Relocating to Springfield, where to live?!? (Woodbridge, Franconia: apartments, rentals, condos)

[bronco79]

Hey guys,

I'm relocating next week to start a new job in Springfield, VA. I'm hoping to find a nice condo/townhouse rental (under $1700 or so) until I'm ready to buy my own place but am not sure what cities to consider living in to keep my commute times in check.

One area I have found a lot of townhouse rentals is in Woodbridge. Can anyone give me an idea of how long of a commute that is? Luckily, I have some flexibility in my working hours but will probably still get caught up in rush hour.

Any other places that would be good for commuting to a Springfield job? Thanks for your help in advance.

[ashbrn4]

Commute north from Woodbridge to Springfield can vary day to day. I-95 can be unpredictable. My son lives in Kingstowne which is a much nicer and safer community than both Springfield and Woodbridge. It's also within 5 or so miles of all of Springfield.

The reason there are a lot of rentals in Woodbridge is because overall there are a lot of rentals there. It's an older area that has a lot of homes that people hold onto either because they can't sell them or want to hold them for a few more years so they rent them out. With a lot of rentals comes a higher crime rate. I am not a Woodbridge fan having had friends leave the area after years because of the way the area was headed.

[saganista]

Concur. If you're working in Springfield, why build in a quite iffy commute to a place like Woodbridge unless that place provides you with something that you can't get closer to the job? There might be such places, but there isn't much reason to think of Woodbridge as one of them. Kingstowne and its environs are within your budget, nicer, and closer to work and transportation. I would certainly check those out...

[rubytue]

Try Lorton (22079)! I lived there for 4 years. Very nice community, lots of new stuff moving in. Plus, you can get to Springfield without touching 95. One good rule of thumb in NoVA is to avoid crossing any body of water in your commute, and never cross two. The Occoquan bridge is a big bottleneck between Springfield and Woodbridge. I think townhomes in my old community (Newington Commons) rent for $1200-1500/month.

[Yankeesfan]

I'll concur with Kingstowne (zip code 22315) or the neighboring communities of Manchester Lakes and Island Creek (zip codes 22310). Nice neighborhoods with a mix of apartments, condos, townhouses, and single-family homes, plus an easier commute to Springfield. Good luck!

[JulieinLorton]

Originally Posted by rubytue

Try Lorton (22079)! I lived there for 4 years. Very nice community, lots of new stuff moving in. Plus, you can get to Springfield without touching 95. One good rule of thumb in NoVA is to avoid crossing any body of water in your commute, and never cross two. The Occoquan bridge is a big bottleneck between Springfield and Woodbridge. I think townhomes in my old community (Newington Commons) rent for $1200-1500/month.

I've lived in Lorton for the past year. It has alot to offer with new shopping, dining, etc. Great proximity to parks such as Great Neck, Occoquan and Pohick Bay. You would have several route options to commute to Springfield, avoiding I95. You would probably be able to locate a townhome in your price range...or you could consider an apartment. I'm a property manager and have a 3/2 available in our community for $1590. Kingstowne also has alot to offer, but depending on where you're working in Springfield it could offer bottlenecks of it's own along Springfield/Franconia Pkwy or Franconia Rd.

Best of luck!