Where should I live in Arlington? (Tysons Corner, Orange: apartments, rent, how much)

[bhall21]

Hello Everyone,

I will be moving to the D.C. area in August to work for one of the Big 4 Accounting firms. My place of work will be in Tyson's corner, however I believe I will have clients in the city so I will need access to the city. People have recommended that I live in Arlington due to the proximity to Tyson's corner and easy metro access.

First I wanted to ask if this is a good idea (I know nothing about D.C. and the surrounding area).

Second I wanted to know where in Arlington I should look at living. I want to have fun and be around young professionals as I am a 22 year old male.

Third, how much am I looking at spending?

And lastly, are there any alternative options?

Thanks!

[FindingZen]

"The Orange Line Corridor" of Arlington - named after the Metro stops on that route - is the epicenter for young professionals in NOVA, particularly Clarendon.

Easy Metro access to Tysons Corner may depend on when you move into town. The Silver Line extension that passes through Tysons is expected to be completed by the end of the year. That will improve what will be a not terrible but not great commute from Arlington (more due to traffic than distance).

If you want to live right on the Metro line, prepare to pay $1800 or (much) more which will probably not include parking. If you are okay being within a mile walk of the main drag of Wilson Boulevard with possible free parking, that may bring your rent down a couple hundred. Also consider becoming/taking on a roommate, a popular and necessary pastime for younger professionals.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by bhall21

First I wanted to ask if this is a good idea (I know nothing about D.C. and the surrounding area).

Yes. Arlington is a great place to live and you can commute to many of your clients from there and the Tyson's office is probably no more than a 40 minute drive one way on the worst of draffic days. Arlington is where all the 20-somethings live.

Originally Posted by bhall21

Second I wanted to know where in Arlington I should look at living. I want to have fun and be around young professionals as I am a 22 year old male.

You should get a roommate and look at the Ballston neighborhood within walking distance to the metro. Many will say "anywhere along the orange line corridor" but I prefer Ballston because it's a bit cheaper, still convenient to the bars, etc. and a bit quieter as well.

Originally Posted by bhall21

Third, how much am I looking at spending?

$1,200 (w roommate) will get you a nice place, walk to metro, etc. With some searching, 1100 is doable in some of the older pads if you search closely

Originally Posted by bhall21

And lastly, are there any alternative options?

Sure, you can live in DC or that state that shall not be named across the Potomac. Wouldn't recommend either though.

[bhall21]

Can anyone advise me on how to go about getting a roommate? I don't know anyone in D.C. and my school's alumni chapter was of little help.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by bhall21

Can anyone advise me on how to go about getting a roommate? I don't know anyone in D.C. and my school's alumni chapter was of little help.

Craigslist or roomster. For the randoms I had when living in Arlington, both roommates were great. A great "off-the-bat" filter is establishing a minimum rent in your posting. Anyone who can afford rent along the orange line more than likely is employed and has their house in order. Not true for all cases, but it's a good bet.

[stateofnature]

It is extremely common for people in the DC area, especially people under the age of 30, to live with strangers they find through Craigslist. There is absolutely no stigma against that here. It's what many (most?) 20-somethings have to do to be able to afford the cost of living here.

The "rooms/shared" section of the housing category on Craigslist is where you start looking.

[bhall21]

Very helpful! I will check out roomster and start posting on Craigslist.

[AHNoVA]

Hi there:

I've lived in the Lyon Village neighborhood in NoVA for more than 10 years at this point, after 2 years in DC. The 1-bedroom apartments in our buildings are between $1600 and $1800, and the 2-bedrooms are $2100 a month for good-sized apartments. There are slightly cheaper apartments in this area and much more expensive ones. Where we are is just a couple miles from Georgetown, and it's all downhill, so on a nice day it's a great way to get into the city. We're also just half a mile from the Clarendon Metro, which is surrounded by restaurants, shops, etc., and there's the 3A-B-E bus line, which runs along Lee Highway and takes you into Rosslyn in about 10 minutes. In addition, my husband works in Bethesda, which is just a 20- to 30-minute commute in the mornings, although it does take him longer than that to get home.

I love this area -- there's just so much to see and do. We're avid outdoorspeople, mostly hiking and canoeing/kayaking, and there are any number of places to do both of those here. Even after a decade here, we are constantly surprised at the number and variety of free or cheap public spaces in this region: county parks, regional parks, state parks, national parks, wildelife refuges, and so on! We haven't had a boring weekend in years.

There are also a ton of great restaurants here, from pizza places (eg, Pupatella and Pizzeria Orso) to high-end dining (eg, Restaurant Eve and CityZen [in DC]), and from diners (eg, Bob and Edith's) to bars (eg, the Passenger, the PX, TNT, etc.). You can spend as little or as much as you like and get good food. Delivery is a little more limited, but we've had good luck with Lost Dog (which also delivers beer!), TNR cafe (Chinese), Bangkok Bistro (Thai), and Wiinky's (hot dogs, wings, etc.), among others.

I'm originally from the Midwest, and I never thought I would stay in the DC area as long as I have, but I have fallen in love with NoVA and the complete convenience of everything -- go into DC for dinner? Sure! It's a 15-minute cab/car/Uber ride. Go kayaking on the weekend? Sure! It's also 15 minutes away. Philly? Three hours away. Horse country? An hour and a half. You can do almost anything in a day trip from North Arlington, and we do!

Hope this information helps!