moving to Northern Virginia, need help (Arlington, McLean: apartment, for rent, crime)

[nekgame]

Hi all,

I have a job offer from SAIC which has a office at 1710 SAIC Drive, M/S 2-2-6, McLean, VA 22102. I will be moving from NY to VA and I do not own a car. I need advise regarding places to live which will be safe and which will have public transport nearby to commute to McLean. I am specifically concerned about safety. I will be renting a single room for myself. Also, it will be very helpful if someone can give pointers for rent in the areas and the ease of access to everyday grocery stores.

Any help in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Thank you all.

Regards,
nekgame.

[chicagotodc]

1) NOVA is very spread out. It virtually demands a car. This isn't NYC, not by a stretch. That said, it might be possible to live without one in certain areas of Arlington say near the Clarendon / Ballston or Courthouse metro stops.

2) Living in Arlington, particularly near a metro stop, costs more $$$. Whether this is OK depends on your budget.... coming from NYC helps on the sticker shock!

3) More generally, I don't know if there's even really a good way to get to SAIC via public transport. You could take a bus or two to Tysons corner itself and walk from there, perhaps half a mile or so. You should call them and ask them if they have a shuttle to the closest metro stop. Some employers do.

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by chicagotodc

3) More generally, I don't know if there's even really a good way to get to SAIC via public transport. You could take a bus or two to Tysons corner itself and walk from there, perhaps half a mile or so. You should call them and ask them if they have a shuttle to the closest metro stop. Some employers do.

It seems that they have a shuttle from Dunn Loring Metro: SAIC McLean Shuttle Schedule (http://www.abestrans.com/SAIC%20Shuttle%20Schedule%20Sheet.pdf - broken link). Definitely check with your recruiter, though. If you stay for several years, you would eventually be able to use the under-construction Tysons Metro stop right by SAIC.

[nekgame]

Thank you chicagotodc and cdmurphy.

My budget would be upto 800 for one bedroom in a shared apartment. Could you please tell me about the safety of the places nearby, which areas are safe and which are not. I read on a thread here that DC metro stops witness crimes even in broad daylight.

Please tell me about the places where I can find affordable room for myself in a safe neighborhood, also considering the fact that I will be relying on public transport.

Thanks,
nekgame.

[NOVAChick]

I would suggest Falls Church or Vienna and why not live in McLean itself? For $800 a month for rent, I would stick to Falls Church and Vienna, they are not as pricey, IMO. I don't know what to say about crime. I have lived in Falls Church for about 5-6 months and it's crazy to say but I am wondering if real crime exists in Falls Church/Vienna/McLean area? I don't think there are any true thugs here. I haven't lived here my whole life so I am sure there are some "seedy" neighborhoods but as far as naming a real crime-filled area compared to somewhere in DC or Maryland or near where I used to live in Fayettenam, NC, I don't think those areas exist in the McLean area.

Good luck!

[Flamingo13]

You really need to check into the roommate situation. Not sure how you think you are going to find that, but you certainly are more at "risk" w/a wacky roommate than in many areas near there.