Fairlington is convenient and pleasant enough. Units can be a bit small but not bad, esp. for temporary housing.

I'm not an agent -- just nostalgic for our years here, but look into: http://www.parkfairfax.com/index2.html

It covers a pretty big area, but overall, I like the area. It's very neighborhoody and leafy. Quaker Lane or King Street will take you right into Old Town.

Scuic76 - since you've expanded you're search area, I would consider Arlington. There are a TON of upscale apartment buildings that will do 6 month leases in Arlington, many located very close to orange line stops (Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square and Ballston). This area is centrally located and there are a lot of shops/restaurants all within walking distance. If it helps you at all when searching, the zip code for most of this area is 22201. Also, try searching on apartments.com Most of the large buildings are listed there.

Both Fairlington and Parkfairfax are very nice neighborhoods.

Whoops--that was stupid of me. Quaker Lane will NOT take you into Old Town--it hits Duke Street, which will take you into OT.

Question: where in Alexandria will your husband be working (I'm assuming that's why you're looking at Alexandria)? Alexandria covers such a big area that those of us who know it well could help you out a little better. For example, Crystal City or Shirlington could either work well or give him a horrible commute, depending on where his office is.

The hubby will be working at the Smithsonian (aka the castle). We checked into some of the apartments in Arlington however 6month lease are at a higher pay.

We chose Alexandria (specifically Old TOwn) because we love the convenience, the architecture, the great restaurants walking distance and distance to metro station. Another reason why we want to live in the area is because we lived in suburbia all our lives and with the opportunity we want to experience urban living.

Try Randolph Towers in Ballston (Arlington). We did a 6-month lease with them when we returned to the US, and were able to do it all by phone. It's about 2 blocks to the metro, and cheaper than the other buildings around because it's older.

I'm very very fond of Alexandria, don't get me wrong. But your comments about wanting to have a less suburban experience makes me think about the neighborhoods in DC up along and on either side of Connecticut Ave. I can think of reasons why someone might not want to live in the District, but sometimes Alexandria has a suburban feel to it, even in Old Town.