Moving from Dubai to N. Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria: real estate, rent, townhouse)

[kutra11]

Originally Posted by sana.baig

Thank you for your frankness. Seriously? I had to google who prince bandar was. Where do u live? I'll definitely live far away from you 'folks'.
I asked for advise based on good schools and neighborhood (schooling district). I didn't know I had to be a certain kind of ethnicity or race to live in Virginia.

That hostility was completely uncalled for! Read and comprehend before hitting the keys... ...

[PK12]

Well, to be fair to the OP, she (whose user name actually sounds Pakistani/Indian rather than Arab/Middle Eastern, and NO, Pakistan is NOT the Middle East or Arab) did not state ethnic/racial/national preferences in her questions about the area.

While I am pretty certain that Carlingtonian did not mean any ill with his post, the post could still fairly easily be interpreted as being sarcastic

[sana.baig]

Thank you so much for the amazing advice y'all. Its really hard leaving Dubai! We have diverse cultures and amazing people here, 80% of the population is expats from all over the world. I've neighbors from the US to France to Zimbabwe, we all are one family. Please come and visit sometime, I would love to give you a tour. Thanks again!
Sana

[PK12]

OP,

You will actually find DC and Northern VA more diverse than Dubai - internationally as well as culturally.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

You completely misinterpreted. A lot of people who ask on this forum for recommendations on where to live and who mention being from X other country or of X ethnic background are looking to be near some other people of that background, so they don't feel like the only ones--which is completely understandable.

Don't believe me? Here you go:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...cans-nova.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ians-nova.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ls-church.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...burn-farm.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...elocating.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ington-va.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...me-jewish.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ly-moving.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...an-family.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...asian-mix.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...tion-nova.html

You're moving from Dubai, and your user name appears to be something vaguely Middle Eastern, so I did address the possibility that you might be Middle Eastern and that you might find it useful to know where you would not be the only such family. (If I were moving to Dubai, you can bet I'd want to know where the other Americans live.)

I also addressed where you should consider living if that's not a concern for you.

You're welcome.

It strikes me that you may have seen OP's post as an opportunity for an Arlington resident to perpetuate some stereotypes about communities in Fairfax, the next-door county. Asking to be thanked when OP neither identified herself as Arab nor asked for advice about areas in NoVa where Arabs are concentrated seems a bit much. Although McLean may be a good option for OP, specifically highlighting McLean because Prince Bandar owned property there would be analogous to suggesting Arlington to someone moving from Texans because Marvin Bush bought an expensive condo in Turnberry Towers in Rosslyn. I mean, it's an interesting factoid, but my impression is that people in those circles drop $3500-4000 on a slow night out with friends, not their monthly rent or mortgage payment.

So I understand why OP was a bit nonplussed with the initial feedback. It would be different had she specifically asked for information on areas with a higher concentration of Arab residents, but she wasn't asking to be steered based on ethnicity (like some of the other posters who started threads that you've cited).

It seems to me the key points for the OP to understand are that $3500-4000/month will give her plenty of rental options in good school districts and that Arlington and Fairfax Counties both have good schools (although some are more highly rated than others) and are likely to be the most convenient if her spouse will be working in Crystal City. Crystal City is served by Metro, so that opens up commuting options besides driving.

[ACWhite]

OP, welcome to NoVA.

There are several very nice neighborhoods very near Crystal City. However the schools may or may not meet your expectations (information is available in other threads and at other sites). Many of the people living close to CC do not have school age children in the household or do but send them to private schools.

If you can give us more info about what you'd like in a house or neighborhood, people can offer more helpful suggestions.

The traffic is so bad here that most people try to live near their work.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It seems to me that you may have seen OP's post as an opportunity for an Arlington resident to perpetuate some stereotypes about Fairfax, the next-door county.

I did not apply a stereotype; it's well known that of the people who have moved to the DC area from the Middle East and who are affluent, a significant proportion live in Northeastern FFX County. I did not say "All the rich people from the ME live in McLean," nor "All the people in McLean are wealthy Middle Easterners." I know you to be an acute critical thinker, so I'm sure you see the difference.

It's also well-known and easily observed that the lower income members of that group do live in the areas I mentioned (Baileys/FC); I see them all the time. I see women in hijab/niqab and men in shalwar kafez walking along Columbia Pike/Route 7. The tailor I use (in Baileys) is in a shop that sells such clothing and where I am among the only non-Arabs.

Originally Posted by JEB77

Asking to be thanked when OP neither identified herself as Arab nor specifically asked for advice about areas in NoVa where Arabs are concentrated seems a bit much.

Then why mention they're coming from Dubai? Why mention that at all if we're not supposed to offer advice that might incorporate that information?

Originally Posted by JEB77

So I understand why she was a bit non-plussed with the initial feedback. It would be different had she specifically asked for information on areas with a higher concentration of Arab residents, but she wasn't asking to be steered based on ethnicity.

Do you realize how accusatory that sounds? I didn't and would not "steer" anyone; I said IF they're looking to be near some other people of the same background (rather than the only ones for miles--as the many such posts on this forum show is a common preference), those are the best places to look. HOWEVER, I noted that if this is not important to the OP, they could look in other places as well.

Originally Posted by JEB77

Although McLean may be a good option for OP, specifically highlighting McLean because Prince Bandar had a house there would be analogous to suggesting Arlington to someone moving from Texans because Marvin Bush bought in Turnberry Towers in Rosslyn.

No, because Dubai is a foreign country and a very wealthy one--and so most people moving here from there are diplomats, entrepreneurs, professors, or other affluent occupations. There isn't much of a middle class there. And the lower-income workers are basically trafficked there, so I don't see them getting visas to work in the US.

And obviously, moving from a region of the same country does not lead many people to seek out people from the same state/region--unlike those moving from a foreign country, who do often seek that. I've lived in a foreign country, and I can relate to that. Other immigrants/expats nearby can be a great source of help, information, friendship, and relief from the stress of daily functioning in an unfamiliar culture. If the OP doesn't care about that, fine by me. But they would be an anomaly.

Originally Posted by JEB77

It seems to me the more salient points for the OP to understand are that $3500-4000/month will give her plenty of rental options in good school districts, and that from a commuting perspective Arlington and Fairfax Counties both have good schools (although some are more highly rated than others) and are likely to be the most convenient if her spouse will be working in Crystal City. Crystal City is served by Metro, so that opens up additional commuting options besides driving.

The schools around Crystal City are not regarded to be among the best, and she indicated this was among her paramount criteria.

[JD984]

Carlingtonian - I'm not going to respond to your last round of comments point by point; we'll get into a tit-for-tat (not good between C-D amigos) and it will hijack the thread for the OP. Suffice it to say that pointing out that one is moving to NoVa from Dubai could signal nothing more than that OP will be making a long-distance move where it's not going to be easy to scout out potential NoVa neighborhoods and schools in advance with the same ease that might the case if one were moving, say, from Baltimore or Richmond.

The fact that the OP used the phrase "North Virginia," as opposed to the term actually used by locals who live here ("Northern Virginia"), suggests that she doesn't know much about the region yet and was looking for some general, preliminary suggestions to get started. I do wonder whether hearing about where a super-wealthy Saudi prince once owned property in the area really moved the ball forward very much.

[Middlin]

Makes me wonder if the OP had a handle such as Munoz and said they could afford $900 mo. and was coming from Panama. Would we get suggestions that the poster look in Manassas?

[FindingZen]

I agree with the sentiment that with your budget, you could live right in Arlington County, which includes the Crystal City neighborhood. Traffic can be intense here, to say the least, so your husband's ability to use the Metrorail, for which there is a Crystal City stop, would be beneficial.

Others can clarify for me, but the consensus on this forum seems to be that schools in South Arlington are not quite as well-regarded as those in North Arlington. It's all one school district so the difference isn't allocated resources but the average economics of people in various communities. I would not say that South Arlington is an undesirable area but, like most everywhere, there are pockets where lower-wage workers live.

I might suggest looking at some of the neighborhoods in what is colloquially known as "Orange Line Arlington" named after the Metrorail stops that run through them, particularly, Virginia Square, Clarendon and Court House. (This map will help you gain perspective on where Crystal City is - look at the Blue Line - compared to other stops.) Others can confirm what might be available in your preferred budget.

Alternately, consider Falls Church, just west of Arlington. It is an independent city with its own well-regarded school district. (Take care that you are actually looking at city properties and not in the unincorporated portion in Fairfax County. Not that the county section is "bad" per se, just slightly less convenient for your purposes.) Options within your budget will increase in exchange for perhaps a 10-15 minute longer ride for your husband. Still, there are many people would enjoy such a short commute by local standards.

I understand that Dubai is populated primarily by expatriates. With that in mind, you should feel at home with the international flavor of Northern Virginia and much of the DC area, for that matter; I often liken it to the "United Nations." Good luck and welcome!