Anyone live in Lionsgate in Herndon? (Reston: extended stay, real estate, apartment) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

Uhaul Is My Friend · 06-05-2009, 09:41 AM

Well, we have all but given up on finding a SFH. By the time I call the listing agent, they are already under contract.

My fiancee is ready to fill out an application for a townhome style apt in Lionsgate but we are doing this site unseen. Any advice would be great.

This site has been a great way to learn about the area and I have greatly appreciated each and every one of you who took the time to comment on my other threads.

snuffy1968 · 06-05-2009, 10:03 AM

Not sure about Lionsgate but are renting or buying....I am assuming renting, not sure I would buy sight unseen.

JfromReston · 06-05-2009, 10:52 AM

I don't recommend renting from afar. The one time in my life I did it, it turned out to be a big mistake that I ended up living with for nearly a year. I highly recommend getting to town before you commit to an apartment. There are some things that you just can't get the feel for on the net. It is great for doing your upfront leg work but you really need to see a place and also do a test run of both the morning and evening commute. The extra money you spend for a week or so in a long-term hotel (Residence Inn Herndon Reston: Spacious suites and amenities for longer stays) will be well spent.

normie · 06-05-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JfromReston

I don't recommend renting from afar. The one time in my life I did it, it turned out to be a big mistake that I ended up living with for nearly a year. I highly recommend getting to town before you commit to an apartment. There are some things that you just can't get the feel for on the net. It is great for doing your upfront leg work but you really need to see a place and also do a test run of both the morning and evening commute. The extra money you spend for a week or so in a long-term hotel (Residence Inn Herndon Reston: Spacious suites and amenities for longer stays) will be well spent.

I totally agree, and right now you can probably find a good rate at a local hotel. It may bit a challenge to find one that accommodates your pet. I stayed at that Residence Inn when we moved here, and back then they allowed pets, so I'd start there.

Uhaul Is My Friend · 06-05-2009, 01:28 PM

Thanks again for all the great advice. I think it would be best to come to the area first. The problem is, my other half wants to drive to a new place, unload the Uhaul and get ready to start his new job. He does not want the hassle of dealing with the rental truck and/or a storage unit and the cost of a hotel on top of the upfront expenses involved in renting. I know....we can't have it all. That is why I am doing as much research as I can, hoping and praying some good comes of this.

I have had people suggest I get a real estate agent. It seems they get very little commission on rentals, especially in our price range and I have had a very hard time getting most to call me back. The ones I have been able to speak with say they will call back but none have yet to do so. I understand it is not much money for the work they will have to do, so I may try a property management group next. He just figured getting an apartment on a short term lease may be the best way to go and I was hoping someone living at Lionsgate could give me some inside info...(seeing that he has already talked to them and is ready to put down the money to hold an apartment)

jfields · 06-05-2009, 01:51 PM

I can't think of where Lionsgate is and I know the Reston/Herndon area very well. I agree with the guy who said you should stay in a hotel. There is an Extended Stay hotel in Herndon: 1021 Elden St, Herndon(703) 481-5363. There is also a Homestead Studio Suites hotel in Reston: 12190 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, VA‎ - (703) 707-9700‎
YOu may want to stay at one of these places. This way you can check out the area a little before renting and your husband will see how bad the commute to Bethesda really is and may change his mind about Reston/Herndon.

SteelCityRising · 06-05-2009, 02:31 PM

As I told you in the other thread I checked out Lionsgate in Herndon when I was down here and didn't find anything to be terribly off-putting about it. At the time we came down for our weekend of apartment-hunting they had no 1-BR units available for my projected late-May move-in timeframe. The complex had a pool, a nice leasing office, and, if I remember correctly, a nice fitness center. I personally thought the rents were a tad too "high" in relation to the square footage and the location. Herndon isn't as nice as Reston, in my opinion, and yet I'm paying less per month for more square footage here than I would have paid in Lionsgate. I'm also in a more convenient location, within walking distance to many amenities. That is what turned me off about Lionsgate in the end. It's in a really bizarre area in an area where you have a sea of vinyl siding and glass office buildings for what seems like a full square mile all around you (I passed on nearby Archstone Dulles for this very same reason). If you like to have your vehicle attached to your hip at all times, then it's most definitely worth a shot, and I didn't see anything besides the location and uncompetitive pricing to be a drawback. For someone like me who wanted to live near the "action" a bit more I was depressed that you'd have to drive to just about every need---the walk to the Clocktower Shopping Center, and to a lesser extent Worldsgate, would have been doable, but it would have been very depressing walking along wide, flat, windy roads with people meandering around aimlessly and getting hopelessly lost (as we nearly did in this area).

Uhaul Is My Friend · 06-05-2009, 03:34 PM

Thanks again...trying to see if he will go for the hotel idea but if not, it is good to know as much as I can since I am already nervous enough as is. Worst case, we would only be in that complex 6months on a short term lease. Personally, I think he is WAY underestimating his ability to handle the commute so we shall see.

JfromReston · 06-05-2009, 03:59 PM

Have you read all the reviews at this site?

lionsgate herndon - Google Maps

JfromReston · 06-05-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhaul Is My Friend

I think he is WAY underestimating his ability to handle the commute so we shall see.

All the more reason for thetwo of you to live in a hotel for a few days/weeks so that he can really understand what the commute will be. Also note that if you show up here in the next month or two he will be commuting during the easy time of the year when school is out and lots of people are taking vacations.