Which Towns Would You Choose? (Arlington, Alexandria: real estate, rent, mover)

[EmiSky]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Some parts? LOL.

Parts of Vienna are beautiful others quite ugly.

[EmiSky]

Originally Posted by mwj119

Newport is the best, and Newburyport has become increasingly cost prohibitive over the last few years. It wasn't that long ago that you could get a livable SFH in Newburyport for $500k, as it is far enough away from Boston. Unfortunately, those days are gone.

Would never choose Newburyport over Newport either way, unless it was within closer proximity to work.

Congrats on the move!

Thanks! It’s hard to believe that you could get a SFH in Newburyport for around $500k not so long ago.

Just be aware, when moving to VA, other than Old Town Alexandra, you won’t find charming towns like in New England. Of course there’s Williamsburg, but that’s about two hrs. away from DC. Middleburg is also very pretty but it’s very small town. Coming from Boston/New England, I think you’ll feel a little landlocked if you move too far West.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by EmiSky

Parts of Vienna are beautiful others quite ugly.

But overall Vienna is considered a very desirable place to live by many people. Just look at the home prices people are willing to fork out. The traffic along 123 is one major reason I would not live there but it is a nice town.

[EmiSky]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

But overall Vienna is considered a very desirable place to live by many people. Just look at the home prices people are willing to fork out. The traffic along 123 is one major reason I would not live there but it is a nice town.

I agree, especially regarding RT 123.

[Ffxdata]

Fairfax City. You can get way more house than in Vienna. Nice walkable historic downtown. It’s very storybook with library, city hall, etc.

[Jrc03]

The Westover area of N Arlington has a small town feel with classic, old school buildings, a five and dime, cafes, branch library, etc. Very walkable and close to metro. Plenty of older homes from red brick "colonials" to smaller cape cods. The two N Arlington high schools have very competitive ice hockey teams, and the MedStar Capitals Iceplex is located nearby (at the Ballston Metro station). It is the Capitals practice facility and used by the local youth teams. Arlington and nearby McLean have strong youth ice hockey and baseball programs.

McLean is nice, but there really is no walkable "town center." Madison HS (Vienna) and Vienna Little League are the perennial baseball powerhouses. If you like mid century modern, then Reston near Lake Anne Village would be worth considering. The neighborhood is now a historic landmark on the national register. It definitely has a 60s Scandinavian design aesthetic.

The Rosemont neighborhood in Alexandria reminds me a little of Brookline, but without the streetcars. The Del Ray business district and Old Town are close by.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Jrc03

The Westover area of N Arlington has a small town feel with classic, old school buildings, a five and dime, cafes, branch library, etc. Very walkable and close to metro. Plenty of older homes from red brick "colonials" to smaller cape cods. The two N Arlington high schools have very competitive ice hockey teams, and the MedStar Capitals Iceplex is located nearby (at the Ballston Metro station). It is the Capitals practice facility and used by the local youth teams. Arlington and nearby McLean have strong youth ice hockey and baseball programs.

McLean is nice, but there really is no walkable "town center." Madison HS (Vienna) and Vienna Little League are the perennial baseball powerhouses. If you like mid century modern, then Reston near Lake Anne Village would be worth considering. The neighborhood is now a historic landmark on the national register. It definitely has a 60s Scandinavian design aesthetic.

The Rosemont neighborhood in Alexandria reminds me a little of Brookline, but without the streetcars. The Del Ray business district and Old Town are close by.

The center of McLean is Chain Bridge Road and Old Dominion, with some additional retail off those two streets. It is not very fancy, but you can walk to a library, a Starbucks, several deli/pizza places, and some other shops and restaurants if you live in some McLean neighborhoods, including Bryn Mawr, Old Dominion Gardens, Salona Village and West McLean (the latter of which is the name of a neighborhood in the 22101 zip code that is not actually in the western part of McLean in 22102 near Great Falls). Salona is a historic site as it includes the residence to which James Madison fled the British in the War of 1812, part of which was also a Union camp (Camp Griffin) during the Civil War. The total amount of retail in that central area is at least as great as on the Washington Blvd. strip in Westover.

Other parts of McLean are more car-dependent, but that is also true for parts of Arlington and much of Vienna as well.

[macalan]

Originally Posted by mwj119

I did start the exact same thread in the Maryland forum.

I have been to Annapolis and I loved it. It's like a bigger Newburyport, which happens to be one of my favorite little coastal towns up in MA (which we considered before we moved). But, for some reason, I have romanticized about living in VA... I think it's because I've loved Alexandria so much in my travels. And, Annapolis did seem so far in my head from DC, almost like it's an entirely different area.

Thank you for the feedback.

We moved to Charleston, SC from Newburyport in 2015 and miss it SO much! We were there 21 years. I moved there from NH - drove there one day on a friend's recomendation and knew I wanted to live there. It always felt like home to me.

We were lucky in that we lived a block from town and 2 blocks from the waterfront, a 5 min drive to the beach and a 5 min drive to the train to Boston. I wish now we had rented our house instead of sold it. Unfortunately now it's appreciated so much we couldn't go back. Life lessons...

We too are looking to poossibly relocate to Northern VA as the south just isn't a good fit and we have family in Annandale.

I'd love to know what you come up with, as it seems we have very similar taste - we too love Annapolis. It IS like Newburyport in a lot of ways (except the crime). Coming from Newburyport I completely understand your desire for a "core" or downtown and walkability. That's one thing we greatly miss and high on our list of wants. IMO it just adds so much to QOL - the community feel, the convenience, the events. I loved walking out our door, smelling the ocean, walking to the pub in town for a Guinness, getting an ice cream and then walking to the waterfront to people watch. Heaven.

Please keep me posted on what towns you find! Good luck in your search.

[Abraham Walker]

If you are going to rent before you buy, secure a rental in Arlington. This will give you the best estimate of commute into work as you explore different areas.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by mwj119

...
-Rental budget should be a none issue, ultimate budget for purchase will be max $1.2
-Looking for single family, 4 bedrooms
-We prefer denser suburbs with some walkability
-We really like a town/village/city with a nice core or main street with shops, restaurants, a few local watering holes, some green space
-Preference is for older more established neighborhoods/homes if possible
-Tier 1/Tier 2 schools.. Doesn't need to be a Harvard plug, but would like the kids to go through a district where the vast majority of graduates aspire to 4-year schools
-Kids like athletics- baseball/hockey- so any inside detail about the town you recommend would be nice

...

For this reason alone, I would steer you toward Arlington and Falls Church City (not so-called Falls Church in Fairfax County) Possibly City of Fairfax. Both are very much like Bethesda but with lower taxes.