HUGE decision..please advise..again (Arlington, Alexandria: for sale, apartments, rentals)

[688995]

hi - my husband is being transferred and he will be working in the dc area. we have about a month to decide where we are going to live and we are so confused. here is our situation: 2 kids (16 & 11) and a combined income of about $110K - we do not want to buy yet but will be renting until we know where we'll be down the road. we want to live somewhere that has good schools (we are moving from atlanta and our kids have been in public school - if you know anything about atl schools they're horrible so from what i've read anywhere in the surrounding dc areas would probably be an improvement), a decent (45 min. max) commute to dc, and we don't want to be in an area where we will feel like we live in a community that is so wealthy that we are "lower income". also, our kids are white/hispanic and i do not want them to feel like they are too different - in other words, a little diversity. the places we've discussed so far are reston (last impression was extremely wealthy area - rent is insane), woodbridge/centreville/springfield area (sounds great but also pricey and i've seen mixed reviews on this site), and frederick, maryland (seems very affordable but i've seen very confusing opinions about it here). any help would be so greatly appreciated - my kids have had to move about 5 times in the last few years so it's been tough on them and i think we'll be in this new space for at least a few years so i want to make the best decision for them. thanks!!!!

[seldomseen]

The DC Metro is expensive as a whole, and most every school system is NoVa is good to excellent. If you plan on renting, what is your budget? What type of apartment/house are you looking for? NoVa offers a very wide variety of rental options. I would first start by going to the following websites to see what interests you. Both website offers quality information about each apartment listed, and have maps of the area so you can physically see where the apartments are located.

Apartment Showcase.com - Apartments For Rent - Apartment Search in Maryland, Washington DC, Northern Virginia

ApartmentGuide.com - apartments for rent, apartment finder

Another website you may want to check out is: Apartment Ratings - Apartments for Rent with Ratings and Reviews from Actual Renters You may also want to check out craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events to see what type of private rentals are being offered in NoVa too.

Good Luck!

[5stones]

basicly like seldom said most schools in the area are great and it's also very diverse.
But anything with in 45 min to DC is going to be expensive. Reston/Herndon is more resonable than areas closer in But these towns are are not 45 min from DC during rush hour.
Frederick MD is alot more reasonable, but it's a pretty long commute. The MARC train runs from there so you could use it instead of drive...but I would think you'd be looking at a 90min commute.
YOu could look into Germantown, Gaithersburg and Rockville areas of MD but they aren't cheap either.
West Springfield, Kingstowne, Burke area have good schools and are closer in to DC.

you may have to get a smaller place closer in to rent while you familiarize yourselves with the area. Look into TH and condos etc...

When moving here from a place that has a much lower cost of living, you HAVE to give up something. Alot of wants simply go out the window...the under 45 min commute is usually the first, the larger house is second. Price of rent etc... should stay at what you can afford. The good news is the school system, NoVa public schoools are very good.

Good luck.

[Lynnehermena]

Well I have been living in the Woodbridge area since 2004 and I like it. I use to live near Manassas and commute up 66. Living near Woodbridge, I could choose whether to commute up route 1 or I-95. Now I am catching the train into work (in DC). That is about a 45 minute commute from the Rippon Station (you also have a Woodbridge Station - google VRE).

Currently live in Montclair. Nice commutity with its own security force. HOA is under $50 per month. It has community activities, golf course, tennis and swimming pools. Montclair, Virginia

Take care, Lynne

[seldomseen]

Montclair is a nice area of of PWC...many of my old military buddies bought homes in Montclair

[stacylee926]

First, you will have absolutely NO problems with the diversity!! The DC area is one HUGE melting pot - I have never traveled anywhere like it. Actually it is awesome for the children - they are exposed to every culture imaginable in the school system and tend to be more openminded.

Schools in the area tend to be very decent - especially Fairfax County.
Personally I am a huge fan of Centreville. I lived there for 9 years before moving to the VA Beach area 4 years ago (born in Arlington and spent a total of 41 years in NoVa). Centreville is a nice family community with good access to everywhere. Reston is OK - it was great in the 70's and 80's but some of it is starting to look old. I never cared for Springfield or Woodbridge because of the 'Mixing Bowl' - where 495 and 95 meet. It is a huge traffic nightmare. But to be honest, I avoided that area for so many years because of the never ending construction (which I believe is now complete) I don't know how the current traffic situation is.

As far as traffic goes, the Metro is clean and safe. You can ride from Springfield or Fairfax City and other points into the city or Arlington to ease the commute. Living near Metro - or within a 15 minute drive - should be a high priority.

[The Dissenter]

i would recommend the City of Alexandria (not the section of Fairfax Co with an Alexandria address). It is very diverse, the schools are very diverse and of a high quality (espically coming from Atlanta) and getting to dc you have a couple of options metro or drive which possibly can be within 30 min if you leave at the right time. We do have the rich folks in their areas but also on the west end of the city is a very large diverse middle class of all types of different races and nationalties. Also coming from ATL you will laugh when you see what is considered a high crime area inside the city. and on colleges VA has really good colleges (ODU, VCU, CNU) and also a stellar comm. college (NVCC) inside Alexandria itself. So i think Alexandria City would be a great choice.

[5stones]

the places we've discussed so far are reston (last impression was extremely wealthy area - rent is insane), woodbridge/centreville/springfield area (sounds great but also pricey and i've seen mixed reviews on this site),

Alan while your suggestion is good...don't you think the cost of Alex city will be too expensive for the OP. If they find Reston to be "insane" and woodbridge,centervilleand springfield to be "pricey".

woodbridge is actually one of the cheaper places around here to live. I personally don't like it for my own reasons.
but also as another poster put it...

I never cared for Springfield or Woodbridge because of the 'Mixing Bowl' - where 495 and 95 meet. It is a huge traffic nightmare. But to be honest, I avoided that area for so many years because of the never ending construction.

688995...
Please give us your housing requirements as far as price and size and what you want ie sfh, th or condo.
Are you willing to go up to a 60min commute etc...

[claremarie]

I would look in Vienna. Your husband can take the Metro into DC, there are townhouse and SFH rental options, and your kids would feel very comfortable in the public schools, which are all very good. Frederick is affordable because it is a long commute (well over 45 minutes) into DC.

[688995]

thanks for all of the answers - here's more information. as far as rent goes, we'd be comfortable with around $1,800 per month - but we need 3 brs - and an hour commute wouldn't be too much. my first choice was reston but the more i search rental property there it seems that even at $1,800 it's not a slam dunk, nice/safe/clean place. frederick, md seems to have more space for the dollar - and i will definitely look into alexandria city, burke, woodbridge, etc. please don't hesitate with any more information - i'm feeling so overwhelmed.