Moving to northern VA (Arlington, Alexandria: apartment complexes, lease, crime)

[JMP1]

Hi,
I am possibly moving to VA in August with my husband who is a potential Alexandria police officer. I am from NJ. I visited the area last month and fell in love with it. I did notice that Alexandria is a bit expensive and we are looking to move in an apartment. We have a 50 mile radius to live from Alexandria. I found a nice place in Occoquan, and a few places in Woodbridge. Being that my husband will be working weird hours, I am looking for a nanny job. I am now a teacher of lower elementary and have taught primary 3-6 and nannied in the summers. My husband do not have children yet. We're not looking for much, but if you can tell me anything helpful or about some cute towns that is within a reasonable driving time from Alexandria with apartments on the lower end of the rent spectrum, that would be fantastic. Thank you for your help.

[saganista]

Should work out pretty well. Your husband's weird hours will mean that he doesn't often have to commute during rush hour. Yay! You can probably expect to make $15 an hour as a nanny, maybe a little more given your teacher experience. Placement in a family home can take a while. Ads are good, and there are several placement services you can look at as well. The areas you listed are all in Prince William County where things are a little cheaper than further north, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look further north as well. Your idea, it would seem to me, is to find a place that's affordable for you, but is near to as many well-to-do (okay, rich) families with little kids as possible. Prince William may not be that place. The majority of those in the area who are in the top 10% of the income scale will live north of Alexandria, not south, so you may want to factor that in, especially since you likely will be commuting during rush hour. There are indeed affordable places in and around such upscale burgs as Falls Church and McLean, and except during rush hour, those are still an easy run to Alexandria. Just another way to look at the situation...

[claremarie]

If you were born in the US, speak fluent English, and have a college degree (and no inconvenient children of your own), then you can take your pick of nanny jobs. Saganista is right, however, that most of your potential employers will be yuppie couples living relatively close to DC. They will want you there relatively early in the morning, and might expect you to remain on the job until well past 6 pm. It takes long hours to pay for a nanny. Your days will be long, so you will want to live close to your employers. There will be lots of potential employers in Alexandria, and, if you can't find something affordable there, you could look at the Fairlington/Shirlington areas in Arlington, which is close to Alexandria. South Arlington also has some affordable housing, but be aware that this area is in transition, has a high concentration of immigrants, many of them young men living in group arrangements -- you might not be comfortable there if your husband is often away.

[yankee.peddler]

I also believe that Prince William County might be a little too far south to suit your needs. Keep in mind that the D.C. rush hour is well underway by 6:00 a.m. and does not abate in the evening until 7:30 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. I-95 and I-395 are both routinely gridlocked between Prince William County and the District. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to experience heavy congestion along I-95 during weekends, especially during the summer.

Along with saganista and claremarie, I suggest exploring housing options in South Arlington and West Alexandria. Essentially, these areas lie off I-395 between the Beltway and Crystal City. Like saganista, I believe you will have easier access to potential clients in Fairfax, Arlington, or Alexandria. Your husband will definitely have an easy commute to all parts of Alexandra.

I would also suggest touring the area and visiting some apartment complexes before you sign a lease. I lived in West Alexandria for four years. The overall area is okay, but some properties are in worse shape than others.

Regarding your desire to be close to "cute towns", Old Town Alexandria and downtown Falls Church are only about 10 to 20 minutes away from South Arlington or West Alexandria.

Good luck!

[The Dissenter]

I live in West Alexandria right now. i would suggest apts on edsall road yokaum pkwy, stevenson ave, duke st, and the mark center area. you may want to stay away from s whiting in between edsall rd and stevenson ave espcially around the 7-eleven on the street. it seems that 7-elevens attract a lot of undesirables in this area.

[ashbrn4]

Kingstowne is a great area and would probably provide plenty of opportunities to be a nanny. My son lives there and it's convenient to a lot of shopping, roads, etc.

[dzmjp]

Thank you all for the helpful advice... anyone else want to add anything, please feel free.
jmp1

[claremarie]

I would just add that some area apartment complexes give special rent breaks to police officers. The Alexandria police department should be able to give you information about any nearby housing deals. Just be aware that sometimes these apartments are located in high-crime areas, which is why the owners want police officers among their tenants.

[billroske]

JMP1;
We are also in the process of moving to the area and will be looking for a Nanny. We're the yuppy couple with twins that was alluded to above. Not sure of the protocol here, but I welcome you to contact me directly to discuss. billroske@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
Bill

[momotwo]

Hi- we're also moving to Alexandria in August and will be looking for a nanny! Two great little girls, 3 & 5, in school until 1... looking for someone 1-6 or so, some eves, maybe longer hours if you're willing to do some housework while the girls are in school.... if interested please let us know, holly3649676@gmail.com- thanks!