Early commute to DC from South Riding (Chantilly, Fairfax: neighborhood, construction)

[ladymoving7]

I am considering moving to South Riding in a few months. I work in DC and know that would be a commute. However I have a flexible schedule and can get to work at 7 am like I do now. I also would probably take the metro at Vienna station on Nutley. So, my commute would really be from South Riding to Nutley St in Vienna. For anyone who knows, How bad would that commute be around 6 AM?


Also, does it have a suburban feel to it or is it very country? Are so, are there places close by that have some of the amenities like chain restaurants (e.g., Olive Garden), etc?

(Thanks in advance!)

[goldenmom7500]

Hi,

I barely know South Riding (but nice area, good choice) ... I was just going to say that the people who really want to beat rush hour would leave a little bit earlier. I know one person who leaves around 5AM from Potomac Falls to get on route 7. At least you are done sooner, right?

[MustHaveCoffee]

South Riding has a very weird feel. I have heard it described as having all the problems of the city with all the inconvienience of the country. It seems like the developers packed every bit of Fairfax they could into a pocket of farmland. I'm not sure if I would describe it as suburban or not, but it's certainly not rural.

[jarednova]

Originally Posted by ladymoving7

For anyone who knows, How bad would that commute be around 6 AM? Also, does it have a suburban feel to it or is it very country? Are so, are there places close by that have some of the amenities like chain restaurants (e.g., Olive Garden), etc?

(Thanks in advance!)

At 6 AM, you shouldn't have any issues unless there is an accident. Yes, they are working on widening US 50 right now between South Riding and Chantilly...but two lanes are generally open all the time and you shouldn't be impacted much by that other than the weaving back-and-forth of the construction zone. Commute to Vienna metro from South Riding should run you 20-40 minutes depending on how you drive and traffic on any given day (lean toward the longer time most of the time, but sometimes I am pleasantly surprised if it is very early).

South Riding is semi-suburban but bordering country. Many of the amenities that were supposed to come got cancelled when the economy went sour. Still, there are several restaurants (Ruby Tuesday being the main sit-down 'chain', but there are also some great local restaurants in the neighborhood), three grocery stores, and it's VERY walkable. It's not too far (but a drive) to a recently-opened Walmart and slightly-older Target at the intersection of 28 and 50 in Chantilly. It'd be nice if all those other amenities had made it in the South Riding/Arcola area, but things aren't bad as it is other than, sometimes, the traffic.

[gammann]

Originally Posted by jarednova

Many of the amenities that were supposed to come got cancelled when the economy went sour.

That stuff didn't get cancelled, just postponed. The Arcola Center - Home is still coming, it may just be slow with the recovering economy.

[Darkseid]

^^^ the link for Arcola Center is dead

[gammann]

Originally Posted by Darkseid

^^^ the link for Arcola Center is dead

hmm...works for me.

[Darkseid]

^^^hmmm, wasn't working a few minutes ago. Never mind...

The section on the Slave Quarters is very interesting

[shamrock847]

Depending on where you are going in DC and what your work schedule is the Loudoun county commuter bus might be faster than driving plus metro. You can pick it up from either Dulles North (15 min drive from South Riding) or Dulles South (10 min drive from South Riding).