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Old 02-16-2010, 10:03 PM
 
38 posts, read 149,310 times
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My wife and I (no kids) are relocating for a 3 yr tour in the Pentagon.

Our rent budget is $2500 and we are hoping for a single family home, in Fairfax county (Between Ft Belvoir and Huntington Metro area).

What is the GW Pkwy commute like?
Also, are there any areas to be concerned about in this region?
Is the commute from Huntington Metro to Pentagon "easy?"

We will be in the area the first week of March to view a few places...any chance the snow will be gone??? Thanks, any and all advice is appreciated. If you have a rental that fits the budget, let me know!
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Old 02-17-2010, 05:39 AM
 
3,378 posts, read 3,712,095 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NavyHeloPilot View Post
My wife and I (no kids) are relocating for a 3 yr tour in the Pentagon.

Our rent budget is $2500 and we are hoping for a single family home, in Fairfax county (Between Ft Belvoir and Huntington Metro area).

What is the GW Pkwy commute like?
Also, are there any areas to be concerned about in this region?
Is the commute from Huntington Metro to Pentagon "easy?"

We will be in the area the first week of March to view a few places...any chance the snow will be gone??? Thanks, any and all advice is appreciated. If you have a rental that fits the budget, let me know!
No chance the snow will be gone! It will be down a little, but there will be mounds of snow long after the snow on the ground has melted.
The GW Parkway corridor is awesome! I'm sure that you can find something nice for just the 2 of you W/I your budget. I would recommend looking east of route 1, and as close to the Potomac as you can. The only drawbacks are (1. homes tend to cost more towars the river. (2. certain areas are prone to flooding.

You could split the difference and look along Ft Hunt Rd. The homes are very nice, and you can drive from there to either Rt 1 or the GW Parkway relatively easy.

Regarding your commute: The toughest part of the GW parkway is through old town, and then right at the Pentagon. As for metro... it is a straight shot from Huntington to Pentagon on the Yellow line. It's probably about 20-25 minutes max. It might be better to drive to work if you have free parking. The only way that I would personally take metro to the Pentagon is if I was walking distance from the Metro, or if I had all expenses paid.
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Old 02-17-2010, 06:12 PM
 
38 posts, read 149,310 times
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Thanks, great information. I think the Metro will be free/reimbursed, but parking is out of pocket. I'd like to drive, at least as an option.

My wife hates the cold (FL Native), this is going to really be fun...
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Old 02-17-2010, 08:47 PM
 
3,378 posts, read 3,712,095 times
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Originally Posted by NavyHeloPilot View Post
Thanks, great information. I think the Metro will be free/reimbursed, but parking is out of pocket. I'd like to drive, at least as an option.

My wife hates the cold (FL Native), this is going to really be fun...
Yeah, I brought my brother up here from Tampa just in time for the 6 inch warmup snow we had at the end of Jan. he made it back down to FL before the big one, but I bet he still remembers how cold it was here. This is a cold winter for DC standards. We usually have a cool march, and then some warmer days in April. You can usually pack up your winter clothes by May, and keep them packed until October.

FYI: if you were wondering, you could even find a nice 2-3 BR TH in Old Town Alexandria W/I your budget. There were some nice places a few months ago for $2200-$2600. -- sometimes as low as $2000.
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Old 02-17-2010, 09:12 PM
 
38 posts, read 149,310 times
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We are looking there, also. But we are spoiled to the privacy of a SFH. Plus, we would like a larger yard for our Yellow Lab.
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Old 02-18-2010, 08:01 AM
 
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I believe, especially in this economy, you could actually move closer to the Pentagon and still be in a SFH within your budget. Look into Alexandria/Springfield, generally (not just Old Town) and you may be surprised. GW Parkway is usually okay but you can never predict the traffic - unfortunately. One day, it's clear sailing, the next, a 15-min commute takes 1.5 hrs. Also, it didn't mention what time you usually drive, but, obviously, if you can be on the road by 7:30a, it's usually not that bad.

The metro - Yello or Blue lines - would be extremely convenient for you too. Good luck!
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Old 02-18-2010, 09:35 PM
 
38 posts, read 149,310 times
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I will check out those areas, as well. We really like the thought of being close to Ft Belvoir (military facilities). The drive times would be what gets me to work by 730 am latest, and leave about 5pm. Not really a fun tour!
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Old 02-18-2010, 10:02 PM
 
3,378 posts, read 3,712,095 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NavyHeloPilot View Post
I will check out those areas, as well. We really like the thought of being close to Ft Belvoir (military facilities). The drive times would be what gets me to work by 730 am latest, and leave about 5pm. Not really a fun tour!
I think your morning commute will be better than the evening. Old town traffic starts a little later than the suburban commuters via the interstates & beltway. If you were to head up GW parkway at 0645-0700 then I think you would have no problem 92% of the time. Your evening (and morning to a lesser degree) commute would be slower thru Old town, but then fairly smooth south along the parkway. I really think that the areas between old town and Mt vernon are great places to live... especially close to the Potomac. Your drive will not be a major headache if you take the GW parkway.
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