Young Couple Moving to NOVA - neighborhoods? (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, rent)

[sbbg]

Hi all, my husband and I are moving to the DC area from Southern California and are in our late 20's-early 30's depending on who you're asking . Despite being in SoCal, we live in a fairly urban area. Though we wouldn't mind living in DC, I doubt we could find a house within our price range, so are expanding our search to VA and MD.

Ideally, we'd like to find something with groceries, restaurants, etc. within walking distance (.5 mi - 1.5 mi - we don't mind walking a fair distance). My husband will be commuting into DC, so something near the Metro or transportation would be a plus. Lastly, our price range for a home is around 500k (min 2 bdrm). I'm sure I sound like a cliche,(I want it all!) but any help is greatly appreciated! We don't know many people in the area, so I'm a bit nervous and sad to be leaving my sunny home.

We don't have any kids yet so schools aren't a top priority, but a relatively safe neighborhood would be nice, of course. We have done a little research, and thought Clarendon might be a good fit, but from what I'm reading here its more of a post-college, early 20s crowd...

[normie]

Originally Posted by sbbg

Hi all, my husband and I are moving to the DC area from Southern California and are in our late 20's-early 30's depending on who you're asking . Despite being in SoCal, we live in a fairly urban area. Though we wouldn't mind living in DC, I doubt we could find a house within our price range, so are expanding our search to VA and MD.

Ideally, we'd like to find something with groceries, restaurants, etc. within walking distance (.5 mi - 1.5 mi - we don't mind walking a fair distance). My husband will be commuting into DC, so something near the Metro or transportation would be a plus. Lastly, our price range for a home is around 500k (min 2 bdrm). I'm sure I sound like a cliche,(I want it all!) but any help is greatly appreciated! We don't know many people in the area, so I'm a bit nervous and sad to be leaving my sunny home.

We don't have any kids yet so schools aren't a top priority, but a relatively safe neighborhood would be nice, of course. We have done a little research, and thought Clarendon might be a good fit, but from what I'm reading here its more of a post-college, early 20s crowd...

Welcome to Virginia. Lots and lots of Californians moving here right now, so in some ways you'll feel right at home. I'm from Redondo Beach, myself.

Your challenge will be budget. I think you're going to have trouble finding a SFH close to DC in your price range. I'm not sure about a townhouse; others on this forum know the areas closer to DC better than I do. Clarendon is certainly going to be out of your budget. Maybe Falls Church or Annandale might work for you. Both of those communities would have stores and restaurants in walking distance, as well.

[MacUser85]

Welcome to the area. Where in SoCal are you from? We do have Trader Joes but not your nice sunny and calm winters. Also, no In-N-Out Burger - our version is Five Guys.

Yeah 500K for what you describe in Arlington is tough, but not impossible. Just look in non-Metrorail walking distance neighborhoods. Like check 2BR 2BA in 22207 or 22206 and you probably will find some townhomes under 500K.

Another thing you may want to consider is to come here and rent for six months to a year and get a feel on where you want to live rather than buy right away. It's always a good rule of thumb that when buying, you need to make a four to six year commitment. Why rush the decision? Maybe you should experience a winter here first (or for some a summer as the heat and humidity really gets some people). Just a thought.

You will enjoy the DC area and all its joys I'm sure. But do be prepared for a more intense environment and for weather patterns that are much more variable than what you are used to. I say that just so you keep your eyes wide open because this area is certainly not for everyone.

Good luck in your move!

[buildinginva]

You should be able to find something in Falls Church (it may be a TH or a condo though). The City of Falls Church is where you want to be, or near it. There are two metro stops in Falls Church and a commercial area with restaurants etc. in walking distance to neighborhoods, a few nice parks and great schools (zip codes 22046 in Falls Church City and 22043 in adjacent Fairfax County), when you start caring about that kind of thing. There is a Trader Joe's up the road on Route 7, with Whole Foods across the street. The area has a nice sense of community.

FWIW, we bought our previous house in our late 20s, thinking that schools weren't too important. A few years later, we ended up moving because of schools. We now live in Falls Church and love it.

Btw, my husband is from So Cal and loves the shredded beef tacos at Taqueria Poblano in Arlington.

Good luck!

[ShannonMilligan]

Just wanted to say good luck with the move! Reston is a nice place for families and would give you somewhat of an urban feel (upscale) but the commute would be farther.

[DiderotsGhost]

Don't know about specific housing prices, as I'm more familiar with condos and apartments, but I don't think Fairfax or Vienna would be bad fits. Both are probably further away than you'd like, but they are less expensive, have fairly good Metro access, and still have their walkable areas.

I live in Fair Oaks and recommend it. It's probably about as close as you'll get to "walkable" and "metro-accessible" in NoVa's sprawling 'burbs, aside from Arlington and Old Town Alexandria. Arlington (Rosslyn, Crystal City, Clarendon, Ballston) and Old Town are probably closer to what you're looking for, but very pricey, unfortunately. The Reston Town Center area might also interest you, but unfortunately, does not have nearly as good Metro access as Fair Oaks and Vienna. That might change at some point, however.

Not sure if you're exploring the Maryland side, as well, but you might look into some of the more metro-accessible parts of Bethesda and Rockville. Admittedly, I'm a bigger fan of the VA side than the MD side, but there are some nice places in those two MD areas.


As far as walking to get your groceries, it's not an easy thing to do around here, but it's not completely impossible either. Where I live now (in Fair Oaks), I could technically walk to 3 different grocery stores. They are not all "convenient" or necessarily easy to get to, but there are three within about 1.5 miles of me.


There are a lot of excellent grocery stores in the region, btw. Not sure how it compares with SoCal, but it compares very favorably with other places I have lived. I'm a fan of Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and Harris Teeter, but there's also Safeway, Whole Foods, Giant, Shoppers, and a few others that I'm probably forgetting.

[kweaverre]

Welcome to the DC area! Clarendon has a variety of residents. There are a lot of post-college aged individuals, but also a lot of late 20's, early 30's, mid 30's as well. If you want to be near the metro, walking distance to grocery/dining/drinking, Clarendon/Courthouse/VA Square/Ballston are all good areas. If you are looking for a house however, I would recommend Falls Church or North Arlington. There are a lot of townhouses on the market, although I have also seen several single family homes in the $500K range in those areas. Moderator Cut

[sbbg]

Thanks for the warm welcome and great info! We are moving from San Diego but both grew up in the Midwest and spent one long, hot summer in DC so are prepared for the extreme temperatures. Thanks for the neighborhood recommendations. Falls Church, Fairfax and Vienna were not on our radar screen, so we'll definitely add those.

Our main driver for finding a SFH and having some type of yard/open space is that we have a fairly large dog. She's a bit on the lazy side and we do take her on a lot of walks so if a yard were not available, it wouldn't be a huge problem, just an inconvenience.

DiderotsGhost - been to Wegman's and LOVE it. Can't wait to find one of those.
buildinginva - thanks for the taco recommendation. I will definitely miss California tacos!

[michgc]

If I were you, I would look into downtown Bethesda, Maryland. It is a great, walkable city - on the red line of the metro. There are dozens of restaurants, small shops, bars, movies, theatre, offices, a bookstore, grocery stores, parks, etc. It IS expensive, but I think $500K would buy a 2-bedroom place. It is very hopping and perfect for an early-30's couple. It's even great for families and singles. The only negatives I associate with it are the expense and a bit of snobbery. It's a great place. I lived there before I moved to Northern Virginia.

[DC-7]

I have lived in both of these area and they perfectly describe what you are looking for. WELCOME and enjoy!