Relocating to ashburn, what's it like? (Arlington, Leesburg: short sales, foreclosures, consignment)

[blindside]

I am 32 and my wife is 30 and we have a single four year old. Based on my interview I see a lot of suburbia, much like the suburbs of Denver (castle rock, for example). We are currently relocating from Berkeley, CA, but spent a long time in the suburbs of Denver and really enjoyed it (vs. Berkeley).

However what are the people like?


Mostly dual income with kids, or stay at home parent with kids? Or DINK? My wife will be staying at home with our four year old and hopefully she'll find other moms in the same situation.

Liberal? Conservative? Libertarian?

Is there constant pressure to keep up with the jones's? Are people overspending their incomes? Were there a lot of foreclosures?

Religious? Or not religious?

Thanks!

[looktowindward]

A mix of dual income with kids and stay at home with kids. There are plenty of stay at home mom's with 4 year olds - my wife is one

Politically pretty mixed - lots of middle of the road libertarian tech folks. Lots of Asian immigrants as well, especially from India.

Religious - thats pretty tough to say. Its not a bible belt sort of place, and there is a lot of religious diversity - Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim. That being said, I suspect most folks are religious, but no one is asking each other what church (etc) they go to, as they do some places in the south. Religious institutions are a pretty kid place to meet other parents with similar aged kids.

That being said, it is not Berkeley - it is not a bastion of far left liberalism, although it tends to be far more socially liberal than the rest of Virginia.

There were plenty of foreclosures and still are some, especially of the more expensive houses. Folks buying $1m+ houses tended (and still tend) to get in over their heads. I suspect many of them never could afford it, and ended up house poor. Amongst the more "ordinary" (but still very nice) houses, there are far fewer foreclosures. Most folks live within their means, which tend to be considerable. I've never felt any pressure to spend money on anything here, which is nice.

[mikebnllnb]

Ashburn is a great place to live. The people here are very friendly. There is a good mix of both stay at home single earner families and duel earner families. Most of the larger developments here have mom clubs.

The area is fairly purple in terms of politics. Many people are religious here, but it's not shoved in your face. Relgious people here are very tolerant of other people views.

There is a certain amount of "keeping up with the jones's" going on but it's not terrible.

I don't know of that many foreclosures.

I would say the biggest drawback about living here is the super competitiveness that's in this area when it comes to kids. People are super competitive with each other when it comes to their kids. Middle school and high school kids are under a lot of pressure when it comes to academics and athletics. If you want your 4 year old to play high school sports in this area start them now.

I've lived here 15 years now a love it. If you have any other questions just PM me.

[VRE332]

I just don't like the idea of paying the Dulles Greenway toll, then the 267 toll if you're headed east to the major job centers. However, you can ride the Loudoun County Bus into most places including DC with free parking available.

[FCNova]

Ashburn is nice. Lots of families with kids. Housing is more affordable so young families tend to flock there to get more house for their money. The biggest drawback is traffic, which is bad in this area but especially painful from way out in Ashburn if you're commuting eastward towards the city. There are toll roads which a lot of people take to maintain their sanity but that can cost you over $10 a day during peak rush hour times.

[blindside]

I work just outside landsdowne, so I hope the traffic isn't bad coming from any place within ashburn. Thanks though.

[FCNova]

You should be fine.

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by blindside

I work just outside landsdowne, so I hope the traffic isn't bad coming from any place within ashburn. Thanks though.

Hmm...depends on where you settle down in "Ashburn". Depending on time of day it can take me 20+ minutes to get from Brambleton (which is on the far southwest corner of the area with an Ashburn zip code) to Lansdowne - and that's straight up Belmont Ridge Rd.

I am a stay-at-home mom of 5-year-old twins. There are lots of stay-at-home parents (not just moms) around here, and parents with flex schedules who work at home sometimes. Your wife can meet lots of people at playgroups, the library (great storytimes and activities), parks, etc. Your neighborhood may have its own kids' activities as well. You will meet a lot of people if your kid goes to preschool, and then once your kid starts kindergarten, there will be another whole world of people to meet (at least, that's what we've found this year).

For the most part, people keep their politics and religion quieter than in other places, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. There aren't as many yard signs and bumper stickers here as in my former neighborhoods in Arlington and Falls Church. One thing that some people find surprising is that there are a lot of families here with 3+ kids, and their presence isn't necessarily tied to any particular religions.

There weren't many foreclosures in my neighborhood... more short sales. As for spending - you'll see some people with latest BMW, but I think if you took a survey, the most popular cars here are the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. People sink their money into their kids - activities, camps, sports, tutoring, etc. My neighborhood has many private Facebook groups where residents sell and give away things - the kids' clothing groups and kids' gear/toys are the most popular, and many people participate - there's no "shame" about wearing hand-me-downs from neighbors (which is great). Consignment sales and shops are big here, too.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by blindside

I work just outside landsdowne, so I hope the traffic isn't bad coming from any place within ashburn. Thanks though.

Landsdowne is right by Ashburn. It will be no problem. The main traffic problem here is Waxpool Rd.

[aythan]

Im in a similar boat but I dont want to hijack a thread.

I can tell you that imho (being a CA-SoCal transplant going on 2 weeks now) that people are real a-holish when it comes to driving. I dont know why but driving can be very competitive over here.

Other from that, Im looking in Ashburn/Leesburg/Lansdowne for good school systems and a place.