Crush my spirit: Can I afford Alexandria? (Arlington, Burke: low income, rent)

[hollyg20]

I've read about 100 different threads about moving to NoVa, and I've decided that I am on the bubble: I can, but barely, and if it's close, then I probably can't. Ugh. At least for Alexandria.

Here's the situation: Moving to the DC area for husband's job in Springfield. Combined income around $155K. Have a 6-month old baby.

Here's the wish list and my need for a reality check:
>We want to live in a walkable neighborhood. The type offered in Del Ray or OT Alexandria - walk to the library, walk to the park, walk to a cafe, etc. I've focused my search on Alexandria. The benefit to Alexandria, it's on the metro to Springfield. I've been looking at townhomes in the Del Ray/Warwick Village. Am I forgetting any nice walkable neighborhoods/communities within a 40 min. commute to Springfield? (Metro a plus, but not a requirement. I am a hyperlocal, and I work from home. I used to live in England and miss the 100 walk score). We're in the under $500k house range.

> There seem to be townhouses in our price range in Warwick Village, any opinions on Warwick Village for a young family? Seems to be perfect - 3bd., 1 or 2 bath, basements, yards for our dog. Any other info on this neighborhood (parking? schools? safety?)?

> I am thinking a part-time nanny-share would be the cheapest in this area for child care. I need 20-30 hours of care for my baby so I can work without distraction. I've budgeted about $1200 for baby-watching. I've also looked at the in-home day care options, any opinions?

> Commute for huz under 40 mins. Again, I think that he could bus/metro in an hour or drive in under 40 from this locale because it's a reverse. Am I getting that right?

> Cost of living: I read that there is a car tax on Alexandria residents - is it really $3000/year to own a car?? Do we need two cars if we lived in Del Ray/Warwick Village/Mt. Vernon? Are there other household expenses that surprised you when you moved to the metro area that I wouldn't expect coming from rural/suburban North Carolina?

I have also looked at Arlington, Falls Church, and am willing to broaden the search with the primary "wants" being walkability, under 40 min. commute, safety.

I love these forums!

[CaliTerp07]

The downside to Alexandria City for many is the schools. You'll have to do the research to decide what level of low income/test scores/etc you are comfortable with. The commute to Springfield should easily be under 40 minutes. The highway part isn't the challenge, it's the "getting to the highway" part. Old Town can be a maze of stop lights if you are coming from the wrong parts. Going straight down route 1 is easy--they time the lights nicely. My husband commutes from the edge of West Springfield/Burke to the King Street metro in about 30-40 minutes daily. Depending where in Alexandria/Springfield your husband was going, his commute should be less than that.

For another option, what about Kingstowne? It's not cutesy/charming like Old Town, but you could walk to a library/restaurant/park, and find a place under $500k. Super easy commute to Springfield too. I believe the townhouse communities tend to have gyms/pools/playgrounds on the premises there as well.

We have friends who use a home daycare in the Rose Hill area of Alexandria (fairfax county alexandria) who pay $900/month for that service. I would think that a nanny share would be more expensive, but as a childless person I could be wrong.

No, a car should not be $3k/year to own unless you have a really nice car. Virginia has a state car tax, based on the assessed value of your car. It is subsidized somewhat. I've never paid more than $120/year for a car (but I've never driven new/expensive cars either). In the city of Alexandria, I believe you need a decal (I did when I lived there--it was only $30 or so). Details are all here: Personal Property (Vehicle) Tax | Finance | City of Alexandria, VA

[CAVA1990]

Why don't you just rent a house for a year in Del Ray and see how you like it? Looks like you can get something there for around $3K a month which should be easily affordable if you're making about $13K a month.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Why don't you just rent a house for a year in Del Ray and see how you like it? Looks like you can get something there for around $3K a month.

Ooh, I meant to say that too. Highly, highly recommend renting for a year while you get your bearings and decide which areas you really like.

[ACWhite]

Welcome! You might like Park Fairfax or Fairlington.

[kevbros]

We live in Old Town now and have lived at different places around the City. We moved here for many of the reasons you want to.

Schools. Most of the elementary schools in Alexandria are fine. There are a couple,of exceptions that you should be aware of, but everybody we know is happy with their elementary school. Middle schools are a bigger challenge and that's when some look at other options plan when their kids hit age 11-12 or so.

Commute. Commuting to Springfield from Old Town is a snap. 15 minutes for us, even in morning rush. Coming home during evening rush is longer, but usually only a little. There are good alternate routes, too. Definitely an easy commute that most people would really love. The 15 minutes is to the Commerce St area; it could be longer if you go deeper into Springfield.

Car tax. Alexandria has a car tax, just like just about everybody else in Virginia. Arlington's is higher, Fairfax County's is lower, but they are all about the same. How much you pay annually is based on the value of your car(s). It's a few hundred dollars a year for a newer car and should decrease every year.

Cars. We lived for most of our time here with one car; mainly made possible by easy access to metro for commuting. But their are also great bus options. I now ride my bike into DC. It is nice to have so many options. We needed the car mostly for errands. When the kids hit their teens we needed a second car for weekend sports/activities.

House. This is the tough one. You might look at some of the very small row houses in Rosemont. The two bedrooms in that area are still less than $500k, I think; and they are walkable to metro. At that price point, you will have to go small. Look for the houses around Mt Vernon and Walnut or on Rosemont or Linden. You might get lucky. There may be some places like that in Del Ray, but Maury Elementary School in Rosemont is a safe bet.

Warwick Village- I just don't know enough about that area up there. It's a lot longer to metro from there, but there are convenient buses. Not even sure what school that is Cora Kelly? Someone else will have to weigh in about that area.

Hope this helps!

[eli250]

I was looking in Del Ray about 2 years ago and had your same budget. We looked at Warwick Village, but ended up buying a more expensive townhouse that was closer to the Braddock Rd. Metro station. Warwick Village was affordable and close enough to the shops and restaurants on the Avenue, but it was too dense for me and the yards were too small.

If you really want to live without a car, you can do it in Del Ray, but you probably want to be closer to Monroe Avenue, so you can more easily walk to the grocery store and the metro.

With respect to schools, I would stay north of Monroe so that you can be zoned for Mount Vernon elementary instead of Jefferson Houston.

[robbobobbo]

Yes, you can afford Alexandria on that income. I do, and on less and with a larger family (but I don't have to pay for childcare).

Since I don't know much about house prices or rents in Old Town, I'll second the idea of looking for a townhouse/rowhouse in Del Ray or Rosemont. There are quite a few on Commonwealth Ave and on some streets off of it. The downside of Rosemont is walking to goods and services, depending on home location. I'm near enough to walk to Duncan Library but more often I drive or bike to Del Ray than walk to it. Same goes for Old Town - sometimes walk, usually drive or bike. Del Ray also has townhouse/rowhouses.

Warwick Village may be a good value. I've always felt it seemed a bit unkempt, perhaps many units are owned by unconcerned landlords. Apparently it's on the upswing after having seen worse days, see this positive article:

Where We Live: Warwick Village, a townhouse complex in Alexandria, Va. - Washington Post

Park Fairfax and Fairlington are nice but they require driving to most destinations. Nice to walk around for a stroll in the neighborhood, and some parts would be a feasible walk to Shirlington across the pedestrian bridge over 395, but on the whole a bit different, I think, from what you're envisioning around Del Ray and certainly a different environment from Old Town.

As mentioned, Alexandria isn't alone in the "car tax" (personal property tax) and it's nowhere near $3000 a year unless you're driving a $70,000 car. The rate is 4.75%, and the first $20,000 of assessed value qualifies for a 61% "tax relief". A $20,000 (in value) car would be liable for a $950 yearly tax bill, but that would be reduced by $579 so you'd owe $371.

Personal Property (Vehicle) Tax | Finance | City of Alexandria, VA

You also have to have a city windshield sticker ($31/year) and if you park on the street, you'll most likely need a parking sticker (zoned parking near Metro stations, and costs $30 for first car, $40 for second).

Good luck!

[hollyg20]

I love all of these replies. I can't thank everyone enough for weighing in. We're coming up (hopefully) in a few weeks to start looking, but have to get rid of our suburban North Carolina McMansion first! Can not wait!

Thanks SO much to everyone for replying, any other folks who have things to add, please do.

[hollyg20]

Originally Posted by eli250

I was looking in Del Ray about 2 years ago and had your same budget. We looked at Warwick Village, but ended up buying a more expensive townhouse that was closer to the Braddock Rd. Metro station. Warwick Village was affordable and close enough to the shops and restaurants on the Avenue, but it was too dense for me and the yards were too small.

If you really want to live without a car, you can do it in Del Ray, but you probably want to be closer to Monroe Avenue, so you can more easily walk to the grocery store and the metro.

With respect to schools, I would stay north of Monroe so that you can be zoned for Mount Vernon elementary instead of Jefferson Houston.

Hi! I got your pm, but didn't realize I could only reply to one pm per day and had already replied to someone. Will touch base tomorrow. Thank you!