Moving to VA from Dallas, need help with APT search! (Arlington: apartment complexes, rental)

[Longhorn_Alumni07]

Hi all,

I am a 25 year old female and have lived in Dallas, TX for the majority of my life and recently received a job offer in Reston, VA.

My work office will be in Reston but I may get on a project that will require me to commute to DC so possibly something in between both Reston and DC, yet not overly expensive and not in a bad part of town and not too long of a commute. I will have a car so am open to possibly driving to a Metro parking lot (one that has a good track record??) I'm completely flexible to commute but nothing over an hour and a half. City life is not a big deal. As long as I live near some grocery stores and a few shopping centers, I'm fine. I will be working 60+ hours a week anyways so am fine driving the distance on the weekends for fun. I have never been to VA or DC before and need some advice. My salary will be $60,000 and I'm looking for an apt that is:

-Safe! Low crime, nice neighborhood (most important)
-Not more than 1200 for 1 Bed or Studio
-Low cost for parking car--Free is ideal
-Low amenity fees--$300 is OUTRAGEOUS!
-Good Apt reputation
-Fairly updated appliances--doesn't have to be stainless steel but something relatively nice and not so outdated.

of course, I am open to moving to a higher rent place that may offer some utilities or free parking in favor of being in a safe area. Let me know what you guys think. Any advice or suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

[JfromReston]

Welcome to Reston!

I recommend looking for a place in Reston TownCenter. Rental condos from individuals are often better deals than apartment complexes. There are a few apartment complexes at that price range and if you bump it up $100 or $200 your options will be greatly increased.

FYI - A new employee at my office just moved into a $1300 1 Bedroom condo (rented from an individual) in a 5 year old building directly across from the Vienna Metro station. I would have thought that a location so close to Metro in Vienna would have been more expensive.

[Fleur~de~lis]

I love the Reston Town Center area - we were just there yesterday & that place was hopping! There's so many cool places to live & shopping/dining is within walking distance. Looks like a great place to live, especially for the 20s & 30s crowd. There were so many people out & about shopping, walking their dogs, lounging around the fountain - it was really nice. And being from Dallas, I'm sure you'll love being w/in walking distance to Uncle Julios (one of the few real TexMex restaurants around here). I'm a native Texan & spent 10 yrs in Dallas & Plano before moving to Cali & then out here. Reston Town Ctr is somewhat similar to the Knox Street/UpTown areas or Shops At Legacy area in Plano. Good luck w/your move!

[Denton56]

My 20-something son has lived near the Reston Town Center for the last 2 or 3 years and likes it very much. He lives in the Sycamores and has been very happy with the apartment and their services. It's very close to the bike path, and he walks to grocery stores and the town center restaurants and movies. It's a good size apartment with washer and dryer and many closets, including a walk-in. Yes, the kitchen is updated. Reston Area Apartments for Rent - The Sycamores

[yamota]

first of all, are you a cowboy fan?

[Tish Thompson]

Reston Town Center, or as close to it as possible.

Originally Posted by Longhorn_Alumni07

Hi all,

I am a 25 year old female and have lived in Dallas, TX for the majority of my life and recently received a job offer in Reston, VA.

My work office will be in Reston but I may get on a project that will require me to commute to DC so possibly something in between both Reston and DC, yet not overly expensive and not in a bad part of town and not too long of a commute. I will have a car so am open to possibly driving to a Metro parking lot (one that has a good track record??) I'm completely flexible to commute but nothing over an hour and a half. City life is not a big deal. As long as I live near some grocery stores and a few shopping centers, I'm fine. I will be working 60+ hours a week anyways so am fine driving the distance on the weekends for fun. I have never been to VA or DC before and need some advice. My salary will be $60,000 and I'm looking for an apt that is:

-Safe! Low crime, nice neighborhood (most important)
-Not more than 1200 for 1 Bed or Studio
-Low cost for parking car--Free is ideal
-Low amenity fees--$300 is OUTRAGEOUS!
-Good Apt reputation
-Fairly updated appliances--doesn't have to be stainless steel but something relatively nice and not so outdated.

of course, I am open to moving to a higher rent place that may offer some utilities or free parking in favor of being in a safe area. Let me know what you guys think. Any advice or suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

[Dazed&Confused]

Originally Posted by yamota

first of all, are you a cowboy fan?

If you are, hold that head up high and don't let the Redskins fans intimidate you!
I moved from Dallas to Northern Virginia in 1977, moved away 4 years ago, and am planning to move back next month. I am and will always be a Dallas Cowboys fan! They all talk tough, but they won't hurt you!

[CaliTerp07]

Are you working for a consulting firm in Reston? (If so, I think we probably work for the same place )

My two cents is to locate somewhere centrally, at least until you get a lay of the land. Reston's not a bad place at all, but the consulting world is such that you may be on a new project after 3-4 months (or 3-4 years--it all depends). If you do end up switching projects a lot, the commute from Reston could get old. I have coworkers in Courthouse, L'Enfant, College Park, Penn Quarter, and I'm in Kingstowne. Some of those are easy commutes from Reston, others would be downright brutal.

For that reason, the majority of my coworkers chose to live in Arlington until they got settled on a long term project. That makes the commute to everywhere else a lot shorter. They do pay more for the convenience, but if you aren't concerned about being next to the metro, you can find more affordable places.

The ideal situation, in my opinion, would be to find a temporary place to live for a few weeks until you find out what project you're on (and how long you'll be there). If you have any friends or family who would loan you a guest room short term, I'd take them up on it.

If you aren't doing consulting work, then ignore this

[Longhorn_Alumni07]

Thanks everyone!

From what I've read Reston Town Center does seem like the happening place. I found this great condo in Herndon for 1200 brand new in Brysons and absolutely love it however I know the commute would be awful =(

To Dazed&Confused, yes I am a Cowboy fan...I will make sure not to let those Redskin fans get to me!

To Fleur~de~lis, you sure do know the dallas area! I love uptown/knoxville area so that is comforting to know. I just wish the places near the dt were not so over-priced.

To CaliTerp07, Why yes I will be doing consulting--good catch! Your suggestions are great. My problem so far has been actually finding a nice place in those areas within my price range. Its been super tough, especially being a female safety is absolute number one priority...in those areas the lowest I've found is 1500 and that is just way over my price range. I think it would be a good idea to stay with some friends (i have a few) for a few weeks before settling on a place before knowing my project, but do you know about how long it will take to find out that info and from your experience what is the likelihood my project will be in DC?

I have found some really shady/off the wall/bug-infested places in Arlington that have really drove me away...do you know any good apts out there that I should look at/consider?

If I am not next to the metro, what alternative would you recommend to commute downtown? Are there safe, well lit park and rides?

[CaliTerp07]

Again, this is guessing that you're working at the same company I do...DM me so we can talk more specifics!

What level are you being hired in at? If you're an analyst, you'll go through core analyst school, which means that it will be 3 weeks of training in Reston, 2 weeks in Chicago, and then you'll get your project. If you're coming in as an experienced hire (consultant or above), you'll get a project within a week or two. If you're services or solutions instead of consulting, you should have been hired directly onto a project.

The majority of clients are in DC (or within the beltway). What is your alignment? If you DM me specifics about what group you're working with, I can give a best guess to the projects that you'll end up on. (There are generally 2-3 big projects for each growth platform)

Most people end up with roommates, because NoVA is pretty expensive. Falls Church and/or Alexandria are less expensive options than Arlington, and Crystal City is cheaper than say, Clarendon if you want to stick to Arlington. $1200 is going to be really tight to live on your own in many of those areas though. If you're willing to take on a roommate, you'll spend less than that and be able to live in a more convenient area. Email HR--a lot of times they'll have a list of all the other people starting at the same time you are, and you can find a coworker to be your roommate.