If you left Fairfax County, did you regret it? (Arlington: house, neighborhood)

[mrsp1030]

We moved here from out of state a few years ago and are considering a move from Fairfax County to Haymarket or Gainesville....I work from home and my husband commutes a few times a week to Tysons area. We have 3 young boys and just want out away from the hustle and bustle at the end of the day/weekends. My question is...if you moved away from Fairfax, did you regret it and wished you would have stayed closer or do you love it?

[gomason]

I wouldn't get your hopes up about "getting away from the hustle and bustle." Roads in Gainesville/Haymarket on routes 15, 28, 29, 234, Linton Hall Road, and Sudley Manor Road are all very congested. In fact, I would say the roads near my house in Western PWC were busier than the roads near my home in FFX County or my current home in Arlington.

You need to get out to like Fauquier County to get away from the congestion.

I hated every minute of Western Prince William County personally but if you're a homebody then you might not care. I like to be near good nightlife and have transit/biking/walking options. Working from home makes it a lot easier for you though.

[NOVA_guy]

Originally Posted by gomason

I wouldn't get your hopes up about "getting away from the hustle and bustle." Roads in Gainesville/Haymarket on routes 15, 28, 29, 234, Linton Hall Road, and Sudley Manor Road are all very congested. In fact, I would say the roads near my house in Western PWC were busier than the roads near my home in FFX County or my current home in Arlington.

You need to get out to like Fauquier County to get away from the congestion.

I hated every minute of Western Prince William County personally but if you're a homebody then you might not care. I like to be near good nightlife and have transit/biking/walking options. Working from home makes it a lot easier for you though.

Yep, agreed.

Not to sound pessimistic but there really is no escaping the rat race/hustle and bustle of NoVA while also having a decent commute. You would have to go out somewhere like Fauquier to escape it and even then it's kind of trading one headache for the other because while you're not necessarily dealing with the hustle and bustle anymore, your commute is awful.

One good thing that I found about Gainesville/Haymarket though is it's a bit more relaxed than Eastern PWC and Fairfax County so that's definitely an advantage to it that is hard to find in other parts of NoVA.

[ffx rez]

I would without a doubt regret that move, but there are lots of stay at home moms with commuting husbands and a bunch of kids on this board that love the area

[Candicem]

I do not regret it even 1 little bit. We are from CA and moved to Chantilly (Fairfax side) 4 years ago. We were there for 3 years and I hated it. WAY too crowded for us. We then moved to Leesburg and even though I really love it there it was still too expensive and crowded. We recently moved to Harpers Ferry WV and LOVE it! We have amazing views of the mountains and it's just so peaceful and quiet. My work commute is only 20 minutes and my husbands is about 60 minutes but he works odd hours so doesn't deal with traffic. I would never ever move back to Fairfax. I get anxious when we have to drive out there for any reason. Too much traffic and people and it's just too busy.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by NOVA_guy

Yep, agreed.

Not to sound pessimistic but there really is no escaping the rat race/hustle and bustle of NoVA while also having a decent commute. You would have to go out somewhere like Fauquier to escape it and even then it's kind of trading one headache for the other because while you're not necessarily dealing with the hustle and bustle anymore, your commute is awful.

One good thing that I found about Gainesville/Haymarket though is it's a bit more relaxed than Eastern PWC and Fairfax County so that's definitely an advantage to it that is hard to find in other parts of NoVA.

I think it's possible. Right now it's perfect for us. We live in West Springfield area. So seldom do we have to deal with traffic that we almost forget it's out there. My total daily commute is less than 3 miles. My wife's workplace is even closer. Our neighborhood is quiet and friendly. Even outside of the traffic issue neither of us ever feel like we are in a rat race, but we both have pretty calm demeanor.

[Ben 'n Jen]

PWC is not what it was even 5 yrs ago. We moved to Bristow in 2010 and are already looking up along HWY 15 into Loudon county to get away from the congestion. Fauquier was an option, but it's beginning to see mega-developments as well so it's days as a rural community are numbered.

[lee_in_beechtree]

Originally Posted by mrsp1030

My question is...if you moved away from Fairfax, did you regret it and wished you would have stayed closer or do you love it?

Nope, we moved out of Fairfax (i.e. Oakton) and never looked back. We will never miss: (1) the constant bumper-to-bumper traffic, whether on I-66 or the feeder roads, (2) the lines at Costco any time of day, and (3) the speed traps manned by Fairfax County cops with chips on their shoulders.

I could go on but that's enough for now.

We love the semi-rural life here in Upper Marlboro, MD, but we know it's not for everyone.

[JT-3]

Not one bit.

[Fallout Zone]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

I think it's possible. Right now it's perfect for us. We live in West Springfield area. So seldom do we have to deal with traffic that we almost forget it's out there. My total daily commute is less than 3 miles. My wife's workplace is even closer. Our neighborhood is quiet and friendly. Even outside of the traffic issue neither of us ever feel like we are in a rat race, but we both have pretty calm demeanor.

Yeah, I don't really get the complaints about "hustle and bustle" unless you are really stuck having to go somewhere on one of the main thoroughfares. I am inside the Beltway and consider my neighborhood to be pleasantly suburban with amenities very nearby when we need them. Grocery/department/home stores within minutes where the only traffic slowdowns are if we decide to go into Tysons mid-day on the weekend. I suppose it could be different if you have to shuttle multiple kids around to different activities, but I don't see how that is going to be any different in rural areas where you actually have to travel further.