Living on orange line in VA - help! (Arlington, Chantilly: apartment, rent) - Northern Virginia - Virginia - City-Data Forum

Sst13 · 05-15-2011, 08:37 AM

I'm going to be working in chantilly, va but want to live in the Arlington area. I'm hoping the horrible commute will be worth it because I'm not ready to live in the suburbs yet. I've read that I should live near the orange line. Where on the orange line would be best so that my commute to chantilly is bearable but I can still go to DC or wherever for shopping/restaurants/nightlife? I saw the last stop is Vienna. Is that way too far out to enjoy the city?

Where do you recommend? I'm a single female early 20s and want to be in a safe area. I'm ok with a 30-45 min commute to chantilly. I really want to be able to easily get on the metro and go places. I'm completely clueless to the DC VA area so any info will really help me. Also if you know the names of apartment places please let me know.

tsuric · 05-15-2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sst13

I'm going to be working in chantilly, va but want to live in the Arlington area. I'm hoping the horrible commute will be worth it because I'm not ready to live in the suburbs yet. I've read that I should live near the orange line. Where on the orange line would be best so that my commute to chantilly is bearable but I can still go to DC or wherever for shopping/restaurants/nightlife? I saw the last stop is Vienna. Is that way too far out to enjoy the city?

Where do you recommend? I'm a single female early 20s and want to be in a safe area. I'm ok with a 30-45 min commute to chantilly. I really want to be able to easily get on the metro and go places. I'm completely clueless to the DC VA area so any info will really help me. Also if you know the names of apartment places please let me know.

Question for you.....do you have the luxury of coming to work whenever you want and leaving whenever you want? Basically, flextime.

I think that would have some effect on your decision because commuting at 5am or past 10am is far far easier than commuting between 7am and 9am.

By the way, don't forget that the orange line in Arlington will cost you a lot. Most people in their 20s who live there get roommates.

Vienna is very safe and if you can get a place right near the metro, I don't see how you can not just hop on the metro and enjoy the city. But it is suburban.

saganista · 05-15-2011, 08:52 AM

The commute from Arlington to Chantilly is all against the dominant traffic flow, so isn't nearly as bad as what many commutes around here would be. You could at least come close to your limits. Meanwhile, the so-called Ballston Corridor (along the Orange Line between the Ballston and Courthouse stations) is pretty much yuppie heaven. Smart-growth high-rise with lots of walkable amenities, including shopping and bars and clubs and coffee shops and little eateries and so forth. Got it all, and it's 15 minutes from downtown DC on the train. Can get pricey for obvious reasons. There are a couple of photo-tours of that area in this forum. You might check those out.

saganista · 05-15-2011, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsuric

Vienna is very safe and if you can get a place right near the metro, I don't see how you can not just hop on the metro and enjoy the city. But it is suburban.

Vienna might make a good compromise, but aside perhaps from Jammin' Java, it is pretty clearly "family-oriented suburban" which the OP isn't yet interested in. Some higher energy level seems called for and Ballston would provide that without forcing a killer commute. Vienna is about 30 minutes from downtown on the Metro. That's easy reach alright, but not quite the hop, skip, and a jump that it is from Ballston. Housing walkable from the Vienna or Dunn Loring stations is certainly available, but it comes at a premium also.

boyd888 · 05-15-2011, 10:42 AM

If you are working in Chantilly and want to be near a metro I'd consider something near the further out orange line stations (vienna/dunn loring). It's only a 10-15 minute ride into Clarendon or 30 into DC. This will also keep your commute to Chantilly reasonable. If you have a car it's faster to just drive anyway.

The Arlington orange corridor is nice, but it is VERY expensive (1800+ for 1br walking distance to a metro), because you are paying for proximity to DC (which you won't even be using most days).

When I first moved here I lived in Ballston as well because that was what I read was the hot place to be. Walkable metro access was nice, but I only used it maybe 5 times a month, otherwise I just walked to Clarendon. I moved a couple of miles off the metro (still in Arlington) and my rent went down $500 a month. So I added 10 minutes to my "going out" commute and saved $500 a month.

tsuric · 05-15-2011, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boyd888

I moved a couple of miles off the metro (still in Arlington) and my rent went down $500 a month. So I added 10 minutes to my "going out" commute and saved $500 a month.

Not only this, but you have to ask yourself how often do you really go out into the city? How much of a homebody are you?

Another question is how important is walkability to you?

Sst13 · 05-15-2011, 11:34 AM

I guess I won't really be "going out" that much with a full time job (plus a commute). So I am open to having to walk a little and/or riding the metro a little longer to get into the city. I just am afraid to move there and be isolated from everything. I enjoy walking and going to restaurants and being around people my age and not just families.

I don't mind having to walk a little to get to the orange line and then ride 15 min to Clarendon or 30 to DC. So are you all saying that my best bet is living in Arlington but not necessarily right near an orange line? Vienna seems like the farthest from the city I should start looking there and work my way in?

Any ideas for where (website or apt) I should start looking?

Thanks so much for all of your help!

tsuric · 05-15-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sst13

I guess I won't really be "going out" that much with a full time job (plus a commute). So I am open to having to walk a little and/or riding the metro a little longer to get into the city. I just am afraid to move there and be isolated from everything. I enjoy walking and going to restaurants and being around people my age and not just families.

I don't mind having to walk a little to get to the orange line and then ride 15 min to Clarendon or 30 to DC. So are you all saying that my best bet is living in Arlington but not necessarily right near an orange line? Vienna seems like the farthest from the city I should start looking there and work my way in?

Any ideas for where (website or apt) I should start looking?

Thanks so much for all of your help!

Would you be open to roommates? If you can do that, the price range of Arlington near the metro will sting a whole lot less. Based on your update, scratch off Vienna, especially if you have flextime.

I guess another question is what is the price range that you can afford?

saganista · 05-15-2011, 03:21 PM

Roommates at home always cut the cost, and time-shifting at work always eases the commute. The job is meanwhile in Chantilly. DC is for shopping/restaurants/nightlife. Vienna is still within easy reach of the District (and Ballston) for entertainment, and closer to Chantilly for the daily commute. There are certainly more than adequate shopping and dining resources in the vicinity of Vienna, and it may be slightly less expensive than living on the main drag in Ballston.

bmwguydc · 05-15-2011, 04:57 PM

I-66 westbound in the AM toward Chantilly does have traffic in Arlington. It's not wide open, especially at Fairfax Drive, which is right where you would enter the highway from Ballston. It's not jammed the entire distance as it can be at other times of the day, but it's an extra 10-15 minutes to factor getting through that area, either using 66 or taking an alternate route.

Falls Church might not be a bad consideration, East or West Falls Church Stations, as you're not far from Ballston or DC, and you're semi-suburban in areas that are in proximity to the Metro. It's also a bit closer to Chantilly.

If considering Vienna, open your search up to Oakton, Vienna, and Fairfax City as all are within easy reach of the station, and you might find a nice condo/apartment that works for your needs. Fairfax and Vienna both have town centers with some restaurants, a couple of pubs, etc., whereas Oakton is between the two and does not have a defined town center, just two shopping plazas at Hunter Mill Road that serve the same function, so it's a bit more suburban.