Commute from Leesburg to DC by Car (home, to buy)

[arielmina]

I know many many people who commute to DC from western Loudoun and have done so for years. It maybe a long drive, but I know for me (and I work from home), when I am driving west from DC or Dulles area and get out on route 7 west of Leesburg, I breathe a sigh of relief and smile because I can actually feel the tension leaving me. Some people are not cut out for big developments, I personally despise them for ME, not judging anyone else. But there is something to be said for being happy where you live and enjoying your time there, outside of work.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by spencgr

I'm certainly not lying to myself. I'm fully aware of the time it takes me to get to work. And I (a) either use that time productively, or (b) spend more time in the city (dinner, activities, etc) to avoid the worst of the traffic.

I'm not saying it is for everyone, but I'm getting annoyed at all of the people who say it can't be done. When I moved to Middleburg, I actually doubled the time of my commute. But, when anyone asks, I tell them it is an infinitely better commute. It is neither the time nor the distance, it is how the specific commute affects you.

I hope you feel that way when the outer beltway is built and Middleburg starts looking like Eastern Loudoun as far as traffic. What drove you to Middleburg, is what will drive others, subdivision builders, and fringe suburban sprawl.

That is the point you aren't understanding. If you live out there, you need to defend it, not allow it to fall prey to the interest of cheap development further out via subsidized road widenings. You should be siding WITH those of us who want to protect agro lands by developing in the core responsibly instead of saying my priorities are monetary.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

I hope you feel that way when the outer beltway is built and Middleburg starts looking like Eastern Loudoun as far as traffic. What drove you to Middleburg, is what will drive others, subdivision builders, and fringe suburban sprawl.

That is the point you aren't understanding. If you live out there, you need to defend it, not allow it to fall prey to the interest of cheap development further out via subsidized road widenings. You should be siding WITH those of us who want to protect agro lands by developing in the core responsibly instead of saying my priorities are monetary.

I 100% defend it; always have. But we can't expect one of the few thriving areas in the US to have everyone live in condos near the city. I chose an area that is (currently) protected from sprawl. I expect the immediate area to remain that way for some time. I've paid a premium for that (as you have for your in-close location), and an ok with that. I don't demand anything from you, so please stop indicating that my life (and commute) affects your life in an way.

In reality, my 27% effective tax rate surely helps you.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by spencgr

I 100% defend it; always have. But we can't expect one of the few thriving areas in the US to have everyone live in condos near the city. I chose an area that is (currently) protected from sprawl. I expect the immediate area to remain that way for some time. I've paid a premium for that (as you have for your in-close location), and an ok with that. I don't demand anything from you, so please stop indicating that my life (and commute) affects your life in an way.

In reality, my 27% effective tax rate surely helps you.

Yes because Im such a moocher. What the hell does your tax rate matter? I make plenty of money of my own and pay my share of taxes as well. I also use very little as far as any government anything. DINC, with 3 mile commute, I suppose I use police and have a fire department if I ever need it... then again everyone does.

Whatever man, you are the one attacking me making it seem like my motives are for monetary gain when I fight against sprawl... the same sprawl that protects your location from being destroyed.

Everyone living in Condos? DC residential development is 40% SFH. Think about that, and Fairfax is how many times bigger than DC? You dont have to have highrises to address population growth, but having a core that has condos and apartments for those who want it DOES reduce the demand on further growth outward. See Charlotte, see Denver, see many older midwest mid-cities. You fight me, thinking I am the enemy who is indicting you, when I am trying to protect single family house owners who enjoy the life they have today from the future hell that is inevitable if you let the cycle continue.

Black and white, thats all you wanna debate, not how minor modifications CAN improve this areas development dynamics.

This thread has strayed far far away from the initial question.

To answer it in less than the 1800 words I have written;

I wouldnt suggest it, but you are big boy, I'm sure you can make a decision as big as where to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars by listening to your gut and an internet forum.

[savoiadilucania]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

This thread has strayed far far away from the initial question.
To answer it in less than the 1800 words I have written;
I wouldnt suggest it, but you are big boy, I'm sure you can make a decision as big as where to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars by listening to your gut and an internet forum.

I never asked for an opinion -- I asked a very specific question about duration of commute for those that actually do the commute.

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by savoiadilucania

Thanks for the on-topic response. So by stating "I-66 goes HOV at 6:30am inside the Beltway" you are implying a 6:00AM departure will place me among the masses trying to beat the HOV cutoff?

We are most definitely looking at places in the historic sections of each locale -- appreciate the feedback.

I would leave Leesburg at 5 or 530am. Leaving Leesburg @ 6am wouldn't get you to I-66 in time.

You'll find a large number of people are commutophobic, and that the only factor to ever consider in choosing a house is the commuting distance.

Frederick has a larger inventory of historic homes -- Leesburg has the stately antebellum places. BUT the inventory in downtown Frederick is mostly THs and the inventory in downtown Leesburg is $$$ (there's some 1980s TH developments in parts of the historic district, but I suspect that is what you're trying to avoid.)

Generally speaking there is more to do in Frederick than in Leesburg; if you're coming from 100% outside the area I'd pick Frederick.

I chose Leesburg for two reasons: (1) closer to family/work and (2) it never occurred to me I could move from VA to MD (seriously.)

Is there a reason you're eschewing public transit?

[snowdenscold]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Acknowledged, but I have seen this syndrome before.

<curtain opens on a prospective NOVA transplant new to the area. He's a bold young chap who has heard tales of the money that can be made in Capital City and he's here to find himself a piece>

The hero begins their venture into NOVA by justifying what they know will be a 90 minute commute each way by saying they can handle it. Of course you can hero, you can handle anything, you are easy going and a champion. They say they can wake up real early to make it work.

Then February shows up, and its awful and pitch black outside, and our hero starts getting lazier and leaving a bit later and later.

<end Act I>

Open to a person sitting in traffic, late for work. They complain about every driving maneuver any other driver makes. They become furious seeing the parking lot of thousands of cars. If only there was just one more lane, then I could zoom around all of these idiots. I just wish that this highway would extend all the way to my office front door.

<end Act II>

Open to a public meeting about regional transportation. Person A stands up. "I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM! For years I have lived in NOVA. I once lived in beautiful (name community west of what used to be the sprawl limit and now well entrenched in sprawltopia) and traffic has just gotten worse and worse. I demand that someone starts thinking seriously about Panacea Road to solve my problems!

Here here! say the other super commuters stuck in traffic every day. "But that Panacea Road you want will cut my childrens path to school, cause more air pollution in my community, and just buy a couple more years before the traffic returns because of further expansion out" Says person X who moved into a home closer in, even though they had to make choices about living in a smaller space, perhaps make their kids share a room, but all in the effort of living closer to where the jobs are.

BAH! NIMBY! Enter a chorus of rabble. A curtain draws as our westward bound hero draws a planning pen high in the air and draws an outer beltway on a map!

<end Act III>

Open to opening day of the new highway. All of the regions politicians are there telling us that this will truly be the solve all. This time it has to be.

Time lapse video of days passing with almost no one driving on the new highway, then thousands of homes getting built. Weeks pass. It becomes 3 years later and the once empty road is now jammed with everyone coming off of even more houses that were built outward, instead of focusing on redeveloping inside built region.

Our hero exits his house and complains that even his neighborhood is now a parking lot of people who live further out.

"What the heck! Where did all these people come from? My commute used to be so nice when Panacea road opened, now all I have are people speeding through my neighborhood and honking loudly on their impatient way.

<end Act IV>

Open to our hero, an older man now. His house sits on the edge of a freeway which has been widened several times without ever solving the problem of further congestion. He sits defeated as his community has deteriorated from further expansion outward and more subsidized destruction of his community to help relieve the commutes of people who demand more roads, bigger roads!

He gives up, the commute has become too much, so he moves to Florida and retires. As he leaves he yells back at a forum "NOVA Sucks. Its just a bunch of congestion and no one ever comes up with a good idea on how to solve it. I wish someone would have stopped all that outward expansion which caused this ugly mess. Oh well, I'm outta here."

A gong and reverberate on fade out

<fin>

Your post instantly made me think of this book (and it's been 20+ years since I've read it):

The Little House: Virginia Lee Burton: 0046442259385: Amazon.com: Books

The Little House - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[dmv101010]

<hairflipping> OP if your budget is under 400K all thats going to buy you is an old farmhouse that needs a ton of repairs. It's not going to get you a SFH in historic Leesburg or Frederick. Seriously you had to have known this was a loaded question when you posted due to the other threads.
Since you are in dreamland perhaps Georgetown would give you everything you would like, perhaps you should look there.

[dmv101010]

TE I loved the play!

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by dmv101010

<hairflipping> OP if your budget is under 400K all thats going to buy you is an old farmhouse that needs a ton of repairs. It's not going to get you a SFH in historic Leesburg or Frederick. Seriously you had to have known this was a loaded question when you posted due to the other threads.
Since you are in dreamland perhaps Georgetown would give you everything you would like, perhaps you should look there.

I've read and re-read all of the OPs posts. Please tell me where, once, he mentioned a budget. For all we know he has 400 million to spend.

He just asked about a commute. That's it. And, honestly, not nearly the worst commute I know of; so it's, in no way, a "loaded question".