Housing advice needed: Reston/Herndon/Sterling or Vienna/Falls Church/Mclean? (Arlington: apartments, for rent)

[beanmom]

We're moving to DC with a young toddler from the MidWest. My husband's work is near Tyson's Corner while I may work either from home or in Bethesda (near the area where 270 and 495 forms a triangle). we were hoping to find a 2br condo or townhouse within $2000. We were happy to see that there're some in the Reston/Herndon/Sterling area near Rt. 7 but not sure how the commute to our works would be like, or if places near the Dulles toll road would be better for rush hour commute. Or, do you think the area of Vienna/Falls Church/Merrifield/Dun Loring might be a better idea giving our work location? Or should we be looking at places in MD instead? We also are clueless about daycare. Can anyone kindly offer some insights? Thanks so much!!!

[buildinginva]

I think Falls Church would provide the shortest commute for both of you. The City of Falls Church (zip 22046) has an excellent small school systems. Other parts of Falls Church (in Fairfax County) also offer good schools, some of which are consistently ranked among the best in the nation. I would also suggest looking in 22043, which is the part of Falls Church closest to Tysons. High-quality daycare centers typically have long wait lists, but still may be worth a try (I heard good things about the Tysons Corner Children's Center, if you are looking in Tysons). But you best bet may be finding an in-home daycare. Try looking on www.dcurbanmom.com - there are forums dedicated to the childcare topics. Good luck.

[claremarie]

In general, the closer you are to DC, the more expensive the housing. So Vienna/Falls Church will be more expensive than Reston/Sterling/Herndon.
A decision to work in Bethesda and try to "split the difference" with equal commutes for both of you means that you'll be looking in some of the most expensive communities in the area. Plus, the commute from Reston/Sterling/Herndon to Bethesda would be a killer. You might consider nailing down your workplace location BEFORE deciding on housing. If you don't need to commute to Bethesda, that opens up considerably more (affordable) options outside the Beltway, including further-out suburbs such as Ashburn.
I would not recommend living in Maryland and commuting to Tyson's Corner, especially with the current road construction projects.

[liloulou]

In terms of daycare, if you chose a daycare center many have very long waits (6 months to a year is not unusual) and full time can easily run $1,000/ month.

[beanmom]

Big thanks to everyone's helpful input! I agree with claremarie that it's better to decide on my job situation then choose housing location (Bethesda really makes things complicated), but unfortunately we just won't be able to know soon enough and my husband's job starts in July. What a headache! But I am really glad to know that we definitely shouldn't consider living in MD and commute to Tyson.

Does anyone know the Westwind Way near Anderson Road area in Mclean (Westerlies subdivision)? I saw some townhouses for rent but don't know if it is safe/quiet, esp. since it is close to 267. Since we have a young child we wanted to be sure it is a family-friendly environment.

Also, thanks liloulou for your reminder about waiting list. I've been having difficulties to find NoVA daycares that are not just preschools but also care for infant/toddlers. Anyone knows any good resources/web sites?

[Claire2900]

This is by no means all inclusive but I like it since it has a map
ChildCare, Daycare Information for Virginia & Washington DC

I like this one as well since you can research any licensed centers violations. Type in zip and click on daycare centers - this will give you preschools as well.

Licensed Child Day Care - Virginia Department of Social Services

[NYmama2dallas]

Originally Posted by liloulou

In terms of daycare, if you chose a daycare center many have very long waits (6 months to a year is not unusual) and full time can easily run $1,000/ month.

Full-time daycare for an infant close-in is more like $1600+ per month at a center and around $1200 per month at an in-home daycare. Just in case OP needs to adjust her housing budget to reflect daycare costs. OP, I would also look in N. Arlington, the northern area of Falls Church, and McLean. Both are decent commutes to Bethesda and Tysons.

[chicagotodc]

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat: my wife, 1 year old daughter and myself are also moving to DC from the "midwest" (Chicago specifically), I will also be working in the Tysons area, and my wife will be a stay at home mom for a bit but likely looking at daycare options in the future.

Given the similarities, if it's not too forward of me, I thought perhaps we could connect offline -- it sounds like we are doing much of the same research for the same general areas (mclean/falls church, day care etc) and it never hurts to know someone else in the area / share discoveries etc.

I've sent you a PM with my email address if you'd like to do so.

[heatherm941]

The area near Anderson Road is not a quiet area, it is close to major highways and has more of a city feel than other communities. Generally everything in Mclean is safe, the area near Anderson Road is more apartments and business and less neighborhoods. There are also townhomes off Dolly Madison, corner of Westmoreland and Chain Bridge. Very nice areas off Kirby Road but may be very pricey. The townhomes are private own then rented so they may not always come up in a internet search. May want to go ahead and get with a realtor.

Best of Luck

[beanmom]

Thanks again, Claire2900, NYmom2dallas, chicagotodc and heatherm941! Really appreciate all the information. I looked up the Dolly Madison area that Heatherm941 mentioned and it does look very nice. Only wish there are something available and is within our price rage. I'll do my homework on daycare tonight... does anyone have a good realtor to recommend? And how's the construction/noise level over at Tysons? Is it pretty negligible?

Chicagotodc, I got your message and will be in contact shortly.