Relocating to NoVA in a few weeks (Arlington, Alexandria: for sale, real estate)

[Shrek74]

Hey All,

I've read a bunch of threads about people looking for advice on where to live, but nothing really meets the info I'm looking for, so as much as I hate to throw another thread out there, I am.

Late 30's single, professional male in the IT industry. Looking for a 2br+den or 3br, 2+bath condo or townhome up to $2000/month. I would prefer around 1750+ sqft.

I'd like to be around other single professionals and DINKs in my age bracket. Close to shopping, nice restaurants, activities (I love to golf, but also volleyball, basketball, working out, etc), etc. I don't need the meat market bar scene but nice pubs especially with live music and happy hours would be nice. I'd only head out once or at most twice a week. Close to a metro station would be nice for times I want to go into the city off hours/weekends to check out museums and such.

My company is located in the Reston Town Center but I will be working on contracts in multiple locations (Herndon, Langley, Arlington, and maybe even DC to name a few) for potentially 3 months and longer at a time.

Any recommendations on locations in the NoVA area and websites where I can find rentals both from management agencies and owners would be GREATLY appreciated.

[terrence81]

Vienna would be in the middle of that but its kinda expensive in my opinion. Oakton has lots of condos and apartments. Its purely residential though. North Arlington would match your requiremts but finding 1750 square feet for $2K within walking distance of the metro simply won't happen. Around here one pays a premium to live near the metro. Since you're not going to be commuting by train everyday there's no need to live near a metro.

So with that said my vote goes for Reston. Reston Town Center would meet your criteria. It has hi-rises restaurants, pubs, and shops. Some might argue it has an artificial vibe since its not a real downtown. However I think you're going to have a very hard time finding something in that price range that large for under $2K. If space is really important then I would sacrifice proximity to the aforementioned restaurants and shops in Reston Town Center and go for a typical suburban townhouse development in Herndon, Fairfax, or Oakton.

[Caladium]

Welcome to northern VA. I'd live right in Reston Town Center. There's a lot going on there. Get a lease for a year (or less) so if it turns out that you're not working in Reston/Herndon that often you can move closer to where work ends up being.

Reston is a little too suburban for 20-something, but there are a good number of singles your age. Reston is the hub of that section of northern VA, so there are lots of restaurants, stores, organizations, and things to do.

If you hate hate hate the idea of living out in the burbs, you might be happier in Arlington. However, Arlington can be quite suburban too and commuting to Reston from the inner burbs can be a PITA. Also, you'll get a much nicer place for the money in Reston.

Here are some photo tours that you might find helpful. The first two are Reston, and the rest are different parts of Arlington.

Reston-South Lakes

Reston-Town Center and Lake Anne

Ballston

Clarendon

Courthouse

Rosslyn

[JD984]

Reston is a good suggestion, particularly if you want to live in an area that has a fair number of singles, restaurants, trails and athletic facilities in the immediate area. The drawbacks are that it isn't currently served by Metro and it's not a great commute to DC, Arlington or Langley (if you mean the part of McLean near the CIA).

An alternative would be Falls Church. The advantages to Reston would be that it's a more central location for commuting to the places you mentioned, and there are already two Metro stations in Falls Church, so you could easily get to Arlington and DC. The disadvantage is that the types of amenities you mentioned won't necessarily be in the immediate area, as might be the case in Reston.

There are a bunch of different places to check rentals. Craig's List is one, and you can also search rentals now on this general site:

Find Real Estate, Homes for Sale & Houses for Rent on Realtor.com - Realtor.com®

I think that, for the amount of space you want, Arlington (or at least the areas that appeal most to single professionals) would be tough with your budget.

[Shrek74]

Thank you for the comments thus far.

It sounds a lot like Reston is the best option for me knowing my office is in Reston. I worry about the traffice if I have to go anywhere else for work contracts, but it might just be one of those things I'll deal with.

Reston Town Center is really nice looking. The area and shops and high-rises look great to me. Not sure why people would say it's artificial, but oh well. I don't mind it.

Does Vienna or Oakton have much of a 30-something vibe worth looking at or is Reston really the right place for my needs?

I don't mind the burbs at all. I live in downtown Omaha now (not to say it's similar to downtown DC or old town Alexandria or anything) and I'm not really big on it. So the burbs works just fine for me. Especially with access to shopping and restaurants and stuff. I'm just having problems finding nice townhomes or condos at least 1500sqft for between $2000-2250. I must not be looking in the right places.

Anyone have recommendations or suggestions on finding a rental agent or something like that who would assist me in finding a rental?

Thanks again to everyone.

[Denton56]

Oakton and Vienna have very few single people and very few bars/restaurants for single people. Reston is a much better bet for you.

[Cardiff Kook]

forget living inside the beltway amigo. your best bet is reston and points west like many other have already said

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Oakton and Vienna have very few single people and very few bars/restaurants for single people. Reston is a much better bet for you.

I totally disagree. Oakton has plenty of singles due to the large cluster of apartments and condos between 123 and 66. However, its purely residential. Nothing is within walking distance (less than a 1/2 mile) unless you live in the townhouses on the corner of Jermantown and 123 then you can walk to the 7-11. There's no restaurants or anything just houses and apartments as far as the eye can see.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by Shrek74

Thank you for the comments thus far.

It sounds a lot like Reston is the best option for me knowing my office is in Reston. I worry about the traffice if I have to go anywhere else for work contracts, but it might just be one of those things I'll deal with.

Reston Town Center is really nice looking. The area and shops and high-rises look great to me. Not sure why people would say it's artificial, but oh well. I don't mind it.

Does Vienna or Oakton have much of a 30-something vibe worth looking at or is Reston really the right place for my needs?

I don't mind the burbs at all. I live in downtown Omaha now (not to say it's similar to downtown DC or old town Alexandria or anything) and I'm not really big on it. So the burbs works just fine for me. Especially with access to shopping and restaurants and stuff. I'm just having problems finding nice townhomes or condos at least 1500sqft for between $2000-2250. I must not be looking in the right places.

Anyone have recommendations or suggestions on finding a rental agent or something like that who would assist me in finding a rental?

Thanks again to everyone.

Casually found these listings as examples:

11217 SILENTWOOD LN, RESTON, VA 20191 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

11950 BARREL COOPER CT, RESTON, VA 20191 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

The aforementioned townhouses has an opening:

2922 JERMANTOWN RD, OAKTON, VA 22124 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

So there are a few but yeah $2000 for that much space won't be an easy task in this part of the country but not an impossible one.

I would just look at craigslist or talk to a realtor. For that much space you're talking about renting a house or townhouse not your run of the mill apartment which typically would be smaller than 1500 square feet.

[SallyField]

My vote, too, is to look right in Reston Town Center. The bars there seem to be filled with 28-45 year old singles.