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Might be getting a job transfer to work in DC. Would only be living there for 3 to 5 years so think renting would be best, also shorter commute is very big for us. Aside from that, we have 2 kids, ages 1 and 3. Looking for a place to rent, very near a metro stop (walking distance) that is family friendly and near most necessities. Any advice will help, as of now am completely clueless as to where to start. Any other info I am oblivious to that you would like to share would be great.
Stuff that close to Metro stops is always expensive. Closer-in, it's not so family friendly. Mostly young professionals, whether singles or couples. The Vienna Metro is all the way at the western end of the Orange Line, but it's still just 30 minutes to Metro Center, and there are a good number of apartments, condos, and townhouses that are within walking distance and aren't atrociously expensive. There are scads of amenities nearby. The next station in is Dunn Loring which also has lots of housing around it, but it's a more built-up, less green area than Vienna. If walking distance includes a mile to a little over, the Dunn Loring Woods neighborhood has several SFH's currently for rent. Smallish houses from the 1960's on decent lots, all well kept, lots of trees, community pool, also convenient to lots of stuff.
There are probably other options as well, some depending on where in DC work will be. You'll probably have to do some digging and pay a premium for the walkability, but it all seems basically doable to me...
Well, family friendly is very important. Not sure on my budget yet, but probably hoping to stay under $2500 a month. Close to metro is very important, about equal to anything else. would love to be within minutes drive of supermarkets and restaurants. Need a place with recreational activities for my small children that is also safe. I realize my list of must haves is high, but I figure with the number of professionals working in DC with families, the things I want are probably what any other parent of young children would insist on. i dont want to buy, I will rent as I already own a property where I am from and plan on going back there in 3 to 5 years. I am looking more for apartments or townhomes within a community. My wife and kids will be alone at night until I get home so controlled access communities are even more appealing. Open to suggestions.
Vienna continues to sound pretty good. The condos and townhouses to the north of the Vienna Metro are also just to the south of Nottoway Park, home of playgrounds, ball and soccer fields, basketball courts, picnic and barbecue areas, hiking trails, farmers markets, summer concerts, and other stuff. $2500/month should cover that area, subject to availability. In the eastern half, the kids would go to Marshall Road ES. Not the best school in Vienna but still good. In the western half, they'd go to Mosby Woods ES, which might be thought of as a tad better. Longer walk to the Metro from the west side, though. Either way, you'd be within a 15-minute drive of both Tysons Corner and Fair Oaks Mall. There are grocery and other day-to-day resources inside 10 minutes in downtown Vienna, downtown Oakton, the Pan Am Center (at Nutley and Lee Highway), and Fairfax Circle. There are dozens of restaurants within that range as well, including everything from great hole-in-the-wall Asian places to 5-star top-of-the-line gourmet spots. The area and everything else around it are meanwhile quite safe. There is obviously some crime everywhere (three dead people were found in a house on the far north side of Vienna today...appears so far to have been a domestic squabble gone horribly awry), but there aren't a lot of places where crime is less of a factor than in this rather upscale region. It's just not at all a factor in day-to-day living.
One thing to maybe look into for the kids in the summer months is a membership at a local pool. They are private, so you have to buy your way in, but they are a great way to keep kids safe and active and involved with peers. The Vienna Aquatic Club is just past Marshall Road ES. The Vienna Woods Swim & Tennis Club is about a mile further along. Might be worth looking into as part of evaluating the area. Both have wait lists of several years for actual membership, but you could get a leased membership probably within a year or two...
Thank you so much for the detailed info. It is an area that my wife and I will definately look into further. Next issue, is anyone aware of the hiring situation for experienced teachers in this area?
It has been very strong throughout NoVa in recent years as the population has been growing rapidly, but the credit crunch has put something of a damper on things. There have certainly been many fewer sales of new and existing homes, and generally falling property values mean that just about all our school systems will need to absorb some budget cuts in 2009-10.
Fairfax County Public Schools is the 12th largest public school system in the nation (170,000 students) and is quite well-regarded. The system had 194 National Merit Semi-finalists this year, and an average SAT score of 1654. This is the FCPS Applicant homepage where pretty much info can be found. Warning: there's some tacky music attached to the intro graphics...
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