Young Single Female Relocating to NoVA. Reston? Arlington?

[Fallout Zone]

Interesting question about cars. I feel like the DC area does not have nearly the car culture of most areas around the country and certainly not that of CA. There are far fewer "flashy" cars than you would expect in an area with an ok climate and lots of money. I think the commutes are bad enough that people value luxury sedans over quick/sporty cars. And convertibles are rarely seen. Nobody wants to sit on a congested road with the top down.

On housing, I don't have much to add. People tend to make friends out here via roommates and work colleagues. That may end up being more important than location.

[HomesRAH]

Originally Posted by Riley09swb

I moved to the NoVa area when I was 21. I lived in the Sterling area for all the years I lived in NoVa. If your job is in Sterling you could live in Herndon, Reston, Sterling, Ashburn or Cascades area. I had no problem making friends in the Sterling area and finding places to hang out.

I agree with Riley--I've lived and worked all around this region for the past 45 years or so. If your job is in Sterling, never in a millennial would I recommend you living in Arlington. Knowing the housing costs because of my profession, you should have little trouble, hopefully, finding a roommate situation within your price preference, and within the areas Riley wrote about. Check the usual suspects: Craigslist, hotpads.com, rentals.com, mrishomes.com (linked to the mid-Atlantic multiple listing service), etc. And feel free to pm me on here, if you still need help. Good luck, and congrats on the new job!

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by Fallout Zone

Interesting question about cars. I feel like the DC area does not have nearly the car culture of most areas around the country and certainly not that of CA. There are far fewer "flashy" cars than you would expect in an area with an ok climate and lots of money. I think the commutes are bad enough that people value luxury sedans over quick/sporty cars. And convertibles are rarely seen. Nobody wants to sit on a congested road with the top down.

On housing, I don't have much to add. People tend to make friends out here via roommates and work colleagues. That may end up being more important than location.

Totally agree. I'm from Texas and there are not near as many suvs and pickup trucks. Sedans seem to dominate although there are quite a few maserati dealers around.

[PK12]

There are plenty of mid-range flashy/luxury cars though. Audis, BMWs, Mercedes etc are seen everywhere.

[bluef250]

Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker

Totally agree. I'm from Texas and there are not near as many suvs and pickup trucks. Sedans seem to dominate although there are quite a few maserati dealers around.

I know TX likes their heavy duty trucks, just like CA. Everyone and their grandma has a 3/4 ton pickup truck there. But here, it's harder to find places to park 'em. And like I said before, the taxes are absurd.

[FCNova]

A lot of minivans around here too. I don't think I quite noticed how many until we bought one ourselves

[gomason]

1. You can afford to get your own apartment in Arlington even on a budget of $1,500. You just can't afford a new luxury building. Try this website: www.arlingtonurbanrentals.com.

2. Traffic between Arlington and Sterling is very manageable for Northern Virginia (and California) standards, if you're willing to pay the toll. It can get bad in the afternoons on 66 in Arlington, but there are alternate routes like Broad Street through Falls Church and Route 50.

[Guytheman]

How are things going? What's the update?