Moving to Alexandria? (Arlington, Washington: apartments, condominium, townhouses)
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I am new to the boards. Been lurking for a few weeks hoping to figure things out from existing threads but have found exactly what I need.
My husband and I are likely relocating to the area. Coming from Philly. We are coming from a close-in town that we love. It's a slice of Americana with its own 4th of July fireworks, parades, pumpkin carving and costume contests and a Christmas street festival. We can walk to restaurants, bars, movies, library, bank, grocery, etc. It's right on the SEPTA line and is only 25 min to downtown Philly. We live in a SF home but have nearby mansions as well as smaller twins -- all from the early 1900's.
We are looking for an area with a similar feel. Without actually having visited (we will soon though) we are thinking that Old Town Alexandria might be a good fit. I know housing is not cheap and have looked at what's on the market in Old Town. Barring the obscene, I think it might be affordable for us.
Would like to hear from others if the Old Town Alexandria vibe might be similar to what I've described as our present situation. Also, what kind of commute by Metro and by car should we expect from this area to Metro Center. What parts of Old Town are walkable to the Metro station. Lastly, what's the situation with FIOS in the area? Working from home, I need fast and reliable internet and have been thrilled with FIOS.
Hello, I'm from the Philly area. Which quintessential town would you be from? I may be able to help you find an equivalent. Also, what is your budget? Note that Old Town Alexandria is rather similar to Society Hill with its (neo-)historical townhomes with premium prices to match.
Depending on where in OTA you would settle down, you would be close to two Metro stations which would get you to Metro Center, including a change in trains, in about a half hour. If you live close to GW Parkway, you could even take an express bus which drops off/picks up a couple blocks west of Metro Center.
Before even considering anything else:
1. What are you hoping to get in the DC area that you can't get in the Philly area?
2. Do you have jobs lined up? If not, don't even think about moving here unless you have LOTS of savings or help from family. Also, it might not make sense for you to live in Old Town Alexandria (hereafter OTA), depending on where you job(s) are. You said you work from the home, does your husband as well?
Now, about OTA itself:
1. Lots of community spirit, walkable to all those things you can get to except maybe the theater. If you work in Arlington/Alexandria or the District, you're very well situated.
2. Metro stop is on the western fringes of OTA. Expect maybe a 3/4-1 mile walk. Alexandria does have an ok to good bus system that'll get you to the Metro line.
3. Very pricey. You won't be getting a single-family home (SFH) anytime soon in OTA unless you can afford over $1 million, or are willing to live in the parts of 22314 zip code that are WEST of railroad track/Metro and are a good mile plus from what I'd consider OTA (other folks, where would YOU put the boundaries?)
3a. On the other hand you might want to consider the Del Ray neighborhood which has a good deal of charm and is not quite as pricey. SFH's for under $1 million, for example.
4. If you're on the Main Line, odds are you have some of the best schools in PA. I checked, all the HS along the Main Line are among the best in the state ('10' on great schools) if not the country. By contrast, the Alexandria City Public Schools have a less stellar reputation (TC Williams has a '1' and has been warned by the Commonwealth to shape things up.) Not to say someone can't succeed out of ACPS -- far from it -- there are many graduates who go on to the Ivies. But it may be somewhat of a shock to you if you live on Philly's Main Line (I can't speak to the other suburbs). So -- either you live with it or you go private (and spend an extra $3-4k a month on it).
4a. This does not apply if your kids are out of school or you don't have kids. There are some areas with some of OTA's charm and much better (at least in test scores) schools.
5. FIOS is available in most places. Call Verizon and verify, however. I forget if they have an app that lets you type in an address.
Old Town Alexandria and Del Ray, a Alexandria community near Old Town, could fit the bill.
Old Town has a colonial-era ambiance and has homes dating to the 1700s. A mix of mansions and tiny townhouses (and in between) exist here. There is plenty to do in way of dining, frequent parades, fireworks, arts festivals, and more. Most nightlife and dining are along King Street, so the distance you have to travel from home to entertainment depends on where your home is - it could be a 10 block walk or a 2 block walk. There are not many detached homes in Old Town, however, other than the really expensive homes. There are some, but most single family homes in Old Town are townhouses.
The King Street Metro station is at the western-most edge of Old Town and probably not walking distance for many of the city's residents. There is a city bus system (DASH) and a free "trolley" (a bus that looks like a trolley) that goes up and down King. The parking lot at the King St station is rather small. There is another Metrorail station at Braddock Rd, which is convenient to residents in the northwest part of town. It is served by bus and also has a small parking lot.
Del Ray is mostly suburban with close-together early 20th century homes on a grid street pattern, and a main street (Mt Vernon Ave) with shops, spas, restaurants, and a nearby library. There is a mix of detached homes, townhouses, duplexes, and garden apartments. Del Ray definitely has a community spirit. There is a daytime Halloween parade with make-your-own-scarecrow for the kids and costume contest, an arts festival, "First Thursday" outdoor events the first Thursday of the warm weather months, 4th of July parade, and more. Del Ray's nearest Metrorail station is Braddock Rd. It's a bit of a hike, but I see many people walking or biking there. And there is bus service.
Grocery store accessibility is also dependant on your home location. There are small Giant and Safeway stores in Old Town and one near Del Ray, a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in Old Town, an organic market (MOM's) just north of Del Ray, and a large Shopper's Food Warehouse outside of Old Town and Del Ray (and a few others). You'd probably choose to drive to do your grocery shopping.
I don't commute into DC so I can only guess about the commute. Yellow line is likely faster into DC because Blue line is very roundabout to get to Metro Center. But Yellow line requires a change at Gallery Place, or get off there and walk. Driving in, you'd probably take the George Washington Parkway to the 14th St bridge. That gets crowded, especially at the bridge when you get on with all the I-395 traffic, but your overall distance isn't great. I've biked along the GW Parkway bike path to work and the car traffic next to me seems to move along fairly well.
I have DSL, but FIOS is available. Verizon offers it.
I live close to Del Ray and Old Town and my family takes part in many of the events of both places. I think you'd like it, given what you like in your home in Philly.
Good luck! Home prices are expensive here, but I really like the community and all that it offers.
Last edited by robbobobbo; 01-27-2011 at 08:24 AM..
Tone, we're living in Narberth now. I suspected Old Town would be similar to Society Hill (with prices to match). Our budget is not set yet. We are still in the early stages of evaluating the situation. We expect though that we might need to spend between 1.2M and 900K for this area for 3br.
How do you compare DC traffic with Philly traffic?
How do you compare DC traffic with Philly traffic?
I just moved to NOVA (fairfax county) from PA (Harrisburg). NOVA traffic is much worse. I have driven through Philadelphia often (many relatives/friends in the area). Imagine the blue route, but much worse, and you have the beltway. imagine the schuykill, but much worse, and you have 66. As for driving around in the city and interior suburbs, I don't have as much experience. But from what I've noted since I moved, the expressways/freeways down here are just more crowded at all hours of the day (which totally makes sense, there are more people).
You guys are fast with the replies!!! Thanks for the input.
To answer a couple of specific questions:
1) What are you hoping to get in the DC area that you can't get in the Philly area? -- Nothing, we just don't want less. We are moving here for work and am happy to do so unless it means we are settling for less than what we have now.
2) Do you have jobs lined up? -- Yes, that's what brings us. Husband would be working near Metro Center.
We have no children so schools are not so much of an issue except from a potential home value point of view.
We don't expect or really wish for a SF home with a yard. We are empty nesters and not looking for a place to plant a swing set. Would actually relish not having to worry about mulching, pruning and fertilizer. But do not desire a condominium environment either.
Old town is a great place to live! I prefer the southeast quadrant of old town because it is tucked away from the hussle & bussle. If you live near Washington St then you will be right on the bus line, which can take you to the metro. Of course, there are homes close to the metro as well.
If you get a chance to check out OTA, then walk (or drive) in the SE quadrant, and you might agree with me. The area that I am talking about is south of King St, and E of Washington St.
There are definitely other parts of old town that are nice, so you should check it out for yourself.
There is also an area between old town and Del Ray. It is basically an extension of Old town to the northwest along Commonwealth Ave. There are nice homes there.
Also, you might like the area west of old town near Quaker Ln. and west on Braddock Rd or just north of there. Again, this area is approx 1 mile to the NW from the heart of Old town.
You guys are fast with the replies!!! Thanks for the input.
To answer a couple of specific questions:
1) What are you hoping to get in the DC area that you can't get in the Philly area? -- Nothing, we just don't want less. We are moving here for work and am happy to do so unless it means we are settling for less than what we have now.
2) Do you have jobs lined up? -- Yes, that's what brings us. Husband would be working near Metro Center.
We have no children so schools are not so much of an issue except from a potential home value point of view.
We don't expect or really wish for a SF home with a yard. We are empty nesters and not looking for a place to plant a swing set. Would actually relish not having to worry about mulching, pruning and fertilizer. But do not desire a condominium environment either.
OTA has plenty of resale value despite the schools, so no worries there. Of course a macro event could drive prices down, but OTA wasn't as hard hit as further out during the 2008-09 macro event ...
If you're ok with a townhouse then you will find quite a bit within your price range (800k-1.2m) in OTA itself, a quick search revealed plenty in your range, a few with 100% Walk scores event.
It does seems OTA would be perfect for your needs. Good luck and I think you will be as happy in OTA as you are in Narberth.
Sounds like you will definitely like Old Town although it's certainly worth it to check out Del Ray. It's sort of like what would happen if the kids from South Street matured, came back and took over the establishments. In other words, it's mostly locally-owned retail and restaurants with a mildly progressive vibe. It's about as "funky" as Northern Virginia gets.
I would definitely take the other good advice already shared by others into consideration as well!
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Which quintessential town would you be from? I may be able to help you find an equivalent. Also, what is your budget? Note that Old Town Alexandria is rather similar to Society Hill with its (neo-)historical townhomes with premium prices to match.
