Is North Arlington the ONLY place where twenty-somethings live?

[Do a Barrel Roll]

Originally Posted by Tone509

I was going to suggest Reston, particularly in or close to the Town Center area, but I should respect the experience of the native TPL on that matter.

Nice place and a great option when the Silver Line gets there. But for now, it's definitely too far. And in all honestly, it does turn into an outdoor version of Tysons Corner/Fair Oaks with all of the teenagers. It would be an awesome option....if I was 16

Mature twenty-somethings that don't need the intensity of "Orange Line" Arlington or Adams Morgan (DC) will probably like Old Town well enough. I see a fair share hanging out. [/quote]
I definitely see that as the most affordable place that is near a Metro station. The crowd is definitely more mature, but hopefully not too mature that I'll bee seen as some little kid hanging while out in King Street.

Pentagon City/Crystal City may work too, if only for the dining and retail gathering spots.

True. The place has nice eateries, but I'd hate the thought of dedicating to sign a lease to reside for a year in a place that feels isolated. If I already had a good connection, I'd be more apt to live in places like Crystal and Pentagon cities.

What about Falls Church? A decent downtown and proximity to North Arlington.

I'd walked around Falls Church (Rt 7) and it looks very neighborly and quaint. However, I didn't notice that same feeling (not necessarily a bad feeling, but more of the same Rosslyn-at-night empty environment around the metro stations.

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

Actually a number of 20-somethings (professionals as well as blue-collar folks) lived in the Landmark area of Alexandria when I lived there. They wanted cheaper rent but still proximity to fun stuff. Also Shirlington and Fairlington may be places to look.

I wouldn't mind having the mix of 20-something blue and white collar crowd, and in fact, I can use some people who are into things that DC's yuppie crowd see as "proletarian hobbies beneath them" like sports, MMA/UFC, video games, and bars. And from the looks of things, a majority of the 20-something blue collar crowd who I tend to see working retail and administrative jobs tend to mostly not reflect DC and PG County's wannabe-hood blue collar crowd, but are more modest and approachable on a personal level. The only problems I see include travel mobility and not having a centralized point where these young people live and meet up, like you have in DC and North Arlington.


I know I sound picky, but I just want to make the right decision.

[chariega]

before i became an old married person, (i'm 29) a lot of us lived in Alexandria and had no trouble at all meeting up and heading into the city on the weekends. most of us lived in Annandale/W. Alexandria and met up at someone's house assigned a DD and pregamed before heading out into the city. honestly i don't remember Arlington ever really being on our radar. we were more into clubbing vs. bars and hung out mostly in the city, so where we lived was convenient to 395 for a 10 min. ride into DC. a lot of my friends still live in Alexandria and Annandale so I don't know what the big draw to Clarendon is truthfully. i probably have a small group who live in Arlington, everyone else lives in the burbs of NOVA and Montgomery Co., and yes these are 20 somethings.

like i tell everyone, it's basically about how often you go out and your budget. your going out could get curtailed by living someplace like Clarendon that's super $$, so that's def. something to consider. also, the draw to living in an area that's always live can be enticing, but you also have to think if the novelty will wear off for you. i have friends who moved to DC and now hate it (parking, too many people, etc) and want to be back in the semi-suburbia of Alexandria.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Yep. The "standoffishness" was my experience as an early-20-something who resided in Reston for a year-and-a-half. I was never successful in forming tight bonds with anyone. It's like everyone had a certain "limit" to how close they'd let you in, and then they'd throw up a barrier to shut you out. I've only lived here in Pittsburgh for two months, and I already have a partner and numerous close friends. I don't care how many people on this sub-forum claim Reston is "great" for 20-somethings because I know from my own personal experiences that Reston is better suited towards families. I was an avid runner who always had trouble with getting fellow Restonians to return my greetings and pleasantries when I'd work out. To me that says a lot about the friendliness (or lack thereof) of the people there.

Some people have an easier time making friends than other people. The people I know in Reston are quite friendly and very easy to talk with. The reason that so many young people like Reston is for the same reason. They find it very easy to talk to others in Reston and to make friends there.

[Caladium]

Fairfaxian--just a thought, but since you already live in the general area I'd recommend taking a different approach. Instead of trying to move to an area and then making friends, I'd focus on first finding a group of friends here and then moving to wherever they happen to be.

Friends can be found in the most unlikely places. And, just because you move to the hippest spot in town it doesn't guarantee you'll find friends there. You could move into Clarendon and then discover all your friends live in Annandale. Or Reston. Or Falls Church.

So, if it was me, I'd first try out a few sports groups, or music groups, or meet-up groups. Whatever seems interesting to you. After you find a group of friends, then look for a new place to live.

[stpickrell]

Find a place that works for your budget. From there, your interests will dictate your friends.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Some people have an easier time making friends than other people. The people I know in Reston are quite friendly and very easy to talk with. The reason that so many young people like Reston is for the same reason. They find it very easy to talk to others in Reston and to make friends there.

I totally agree. And, oddly enough, sometimes it's easier to make friends out in places like Reston because there are fewer young people.

Just my experience, but when I lived in DC I lived in a building overflowing with other 20 year olds and I never became friends with any of them. My kids, on the other hand, seem to meet all the 20 something their age who live nearby. They always seem to be meeting new people at the gym or Starbucks. They become friends with a lot of the people they meet and I think it might be because there aren't as many.

[hl6451]

As a fellow young person, my advice would be to not discriminate based on age when it comes to friendships. Common interests make for a much more solid friendship than a common birthday year.

I'm a 22 year old living with my 21 year old BF in Chantilly (for lack of better jobs/more money). We're both college graduates (recent, obviously); I teach in Leesburg, he works in the district. We've made friends with our neighbors, who are in their late 20s, early 30s.

We don't do the whole "clubbing" thing (probably because we're together and not really looking to hook up with other people) and don't dine out a lot because we're on a budget. We're also not heavy drinkers. Our idea of a good time is watching Pawn Stars with friends and talking about/complaining about whatever's in the news/happening in the world/politics. Going out for wings and playing video games are what we usually do with friends. To do any of those things, be it argue about politics or play COD, you don't have to be a specific age.

I would suggest just keeping an open mind when it comes to making friends, and remember that it isn't like building a collection, where you want to move to the best source and scout out some "items" to add to yours. Friendships should happen naturally! It seems funny to pick a place to live based on what age group of people you prefer to socialize with. There will be plenty of 20 year olds who have opposite interests as you. And just because an area has a high density of young people, doesn't mean any of them want to be your friend.