McLean Hills Condos or Arlington? (to rent, crime, how much)

[dave1906]

I recently toured a condo to rent in a community known as McLean Hills with a few friends. From everything we saw including the price we were very impressed. However, after shopping around for other comparable places we found that everything else was significantly higher. This has made me somewhat paranoid, asking myself "why is this place so reasonably priced, something has to be too good to be true." Does anyone have any experience with McLean Hills Condo's? Also about how long do you think it would take me to metro into DC during peak hours if i needed to go to federal center SW from the Tysons stop? or U ST/Dupont Circle on a friday evening?

My other option is living alone in Arlington off of columbia pike, which i'm sure would be a little better for personal reasons. However, my monthly housing costs would literally double compared to what i would have to pay to stay w/ roommates in McLean.

[gomason]

Well it looks to be pretty old which is a big part of it. It's also not a very transit/pedestrian friendly area either so if you're comparing it to Arlington or DC, that's going to be a major reason why it's so much cheaper. It's like a 20 minute walk to the McLean station or a 15 minute bus ride. It would take you an easy 40-45 minutes to get to Federal Center SW/Dupont Circle/U Street using public transportation but only about 30 if you went to Clarendon instead.

The McLean Metro Station is the only Silver Line station in the Tysons area that has available commuter parking on the brightside though. Just comes down to how much do you value a walkable urban neighborhood weighed against a cheaper neighborhood?

[austindoxie1972]

This is definitely an older complex. Have you been over there at night or at a time when residents are home, and you can have a better feel for the neighborhood? It's more of a working class area -- and there is nothing wrong with that. But something to consider if you prefer being around 20-something professionals.

[dave1906]

Originally Posted by austindoxie1972

This is definitely an older complex. Have you been over there at night or at a time when residents are home, and you can have a better feel for the neighborhood? It's more of a working class area -- and there is nothing wrong with that. But something to consider if you prefer being around 20-something professionals.

I haven't been around at night, but the crime reports seem decent. I don't mind working class folks as long as the area is pretty safe. With the money i'm saving (800 here vs 1600 alone) i can definetly afford to take a few trips into DC when i need some action! My biggest concerns are crime and rodents/roaches. Definitely trying to avoid those all together!