Thoughts on King Street Metro area? (Alexandria, Fairfax: house, transfer to, neighborhood)

[courtlet]

Hi all,
I am looking at a place that is just above the Masonic Temple in Old Town Alexandria. Is this a decent area? Safe? What would the commute be like to DC? To Fairfax? To Foggy Bottom or AU?

Any thoughts, comments, concerns would be greatly appreciated!

[Yankeesfan]

The Blue Line goes to Foggy Bottom and other parts of DC, so although I don't know anything about the specific neighborhood, it's a good location if you plan to commute on Metro:

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm (broken link)

[Adrian71]

I work near there, and I have a co-worker who lives in a complex just behind the memorial. Yes, the area is quite safe. You can drive Duke Street (Route 236) all the way into Fairfax (a 20- to 30-minute drive, depending on traffic), and being near the King Street Metro, you'd have an easy (if crowded) commute to DC. The Blue Line at King Street will take you to Foggy Bottom in 15 minutes or so. You get off right at the GWU campus, and you're within walking distance of the Watergate. Getting to AU would require a transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line, maybe a 20- to 25-minute trip.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by courtlet

Hi all,
I am looking at a place that is just above the Masonic Temple in Old Town Alexandria. Is this a decent area? Safe? What would the commute be like to DC? To Fairfax? To Foggy Bottom or AU?

Any thoughts, comments, concerns would be greatly appreciated!

Very safe. Nice area. I personally wouldn't want to commute to AU from there, but to everywhere else, it's pretty convenient.

The commute on the train to AU would be walking to the station, 35-45 minutes on the train (including the transfer to Red Line), plus bus or walking after you get out at Tenleytown. Depending on how the train and bus schedules sync up, you could be looking at about an hour each way. If you drove, it's a nasty trip up to AU in rush hour.

Foggy Bottom is much easier because it's on the Blue Line and doesn't require a bus or long walk. Fairfax is a relatively short drive as long as it isn't rush hour.

[mlv311]

Originally Posted by pcity

The commute on the train to AU would be walking to the station, 35-45 minutes on the train (including the transfer to Red Line), plus bus or walking after you get out at Tenleytown. Depending on how the train and bus schedules sync up, you could be looking at about an hour each way. If you drove, it's a nasty trip up to AU in rush hour.

I agree with Pcity that the commute to AU will be the longest, especially during rush hour. The campus is a good 15 minute walk to Tenleytown. AU provides a shuttle, but many people choose to walk instead of waiting for it. The N buses (N2, N4, N6) take you directly to the front of the campus; you can catch them to/from Farragut West or Dupont Circle.

[eneida77]

That area is fantastic! Plenty of restaurants right on King Street, and the metro ride to Foggy Bottom is about as easy as it can get. There are plenty of buses in that area as well, so if you don't want to drive too much, you don't have to. Everyone is right, though, about commuting up to AU. Especially during rush hour, transferring at Metro Center is very hectic. But, the area is pretty safe and quite pretty. There's a Whole Foods walking distance away if that's your thing. If you drive up Duke Street, you can find a Safeway, a Harris Teeter's, and all kinds of services. You'd be all set, really.

[New Hampshire]

Which housing complex are you considering?

[courtlet]

I am looking at a house in the area.

It sounds like it will be a good location for me. Thanks for all of your advice!