Relocator

I know this isn't a travel question but I apologize and hope you can help anyway.

I have been to D.C. 2 or 3 times and did all the great touristy things thanks to you guys. This time my husband has been transferred there (govt. job)amd we must move there this summer. I will most likely find a job "on the hill" as well. We are looking for a nice suburban area to live with a "quick" commute to D.C. I have checked sites such as realtor.com but you have to identify an area or neighborhood first. I am quite baffled and only know the names of a few, not even sure if these are good.

Please help! I have heard of Chevy Chase, Bethesda, and Silver Spring in Md. and Arlington and Alexandria in Va.- any comments on these or others?

lisa

First of all, Arlington is HUGE, so you really have to break it down into neighborhoods within Arlington -- you really can't talk about it as a single entity for real estate purposes.

I live in DC & really think you'll like it here -- I absolutely love it. I live in Dupont Circle, which is in the city, & I think it's a great neighborhood. But if you're definitely wanting to be outside the city (is there a particular reason?), I would suggest Rosslyn, which is a neighborhood within Arlington that is right across the river from Georgetown, on the orange and blue metro lines, a very quick commute to downtown or the Hill. However, if you are looking for a freestanding house rather than a condo/apt., you will probably want to be farther out. As a rule, the farther out you go and the farther you get from a metro stop, the less expensive. Are you wanting to be near a metro stop or doesn't that matter?

After Rosslyn, my second choice would be Alexandria -- I really enjoy Old Town.

Also, if you want to be on a metro, Clarendon area is kind of nice (lots of ethnic restaurants) and not too far out. Then there's Ballston, Falls Church, etc. which are a bit farther.

If you don't care about being on a metro line, you may want to consider Shirlington which is another area within Arlington. It's not my particular cup of tea, mainly because I like to be able to walk to things or use public transport -- but I know a lot of people who live there and like it -- it's more suburban.

Bethesda and Chevy Chase are very nice but in my opinion they are a bit far out for commuting, and pricey for what you get (in my opinion). But both have lots of good restaurants and shopping.

Also, you didn't mention whether you have kids -- I assume not since you didn't say -- but if so, schools would be another entire consideration.

If you work on the Hill, you will be on the red line if you work on the Senate side, and on the orange/blue lines if you work on the House side. Again, I don't know if you'll be taking metro though. It may affect where you want to live.

Within the district, after Dupont Circle my favorite neighborhoods are Cleveland Park, then Woodley Park. Both have a much less urban feel than Dupont, more suburban, but are lovely neighborhoods and are great for walking to restaurants & things. Obviously Georgetown is nice but very pricey (actually, anything in the district is pretty pricey at the moment).

One area I really like a lot is Takoma Park, which is on the DC/MD border. It is on the red line of the metro and a very short ride from the Hill, but a little less pricey than some of the other major suburban areas, and has a very relaxed feel.

I personally am not a big fan of Silver Spring, but again, I know people who live there and love it, so to each their own.

Cindy

Relocator, I live in Bethesda, about 2 miles north of the D.C. line. Here are a few rambling thoughts.

I like it here, as it is safe and pretty and not too "big-box" suburban. We don't have a Burger King or Taco Bell nearby, for instance. The proximity to the District is great, as the Friendship Heights Metro stop is the last one in MD before you get to the D.C. line. Housing appreciation is nice, but things are kind of pricey.

Frankly, I wouldn't make the choice to live in Bethesda unless I had kids or were planning to have them. If you need good schools, most people think the "Whitman cluster" (schools where the kids will eventually go to Walt Whitman High) has excellent schools.

I also think the homes around the Bethesda metro stop (one stop north of Friendship Heights) are nice. If you are really loaded, some of the nicest neighborhoods are Edgemoor and Westmoreland Hills (right on the D.C. border), and Sumner. Also good are Woodacres (small colonials) and Springfield (bigger) and Kenwood (bigger still).

Another nice part of town is Potomac, which is closer to the Potomac river. This is farther from the metro, so a little cheaper, and often newer. You would definitely have to drive to work, which I understand isn't pleasant, but you get some land around your house. Potomac is pretty, and the schools are pretty good, I hear.

Finally, if you are looking for a quick commute, you'll want to avoid Rockville and Gaithersburg and North Potomac.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

jo

I grew up in Chevy Chase, Md many years ago and thought it was great. We lived about 4 blocks off Connecticut Avenue and could catch a bus to Chevy Chase Circle and on downtown (before the days of the metro). Can't imagine it's too far out now with the growth of the area.

Relocator2

I am moving to DC, too, and have burned up the cables accessing all the great real estate websites. You might find eneighborhoodtours.com helpful for pictures of VA/MD/DC neighborhood streets to get a feel for what you like. Many of the local real estate agencies, have their own websites and they all seem to list on homesdatabase.com. I'm not sure of your price range or if you are looking for a house or apartment but you can see inside tours of upscale residences on the market on homevisit.com. Fodors has been very helpful for insider views on the neighborhoods if you have specifics and a few tidbits from lonelyplanet.com thorn tree posts although alot of rough communication goes on there. Not the class act that Fodors is. Good luck on your move.

Relocator

Thank you! You guys have been so helpful!!!

Just to give you a little more info. We are a couple age 29 and 28. We have no kids currently but will be starting a family within 1 or 2 years. We currently own a smallish (but very nice) condo in downtown Chicago in a high rise building. We have done the "city thing" for a while and are looking to buy a single family home with some grass (any grass is good at this point don't care if yard is small!) We don't want to live in complete "suburbia" as this would be a culture shock coming straight from the city. I guess what we are looking for is a home in a somewhat suburban (but very built up) area which is a close commute where we can go to D.C. regularly, not just for work.

When you guys say pricey, I'm not sure what you mean, Chicago real estate is not cheap either (our 1200 sq.ft. 2 bdr condo will sell for about $300,000) We are probably looking to spend $350,000, but are not sure what that will get us. We are hoping for a 3br/2ba home at least! any more help is appreciated!!

Diane

I've lived here since 1972. I think you would absolutely love a little area called Cabin John, MD which has very easy access to the city. You may also like the Glover Park and American University Park areas of DC, but you'll probably have to look hard to find something in your price range. Assume you'll be living there for about 5 years, as you enjoy the city and learn more about the different areas. After you've been here for a couple of years, and any children are grade-school age, you may decide to move further out in the suburbs. Right now you could live 30 miles out and get a very, very nice house for $350K. But you probably aren't ready for that uber-suburban lifestyle yet, so I'd suggest finding a place closer-in for now. It is a pretty sure thing that property values will continue to appreciate.

any recs

As long as we're on the subject -- what's the DC apartment market like now in terms of rentals? Are there apartments for the renting in Cleveland Park?

Chris

If you're looking for a small home, a yard, and are thinking about a future family, you really should check out the Falls Church/McLean area. Whereas you may hear the area is full of $500,000 homes (which it is), there are many pockets of neighborhoods with small homes, townhomes, condos, that are very affordable and surrounded by all the wealth and the best the DC area has to offer. There are multiple points of access into D.C. -- I-66, Chain Bridge, GW Parkway, Beltway -- DC is surprisingly close for how suburban it feels. You can be in the middle of a quiet, green neighborhood, but you are 10 minutes away from Tysons Corner, gourmet food stores in McLean, fantastic restaurants, boutiques and anything you could want or need. And no highway driving to get to them either. Fairfax County Public Schools are the best in the nation, so that's another positive. And your neighborhood school may just be a walk away. There are trails to walk on and parks everywhere. Next time you're in town, ask a realtor to show you neighborhoods with houses in the $225 - $275K range in Falls Church and McLean -- you'll see.

Annie

If your husband is working on the Hill, and if you definitely want to live outside the city, make sure you are near the metro. Trying to get into/out of the city by car during rush hour on 395 (this would be coming from Virginia--the commute from Maryland to the Hill is awfully long) is an absolute nightmare.

There really isn't a great suburban spot for commuting to the Hill. However, my personal favorite is Old Town Alexandria. For $350,000, you can get either a fairly spacious new townhouse on the outskirts of Old Town (within 2 miles--avoid Cameron Station. It's a massive new development of about 2,500 homes. It's being built on Duke Street in Alexandria, which is already really busy. And it's so crowded in there that we couldn't even find parking to look at a model!), or a smaller, older townhouse in Old Town (lots of character, great neighborhood, for both when you have kids or are kidless). There are very few single family homes in Old Town, and the few that exist are in the million+ region. Also, the best areas of Old Town aren't really near the metro.

Arlington is probably your best bet for finding a SFH in your price range. I rented a small house in North Arlington, about 1.5 miles from a metro stop, and houses in the area sold for about $280,000-$350,000. Closer to the metro will be more expensive.

Good luck. I've lived here for 14 years, and I love it.

Cindy

Relocator, I'm back to say a few things in response to the details you provided about family plans, budget, etc.

Because schools will someday be an issue for you, that makes the decision of where to move now both difficult and important. I know people who chose various neighborhoods for character, proximity to the District and such, and now they are frantic about where they will send their kids to school. Top notch private schools are very expensive here and very much in demand. You can actually get shut out, I'm told. So that makes the schools issue of paramount importance when selecting a neighborhood. I know, I know, sending a kid to kindergarten six years from now sounds like an eternity, but it will be on you in no time.

So you might wish to consider the neighborhoods within a few miles of the Red Line on the Metro -- Friendship Heights metro stop and Bethesda metro stop. They would be a nice compromise -- small yard, good enough schools, Metro commute. True, the commute wouldn't be great, because you'd have to go about 6 stops to Metrocenter stop and transfer to get to the hill. But at least you could read the newspaper instead of sitting in traffic. You might have to come up a little on price, but maybe not too much.

Hope this helps.

relocator

Back again. Just a couple more things. Sounds like the Bethesda and Frienship Heights areas may be nice and what we were looking for, although from what I undertand the commute from this area may be longer. Is it true? Would I have a closer commute if we picked a spot possibly across the bridge from Georgetown? I checked out a map and the Rosslyn and Clarendon stops of metro may be a better (quicker commute). Is this area more expensive? We can actually come up in price quite a bit up to $500,000 but we were trying to avoid this. if we start a family right away I may decide not to work and we don't want to be too burdened in case that happens. Let me know.

ilisa

I have commuted to Capitol Hill from the DC suburbs, though a bit further out, and can tell you that your commute will be long, especially if you work on the House side. From Bethesda, it is about 8 metro stops to Metro Center, where you can switch to the blue/Orange lines for another 5 stops (I think) to Capitol South. This may not be too bad if you work "normal" hours, but the hours on Capitol Hill are anything but normal. It is not unusual for Hill staff to work until 9, 10 or 11 at night. Do you want to be on the metro that long at those hours? That is something you should keep in mind.

Potomac Partisan

Relocator, we faced something similar to you many years ago and just stumbled over Parkfairfax -- a garden-type condo community with a lot of history and a very nice feel to it. (It's opposite Shirlington on the "Alexandria side" of Shirley highway, right around Quaker Lane.) When we bought our first house, we only moved 1/2 mile away because we'd grown to love the neighborhood. I think you can afford better than Parkfairfax if you want to buy, but I mention the area because we loved that part of Alexandria --- and we did use public transportation -- it's really not a bad hop by bus to Metro.

However, what I really want to say is this: you will discover, if you haven't already, a real split between Marylander suburbanites and Virginian suburbanites (and another between the District and the suburbs). They have very different "feel," in part but not entirely because there's a river between DC and Virginia, limiting access to bridges, while there are lots of streets in and out of Md. from the District.

What we liked about Alexandria was that it was its own small town, with lots of history and charm in its own right, in a ddition to being easy-access to DC. But a lot of Marylanders are a bit snooty about Virginians, seeing them as just that much more Southern, maybe thinking the schools aren't as good (which is highly debatable, depending on the school), and being horrified by the sprawl around the Beltway. In turn, Virginians like the idea that they aren't quite as swept up in the District yuppiness as the Marylanders -- also highly debatable. But I sometimes felt the Mason-Dixon line dipped a bit to run right along the Md/Va line.

The Maryland suburbs avoided some sprawl because many communities (Takoma Park, College Park, Garrett Park -- all worth looking into) were long established, but if you go up the I270 corridor, you'll see a developing mess somewhat like the mess out Shirley Highway to Springfield in Va.

(NB: Avoid southern or southeastern Alex. at all costs because construction on the bridge and the beltway is going to make navigating around there hell for many years to come.)

We later moved from Alexandria to Chicago, and I don't think any part of DC will remind you of high-rise Chicago. Even the heart of the Northwest quadrant of DC will seem more like some of Chicago's suburbs to you. No highrises -- can't because it's zoned so that nothing can be taller than the Capitol Dome.

In any case, I think you will enjoy DC a great deal once you get used to the idea that local gossip is national gossip, and everyone dresses up much more than they did in Chicago. It's a great, sort-of-city!

Good luck.

Lisa

I don't have kids, but work in Old Town Alexandria with many parents. Those who live in Old Town are very pleased with the elemntary-level schools there. And in terms of high schools, Alexandria is in Fairfax County, which has one of the best (some would say the best) high schools in the country--Thomas Jefferson Science and Technology (am I getting this name right?).

But you know, the quality of schools in the neighborhoods you're looking at in both Maryland and Virginia are pretty consistent.

I've lived in Virginia, the District and Maryland (Bethesda--neither my husband or I really liked it. It's a neighborhood that's trying to hard to be a neighborhood, and failing badly at it). Of the three areas, I liked Virginia the best, altough my heart is still in the city (Foggy Bottom, Cleveland Park and Southwest, near the Waterfront--great area today, with housing prices pretty reasonable, as it's been overlooked until recently). In Virginia, I've lived in the Courthouse area of Arlington (2 metro stops from the city), Manassas (horrible, horrible, horrible place with even worse traffic), near Falls Church, and in Old Town Alexandria. It's a toss up between Old Town and Courthouse. Courthouse is more convenient, but Old Town is much prettier, and more neighborhoody. Both have good restaurants and bars.

A word on Rosslyn--While there must be some hidden somewhere, I'm not aware of any detached homes in the neighborhood. I would really recommend living in Courthouse or Clarendon/Ballston over Rossyln, as it's pretty much office building hell.

Chris

You can't go to Thomas Jefferson High School if you live in Old Town -- Old Town is Alexandria City, and the schools are VERY poor. TJHS is in Fairfax County, and as I said before, one of the very best school systems in the nation. TJ is very, very difficult to get into also -- only the top 2-3 percent of "gifted and talented" in Fairfax County schools are even eligible to apply. Just following up on a trivial detail for this post.

Absolutely confirm the post above about the differences of opinion between Maryland and Virginia suburbanites -- Virginia close to D.C. (Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, McLean) is just as sophisticated as anything on the Maryland side, and many neighborhoods are almost identical, so I don't even know where this comes from!!!

relocator

Well once again everyone here has been very helpful and terrific! I spoke to a realtor just now who specializes in arlington and alexandria. He suggested we look at some homes in Lyon village and Ashton heights developments. apparently we can get something there for around $400k comparable to what we arre loking for. Anyone know anything about these neighborhoods they look nice from virtual tours. what about proximity to metro stop and interstate. How long of a commute are we talking about from here to either White or Hill? Do these communities have good schools?

Chris

Commute will be no problem. Neighborhoods are nice. Arlington County schools are a mixed bag depending on your specific neighborhood. Some excellent, some rough.

Ask your realtor to push West just a little bit, to Ballston or Westover, or Cherrydale. All good, close-in spots.

Lisa

Lyon Village is a wonderful neighborhood, and I covet the houses and location, and would live there in a second if I could afford it. However, it's so wonderful that houses seldom come up for sale, and I'm not really sure what you can get there for $400,000, as I know of nearby townhouses that are around $400,000. But if you can find a good place in that neighborhood, grab it quickly.

Ballston's a good place, too, although it's really getting crowded with apartment buildings.

I used to live in the Westover area. Might be a little too suburban. However, if you can get a good spot near the East Falls Church metro, but not too far from Westover shopping plaza, go for it. The "plaza" is a small strip of stores and a couple of restaurants on either side of Washington Boulevard. Lost Dog has the best pizza in the D.C. area (and great sandwiches, too). There's also a small grocery store, and a hardware store that has every product know to man.

And thanks to the poster about TJ--you're right, and I'm wrong. I live basically on top of the Alexandria City border, and therefore in Fairfax County, so I forget that the city is not in Fairfax County. However, I guess most of my friends must have gifted and talented children. Hmmm.

relocator

sending back up!