Job in D.C. (Pentagon) Where to live? (Arlington, Alexandria: to rent, condos)

[truofrehryan]

I will be starting a job at the Pentagon within the next two months and have been doing extensive research regarding houses, communities, commuting and everyother detail I good possibly think of.

I am looking for a great place to live that is within a commutable distance to D.C. every morning. I don't mind travelling via VRE or other public transportation methods. So far my research has led me to either Lake Ridge area of Woodbridge or Manassas/Centreville/Gainsville. Are there nice places to live and would the commute be realistic?

Anyone who has any insight on these cities and communities within, or even cities that are nice to live and affordable I would be more than greatful. Other things to note, I have a wife and three year old daughter so good schools need to be a factor. I am looking for a condo/townhome in the $150,000 to $225,000 price range. Thanks in advance.

Ryan

[ChristineVA]

Based on your price range, the areas you are looking in are probably your best match. I live in Woodbridge and work in DC. I go to work VERY early (6:00 a.m) and carpool with one other person. Traffic is great that time of the day. After that, it gets dicey very quickly. The good thing about Woodbridge/Lakeridge is that public transporation options are plentiful. The PRTC bus offers great, direct service to the Pentagon, the "slug" lines are a wonderful, free option for a Pentagon destination. The VRE puts you out of traffic but it has it's drawbacks in that it would be your most time-consuming and expensive option. You will have to drive/park at the VRE station, take the VRE to Crystal City, walk to the Crystal City metro and then metro over to the Pentagon.

As for schools, Prince William trails Fairfax and Loudon County for area schools. Western Prince William County (Gainesville area) has better schools but will give you a much worse commute into DC. Not sure about prices/availability of condos/townhomes in that area that match your requirements. Eastern PWC (LakeRidge/Woodbridge) have very good elementary schools so you'd be "safe" for a long while. It's the middle and high school levels that get funny there. But by the time you need them, things change so rapidly in this area you just never know.

One area I encourage you to look at if you are serious about the Woodbridge area is the Montclair community which is actually in Dumfries but for all intents and purposes seems to be in Woodbridge. They have a great community there, very affordable housing off all types, and the elementary schools are excellent. They also seem to be one of the neighborhoods where you see the kids out playing all the time and people interacting a lot. I think it's a great place for a family. There is also bus service to the Pentagon right in the neighborhood so you would not have to drive to a commuter lot if you didn't want to. Granted, the bus that picks you up within Montclair probably finds its way to a commuter lot before getting on the interstate, but it'd be nice not to have to drive to a commuter lot.

[truofrehryan]

Thanks ChristineVA for the quick response. I haven't looked in Montclair (Dumfries) or anything really south of Woodbridge as I figured the commute would be unrealistic. I will look into that area as well. How long of a commute would you say it would be from Montclair and Lakeridge given all the options you mentioned (VRE, Bus, Driving, or SLUG)?

I was also told to stay away from housing on the East side of the I95 near highway 1? Is this still true as the sources who have told me this haven't been in the NOVA area in over 6 years.

[mideast]

[SIZE=3]Manassas Park is where the VRE is. I myself had driven to the Pentagon on a few occasions. You have to leave early. I mean you have to be out of the house by 4:30 – 4:45 am or you will hit miserable traffic. Once you get to 495 you have to get off and head south to 395 south and that takes you right to the pentagon. Distance about 40 miles. You have early starts so that should be no problem. Manasass Park is the only location the VRE stops as far as I know. I am sure there are others down the line. Or you can take 66 east as before and stop at Vienna and take the Metro from there. Again you have to get there early to get parking. From what I hear the school system is no better or worse than the surrounding area.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Hope this helps.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]al[/SIZE]

[ACWhite]

You said: "...that is within a commutable distance to D.C."

I don't want to state the obvious, but sometimes people outside the region don't realize that the Pentagon is not in DC; it's across the river in Arlington. This can affect one's decision about communities within a reasonable commute. Welcome to the area!

[ChristineVA]

Thanks ChristineVA for the quick response. I haven't looked in Montclair (Dumfries) or anything really south of Woodbridge as I figured the commute would be unrealistic. I will look into that area as well. How long of a commute would you say it would be from Montclair and Lakeridge given all the options you mentioned (VRE, Bus, Driving, or SLUG)?

First, it all depends on what time you leave, whether you are driving alone or are using public transportation.

I leave my house at 5:15 a.m. and I drive in with another person. At that time, there are no HOV restrictions. Traffic is just light. From Montclair, it is going to be about 25 miles to the Pentagon. From Lakeridge, depending on what neighborhood you are in, maybe 22 miles. However, the drive down Old Bridge Road which services most of LakeRidge is full of lights that sometimes doesn't flow well. If you live in regular Woodbridge you are about the same distances as from Lake Ridge.

If you wanted to be at your desk at 6:00 a.m., I would leave by 5:15. If you need to be in by 6:30, I would leave by 5:35, etc. The later your are, the more you need to lengthen the travel time. The bus will probably take you about 45 minutes since they make use of the HOV lanes. Slug lines will be your fastest bet if you are traveling during peak hours. You could conceivably get up to the Pentagon in 30 minutes from the commuter lot. The VRE/Metro combination may take you an hour no matter what time.

I was also told to stay away from housing on the East side of the I95 near highway 1? Is this still true as the sources who have told me this haven't been in the NOVA area in over 6 years.

Yeah, that's pretty much still the case. These areas are very old, very affordable, and not the greatest. That part of Woodbridge has the highest petty crime, the biggest chance for you to run into multiple families living in one home, that type of thing. The exception to this is Belmont Bay which is right across the river on Rt. 1. Nice neighborhood, you can walk to the VRE, hop on 95 very quickly, but it's not cheap. Also, if you wanted to slug or take the bus you would probably have to back track to a commuter lot from there.

[truofrehryan]

Oh ok, the commute doesn't sound too bad. I am from Orange County, CA and was commuting on average an hour to get into work and an hour and a half to two hours on the way home. I personally enjoy it as it gives me some alone time which I don't neccessarily have at work or at home. All the transportation options sound great as well.

Thanks again for all the help it is appreciated. I can't wait to get out to NOVA, its going to be a wonderful experience for my family and I .

Ryan

[NYmama2dallas]

My advice is to rent something small (you only need 2 bedrooms with one child) but nice in Shirlington, Fairlington, Burke or Alexandria for a year or so while you scout out different neighborhoods and test your desire for loooong commutes. You don't want to rush into anything and you don't really need to be settled until your daughter is starting kindergarten.

As far as buying, I have seen smaller, older townhouses in Burke in that price range. I don't really see the point in commuting 1 hour plus each way if you don't absolutely positively have to. That is two hours a day away from your family and life. Its really no way to live.

[terrence81]

I was going to recommend Burke as well. If you can up your price to $250K you can definitely find a small but decent townhouse in Burke which also has a VRE station. I think Burke is a great place for families and its a little closer-in than Woodbridge. But Woodbridge will definitely give you more for the money.