Safety near Huntington Metro (Richmond, Arlington: hardwood floors, cul-de-sac, low income)

[lilybugkd]

My wife and I are relocating from Ohio, and are looking at a few SFH rentals within walking distance of the Huntington Metro Station. From looking on Google Street View, the neighborhood seems a little run down. Can anyone comment on the safety of the neighborhood? My benchmark for safety is basically "would my wife feel safe to walk the dog by herself in the dark". I know that is terribly subjective, but any opinions would be appreciated.

The properties we're thinking of looking at all seems to be within a few blocks of the metro station (a big plus for us). The streets they are on are:

• Mount Vernon Drive
• Burgundy Road
• Edgehill Dr at Fairhaven Ave

We're coming to the area shortly to see properties firsthand, but are trying to save time now by narrowing things down.

Thanks.

[Alicia Bradley]

Originally Posted by lilybugkd

My wife and I are relocating from Ohio, and are looking at a few SFH rentals within walking distance of the Huntington Metro Station. From looking on Google Street View, the neighborhood seems a little run down. Can anyone comment on the safety of the neighborhood? My benchmark for safety is basically "would my wife feel safe to walk the dog by herself in the dark".

No, I wouldn't do it if I were her, and I'm pretty laid back generally about areas that a lot of people would call 'iffy.' I dunno a *lot* about specific streets (I lived in a huge highrise apt. complex at the corner of Rt. 1/Richmond Hwy. and Huntington Ave., rather than in a SFH), but I can give you my $.02. I'm probably the least familiar with Burgundy Dr., but it's possible that its west-of-Telegraph location could make some sort of a difference - any experienced Huntingtonians know? I did ride my bike over to 'Burgundy Village' (the area surrounding Burgundy Dr.) once and it seemed like a lot of the homes had been subdivided into rental mattress spots, if you know what I mean. If you look up crime statistics on the area, it seems like most of them (the occasional late-night mugging, sexual assault, etc.) take place near the 7-11 on Huntington Ave., which is pretty close to Mount Vernon Dr. Based on all of that, I'd give the edge to the the Edgehill Dr. property (if you haven't been scared off of Huntington altogether ).. I thought that the sort of sub-neighborhood it's in (on King's Hwy., south of the Metro) seemed a smidgeon better/safer than the part of Huntington on Huntington Ave. itself - a few more businesses, a coupule new apartment/condo developments, etc.

Also, if you search the NoVA sub-forum for "Huntington," you should get a lot of helpful results.

Add: Oh, if you're considering Huntington because of its really close proximity to Old Town (that's why I moved there! plus the Metro access, obviously).... hmm... I won't come right and tell you, "don't," but the difference in 'feel' between the two areas is drastically different, and while in '09 it (finally!!!!) became possible to walk/bike to Old Town from Huntington (though AFAIK the pedestrian lights at one of the Rt. 1 crossings *still* don't work... I actually wrote VDoT about it and got a hilarious form letter back from their contractor), you might find yourself doing it a lot less than you'd have expected, were you to actually move to Huntington. It's a fairly long/unpleasant walk (much easier bike ride), for one thing, and the prospect of crossing Rt. 1 (especially with the lights not working) frequently turned me off of doing it on a lot of days that would've been perfect otherwise.

Have you considered the Eisenhower Metro/Carlyle/Hoffman Center area? Much of it used to be a landfill, but you'd never know it now (well, there are a few industrial properties sort of northwest of it, still, they're not a big deal). A couple new-ish restaurants, an AMC theater, some nice condos and apartments (I almost moved to the Carlyle Mill apts. but ended up in Fairfax City instead), a Whole Foods, and really, really easy walking/biking access to the southwestern part of Old Town. Plus, it's in incorporated Alexandria, rather than a part of unincorporated Fairfax Co. that the USPS calls 'Alexandria' (where Huntington and other Rt. 1 neighborhoods are). If you're looking specifically for a SFH there, you'd be out of luck, though.

What about renting a home near the Orange Line in N. Arlington? There are lots of SFHs there, and lots of them (south of the Metro 'corridor,' and also west of Ballston) don't look like they'd be terribly expensive to rent, given their condition (don't get me wrong, though - it's considered a very nice area and has as many restaurants and such nearby as you'll find just about anywhere in NoVA) - they almost look like the sort of places college students/20-somethings would rent.. you know, crooked/bent mini blinds, unkempt yards with indoor furniture in them, etc.

p.s. This post was coffee-powered. (Coffee power!!!)

[robbobobbo]

If you haven't already, you may wish to research at Fairfax County's crime statistics site:

Crime in Our County*- Fairfax County, Virginia

The Huntington area, along with other Route 1 and Telegraph-near-Beltway neighborhoods, has been the lower income, blue collar area of Fairfax County for decades. Because of the lower housing prices, it has drawn a large immigrant population, particularly lower income Hispanic and Asian. You are right that the neighborhoods look more run-down than most parts of Northern Virginia.

The Burgundy area transitions into more middle class neighborhoods in Franconia, and there has been some tear-down, new home construction, but the parts closest to Telegraph haven't seen an upswing. I also don't know about the safety of walking across Telegraph to the Metro from Burgandy Rd - I don't mean crime safety, I mean pedestrian safety. There is a crosswalk, but that part of Telegraph has terrible traffic with frequent accidents at the intersections in that area (add road construction to the mix, too).

Not sure what you're used to in comfort and surroundings, but the low prices in Huntington are low for a reason.

[lilybugkd]

Thanks for the input. We're looking all over really - VA and MD. I've been scouring craigslist and MLS full time for the last week or so, and have been compiling a list of places to see. Basically, at a budget of about $2000/month, we're trying to find a 2bd SFH/townhouse/duplex with a fenced back yard, that allows a 50lb dog. I think we have found a number of places with potential, but it's just hard to tell from 500 miles away. We're hoping to be near to a metro station (hence looking in Huntington).

Your description of Huntington is basically what I expected.... We'll probably still drive through to see the area. We've also seen a number of places near Huntley Meadows Park.... I'm not really fond of the area to begin with, because it is far from DC and not really convenient to a Metro -- but how is that area safety-wise? I've seen a few postings here about avoiding the area on the east side, near the Walmart. Do you have any knowledge of that area? Is the area north of the park safe? How does it compare to Huntington?

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by lilybugkd

Your description of Huntington is basically what I expected.... We'll probably still drive through to see the area. We've also seen a number of places near Huntley Meadows Park.... I'm not really fond of the area to begin with, because it is far from DC and not really convenient to a Metro -- but how is that area safety-wise? I've seen a few postings here about avoiding the area on the east side, near the Walmart. Do you have any knowledge of that area? Is the area north of the park safe? How does it compare to Huntington?

I would consider looking at nearby communities like Stoneybrooke rather than stand-alone homes. Your rent would be subsidizing the owner's HOA fees which in this case may be worth the added comfort level.

The Route 1 corridor is interesting as homes and apartments within a few blocks of that road can be suspect...then suddenly you find yourself among some nicer if still older homes, particularly on the east side towards the waterfront.

I don't know about price for sure, but you may want to consider some of the bungalows in Hollin Hillls which is east of Route 1.

It's interesting to read that you feel that this area - part of what is sometimes called "South Alexandria" - is far from DC. You will discover that due to the cost of living, many commuters to the District live much further out and endure an hour or more on the roads and rails.

Depending on where you choose to live, you may be close to the Fairfax Connector buses which would drop you off at the Huntington Metro.

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Depending on where you choose to live, you may be close to the Fairfax Connector buses which would drop you off at the Huntington Metro.

That's a good point - there are many options along South King's Hwy and Telegraph road, particularly Telegraph west of where S. Kings runs into it, that are very nice, safe neighborhoods. They are completely suburban, with shopping in Kingstowne (and Beacon Hill and Rose Hill). There is bus service to Huntington Metro. I wouldn't pick it if the OP is looking for a mix of retail/residential and minimal car use, but if they like suburban life, I think it's a better choice than Groveton, Hybla Valley, etc along Route 1.

[roninsedge]

Of the three areas you listed, I would say that Edgehill is probably your best bet. There is a park near you and the metro is right up the hill. Biggest problem with that area are the people cutting through from the Metro to Telegraph in the evenings. I am not too familiar with the Burgundy Rd area, but my wife used to take Zumba classes at the elementary school there and she felt safe. Also, the Burgundy Rd area is almost like a huge cul-de-sac because it is not convenient to drive through to get to other places with the faster roads nearby. Pretty much nothing but neighborhood folk. Mt Vernon Drive is alright as well, right off of Huntington Ave also with a park nearby. As for your wife walking the dog in any of these areas, she should be fine. The people in those areas are mid-low income families that have lived there forever, this also tends to contribute to the run-down look of the area. I have family that live on the far end of Arlington Terrace near the Metro and it is a very family friendly and safe area.

[Jeanie Beanie]

My daughter's family has lived near Edgehill Road in Jefferson Manor for over a year and they like the neighborhood pretty well. Quiet and safe. Lots of dogs in the neighborhood. My grandkids know some of the neighbors by the names of the dogs LOL. ("That's Bella's owner.") The homes are duplexes, mostly brick, with fenced back yards and hardwood floors. Small, but nice. Most people keep up their properties. Grandkids went trick-or-treating and people were welcoming. Streets are one-way and narrow, which cuts down on people who use the neighborhood as a shortcut to the metro. And it's an easy walk to metro, yes.

[michgc]

When my husband and I first married and we had a 50-pound dog, we rented in a place called Tyson's Glen in Falls Church (not the city). They have apartments and apartment townhomes. There are no yards, but it is dog-friendly. There is a free bus to the West Falls Church Metro Station. The area is very safe and convenient to most parts of the metro DC area. You might want to check it out if you are looking other places.

[bob90212]

Any recent reviews of the area around Huntington Ave metro?

Was giving some thought to purchasing around there, depending on how bad it actually was.