Help Us Decide moving to NOVA! (Arlington, Alexandria: sales, for rent, chapel)

[melijane]

I have read the sticky at the top of the page already So my husband and I are originally from upstate NY and LI respectively. We lived together in LI for about 10 years together, moved to Charleston briefly and have now been just outside Raleigh for about 4 years. I do not like it here. I don't like the people and have found it very hard to make friends. I have never had an issue with that before, but here, I do. We would love to be in an area where there are lots of young families, culture, things to do-both family friendly and adult friendly and closer to NY. NoVa or Maryland seem to fit the bill. We have visited previously and stayed in Alexandria which I would definitely consider. I am not that interested in living in a townhome, but would like a SFH, or if it had to be a townhome-with a yard.

I want my boys(4 year old twins) to grow up in a close knit community with great schools and interesting people around them. They will be entering Kindergarten next year and I want full day. My husband wants to look at living in DC, I am not as interested in that, but do want to be relatively close.

Commute is not an issue. I WAH and my husband works for Wells Fargo, so he will try to do a reverse commute or work at a convenient bank branch. We would probably rent for the first year and then purchase.

What neighborhoods/towns can you recommend that would be a good fit? I work in technology sales and hopefully can stay with my company, but if not, I have seen lots of gov't related jobs which I do not have experience with(currently I work with non-profits and have also worked in education) I could be without a job, but prefer to work.

[hokiematt]

Budget?

[melijane]

For renting-I'd love to be $3,000 or under. But there's a little leeway there

Purchase-we realize we need to spend around 600+ to get what we are looking for

[Caladium]

If you were happiest in NY, one of the Maryland suburbs might be what you're seeking. Bethesda, for example, reminds me a bit of Long Island. Virginia is a wonderful place but it may be more of a transitional area than you're seeking (I think, maybe I'm wrong). As a result it's hard to predict which neighborhoods will be chummy by the time you arrive. A street that currently has neighbors who are into socializing with each other may change completely if a few key people move.

Having said that, your best bet might be to target the older neighborhoods, where people are more likely to have settled in for a long time and have established long ties and neighborhood gatherings. Falls Church, Leesburg, Fairfax City are three places that might have neighborhoods like this. Reston has some older sections like this, too. Try to live near work (unless you work at home), having a short commute is really the most important thing.

[cdmurphy]

You will want to avoid Loudoun County if you want full-day kindergarten. It is only one of two counties in Virginia (and the only one in NoVA) that still has half-day.

[claremarie]

You will pay a premium to live close to Metro and/or in a neighborhood within easy commuting distance of DC. Bethesda, North Arlington, McLean, City of Falls Church, Vienna -- these are usually the go-to suggestions for people looking for what you seek (interesting neighbors and good schools), but you may have to compromise on a townhouse instead of a SFH at the $600K price point. Alexandria is very appealing, but the schools aren't generally described as "great."

If you don't need to commute to DC, you may be able to consider communities such as Oakton and Fairfax City, where you won't be paying the proximity premium. Trying to find a "close-knit" neighborhood can be difficult, though, because so much depends upon the people who happen to live on your block.

[JD984]

Coming from NY/LI, you might like the Town of Vienna, which should not be mistaken for a picturesque small town in NY or NJ, but has its own distinct identity. Michgc, a former Vienna resident who lives in Chapel Hill now, has written many posts about the Town of Vienna, and perhaps even comparing Vienna and Chapel Hill, so I'd take advantage of the search function on C-D and pull up some of her earlier posts.

[hokiematt]

Honestly, we are struggling to find decent close-in townhomes that also have good public school that are $600K or under. Desirable places like Vienna, Mclean, Tysons, you are looking at $700K for decent townhomes. Not a chance for SFH. Of course, everyone has different definition for "desirable" but that has been our experiences.

For a good SFH with 4BR, nice yard and access to good public school that are inside the beltway or not too far away. You are looking at $800K-$900K at least.

[hokiematt]

If commuting is not an issue, I would sacrifice the requirement for being close in and look for places like West Springfield, Burke, Ashburn, Leesburg and etc. You will have better luck for the budget.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by hokiematt

Honestly, we are struggling to find decent close-in townhomes that also have good public school that are $600K or under. Desirable places like Vienna, Mclean, Tysons, you are looking at $700K for decent townhomes. Not a chance for SFH. Of course, everyone has different definition for "desirable" but that has been our experiences.

For a good SFH with 4BR, nice yard and access to good public school that are inside the beltway or not too far away. You are looking at $800K-$900K at least.

Are you limiting your search to only newer properties? There's a large cluster of townhomes where I live, which is Vienna but close to Tysons, that are all over 2000 sq. feet and currently are going for 450-500k. Inventory is super low but there have been several go on sale in the past couple months although they went under contract quickly. The caveat is they were built around 1970, although many are well updated. If you are only looking for newer townhomes then yeah your budget must start at 600 or higher for that area.