Is Arlington a good place?

[Guamanians]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

For the love of your sanity please move to Arlington and don't look back. I'm 23, an auditor (pursuing my MBA), and moved to Reston because I earn substantially less than you and couldn't afford the overinflated rent prices inside the Beltway. I've been very depressed here ever since because everyone in Reston has such a hopelessly "suburbanized" mindset. Yes, we have a fake downtown called Reston Town Center, replete with chain restaurants and over-priced chain stores like Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma, but you'll soon learn that Arlington is where the 20-somethings live and mingle. Reston is for the 30-somethings who tire of the constant nightlife scene in Arlington and want something a bit quieter and less urbane as they couple up and look to settle for a few years before heading to Ashburn or Gainesville to buy a home and raise a family. I know from experience that many on here will recommend Reston for young professionals just out of college, but I can safely say that of all of my early-20-something peers who have moved here all of us want out as soon as possible. There's just nothing here, and I resent, in a sense, that I was advised otherwise when I came here. The NIMBY locals are even trying to block construction of a direly-needed Metrorail line to Reston because they fear that Reston might become "as good as" Arlington. (I wonder if they'll feel the same way when they laugh all the way to the bank when they see how high the new train will have boosted their housing values?)

If I were earning your salary I would have moved myself to Shirlington, or, perhaps even the City of Falls Church in a heartbeat. I firmly believe the immediate Ballston-Rosslyn (Orange Line) corridor might be cutting it close, even on your salary, unless you had a roommate, but that is an area to keep in mind for a couple of years as you earn some annual wage increases. The only ones our age who move to a place like Reston or Herndon are those who work here and have tried to minimize their commuting hassles (raises hand) or those who were priced out of better areas (raises hand). Why a 22-year-old should be encouraged to move to a place OUTSIDE the Beltway for any other reason than affordability or to ease commuting hassles is beyond me.

Best of luck, and welcome in advance to Arlington!

I agree with the whole post

[VTHokieFan]

I'm going to be with two other roomates.

[RestonRunner86.]

Originally Posted by VTHokieFan

I'm going to be with two other roomates.

Oh. Good! That really opens up your financial condition to anywhere, really. The Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor of North Arlington along the Orange Line of the Metro (neighborhoods including Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon, Court House, and Rosslyn) are inarguably the "trendiest" addresses for younger professionals in Northern Virginia. You'd be a quick train ride to DC, and you wouldn't be too far from Tysons Corner (major shopping/employment hub), especially if you lived in Ballston. Roomies will help you to make new friends and acclimate to the region much more quickly as well. Best of luck!

[Aysegul]

I lived in North Arlington for 5 years and really enjoyed living in South Arlington for 11 years ( I worked at Dupont Circle and Georgetown University). I have a condo unit now for rent at Columbia Pike & Four Mile Run. I liked being close to DC yet surrounded by trees, being so close to Four Mile Run and the W&OD trails, Ballston metro, Shirlington, Bailey's crossroads. There are some great restaurants and grocery stores of all types; the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse is a great place on Columbia Pike ( eat a good meal and watch movies in comfortable arm chairs); many cultural events, great theaters, etc. Being close to the farmer's market was a plus for me. There is also a great organic grocery store, MOM's that is very close.

[snuffy2009]

I have lived in N Arlington and S Arlington..single while in N Arlington and married in S. Arlington... I would say N. Arlington..especially with 2 other roommates might not be too bad money wise but it depends. But N. Arlington is easier access to subways, etc.

[CaliTerp07]

55k in Arlington is plenty, so long as you have roommates like you said. I made 58k my first year out of college, and Arlington was the perfect place to be. It's alllllll 20-somethings along the orange line corridor (okay, not all, but there are a lot), so you'll be in the heart of where your friends and coworkers want to go out.

Crystal/Pentagon city aren't bad places either. I actually lived in Crystal City, and I really liked it. A bunch of friends rented a house, so we had a yard for barbecues and such, but still had easy access to the metro, restaurants, and highways for commutes.

Car insurance is actually really cheap here, compared to other states. Virginia has very low requirements compared to what I was paying in California and Maryland, so I was pleasantly surprised when I switched my policy over.

Go to Arlington Make sure you have metro access (I went out in Arlington or DC alllll the time for work happy hours and college get-togethers my first year here, so you want the subway). You'll be happy there!

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

55k in Arlington is plenty, so long as you have roommates like you said. I made 58k my first year out of college, and Arlington was the perfect place to be. It's alllllll 20-somethings along the orange line corridor (okay, not all, but there are a lot), so you'll be in the heart of where your friends and coworkers want to go out.

Crystal/Pentagon city aren't bad places either. I actually lived in Crystal City, and I really liked it. A bunch of friends rented a house, so we had a yard for barbecues and such, but still had easy access to the metro, restaurants, and highways for commutes.

Car insurance is actually really cheap here, compared to other states. Virginia has very low requirements compared to what I was paying in California and Maryland, so I was pleasantly surprised when I switched my policy over.

Go to Arlington Make sure you have metro access (I went out in Arlington or DC alllll the time for work happy hours and college get-togethers my first year here, so you want the subway). You'll be happy there!

If you think you are getting a bargain here, Hampton Roads (deep SE VA) is actually even cheaper, even with higher crime rates. Gas is very cheap here also.

[MacUser85]

As others have said, Arlington really is where it's at. It is very hard to not like something about Arlington whether it be the great selection of restaurants, the active civic involvement, just the whole Clarendon scene, etc. It really rocks. It just needs to be less cold in the winter.....