Thinking of moving to DMV area... (Silver Spring, Bethesda: fit in, rental, buying a home)

[asani01]

Hello,

I currently live in Dallas, TX and thinking of moving back East in a couple years. Being that I live in a pretty big metroplex I would like to move somewhere that has somewhat of a city life but not so big...with a urban feel. After looking into several cities I narrowed them down to Bethseda-MD, Rockville-MD, Richmond-VA, and Reston-VA.
If anyone live in these cities or have lived, can you give me a little insight (resident POV) on what these cities are like and cost of living (high-low). I'm not a clubber, but I do like to go out and enjoy a nice lounge from time to time, coffee houses, nice parks to sit and read or run if there are run/walk trails. Malls...girl loves her shopping. I am a Executive Asst-Legal Asst so i'm sure it won't be too hard finding a job. Also, is there any public transportation in these cities, and how far are they from DC? How is traffic?

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to inform me.

[rsh56]

Do you know where the job will be if you decide to live here? If you want more info about the VA cities, check out the Northern VA and Richmond sub-forums under the VA forum.

Bethesda is the most expensive of the 4. Bethesda has somewhat of a big-city feel w/o being an actual big city which is what I really like about it. It is also the closest to DC, like a 5-10 min drive depending on traffic. It has a downtown area and then there is the suburbs which covers a wide area with different neighborhoods. There are lots of small-shops and businesses but the closest mall is about 15-20 minutes from the downtown area. Anywhere near the downtown area will command a huge premium. Houses start at $600k but can easily go into $1mill. There are parks and trails that can go all the way to DC (Georgetown) or further North to Rockville and to Silver Spring. Not sure I see coffee houses outside of starbucks or caribou. Bethesda is also full of bars and restaurants. As for public transportation, Metro has a stop in Bethesda to take you to other places in Montgomery and PG Counties, DC and VA and there are many buses ranging from hospital-only buses, to buses that can take you to NYC/other NE cities.

[KidsMake5]

Housing costs and traffic are some of the worst in the country so be prepared moving to the DC area. Mass transit is good but still expensive and depending upon where you live you still may need to drive in order to access it. Bethesda is a nice small city with many restaurants and boutiques and as previously stated, DC is very close by. Rockville also has improved it's town center - it's small but very nice. I am not as familiar with the VA side of things but know that the traffic is still just as bad as most people tend to commute into DC or the cities bordering DC. Good luck...

[dkf747]

If you want to fit in, don't use the "DMV" to describe this area.

[rsh56]

Originally Posted by dkf747

If you want to fit in, don't use the "DMV" to describe this area.

Oh and certainly this....

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by asani01

Richmond-VA,

Richmond is about 110 miles away from DC, and a totally different city. It's much more low-key and less expensive, and certainly less exciting the the metro DC area. However, it has some large corporations where you might find the Executive Assistant job. It's worth a look, especially if you are interested in buying a home.

[rsh56]

Also, in order for me to tell you about traffic in Bethesda is going to really depend on where you go.

If you go North or East to work in the AM, its a reverse commute.

[carroll4628]

DC is going to be like Dallas in the sense that you need to "live about where you work" i.e., you don't want to move to Reston VA and end up with a job in Greenbelt MD. You'll be commuting 1-2 hours each way.
Bethesda is a great community, but very expensive. Check out craigslist for rental prices. It would be a place where you could rent for a while if you're searching for a job because it's "somewhat" central. Another alternative would be to rent in Arlington (about as expensive) or Silver Spring (less expensive). Rockville is a nice, but older, suburb (I like to think of it kinda like Richardson - I've never lived in either, but have looked at housing in both). It's going to have a better cost of living than Bethesda (but is still going to be pricey relative to Dallas - think of paying Park City prices for living in Richardson). Only driven through Reston (on the way to shopping in Leesburg ) also Tysons Corner can't be beat for shopping ~ try the NoVA forum.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by asani01

Hello,

I currently live in Dallas, TX and thinking of moving back East in a couple years. Being that I live in a pretty big metroplex I would like to move somewhere that has somewhat of a city life but not so big...with a urban feel. After looking into several cities I narrowed them down to Bethseda-MD, Rockville-MD, Richmond-VA, and Reston-VA.
If anyone live in these cities or have lived, can you give me a little insight (resident POV) on what these cities are like and cost of living (high-low). I'm not a clubber, but I do like to go out and enjoy a nice lounge from time to time, coffee houses, nice parks to sit and read or run if there are run/walk trails. Malls...girl loves her shopping. I am a Executive Asst-Legal Asst so i'm sure it won't be too hard finding a job. Also, is there any public transportation in these cities, and how far are they from DC? How is traffic?

First of all, traffic in the DC area is bad, as in sickeningly bad. So, as other posters have said, you really need to live close to your place of work.

Having said that, of the places you listed I would choose Bethesda or Rockville. They are both nearby suburbs and have shopping, walkable areas and metro station stops. But if you end up working in Reston, for example, then you should definitely live closer to there. Richmond is not DC area at all, as previously noted.

[asani01]

Originally Posted by carroll4628

DC is going to be like Dallas in the sense that you need to "live about where you work" i.e., you don't want to move to Reston VA and end up with a job in Greenbelt MD. You'll be commuting 1-2 hours each way.
Bethesda is a great community, but very expensive. Check out craigslist for rental prices. It would be a place where you could rent for a while if you're searching for a job because it's "somewhat" central. Another alternative would be to rent in Arlington (about as expensive) or Silver Spring (less expensive). Rockville is a nice, but older, suburb (I like to think of it kinda like Richardson - I've never lived in either, but have looked at housing in both). It's going to have a better cost of living than Bethesda (but is still going to be pricey relative to Dallas - think of paying Park City prices for living in Richardson). Only driven through Reston (on the way to shopping in Leesburg ) also Tysons Corner can't be beat for shopping ~ try the NoVA forum.

Thanks so much...that really helped!