Which cities do the D.C. metro lines end in?
 

Hi,

My husband and I are contemplating a move to Washington D.C. for his career, and he is willing to live anywhere with convenient access to the metro lines. I am not a city-person and would therefore like to be as far out as possible. I'm pretty familiar with the area already.

I can find the map of DC and the map of the metro lines, but am having trouble finding a layover of both, showing in which cities the metro lines end in. Does anyone have this information for all the lines?

Thanks a bunch. Who knew a Southern girl may have to move North again :-)

Lori

I know the Red line best....
Bethesda - lots of great restaurants, pricey housing
Rockville - the line stops all along the way so you go through several suburbs before you get to Rockville which is more of a business area
Gaithersburg - lots of developments, slightly cheaper housing
Silver Spring - older neighborhoods/shopping area, some areas a bit sketchy
Takoma Park - artsy
College Park - College town - U of MD
You really don't want to be as "far out as possible" as they commute will kill you. I found I liked life best when I was in a neighborhood close in where I didn't have to depend on my car or schedule my life and errands around rush hour traffic.

The red line runs from Gaithersburg, MD into DC and back up north to Silver Spring, MD.
The blue line runs from Springfield, VA into DC and out to Capitol Heights, MD.
The orange line runs from Vienna, VA into DC and out to New Carrolton, MD.
The green line runs from Greenbelt, MD into DC and out south to Waldorf, MD.
The yellow line runs from Alexandria, VA and ends in DC.

There is also the MARC train that runs from Baltimore to Union Station in DC and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) which runs from Manassas and Fredericksburg to DC.

The website www.StationMasters.com is especially handy for tourists, but also addresses real-estate concerns like yours. here's their page called, "You can LIVE near Metro!"

http://www.StationMasters.com/Live_near/live_near.html

In the grand scheme of DC sprawling suburbs, living at the end of a Metro line is actually living fairly close to the city. And you'll pay for the privilege, if you want to live within walking distance of the Metro. Furthermore, at least in our part of NoVA, living near the Metro line would certainly not comport with "living as far out as possible" or non-city life. It certainly won't be like living in Manhattan, but it will be far from rural, and not even properly suburban.

And, let me mention once again, living near the Metro (anywhere you'd actually want to live) will cost a fortune.

I don't know about it costing a fortune to live near a metro. I guess it all depends on your frame of reference and what type of housing you want/need. You may be able to live within easy walking distance of a metro without it costing you that much more than the inconvenience of having to deal with the traffic.

Are you aware of the average cost of housing, both rentals and owndership in this area? As a general rule, the closer you are to the District the more expensive it gets. You may find it is better to live in one area vs another depending on any number of good reasons.

The dreaded commute isn't necessarily bad around here...much of that depends on where you live and how easy it is to get from there to your workplace. Mine, for example, only takes 20 minutes both ways; some people drive for more than one hour each way.

Our Metro is not nearly as extensive as most of us would like it to be and compared to major cities in Europe our Metro, while wonderful, is an absolute joke.

leah-
I guess it would depend on your frame of reference, and I'm sure that there are parts of downtown DC where you could live within walking distance of the Metro, and find prices to be not too bad, but it likely wouldn't be a neighborhood you'd like to live in.

For my part, my closest Metro is Vienna, and to purchase a house on the Orange line in Northern VA will indeed cost you a fortune. If she's not a city person, it's unlikely she wants to rent an apartment or live in a condo - which are the only places you could live that are truly convenient to the Orange Line under $500 -$700k. Of course, prices are likely lower for all the other Metro lines, but true houses near Metro are at a premium and priced as such. And the comment that she wants to live as far out as possible makes me think that she's the kind of person to value a yard, and then, well, that's just a pipe dream near the Metro.

Thanks so much for the replies, this is very helpful. My husband actually LIKES to be on the metro as long as possible since he gets alot accomplished during this time, go figure. So being at the "end" isn't bad. He just informed me that he would like to be able to *walk* to the metro so that changes things. A quick look at realtor.com in a few of those cities gives me sticker shock, for sure. I'm in Nashville now, on about 8 acres for about $900K (with low taxes to boot). It is looking like that will buy either a townhome or a regular house with minimal yard near D.C :-( I am an avid gardener and privacy/yard is a must for me... something tells me this is going to be either an adjustment or a struggle.

Thanks so much for your comments, it's really helpful. The move would put me very close to my family which is more important to me than any house, yard or $$$ in the world, so I'm trying to keep an open mind in all this.

Lori

(Some of us would kill to have 900K to spend on housing. Well, not exactly "kill"....)

A lot may depend on whether DH (and you if you're working downtown) keeps relatively regular hours or not. If so, using the MARC trains to get out into the areas of Maryland between DC and Baltimore might do the trick for you. Either that or try the end of the line in Vienna, VA, which will get you toward horse country (and at least there is parking at the furthest stations, although the lots fill up in the morning).

The Blue line is now extending all the way to Largo, although I don't think the Green line goes to Waldorf. I think it goes to Branch Ave., which is still in PG County.

Well, actually, for $900k, we could actually get you into a house with a decent yard (but probably still under half an acre) within walking distance (under a mile) - even on the Orange line. It might not be a brand new house or a palace, but it is doable. So, I stand corrected!

You're right MikeT, the green line ends in Suitland. Waldorf is much farther south.

As for finding a single family house within walking distance to a metro, your husband will have to determine how far he is willing to walk. I used to live between the Van Dorn and Springfield metro stations and I cannot think of any single family developments within walking distance of the blue or yellow lines. I would concentrate my search in Falls Church, Vienna, Bethesda and Gaithersburg/Rockville. I know there are homes within walking distance of Takoma and possibly Silver Spring, but those areas aren't for everyone.

jumper, if you have $900K to spend on a house, you should be able to find one within walking distance of a Metro stop--period. (Y'all are making it way too complicated!!) Find a realtor you click with, and plan to make several house hunting visits and it will work out, because there are many possible scenarios. Best of luck!

Regarding the 900K, keep in mind that's here in Nashville, with very low yearly taxes (3K). I bet DC taxes are steep, so my guess is that would put us in the $750-800K range.

DH's parents live in Bethesda, and mine near Middletown, MD. A good friend of mine lives in Round Hill, VA but apparently that's a bit too far. DH mentioned Vienna as a possibility.

It's a big decision, I've lived in the South for 10 years and I love it. I'm used to a slower pace, pleasant weather, my rose gardens, rolling hills and sweet tea :-)

Let me ask you this: I could acclimate to the idea of a condo/brownstone if it had a sizeable courtyard in the back (one without strict home association rules). Think Savannah, GA. A place where I could put up a pergola roof, add a fountain, create a small garden oasis of sorts. Is that possible in the price range we'd be in? Most of the condos I see around D.C. are surrounded by concrete parking lots without much else but interior space.

Lori

Lori--do more research; if you are really in the $750-800 range--that is not townhouse and we have decent yards (not what you are used to, but neighbors have beautiful gardens); I live in Chevy Chase, D.C.--small bus to Metro, then Red Line to Friendship Heights, you may need to do work on the house, but you are in range. I don't know if you have kids, or plan to, but that is a consideration, since, beyond elementary, we, and most of my neighbors, go private. Your big decision (as you know), DC, MD or VA--they really are different!

Good luck, but you are in decent shape!

Mary

I wouldn't even think about neighborhoods until your husband gets a job. After all, he could be working in Reston (far west of the city), so you wouldn't want to be living near the Greenbelt stop on the other side of the city. Not that you'd want to live near Greenbelt anyway, but that's just an illustration.

A fair amount of jobs in the DC area are in the suburbs, and there is no "loop" line on the metro, so commuting from, say, Virginia to Maryland can be a huge pain and extremely time consuming. But again, that depends on which part of each state, which you won't know until he knows where his office will be located.

Also, the Metro is becoming so crowded these days that it can be difficult to get a seat during rush hour no matter how far out you get on the train. It's hard to get any work done standing up.

As others have said, if you do have up to $900k to spend, you have a lot of flexibility. I've been living abroad for the past 2 years, but am moving back to the DC area in a few months, so we've been house hunting (lived there for 12 years before moving). Most of the places I've looked at have taxes in the $3-4k range. But that's on houses up to about $650k. Houses in the city itself seem to have extremely low taxes--but they are so low that I'm wondering if they are for the whole year. I haven't asked a realtor about that yet.

One suggestion I would have, if your husband is working in the city and likes riding the train, is living in Fredericksburg, Virginia. There is good train (not metro) service between DC and Fredericksburg, and it's much more of a small town atmosphere.

Orange Line East- New Carrollton. A real hole. I used to live ten minutes away. I know. The only way to use the Orange Line is to live in the Annapolis/Queen Anne's County area, drive 1/2 to 3/4 hour to New Carrollton and then take the metro for a 1/2 hour ride into downtown Washington.

I agree with marymarra--do more research, including taking a trip to DC. You are freaking yourself out for no reason. Trust me, I've been in your shoes many times, moving to a new place and worrying about it endlessly, but really, your price range is healthy, and the DC area abounds with choices: large lots, small ones, townhomes, condos, old houses, new houses, fixer uppers, in a variety of neighborhoods. You really need to go there and drive all around--there are plenty of leafy areas in and around the District with large yards for gardening and kiddies. Best of luck!

Btw, Northerners consider DC the South, believe it or not. It won't seem terribly southern to you, of course, but it retains a hint of southern charm.

DH would be working on Fairfax avenue, so we already know where he would be going. Hence the reason I think he mentioned the Vienna area. My father mentioned Fredericksburg to me last night as well, so I will check that out.

You're all right - I am overanalyzing this to death and just need to take one day at a time. Since this would likely be a long-term move I want to be sure I'm in a place/home I love.

I saw an area called Laytonsville on realtor.com that looks my style, but apparently that's not too close to the metro. DH seems to think the MARC trains are not very convenient.

Thanks so much for your input!

Lori

E:
Your post calls to mind that old saw, often attributed to JFK that Washington has northern hospitality and southern efficiency. I'm sure someone can get it direct.

Lori:
A closer in option than Laytonville might be the Olney area or up Layhill Road from the Glenmont station. Neither is walking distance, but the area there goes from tight suburbia to spacious rather quickly. And it's a quick drive from the end of the Red Line. Check Sandy Spring too -- as long as walking to the Metro isn't a deal killer.

I think this is the challenge of moving to big cities from even medium-size cities. The advantages of living in a wonderful place like DC require a few sacrifices, and one of those is the kind of housing you want or need. Either husband compromises or you do, since you probably aren't going to get what you want unless you lower your expectations.

I'm curious--where is Fairfax Avenue? In DC or actually in Fairfax?

There's a Fairfax Drive in Arlington. That's the street that the VA Square and Ballston Metro stops are on.

Yes, it's North Fairfax Drive in Arlingotn, VA.

Taking MARC or VRE to a job in Arlington would be a gigantic hassle since you would have to go to a train station and then transfer to Metro. You could take VRE (Virginia Railrway Express) to Springfield, Alexandria or Crystal City, but you still have to transfer to Metro and add an additional 15-20 minutes with an additional possible transfer.

MARC would get him to Union Station, then another 20 minutes to Arlington. For someone who wanted to be on Metro, I am betting this is going to be a gigantic hassle.

There are lovely neighborhoods in Arlington and $900,000 could get you something reasonable with a lawn.

Mike is right-I was suggesting Fredericksburg if your husband was working in the city.

North Arlington is a great place to live if you can afford it, and if you do have at least $600k to spend, you can. You can get a very nice house for $700+. North Arlington has a nice mix of urban/suburban, with houses with yards, yet you're close to restaurants and shops and metro.

I love DC and places around. But you have to be VERY careful when you choose a neighborhood in DC area and around. In radius of 5-10 minutes driving you can get into a trouble. The good public school can be a sing of the nice neighborhood. And if you have a school kids, good school is MUST. Prices for houses around DC are creasy. Here you are trading the size of the house (and land, which often is more expensive than actual houses in the North Arlington) for the traffic and driving. Nice condo in DC or new townhouse near metro can have same price as your house (and more!).
Good source of the local info is Washingtonian magazine www.washingtonian.com (check schools & community)
The job is in North Arlington! And it is vise to stay in VA. North Arlington may have houses that you will enjoy (and they are pricy), but walking to the metro is not an option. He may consider to use the bus to get to the job – metro from Vienna to DC is very crowded during the rush hour. From the North Arlington it is very easy to drive around and to get to DC and MD since it is a lot of road options and back roads. In other areas you can stuck in traffic since everybody have to use the same road. When you get here you can use a good realtor to show you your options. You may look into Falls Church City, where you can find a privacy and garden (between West and East Falls Church metro). Actual city numbers have 3 digits – a lot of houses listed as Falls Church are not in the city and do not share the good schools. Falls Church has a city houses, but the prices for the houses going up because of location, independent good school system and nice community.

Falls Church has a city TAXES. And also there is a project to build a metro from West Falls Church to Dallas.

The previous poster meant that there is a proposal to extend the Metro to Dulles International Airport (in stages, with stops in Tysons Corner and along the Dulles Toll Road/Greenway).

There are plenty of Metro accessible neighborhoods off the Orange Line in Arlington and further out in Fairfax. If you want a place with a yard, you could also look in the ever-expanding sprawl of Ashburn.

Don't overlook easy access to DC via the GW Parkway. With the increasing fares of Metro, it might be just as expensive to drive (if you have guaranteed parking).

Lori,
I suggest looking at the Clarendon neighborhood in North Arlington. You can get a nice historic bungalow w/ yard and walk to the Metro/restaurnants/etc. on Wilson Blvd. but still be in a quiet neighborhood with nice parks, old trees, etc. A 3br bungalow there w/ old-fashoioned porch and a (small) yard can be had for $600-$750K. Call a realtor for more help.