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I am 20 yrs old and i currently live w my parents in Manassas, Va. I have a son and girlfriend and we are both wanting to move out for the first time and be on our own with our 1 1/2 year old. I work in Herndon and my girlfriend cleans offices/daycares at night in Fairfax/Chantilly. We both work 5 days a week, but I may start telecommuting one day a week in the near future. I work from 8:00 am to 4:45 pm, but have the option of coming in at 7-345. My gf would be on the go as soon as i would get home.
Unfortunately, NoVa is very expensive and crowded. We both looked around and decided that we really liked Berkely/Jefferson counties and Frederick county, Va (Winchester and Stephens City). We especially liked the Martinsburg area as it seems to be a little less expensive than Ranson/Charles Town, but after reading previous posts (most from awhile ago) it seems that the commute isnt so great coming from Martinsburg into Herndon/Reston at that time.
Any personal experiences? In all honesty, I would rather have a longer commute, but w/ less traffic than a shorter commute but being in traffic the whole time.
I appreciate any feedback, experiences, and suggestions. Thank you!!!
I commuted from Charles Town/Ranson to Ashburn for six years between 2008- 2014. While the taxes and mortgage are cheaper the trade off is windshield time, gas and wear and tear on your vehicles.
In 2011 I was nearly involved in a head on collision on dangerous, dangerous dangerous route 9 due to a driver who tried to pass when it was unsafe. That was the epiphany moment for me.
In October of 2014 I bit the bullet and moved to Leesburg. My commute is less, taxes are more, but the trade off is less windshield time, cheaper gas and car insurance is cheaper and my preferred stores are all around me (Which wasn't the case in West Virginia).
Knowing what I know now, if I were you, I would split the difference. Look at Purcellville, Round Hill or Berryville, VA. Cheaper but not as cheap as Martinsburg. However, you are right off of route 7.
I would work to either find a place in NOVA or find work in Winchester. Bottom line up front - the commute sucks. I drive from Charles Town to Herndon on a daily basis. It's 50 miles each way, and I leave home every morning at 4:45. Leaving at that time, the drive takes roughly 60 minutes and there is plenty of traffic. Unfortunately, 7 to 3:45 puts you right in rush hour. The Greenway to Rt 7 intersection would have a couple of miles of back up by the time that you get there in the afternoon. And it's double considering that your girlfriend makes the commute when you get home. You'll be putting roughly 25K miles onto your car on an annual basis, so plan to move through cars a little more quickly than you would while living in Manassas.
That said, Jefferson and Berkeley counties, Clarke county, Winchester ..... all are wonderful places to live. Although my commute stinks, I have loved living out here.
Is there any possibility that you and your girlfriend could find work in Winchester, and then live there?
vbillscamaris and venture2000..thank you for the responses, very helpful. Unfortunately my budget (between me and my gf) is 1,100 and It seems as though Berkely county, Jefferson county Winchester and Frederick md are my only options. I like Winchesteralot because of the amenities, I havent been to Frederick yet to visit, Jefferson county seems nice but Ive only been through Ranson and parts of Charles Town, and Berkely county is my favorite. Ive actually got to talk to some people up there and they are very welcoming and friendly! I have driven on 9 west multiple times when visiting the panhandle and it is absolutely beautiful...less appealing when its backed up i bet, so that is something to take into consideration. Driving from Manassas to Herndon in the morning (i leave at 6:45-6:50 and my shift starts at 8) takes me 45 min to an hour 10 min and leaving work to Manassas is another story (1 hour to hour 40 min). This drive seems comparable to the Martinsburg to Herndon/Herndon - Martisnburg commute. it is a longer drive but youre actually moving.
I also considered carpooling, but im not sure how that works i havent met anyone or know of any organization/service that would be able to do that. i may research that.
If you're committed to the commute, IMO I'd choose Winchester over Martinsburg. Lots more things for young families to do there vs. Martinsburg, which really puts no effort at all into developing itself as a city, whereas Winchester does frequent events and has the charming walking mall of course. I'm also saying this a relatively young single guy in my 20s who moved to Martinsburg about a year ago. I used to reverse commute from MoCo to Winchester 5 times a week, 100 miles each way for just over a year, so trust me, I understand commuting woes. Granted, your commute wouldn't be as long, but its still going to be mentally and quite frankly physically draining none-the-less.
Since my initial plan of transferring my Fed. gov't job to Richmond isn't quite working out in time, I'm making the move to Winchester in a few weeks. More stuff to do, more diversity, more culture. Not knocking Martinsburg, but these are my 2 cents.
You can still find a nice place to rent/purchase (lots of new townhomes for low 100s) in/around Winchester, plus a lot more amenities and you'd be in an area with smarter, more consistent growth. Berkeley County is quickly growing as well, but all that comes here is a new Dunkin Donuts or a Domino's will shift to a new location.
Billy4202, thank you. We really like Winchester too and we do agree it has much more to offer in terms of shopping/local amenities than say Berkely county, and it is rather close to Wv so if we feel like going up there for a day out its not too much of a drive.And might I add that is an extremely long commute, i dont know how you did it.
I think it will eventually come down to the home were settled on whether it be in any of the areas of interest i listed, as the commute is roughly the same (ive heard the commute from Frederick to Herndon is horrible though).
Thank you so much guys, i hope life is going great for you all wherever you are. I may be posting another update in the near future...wish me luck!
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