Opinions on East Falls Church (Arlington, Reston: 2013, apartment complexes, rentals)

[SteelCityRising]

I know after having done a search on this sub-forum that there have been a few threads in the past regarding East Falls Church, but after passing through this neighborhood today as I walked between The District and the West Falls Church Metrorail station, where I had parked my car yesterday before a wild and crazy night last night, I found myself very intrigued by it.

If I'm not mistaken the East Falls Church Metrorail station will become the transfer point between the Orange Line (westward to Vienna) or the Silver Line (westward to Ashburn). I saw there were a pair of dense mixed-use developments that have just been completed along Washington Street along the Arlington County/Falls Church City border, and I'm considering renting a 2-BR apartment in Spring 2011 in one of these buildings, assuming the rent would be in the $2,000-$2,200/month range or so. If not, can anyone recommend other places I should scope out within a half-mile's walk of this station? As someone who loves The District and has lots of friends in both Reston/Herndon (Silver Line) and Fairfax/Vienna (Orange Line) I think the East Falls Church area would be my ideal neighborhood. I know it's insanely expensive, so my relatively low $2,200 maximum rent figure for a 2-BR apartment might not net me any leads, but I also consider it to likely be less expensive than Ballston, where I have seen some deals around that price point for a 2-BR unit, which means I may not be fully out of luck in East Falls Church.

I walked the W & OD Trail and the Custis Trail between Ballston and West Falls Church. It seems like it would be perhaps a 15-minute bike ride (or a 5-minute Metro ride) from East Falls Church to Ballston, where I could hit up the mall, go to IHOP, Carpool, or other points of interest.

Here are some specific questions that I hope some of you can answer:

1.) I noticed that the area surrounding East Falls Church is very underutilized and low-density, but there are preliminary signs that more dense development is on the horizon, including those two mid-rise condo/apartment projects with ground-level retail I saw along Washington Street, as well as what looked like a townhome community wedged between the W & OD Trail and I-66. I get the same sense from the area around the Dunn Loring/Merrifield Metrorail station that while the area "lacks" now, to put it nicely, in 5-10 years it could be a much nicer place. I found a link to the East Falls Church Planning Study, conducted by Arlington County, and read through it:
East Falls Church Planning Study : Forums : Arlington, Virginia

However, it sounds like there has been an intense amount of NIMBYism from residents who want to prevent the area from becoming "another Ballston" (sounds like most Restonians with their anti-density sniveling as well). Does anyone know how likely this plan would be to be implemented? Will the NIMBYs prevail?

2.) A search of CraigsList isn't netting me many results for East Falls Church. Can people recommend any surrounding neighborhoods of Arlington County that might have basement apartments within single-family homes, room shares, etc. that are within a 1/2-mile to a mile walking distance of East Falls Church? I would also be open to the city proper of Falls Church, although a part of me really wants to be a part of the awesomeness that Arlington County is noted for.

3.) Can anyone living in the general area give me some general pointers if I'm on the right track in my assumptions that this would be a perfect neighborhood for someone who works in Tysons, has friends in Reston/Herndon and Fairfax/Vienna, loves Arlington/DC, but is looking for a slight "discount" on rent vs. what is charged in the Ballston/Rosslyn areas? What do you love (or hate) about where you live? To me it looks neat to be living right along the W & OD Trail, I-66, the Orange Line, the Silver Line, be near to Downtown Falls Church, be near to Ballston, be near to Tysons Corner, be near to I-495, etc. What's the "catch?" Surely I'm missing something in my equation, right, or can it be that I've found the "perfect" place for me?

[stpickrell]

Why did you pick Reston when you first came to the area? I'm assuming you've learned something in the past couple years.

[smithy77]

Lived in the Westover neighborhood just off Washington Blvd. for 7 years. It's a great area, but it became expensive during the 90's and I moved to Springfield; but hey, if you can afford it, go for it. I'd move back in a heart-beat if I won the lottery.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Why did you pick Reston when you first came to the area? I'm assuming you've learned something in the past couple years.

When I first accepted my job offer in the area I was going to be working near Old Town Herndon. Being forewarned by natives about just how awful the traffic congestion here was, I wanted the closest thing I could find to "urban" a reasonable commute to my office. I thought Reston Town Center was it until I lived here for a while and realized it was like a suburban open-air shopping mall plopped in the middle of busy roadways---not really "quasi-urban", even. Two weeks into my employment I was transferred to the Tysons Corner neighborhood of McLean. Earlier this year when it came time to renew my lease my complex in Reston was jacking my rent up about 20% per month to a price I'd be unable to afford. I knew I had to move, but I was also not in a good emotional frame of mind back then and didn't want to subject an unsuspecting roomie to my erratic mood swings, so I needed another 1-BR place I could afford. Sadly, Reston was it---again. Now I'm doing much better in life overall, I'll be getting a raise next year, and I've decided I don't want to live another year in Reston, hence my infatuation with Arlington County for its walkability and proximity to urban offerings. Reston isn't really the type of place for an early-20s single professional to live due to its relatively high pricing vs. relatively low offerings to those in our demographic.

Only recently did I just become more interested in East Falls Church in particular after learning of the large-scale redevelopment plans and the fact that it will be the transfer point between two commuter rail lines I will frequent. I was just hoping to learn more about this area.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by smithy77

Lived in the Westover neighborhood just off Washington Blvd. for 7 years. It's a great area, but it became expensive during the 90's and I moved to Springfield; but hey, if you can afford it, go for it. I'd move back in a heart-beat if I won the lottery.

Thanks for the tip. I'm already bracing myself for the expense of the area, but I'm figuring if I could swing $1,100/month now for a 1-BR on my own, then I could swing splitting $2,200/month for a 2-BR next Spring, especially if and when I get my raise. I can't imagine not being able to find either a 1-BR or studio in a basement for under $1,300/month or a 2-BR for $2,200-$2,400/month. East Falls Church/Westover may be expensive, but surely it must be slightly cheaper than Ballston/Rosslyn. I know even Cherrydale and Lee Heights are less expensive than Ballston, and they're still within walking distance (a long walk) to Metro. I don't foresee Westover or East Falls Church being much more expensive than Cherrydale, for example, but then again as I said finding rentals online here has been tough. Next Spring prior to my move I'm going to park my car and just walk up and down every street in the area for a few hours, looking for "FOR RENT" signs in windows or on front lawns, write down addresses and phone numbers, and hope to get lucky. I'm also going to post a "Housing Wanted" ad on CraigsList as well when the time comes specifically looking for places like Westover, East Falls Church, or the eastern half of Falls Church City and let prospective landlords come to me.

[rvasonicbloom]

Why don't you just stay in Reston? Hear it's real nice.

[SteelCityRising]

Also, Smithy77 (or anyone for that matter), can you give me some insight into the intersection of Washington Blvd. & N. McKinley Rd. in Westover? I haven't been through this area yet in person, but I'm looking at it via satellite imagery online and see that it appears there are a few small shopping centers clustered here. What sorts of stores are available? Any good restaurants there? Given their small size I'm assuming most or all would be independent places (a plus in my book). It also looks like there's a newer building on the northwest corner of this intersection, but it's still under construction per the imaging. Anybody know what building this is? (School? Community Center? YMCA? Church?)

In this general vicinity there also appear to be several middle-aged "garden-style" apartment complexes. Anybody know anything about these? They look like they may actually be within my price range---nothing too fancy and just far enough removed from the Metro station to not have the rents jacked up sky-high.

Anything else about Westover would be greatly appreciated.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by rvasonicbloom

Why don't you just stay in Reston? Hear it's real nice.

For the reasons listed above I'm really looking into this part of Arlington near the Falls Church border. I'm a city guy. Reston isn't "urban." It's also too far from DC for my tastes. That's all I'm saying in regards to Reston lest this become another all-out flame war that we have too often on this sub-forum with its strong "pro-Reston" tilt. I have friends in Reston/Herndon, Fairfax/Vienna, and Arlington/DC. Living near to this train station would make it easy for me to get to any and all of them. I'd have a quick commute to my office, especially once the Silver Line train is running in 2013. I'm an avid runner, and being along the W&OD Trail would be great. The East Falls Church/Westover areas just seem like they have the best of everything. I'm just looking for more information.

[normie]

If you can find a place you can afford in East Falls Church, I say go for it. I don't have personal experience there myself, but I've heard some positive things about it. And, knowing how much you want to be closer to DC, it seems like a good place for you.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by normie

If you can find a place you can afford in East Falls Church, I say go for it. I don't have personal experience there myself, but I've heard some positive things about it. And, knowing how much you want to be closer to DC, it seems like a good place for you.

Thanks for the encouragement, Normie. I'm doing my "homework" this time on my relocation search, and I've given myself a full six months in advance of my move to find the perfect fit. It just seems like the East Falls Church/Westover areas of Arlington will suit my needs well---not a bad commute to Tysons, a quick bike ride or walk to Ballston, a quick walk to Falls Church City, the W&OD Trail is right there, and at the juncture of two train lines to be near to friends and the city. Smithy77 really put me at east by letting me know that he or she really liked Westover when they lived there.