Best DC suburbs? (Annandale, Fairfax, Merrifield: subdivision, station, commute)

[Flamingo13]

Just to put this out there: I don't/won't consider Northern Va. a DC suburb - it IS DC metro area but not a suburb IMO

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Just to put this out there: I don't/won't consider Northern Va. a DC suburb - it IS DC metro area but not a suburb IMO

To me Northern Va. is made up of DC Suburbs, which, to me, is the same thing as saying it is part of the DC Metro area. It is not a single entity that can be called a suburb.

[sonnymarkjiz]

Originally Posted by dkf747

To me Northern Va. is made up of DC Suburbs, which, to me, is the same thing as saying it is part of the DC Metro area. It is not a single entity that can be called a suburb.

Yeah, even Arlington and Alexandria are still just a DC suburb.

[NC211]

Chicago. Know it well - lived in Glen Ellyn for 3 years before moving to Ashburn in late 2011 (Brambleton area). Lasted there until late 2015 and went 10 miles NW to Leesburg to escape the constant nightmare of construction. Have been happy ever since. Leesburg is kind’ve like Naperville with a little southern charm sprinkled in with the downtown area. If you want 1+ acre, it’ll have to be in the western sides of Leesburg now. And we’re in the $750-$1m+ territory now and increasing. I work in Tysons, commute is not horrible if you can time it on the edges of rush hour - 40 minutes door to door, with a couple of route options that are either free or $10ish. I leave the house at 9:00 and in the office around 9:45. Come home around 6:00 home around 6:50ish. There are ways, and a few tricks to get around the mess as much as possible. Free going in, usually $5-10 coming home.

[ssa78]

I don’t think Gainesville or Haymarket compare well to Naperville - not when the town of Naperville is so much nicer than most towns in this area.

The most comparable in terms of living experience may be Vienna or Fairfax City. But be prepared to spend a lot more there.

But if you just want to get away from the brutal winters, and are willing to trade your current experience for a more rural, closer to the mountains and vineyards experience, then try Purcelville or Aldie.

[Hal Roach]

Great Falls.. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-23265?view=qv

Clifton, too. In both cases, at 700k you would be near the lower end of the zip. Great Falls would likely be in the Langley HS zone. Gainesville is simply a bedroom community, where many seriously avoid leaving the house during rush hour.. Stucco the cheap vinyl siding and you would think you were in Phoenix sprawl. Chantilly has some bigger lots, and is as close as I would want to get to IAD.

[newplace2019]

Fairfax Station 100%. I feel like we get overlooked a lot in discussions like this because there aren't as many people here. We have neighborhood bonfires all the time and are central to lots of places. People who have lived in the area a long time understand what a value it is. Great schools and some of the roads might look further out on the map if you don't know what you are looking at because we have country roads with no traffic and no lights and it's a quick, easy, and very pretty drive. People here love it.

[NOVA_guy]

Originally Posted by finalmove

Next trip take a look at Gainesville. The place has been non-stop for years. However commutes can be Hell if you are thinking of working in DC or Tysons.
Nothing is cheap anymore.

To be honest, in terms of generic and bland suburbs in NoVa, I find Gainesville to be ground zero -- random patch of land, next to generic stripmall with Nails & Spa, next to another rural patch of land, insert random 2 lane road and then insert random subdivision, rinse and repeat.

When people talk about how there's no character in NoVa suburbs and how bland, uninspired, etc they are, I find it to be a bit dramatic but I do have to say Gainesville fits the bill.

Originally Posted by newplace2019

Fairfax Station 100%. I feel like we get overlooked a lot in discussions like this because there aren't as many people here. We have neighborhood bonfires all the time and are central to lots of places. People who have lived in the area a long time understand what a value it is. Great schools and some of the roads might look further out on the map if you don't know what you are looking at because we have country roads with no traffic and no lights and it's a quick, easy, and very pretty drive. People here love it.

True. And the thing is it's in such a good location, it's pretty central to everything in NoVa especially for people who are into having lots of land, etc. Fairfax Station is a good choice.

[Annandale_Man]

If you aren't looking INSIDE the beltway, you aren't looking at DC suburbs. Anything OUTSIDE the beltway is a "bedroom community".

[sonnymarkjiz]

Originally Posted by Annandale_Man

If you aren't looking INSIDE the beltway, you aren't looking at DC suburbs. Anything OUTSIDE the beltway is a "bedroom community".

Yeaah. This is simply not true, sorry.