Leesburg Questions (Arlington, Reston, Herndon: appointed, apartment, rent)

[pilotguy]

Hi everybody,

Some quick background on me, I've lived in frederick for a few months for an internship. Now, the place has offered me a job while I'm doing grad school in DC/Arlington. I'm trying to find the best place to live drive-wise.

2-3 days just driving to frederick and back
with 2-3 days driving to frederick, arlington, and back. It would be frederick for a normal work day - arriving 830-900am leaving around 5-530 to get to arlington by 7.

I have been looking at leesburg. I did the rt 15 drive a few times and it didn't seem horrible. This would let me hop on 270 into arlington after work then the night drive back to leesburg around 930-10pm.

Does this make sense or does anyone have any thoughts good or bad?

Thanks!

[SteelCityRising]

Leesburg is indeed a very nice community. The town proper is very quaint with all sorts of historic charm, and the outskirts have a plethora of outlet stores and big-box stores.

Route 15 between Leesburg and Frederick is only ever very congested during holidays. For example, if you were going into work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, you'd want to allow yourself extra time to account for all of the NoVA people headed back "home" to PA and NY for the holiday.

I-270 is horribly congested from my experiences, but it seems to me that judging by your description you'll be doing a reverse-commute INTO Arlington from MD during the evening rush. Traffic should still be very heavy, but it should be generally free-flowing, whereas heading out of the city the I-270 corridor will probably be a parking lot. By the time your classes are over in Arlington, Route 7 should be a cakewalk back to Leesburg.

Overall this is a very possible scenario for you, but it is also going to be a lot of mileage and wear and tear on your car, so I hope you drive something reliable. The best solution, obviously, would be to live in mid-Montgomery County, MD, somewhere between Arlington and Frederick, but that might not be an option for you ($$$) unless you had roomies.

I'm in a similar financial position as you from what it sounds. I'm 23 and just graduated from college earlier this year. I accepted a job offer down here. I'm living on my own in a 1-BR apartment on a $40,000+ salary and am only keeping my head above water by digging into my savings. Mid-2010 will be an economic blessing for me with a raise, a bonus, and the likelihood of me cutting my rent in half by getting a few roommates all at the same time, but I can safely say to you that if you're going to be earning in the $40k range at that place in Frederick while also paying for graduate school you'll be feeling a pinch living alone in a 1-BR. Even in Leesburg most places I saw online were about $900-$1,000/month for a 1-BR---not much of a "bargain" compared to the typical $1,100/month rents in Reston/Herndon. Please be very mindful of your budget.

[Ashburnite]

Are you looking in Leesburg so that you won't have to drive all the way to Fredrick from Arlington late at night? You could keep living in Fredrick since you'd be close to your job - two/three nights a week you'd make the drive into Arlington. If you live in Leesburg you'll have a commute to both work and school but if you were in Fredrick you'd only commute for school.

The drive from Fredrick to Arlington on 270 shouldn't be too bad until you get inside 495 but you might have traffic issues after that. Arlington to Leesburg is a long drive but definitely shorter than to Fredrick. Traffic on 15 shouldn't be a problem unless there's an accident.

Leesburg is okay but I don't think it's as quaint as some people describe it (no offense to anyone, that's just my opinion). If it's just you and you're under 30 then Leesburg may not have a lot to offer you. You have to consider your social life as well so you'll be happy with that. If you have friends in Leesburg then you'd have that covered but if most of your socializing would be elsewhere then that would be more commuting. On the other hand, if you have kids, Leesburg and the surrounding area is very family friendly.

Good luck with your search!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Ashburnite

Leesburg is okay but I don't think it's as quaint as some people describe it (no offense to anyone, that's just my opinion).

It's definitely more "quaint" than Reston. This place looks like a never-ending HOA---sterile, well-groomed, neutral, and freakishly polished. I feel like I'm in Stepford. At least Leesburg has a true downtown with independent stores and restaurants, SIDEWALKS, and plentiful community events.

[Ashburnite]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

It's definitely more "quaint" than Reston. This place looks like a never-ending HOA---sterile, well-groomed, neutral, and freakishly polished. I feel like I'm in Stepford. At least Leesburg has a true downtown with independent stores and restaurants, SIDEWALKS, and plentiful community events.

Fair enough compared to Reston. South Riding is "Stepford" to me. Maybe now that it's been a few years and the trees have grown in it might look more natural.

Leesburg's downtown area is okay but they don't have places that I would go. Out of downtown there isn't much that's quaint except for some of the older homes. It reminds me: I remember seeing my college town listed in a Texas visitor's guide and being surprised at how charming they made it sound. But had I not lived there and decided to visit it for a cute, historic weekend trip I would have been very disappointed. Sounded good on paper, though. In our area of the places I've seen so far I think Middleburg has the nicest downtown area.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by pilotguy

I have been looking at leesburg. I did the rt 15 drive a few times and it didn't seem horrible. This would let me hop on 270 into arlington after work then the night drive back to leesburg around 930-10pm.

Have you tried traveling south on 270 through the west side of the Beltway during rush hour? Truly, it's no picnic and you may get slowed by the traffic.

Leesburg sounds fine. Another suggestion could be the areas just east, Landsdowne, Ashburn, etc. Maybe you can find something suitable to your needs. Also, you didn't mention which school you are attending in Arlington but there is the GWU campus in Ashburn. If your school is part of the consortium, then you can use the library at the GWU campus.

[pilotguy]

It's going to be GMU in arlington. I'm not sure about my future at the current job, may be long term, may be short. So, I'm trying to find a location where if I end up changing jobs, the commute would still be possible to other areas.

[pilotguy]

So what would you say the commute time from leesburg to arlington would be at peak rush hour(s)?

What would you say it would be around 6-730pm?