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I live in DC and my job office is relocating to Reston, VA. I thought it may be kind of depressing moving back to VA, but I thought it also might be nice to cut my commute in half.
Would moving from the city (DC) to Falls Church, VA depressing for a young single person in my late 20s?
IMO I would find that incredibly depressing, as a single person in my twenties. I think I'd rather die, lol. There is absolutely no life or action in Falls Church. Trust me...I used to commute there on a regular basis and visit friends there and the quaint movie theatre was like the most "happening" thing there.
If you are not going out every night then I don't think it's a big deal. I would try to find a place in walking distance to the metro so that you can still have easy access to DC on the weekends or a couple of days during the week. I am in your age range and live out in the suburbs and it's not that bad at least not for me. You do not want to have that long commute to work 5 days a week and wasting gas.
I lived in Falls Church right after graduating college in a house with 3 other college buddies. It was depressing. Despite the fact that we had a beer pong room, were on a golf course, and I was living with friends I lasted all of 6 months. I can't ever see myself going back.
It doesn't have to be. I'm a gay guy in his early 30s. I've always lived in various parts of the Virginia suburbs. Is the city more exciting? Yes but I like the suburbs. I like my quality of life. However, it isn't for everyone. So if you think you'll be depressed then don't do it. Life is too short to be unhappy. However, I disagree with the idea that EVERYONE who is single and under a certain age should live in the city.
I will admit that I spend a lot of time driving. So I got a smaller vehicle from the huge SUV I was driving. This takes away a lot of pain at the pump.
Honestly Falls Church sounds like a happy medium to me, depending where in Falls Church you're at. I mean 20 minutes you're in the city.
I guess for me I like living somewhere that's quiet and surrounded by trees. I like the natural aspect of where I live. The 25-30 minute drive into the city doesn't bother me. What bothered me was the long commute when I lived in Arlington. It usually took me over an hour to get home from Fairfax. Now I work even further out in Herndon. My commute is 30 minutes in the morning and 45 in the evening (although sometimes it can still be long thanks to construction).
Sometimes I still think about moving back to Arlington.
So yeah if you think Falls Church is depressing then don't do it. I disagree with you. I think Falls Church is fine just a lot of traffic. Falls Church you're still inside the beltway and its a 20 minute zip into the city for fun.
I don't think depressing is the right word. It will be different and depending on your personality and interests, you may like it less or more. Speaking only for myself, I did NOVA (Arlington) for a year and found it perfectly adequate and actually liked it more than I thought I would. But I'm a city guy and really liked the vibe and types of places to go out (not just bars but parks, restaurants, things to do) in DC a lot more than in VA. At 26, that's a priority and since my wife and I both work in the city, it just made sense. I can't say we'd live here if either of us worked in Reston though. You have to minimize your commute as much as possible to hold on to your sanity in this area.
Thanks everyone for your replies! I guess my plan for now is to try out the commute for a few months from DC and see how it goes. If I don't mind it and I can still save money every month I'll probably stay in DC. If I end up hating the commute, then VA here I come...
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