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Old 01-06-2012, 02:33 PM
 
182 posts, read 612,954 times
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I will be working in Reston but I would like to live closer to DC. Would it make sense to live somewhere such as Arlington and "reverse" commute to work in Reston? Will the traffic be bearable? I like to drive so I would prefer to keep my car.

I was recommended Arlington because I am a young professional (24 and single) and would like to be in an area consisting of people my age, being able to meet a lot of new people, night life.

Any tips or recommendations in terms of where to live? Is around a 60k salary doable?

Thanks!
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Old 01-06-2012, 03:02 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Yep, that's doable. I lived in Arlington (Crystal City) my first year out of college and commuted to Reston for 4ish months. $60k was about what I made then too. My commute was a breeze in the morning (110-66-267) with just a small slow down near the ballston on ramp, though the evening was a pile up where 267 and 66 merge. Still, not a bad commute.

It might be worse now due to the Tysons metro construction.

Just make sure you pick up a roommate on that $60k salary, and you should be fine.
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Old 01-07-2012, 09:41 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliTerp07 View Post
Yep, that's doable. I lived in Arlington (Crystal City) my first year out of college and commuted to Reston for 4ish months. $60k was about what I made then too. My commute was a breeze in the morning (110-66-267) with just a small slow down near the ballston on ramp, though the evening was a pile up where 267 and 66 merge. Still, not a bad commute.

It might be worse now due to the Tysons metro construction.

Just make sure you pick up a roommate on that $60k salary, and you should be fine.
how long was that drive for you? Is parking usually available for Arlington apartments?
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Old 01-07-2012, 02:35 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzmanjoe123 View Post
how long was that drive for you? Is parking usually available for Arlington apartments?
I don't remember the length of the drive. Maybe 30-45 minutes in the morning, and an hour in the afternoons? That was 4.5 years ago now, so things may have changed.

The high rises in Arlington tend to offer one space per apartment (but you still need to pay for it, generally). Second spaces are sometimes available on a lottery basis, but they'll cost you up to a couple hundred a month for that second space. Ballston Mall offers monthly permit parking if you choose a building walking distance to the mall.
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Old 01-07-2012, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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Why not live in DC? The commute from Georgetown to Reston would be an easy one.
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Old 01-07-2012, 07:21 PM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliTerp07 View Post
I don't remember the length of the drive. Maybe 30-45 minutes in the morning, and an hour in the afternoons? That was 4.5 years ago now, so things may have changed.
Just wanted to add this was from Crystal City--starting in Ballston would shave 15-20 minutes off of that time.
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Old 01-08-2012, 10:18 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliTerp07 View Post
Just wanted to add this was from Crystal City--starting in Ballston would shave 15-20 minutes off of that time.
any recommendations on which neighborhood to choose?
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Old 01-09-2012, 11:40 AM
 
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Originally Posted by CAVA1990 View Post
Why not live in DC? The commute from Georgetown to Reston would be an easy one.
Yeah, and then you can get one of those Taxation Without Representation license plates!
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Old 01-09-2012, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Reston, VA
2,090 posts, read 4,251,026 times
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Originally Posted by CaliTerp07
I don't remember the length of the drive. Maybe 30-45 minutes in the morning, and an hour in the afternoons? That was 4.5 years ago now, so things may have changed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliTerp07 View Post
Just wanted to add this was from Crystal City--starting in Ballston would shave 15-20 minutes off of that time.
I don't think these times are accurate. There is no way you are going to make it from Ballston to Reston in 15 - 25 minutes in the morning. There is an extremely slim chance you will make it in 25 minutes, but absolutely no chance you will make it in 15 minutes. It is about 17 miles from Ballston to Reston - Google maps says 24 minutes with no traffic.
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Old 01-09-2012, 09:26 PM
 
182 posts, read 612,954 times
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Are there any cities outside of Arlington that also has a large population of young people? I don't think Ballston prices are worth it for me since I will be traveling more than 50% of the time
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