-up without doing the budget-depleting taxi thing...
It depends where in Fairfax you job is located. Many of the young people live in DC or the oragne line corrido as other here have suggested. That's a good option. But it's not a complete reverse commute. It's quickly becoming a regular commuting direction. The good think about going OUT to Fairfax in the morning is that I66 is HOV is going into the city SO- you don't have to worry about having more than one in your car to get on the road.
If your job is in Reston- there is a bus from the West Falls Church metro out to Reston. If your job is in Fairfax City, Fair Lakes, the Fair Oaks area- you are have to drive to it. Tyson's Corner has no metro yet- maybe in 5-8 years LOL (sorry that's a local joke- when I moved here 20 yrs ago- they said the metro was going to be in Tysons "soon")
No matter what- there is ALWAYS a bottleneck point coming home at night on I66 in Falls Church- the only way around it is to leave work after 6pm- or workout after work. That's how I got around it.
But its not undo-able- alot of people do it.
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